Page 37 of Monsters In Her Head

Chapter 20

Sitting next to Arynin the female’s quarters, I watched her sign something about what happened with a few of the males she was teaching to sign but I wasn’t really paying much attention. My fingers twisting and turning into the edges of my skirt.

For days now, I felt on edge. Every shadow made me jump. Every drake close to the color of the king made me run. It almost felt as if I was back in the castle, trying to hide from Cal and Luis. Except I was hiding from Ryu for a whole different reason.

While Ira had assured me that Ryu wouldn’t care that he and I had been with one another, I still didn’t want to have that conversation. Back at the castle, pre-Cal, I’d always been a one person kind of woman. The idea of multiple partners at once had been unheard of and the ladies at court would have given me a piece of my mind if they knew about it.

The drakes didn’t have the same thought process as humans did. Several of the females on occasion even competed to see who was rutting with the most males as if it were some kind of sport. It had caused Aryn to turn beat red for sure. The woman was never one for loose tongues about intimate things. Being around the drakes had to be even worse for her.

A hand waved in my face, jerking me from my thoughts.

Refocusing on Aryn, I noticed the deep turned down frown on her face. She signed with a worrying expression. “What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

I shook my head, forcing a smile as I signed back. “What makes you think that?”

Aryn pointed at my hand.

I followed her gaze to see I had turned the edge of my skirt into a crumpled mess. Abruptly releasing it, I smoothed the wrinkles out with rapt attention. My ruse was not enough to sway Aryn who knew well enough now to be patient and I would reveal myself.

Sighing, I glanced around the room not wanting the few female drakes who had begun to learn the language to see what Isigned, “I’m just worried I might have messed things up.”

Arching her brow, Aryn replied, “How so?”

Chewing on my bottom lip, I contemplated how to explain to Aryn that I’d not only given myself to one drake but two. She’d be appalled for sure. Aryn already didn’t like this situation though she had begun to get along with many of the drakes during our stay here.

My hands moved to sign to her the mess I’d gotten myself into but before I barely got the words, “I did something stupid” out, a dark shadow formed over me.

Lifting my head, my eyes trailed over the large golden feet, up the stone and metal spiked plates on his knees and calves, I skipped over the middle bit already feeling like this was going to end badly, as I skimmed up the large chest covered in leather and bone before settling on the irate face of the drake king.

Swallowing a hard lump that had formed in my throat, I blinked up at the king with feigned innocence, waiting for him to address me.

Out loud, his lips moving slow enough for me to follow, Ryu said, “Your highness, I require an audience with you, if it so pleases you.” I couldn’t hear the sarcasm in his voice but the words were clear enough for me to see that this was not a random request for a quick romp.

The female drakes weren’t even trying to act like they weren’t interested in what was going on with Ryu. All of them were watching our interaction with increasing interest, bitchface’s lips quirked up at the edge with a smugness I wanted to slap off her face.

Since he hadn’t offered me his hand like a gentleman would, I pushed myself up to my knees and then climbed to my feet, brushing my hands off as I did so.

Aryn grabbed my hand.

I glanced at her, the worry in her expression squeezing my heart like a fist. I gave her a reassuring smile, and patted her hand before pulling away.

Ryu walked in front of me, making no effort to act as if this was a pleasant interaction and I was nothing but a guest in their home.

The two guards at the entrance of the female’s quarter barely glanced our way as he passed by. I waited until we were out of range before pushing my thoughts at Ryu.

Where are we going?

No answer.

My brow furrowed.Are you upset with me?

Still no answer.

What in the gods was his problem? Was this to be my punishment? Keeping me in silence? Because I was used to it. I lived three years without speaking to others outside of signing and lip reading, I could do it again. I didn’t need the voice in my head to survive. I truly didn’t.

---