Page 52 of Flameborne: Fury
‘Your wisdom always surprises me, Donavyn. You should listen to it more often.’
I snorted. But Kgosi didn’t laugh.
19. High On You
~ BREN ~
Two hours into the flight the clench in my belly drew so tight I worried I’d make a fool of myself. Surely if the males could endure this, I could?
It had been decided that I’d ride Kgosi with Donavyn. I wasn’t sure if that was Kgosi’s directive for Akhane’s sake—her scales glimmered and glowed with heat, and she was agitated, tossing her head a great deal as she flew—or if Donavyn merely wanted to keep me close. But as we rode the rise and fall of the storm and gusting cross-winds battered all of us, I was grateful for the circle of Donavyn’s arm.
The problem was, with Akhane’s desire increasing and Donavyn’s heat at my back,mybody was demanding as well. I shivered with want.
Unable to resist, I pressed myself back into Donavyn’s chest, my need fed and fueled by the sensation of his warm strength behind me.
Kgosi tilted, banking slightly into a wind-gust and the tendrils of my hair whipped around my face, stinging my cheeks. I tipped my head back to rest it against Donavyn’s shoulder andhis chest expanded with a deep sigh.
He dropped his chin until I felt his breath on my neck and my skin pebbled all the way to my knee on that side.
“I haven’t forgotten that we didn’t get to talk,” he muttered. “But—”
“Not now,” I said quickly.
He nodded, but that rubbed his stubbled jaw against the sensitive skin of my neck and jaw. I swallowed hard.
“I still want to hear your story,” he said softly.
I nodded, but my stomach twisted. It all seemed different back in the cave when we were alone, with time and space. Yet, now…
“But,” he continued, “right now, I thinkIshould be the one to talk.” His voice was low, like he’d hide the words, even though we both knew the sharper-sensed dragons could hear us even over this wind.
“About what?”
Through the bond, I felt something twist tight inside him and tense. But he wrapped an arm around my middle. “Nothing for you to be afraid of,” he murmured. “I want to anticipate what we might face, make sure you know I’m not leaving you. Ever.”
I swallowed hard and didn’t respond as he began to murmur, his lips close enough to brush my ear, his breath fluttering in my hair even over the thunder of the wind that wanted to toss us off Kgosi’s back.
“I’ve worked with enough Flameborne coming from difficult homes or pasts to know what it means when you flinch, Bren. I knowsomeonelaid their hands on you. And that makes me more angry than I can articulate.”
I tried to keep my voice even. “The Furyknights fight and get aggressive with each other all the time—”
“That’s different.”
“How?” I scoffed.
“Because it isn’t a man of strength using his power against someone weaker. Don’t get me wrong, you’ll see fights among your brothers. Perhaps even higher ranked men at times. Real fights. But when two Furyknights clash, it’s… an assertion of dominance and strength. Two bulls fighting to prove who’s stronger. It can be stupid and mindless, but it’s strength meeting strength. Men test each other that way. But any man of honor wouldneveruse his strength against a woman.”
I frowned. “I’m a Furyknight, too.”
“Notthe same thing,” he growled.
I bristled. “Why not? You said I’d be real Furyknight! You said—”
His hand tightened on my stomach. “I didn’t mean your rank or achievement, Bren. I meant… No matter how strong you become, you could never be a fair fight against one of the men.”
I struggled with that. Wanted to argue. But I remembered how easily Ruin used to overcome me, even in play, even gently. He’d never even had to breathe heavily to pin me down. Even when I struggled my hardest to get away.
Now, I was stronger than I’d ever been. But I hadn’t forgotten the moment when Faren pinned me against that wall. I’d beenunableto shift his grip. I could have kicked him in the balls if he wasn’t quick enough to block me, or used a weapon to threaten him. But hand-to-hand?
