Dragon Heat by Charlene Hartnady

Chapter 12

Two days later…

Azure feltthe earth between her toes. The sun was warm on her back. A soft breeze had the trees around them rustling.

What shocked her was that even though so much had happened, nothing had changed. Not really. She glanced back at her team, who was sitting a little way off having their lunch. Sun and Fog were arguing about something or other. Nothing worth noting. Avalanche took a big bite of his turkey leg, groaning around his food. Ice sat away from the group. Although he had his food in his hand, he had yet to start eating.

Yep, everything was the same, alright. They knew where a herd of elk was grazing. They’d found them a little while ago. Once they finished recharging their batteries, they were going to bag a couple of bulls and then head back to the lair.

All. The. Same.She looked up at the sky. It was the same blue. The sun shone brightly. The earth beneath her feet looked and smelled the same. It was all the damned same. Why did it feel different?

It was her.

Of course, she knew deep down that she had changed. Something had changed inside her. What exactly that thing was, she couldn’t say.

“Are you okay?” Ice asked her.

She was shocked to see him standing right there next to her. Azure hadn’t heard him come over. She’d been too lost in her own thoughts. “Um…yes, I’m fine.”

“You’re not eating.”

“I’m not hungry.”

“You?” Ice snorted, a half-smile on his handsome face. He quickly turned serious.

Crap with scales!That was another thing; their relationship had changed, too. What happened on that rock had opened up a can of worms about a mile wide. All she could think about was his mouth on her. His hands— By the gods, she needed to think about something else, and quick.

His nostrils flared. “Is the last of your heat still troubling you?”

“Must be.” She cleared her throat. It wasn’t her heat. It was him! It was all a big mess.

“I told you to take all the time you needed. You didn’t have to come back so soon.”

“I had to. Sitting at home was making me stir crazy.”

“I can still smell your heat on you.” He lowered his voice a whole lot.

It was more like arousal. Her cheeks flushed.

“It should be over by now.” Ice went on, “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yes.” She folded her arms over her chest. “I’m fine. It’s just…everything that happened. It’s still up here.” She touched her temple. “Is there any news?”

“On Skarn?” he snarled the male’s name, even though he was still talking under his breath.

“Not Skarn; I know he’s still missing.” Azure wanted to feel nothing, but she couldn’t. She felt bad for the male. She wanted him back in one piece so that there could be recourse. “Did anything come of those meetings Thunder said he was going to have with the elders; with the kings collectively?” There had apparently been meetings. As a team leader, Ice might have heard something. Maybe they had more information on those creatures.

“Not that I know of.”

“I’m going to see Storm when we get back. After I’m done with my duties, of course. I want to know what the hell is going on.”

“I’ll go with you,” Ice said.

“Are you going to eat your turkey?” Avalanche shouted at her, throwing a bone at his feet.

“No.” She shook her head.

“Can I have yours?” the male asked, his eyes lighting up.

“No!” Ice growled. “Azure needs to keep her strength up.”

Avalanche made a noise of acknowledgment.

“I’m plenty strong enough.” She gave Ice a hard stare.

“Not if you don’t eat,” Ice insisted. “You’ve lost weight.” He gave her the once-over, looking disapproving of what he saw.

“Just on my breasts.” She palmed her boobs, quickly realizing what she was doing, and stopped. “Um…they were bigger during my heat.” Why was she still talking? “A side-effect,” she muttered.

Ice gave a one-shouldered shrug. “They’re still plenty big enough. Look good to me.” His eyes flared. “I mean, no different. You need to look after yourself, Azure.”

No different.

He would say that. He hadn’t seemed to notice before her heat, so he probably couldn’t really say either way. He only noticed during her heat because…she was in heat. The thought irked her. Only because she sure as hell noticed him. She had before, and she still did now. More so now than ever before.

“You’re right. I need to eat,” Azure mumbled as she walked back to the others and grabbed a piece of meat, she took a bite. Everyone was looking at her. “What?” She frowned.

“Nothing,” Fog said.

“Nothing at all,” Sun added.

“I’m still hungry,” Avalanche added.

Some things didn’t change, which was a relief. “I’m only going to have this one.” She held up the rest of her food.

“Great!” Avalanche grabbed the other piece and took a big bite out of it.

“I still can’t believe you didn’t come with us on our stag run,” Fog muttered to Ice as he sat down.

“Drop it already,” Ice answered, picking up his own food.

“Hello! Human females…and you’re eligible to mate one of them. Yet you didn’t come with us? I don’t get it,” Sun added.

Something clenched inside her. She continued to chew on her next bite.

“We had a great time. Even Avalanche enjoyed himself,” Sun said, stuffing the last of his sandwich in his mouth.

“I went to an all-you-can-eat buffet,” Avalanche said around his food, his voice deep.

“An all-you-can-eat buffet of females?” she asked, brows raised.

Avalanche grinned. “An all-you-can-eat buffet of food.”

They all laughed.

Avalanche swallowed. “Then I found myself a sweet female and—”

“We don’t want to hear about it,” Ice muttered. He sounded put out.

“Only because you’re jealous. Some of us got our rocks off while you…poor old you got nothing.” Fog grinned.

“Not nothing.” Sun grinned as well.

Ice gave a tiny shake of the head when she looked his way. It was like he was trying to warn her to keep quiet. The only people who knew that Ice had rescued Azure, aside from the two of them, were the kings, Storm, and the healer. Ice had recommended that they keep it that way.

“Stop being a dick!” Ice muttered.

“You got your hand, Ice. Not much fun in that.” Sun laughed.

Ice shrugged. “I don’t know… While you were at the stag run, my hand did just fine. No complaints here.”

Was he referring to her?

To them?

To what happened between them?

No complaints. Did that mean he’d liked it? He was probably just being nice.

This conversation had raised an interesting question. Why hadn’t he gone on the stag run? Why hadn’t she asked him sooner? After what had gone down in that cave, with her and Ice and her heat…she’d been in such a state. It hadn’t crossed her mind. Not until right then. Until it had been pointed out. Now she couldn’t stop trying to come up with answers. Why had Ice gone to the cave? He should never have been there. Azure had picked Skarn. As far as Ice knew, they were in that cave for the sole purpose of breeding.

“Azure.” Fog waved his hand in front of her face.

“What? Sorry, I was thinking about…um…something.” She sounded like an idiot. Everyone was looking at her.

“I said to finish up because we’re hunting in five,” Ice told her.

“Oh…of course.” She took a big bite, not tasting anything.