Page 51 of Flameborne: Fury
I nodded. Bren looked up at me. “He’s worried about instinctively hurting another dragon if a male comes too near, Akhane. She’s still in full heat. It’s not natural for the dragons to be in the herd when she’s like this and they’ve bonded. Usually he would have chased her away—taking out any challengers on the way—then if she selected him, they’d hide together for a few days until her heat was past, so only he could father of her offspring. And even after they returned, he’d be touchy about letting anyone close to her for some time.”
Akhane gave a little cry.
Bren’s eyes widened. “She’sproudof that,” she said, bemused. “She wants to see him send the others away.”
“Saucy little Vixen, isn’t she?” I muttered.
Kgosi roared and whipped around, the earth shaking under our feet as he leaped the space between us, landing only feet from me, mouth wide to bare his fangs dripping, steam and smoke pouring from his nostrils and whipped away by the wind.
It was so startling I almost gave ground, almost ran—which could have been disastrous. I had to catch myself—and Bren, who shrieked and jerked to run from simple reflex.
“Don’tmove,” I muttered to her. “If you run his instincts will kick in. Trust me.”
She trembled, but did as I said, drawing closer to me rather than away.
I swallowed and held Kgosi’s gaze.‘It was a joke, Keg. You know me. You know my heart.’
He tipped his head eerily.‘Would you like me to select choice names foryourmate, Donavyn?’
Myinstincts kicked in then, and my hackles rose. I had to fight not to warn him off. But I swallowed the urge and held his gaze. His pupils dilated, but he didn’t move.
‘I apologize for the disrespect,’I sent earnestly.‘It was thoughtless. Not intended.’
Kgosi huffed and sent another plume of steam and smoke into the air. Bren tensed and my heart jumped, but then my dragon turned his back, tail lashing over our heads.
‘I’m not the only risk of violence, Donavyn. You, too, will be easily sparked. You acknowledge this?’
I nodded.‘I don’t feel like I have any choice.’
‘We risk setting each other off. If one of us senses threat—’
‘If we can’t control ourselves in this, we don’t deserve the status we hold,’I sent firmly.
Kgosi went still, then turned first his head, then his body before walking slowly back to tower over me and Bren again.‘Speak. For. Yourself.’
I swallowed, but didn’t back down. The only area in which Kgosi and I truly saw the world differently was this. As a dragon, and certain of his purpose, he bristled against the leash of human societal rules and restraints. He’d always grudgingly adhered to them, and I acknowledged how humbling it was for him to bow to human rules when he could have flamed any of us—all of us, for that matter—out of existence in seconds.
But I was confident his aggression was only the demonstration of his beast. He knew as well as I did that we couldn’t hold peace—or protect it—if we killed each other.
Akhane crooned again and Kgosi turned from me, vocalizing in ways I’d never heard from him before, gruff grunts, and high, whistling calls.
Then he returned to Akhane, to greet her once more as she clambered to her feet and shook like a dog.
When they’d breathed each other’s breath for a time, Kgosi rumbled again.
‘We will accept the Creator’s trial and carry you home,’he intoned, clearlynothappy about it.‘But we’ll stop along the way. To soothe the need.’
I nodded, and even though the General in me was agitated at the idea of any delay, I breathed a little easier, too. “Agreed.”
“What did he say?” Bren whispered.
“We’re going back. With a stop on the way,” I looked down at her and took her hand again and her eyes locked on mine. I felt the surge of relief in her, too.
A fresh gust of wind whipped through the clearing, ruffling my hair and whistling in the trees.
Kgosi raised his head, staring at the sky as he growled.‘We battle the elements as well.’
‘I know. But the internal war will be worse.’
