Page 19 of Scaled Hearts

“I don’t care about happiness, I only care about the status this brings me,” Angurus says, snorting. “I will do what it takes to care for you but in return, you’ll bring me prestige. Dragons don’t have mates, so I’ll be the envy of every dragon on the island.”

I blink. “Really? No one takes mates?”

“No. Female dragons are a rarity and therefore they refuse offers to mate. They prefer to reproduce sans mate.”

“Ah.” That seems sad, too. I’m starting to understand why Angurus is the way he is. The way of life for the dragons seems rather isolated. “Isn’t that lonely then?”

“Hardly!” He laughs. “They like competing for the right to breed with the females.”

“Do they?” I raise an eyebrow.

“Everything is a competition with dragons,” he grumbles. “I am certain they enjoy scrabbling and fighting with each other.”

“I don’t know...” I tap my chin. “I would feel so lonely if all my life was spent competing for a shred of affection.”

“It is just the way it is,” he shifts around, claws digging into the dirt. “I don’t think any of us think any differently.”

“Still,” I look down at the ring. “I think maybe you don’t truly want to be alone, that’s why you want me as your mate.”

“You know nothing, little human,” he sneers. “I am merely interested in power and prestige.”

I doubt that but don’t want to provoke him into actually turning me to ash so I stay quiet, rubbing my hands over the goosebumps on my skin.

“So, as your mate, what else do I need to know?” I ask, tilting my chin up to look at him.

He leans his head down to level his gaze with mine. “You’ll find out in due time,” he smiles, that same toothy grin that sends a shiver up my spine.

9

Angurus

The little human wraps her arms around her naked body, her skin covered in a layer of bumps that remind me of my scales. She shivers and I sigh. She’s probably cold.

“You need to take me to your sister,” I say, sitting up again. “I have to see the disease for myself if I’m going to identify it and cure her.”

“Well, we have to get through the camp without the orcs seeing us,” she says, rubbing the flesh of her arms.

“Not a problem,” I tilt my chin upwards, my tone light.

“Aren’t you worried about the orcs attacking us?” Her brows knit together.

I laugh at her question. “I fear nothing on two legs! But if it worries you, little one, they will never see me coming.”

She stares at me, taking in my form. “How are theypossiblynot going to see you coming?” she asks, looking incredulous at my large body.

I chuckle again, closing my eyes as I concentrate on shifting back into my disused elven form. I haven’t walked around on two legs in a century so it feels a bit rusty to shift. I’m naked, as shifting is pointless to do with clothing. It always gets torn when I bother wearing anything.

The little human girl gapes at me. “Is this form more pleasing?” I ask, a smirk forming across my lips.

“Ah...” Her voice cracks, then her mouth opens and closes a few times as she looks me over. “It’s…you’re not a dragon?”

“Yes, I am. I’m a dragon-shifter. I have the ability to return to my elven form when I want,” I explain.

Her mouth closes and she nods slowly. She bites her lip, sending a zing down my spine. I enjoy her form and I haven’t been intimate in a very, very long time.

Even if I don’t care about her, I still own her. She’s my property which means I can do anything I want with her, including coupling.

“Do you wish to change the terms of the agreement?” I raise a single eyebrow.

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