Page 59 of Stolen By Dragons

A ghost of a smile played at the corners of Ossian's mouth. "So this little one took off on you?”

As if on cue, my white dragon fluttered down from my arms, landing gracefully on the floor, Ossian’s dragon following suit. The two creatures regarded each other with curiosity, no hint of hostility between them. To my surprise, the two creatures began to interact, their body language relaxed and curious. It was the first time I'd seen my dragon engage with another dragon.

I took a moment to really look at Ossian. His face was paler than usual, and he held his injured arm close to his body. The bandage peeking out from his sleeve made me wince.

"Your arm," I said, “how is it healing?"

"Slowly," he admitted. "It's... not as it should be.” His lips tightened into a thin line. "The healing process is slower than it should be."

"Why?" I stepped closer, my brow furrowed with worry. "I thought vampires healed quickly. Is it because it’s dragon fire?”

He sighed as he moved to sit on his bed. “Possibly the type of fire and it’s magical qualities, but not just that. The animal blood they've been providing us... it's not sufficient. It will sustain us, but our healing is slowed.”

"Oh," I said softly, the words settling in. "Is there anything that can help?"

Ossian's eyes met mine, and I saw a flicker of something - hunger? longing? - before he quickly looked away. “No,” he said curtly.

“What about my blood?” I offered.

"Aria, no. That... that wouldn't be wise.” His dark eyes met mine, his jaw clenched.

"Why not?" I challenged, lifting my chin. "If it would help you heal-"

"It's not that simple," Ossian interrupted, his voice strained. "Feeding is… it’s intimate sometimes. It can trigger things, heighten emotions if they’re already there, feelings.”

I felt heat rise to my cheeks as I processed his words. "What do you mean?"

Ossian took a deep breath. "If either party feels... something for the other, the act of feeding can intensify those feelings. It creates a connection."

My mind raced, thinking of how I did feel an inkling of something for him, but I didn’t believe it to be something to worry about. I was with Chris, somewhat, and Ossian was just a friend… I pushed the thoughts aside, focusing on the matter at hand and not my attempts to lie to myself about how I truly felt.

"You need to heal. We're facing a war, Ossian. We need everyone at full strength."

Not only that, I had my worries about Marcus. With Ossian wounded, would he… No, I didn’t even want to think about it.

Ossian studied me for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Finally, he nodded, gesturing for me to sit on the edge of the bed. My heart pounded as I lowered myself onto the bed beside him.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked, his eyes searching mine. “It could… get heated.”

“How heated?” I asked as my cheeks flushed.

“Depends on what we feel,” he said, although his gaze didn’t waver.

“What do you feel?” I dared to ask.

His lip quirked at that as he shook his head. “Honestly, I’m not sure, Aria.”

“Neither do I. But I know we all need you at the top of your game. You seem to be the leader of the vampires here, however strained, so we need you at full capacity,” I said logically even as my heart fluttered.

“Are you sure?” he questioned one last time.

I knew that my response could change everything right now, but I also knew some part of me wanted this. Whether it was to help or my curiosity about how he truly felt, I had no idea.

I nodded, tilting my head to expose my neck. "I'm sure."

“Okay then. Thank you, Aria.” His soft words made a tingle course through me as he leaned in, his cool breath fanning across my skin. I quivered as his lips brushed my neck, and then I felt the sharp prick of his fangs.

The world exploded into sensation. It wasn't painful, not exactly. Instead, a wave of pleasure washed over me, unlike anything I'd ever experienced. I gasped, my hands clutching at Ossian's shirt as he drank deeply.

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