Page 15 of Bred By Fafnir

“Valoryx up,” I command.

Waiting.

The damn thing doesn’t move.

I scowl, walking around as he tracks me with lazy crimson and golden slitted eyes. Bracing my hands on his side, I try to shove him over. But yeah,obviously, that’s not going to work. His tail flicks at me as if to shoo me away, but I swat at it. Hiking a brow when his lips pull in a silent, lazy snarl. It's incredibly illogical how comfortable andsafeI feel with him compared to just yesterday. I’d done something right on that ride, perhaps too right considering the way he’s begun hoarding me like his favorite servant. My eyes peek at Fafnir again, watching the toned expanse of his brawny arms as he runs another Sihlih through a set of commands and drills.

I point at them, getting closer to Valoryx’s face. “See that? You should be ashamed of yourself.”

Giving hisupcommand a few more times with only mild amusement in response has my irritation simmering dangerously close to anger. Cursing him out feels nice, but he doesn’t know what I’m saying, so it’s not super satisfying. I try to wrap my arms around his neck to haul him up myself; my hands don’t even come close to touching, so I can’t lift his head.

Not that I could either way, but he and I both are past being reasoned with.

He gently swats his paw toward my back as I turn, knocking me forward enough to stumble before he shakes his mane out, giving a giant yawn. “War beast, my ass.” I grit between my teeth, searching the clearing and eyeing the enclosed training building toward the area where Fafnir is working with the others, when an idea pops into my mind.

“Fine, if you won’t listen, I’ll go back to the group.” I offer, not getting more than a few steps away before his thick barbed tail edges ever so carefully out.

I ignore it.

Until he swipes hard, taking my feet out front underneath me. My breath is knocked from my chest, and my cheeks flame bright, already feeling Fafnir’s no doubt highly annoyed stare. It's his damn mount that’s acting like a moody teenager! Another slurry of foul words leave my lips as I shove myself up, stalking back toward Valoryx. He watches me, ensuring he keeps his head down and not give me what I want. I brace my back on his side, my feet planted on my ground as I push, holding my breath from the strain of it. So focused on just getting him to move an inch, it takes my brain precious seconds to catch up when the brick wall I’m trying to shove over simplygives.

My back collides with the ground, making me hiss in pain, my bruised tailbone throbbing. It’s not until a mountainous eclipse blots out the sun that I wrench my eyes open.

“What have you done to my mount?” Fafnir accuses, his eyes glued to my sprawled form beneath him.

“What have I done?” I all but screech, pointing to my chest for dramatic effect. It feels good to have big feelings and get loud.

He rears back, his long hair plaited, slapping at the brand on his chest. “He’s being willfully disobedient. I raised him myself from a pup, fought with him forsixteenyears and never, not once—"

“Sounds like poor training,” I interrupt. My eyes widening when that odd red color blooms in his eyes, flooding and warring with the deep brown.

I don’t get a second to rehash my own words before I’m hauled off the ground and slung over the shoulder of Fafnir, a move he seems to enjoy as he plants a rough, dirty palm over the back of my thigh, squeezing a little harder than he needs to. It's everything I have not to squirm as I’m roughly deposited on the back of Valoryx. Instinctually, I lean up, gripping onto his mane as he purrs his approval.

“Poor training.” Fafnir spits, and it's clear I’ve struck a nerve. I almost feel bad, but the trepidation I’m feeling at his erratic behavior takes a backseat to the mouthwatering spectacle of pure male aggression. He jerks his thick fingers into his hair, his muscles bunching as he stalks toward an open spot in the field away from us. When he turns, his eyes find mine. My core tightens unbidden, making me dig my teeth into my lip.

“Hold him roughly,” he orders, and my heart jolts in my chest, digging my fingers in harder, deeper, so much so I worry they’ll needto be cut out.

I’m panting, my breath rougher than it was moments ago as he darts further out, moving every bit as fast as the beast I’m on. His strong equestrian legs, all power and corded muscle. When he stops, his back is to me, to all of us, and it's only then that I noticethey'rewatching.

All the Sihlih gather around me in a V formation as he barks commands. When he lifts his arm, the entire field goes still, me included. He turns, looking over his shoulder, his eyes meeting mine. The slightest smirk on his bowed lips does ungodly things to my insides before he gives the line of predators his back again.

The command that comes next is more vocalization than words. I barely hear the end of it as a scream rips from my throat. The line of Sihlih rushes forward, snarling and foaming with their attack.

And it is an attack.

One that he aimed toward himself.

“Stop!” I scream, jerking back on Valoryx’s mane as if it’ll do anything to stop him, to stopanyof them. We’re on him in seconds that seem to stretch a lifetime as I squeeze my eyes shut tightly, just as another short, barked command rises above the snarling.

I lurch forward at the sudden stop so violently that I crash into Valoryx’s wide neck. My breath leaving me in choked pants.

“Open your eyes, little female.”

I do, the sound of his gravelly voice swiping over my frayed nerves like warm water over chilled skin. My mouth gapes. The silly, willful Valoryx’s teeth are latched onto his master’s shoulder.

A strange, violent snapping occurs in my chest. “Fafnir!” I try to move to scramble off, but then I lookcloser.

His teeth pierce but… onlyjustlike the tip of a needle, and he’s panting, holding his pose. My head snaps around in horror to find they all are. The beasts stopped a blink away from delivering a fatal blow. All in perfect unison. The gravity of it has me slipping my shaky handsfrom his mane. “Okay, you made your point.” I spit out, feigning anger because it’s the only thing that makes sense, despite not feeling a lick of it.

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