Page 30 of Scaled Hearts

But for some reason, that makes me all the more attracted to him.

I’m not sure if it’s because no other man at the camp pays attention to me or looks my way, and that the affection that Angurus shows me is something that I’m starved for, but it hardly makes me feel sane.

I know that coming here is helping my sister. However, I never expected to be bonding myself to a dragon in the process. What kind of sister did that make me?

I shake my head and clear my throat. “Are we ready to go? I just need to collect my hoqin.”

He turns and raises a single brow at me. “For what?”

“To… ride? Back down?”

He shakes his head at me. “We will not be riding any smelly livestock, Kelly.”

“It’s a long walk back to my boat. It’s easier traveling by hoqin.”

He gives me an amused look. “Who said anything about traveling by boat? I certainly didn’t.”

“But—”

He steels me with another look. “Don’t make me repeat myself.”

I frown and follow him down the steep path leading to the bottom of the mountain. If he thinks that I’m leaving my hoqin here, he’s crazy. I needed it in order to pay back that merchant who’d lent me his boat.

A deal is a deal, after all.

Traveling with us both, plus a hoqin, will be a bit of a cramped ride. But the journey isn’t as far as it seems. We’ll be fine for the time being as long as I can get Angurus to remain patient.

As we reach the bottom of the narrow trail, I spot my hoqin still tied to the tree. It whinnies at us when we come into view. I know hoqins aren’t considered the brightest of creatures, but they still had a place in my worklife.

In fact, I don’t know where I’d be without it.

Angurus sneers at the hoqin, making it jump back in fear at the sound. I push past him and grab the reins.

“Shhh, it’s okay.” I pat the neck of it gently, trying to soothe the poor beast.

“You aren’t seriously going to take that with us, are you?”

I turn to the sound of Angurus’ voice. “Well, of course I am. I can’t just leave it behind.”

Angurus lets out a chauff through his nose.

Suddenly, his body morphs. His bones and skin rip apart to reveal scales underneath that stretch over long thick limbs. Angurus’ large body breaks through the canopy overhead. I jump back, shielding my face when the sticks and brush that rain down onto me.

My hoqin lets out a loud squeal, causing me to part my arms to see through them.

Angurus snatches it off of the ground. The reins that I had tied it with snaps easily and dangles on either side of the hoqin’s head. I watch in horror as Angurus dangles the hoqin over his slack jaw.

“Wait!” I put my hand out.

But I’m too late. He drops the hoqin into his mouth and snaps his jaw shut. Bones crunch against his teeth and the sound of the hoqin’s body exploding in his mouth like a grape makes my stomach roll.

I slap a hand over my mouth and lean against the tree, nauseous.

Angurus chews slowly, almost as if he’s savoring every delicious bite of my poor hoqin. When he licks his lips, his large eyes turn to focus on me.

Those slitted pupils dilate when they focus on me.

I need to remember to be careful around him. Clearly he isn’t afraid of eating anything that moves, which can very quickly turn to me if I’m not careful. I don’t think that it matters that he’s somehow claimed me as my mate. If he wants to eat me, he most certainly will.

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