Dragon Heat by Charlene Hartnady

Chapter 19

“Allow me,” Fog said, leaning down to pick up Azure’s newly felled elk. “You made two kills today. The least I can do is help you with one of them. Great work, by the way.” He winked at her.

The female put her foot on the elk, preventing him from picking it up. The fucker slowly pulled himself upright, letting his eyes drift over her body as he did.

Azure folded her arms across her chest. “You made a kill of your own. I’ve got this.”

“Not necessary. I will carry two elk.” The male was thick-skinned. He grinned at her. “I don’t mind.”

“I will help Fog,” Sun chipped in, walking over to the two of them. “Fog can carry the carcass halfway, and I will carry it the rest of the way.” He grinned at Azure so hard it was sickening. Both of them had been flirting like this non-fucking-stop. It was downright annoying.

“I’ll skin it for you. That was a great kill,” Avalanche gushed, looking more like a love-sick puppy than a huge shifter male. This was new. Avalanche, too, now? This was fucking insane. It was pissing him the hell off.

“That’s okay. Thanks for the kind offers, but I’ll manage just fine.” She smiled at the three males.

At least Azure wasn’t accepting any of their bullshit…because it was bullshit. She turned away from the males, toward him. “Ready when you are, Ice.” He knew she was talking about shifting and leaving, but there was this undertone. Maybe it was just him, but it seemed like she was flirting. It was happening in a way that wasn’t direct, which was confusing. It was more than likely his overactive, overeager imagination.

“Let’s get going.” His voice was a rough rasp. “Azure is perfectly capable of carrying her own kills. No one gets special privileges on this team. Understood?”

The males nodded begrudgingly.

Azure gave him a half-smile and mouthed, “Thank you.”

He wanted to smile back and congratulate her on her second successful hunt for the day, but he held back. She’d received enough compliments from the others to last a lifetime. “Let’s go.” He shifted, watching as the others followed suit.

It took them an hour to get back. The game they hunted moved freely over their vast dragon lands.

Ice and the rest of the males landed ahead of Azure. He could see her flying slowly towards the lair. It gave him a few minutes with the males. “Azure is off-limits.”

“What?” Sun spat. “Why? Fog mentioned something along those lines, but I didn’t believe him. I thought he was bullshitting.”

Avalanche grunted.

“Fog wasn’t bullshitting.” Ice glanced at Azure, who was getting closer. “Azure is off-limits. It is not permitted to fuck around with someone on your team. Someone you work with closely.”

“I think you might have that wrong,” Sun muttered. “I have a friend who works—”

“I don’t give a shit about other teams within this tribe. I’m the leader, and I’m putting my foot down. I’ve been watching you flirt with Azure for days. She doesn’t like it. I think it’s disrespectful as fuck,” he snarled.

“It isn’t meant to be,” Fog said.

“Not at all,” Sun said. “I really like Azure.”

Holy shit!

Avalanche grunted again. Thankfully, one of them kept his mouth shut.

“This isn’t up for debate; it’s how it is. If we get a full quota of kills tomorrow, we get Saturday off,” he told the males just as Azure landed. She dropped her kills and shifted, immediately hoisting up one of the elk, taking it to the outdoor kitchen area, where she hung it on the hook.

“Let’s get to work,” he growled at the males, who were still busy watching Azure. Hadn’t they heard a single thing he had just said?

Azure fetched her second elk and took that through to the cleaning area, hanging the carcass on a hook as well.

Azure was just picking up her hunting knife when he entered the area. “You did good today,” he said, getting a knife of his own. Ice had been hard on her all week. Azure didn’t deserve it. He felt bad.

“Thanks.” She glanced his way, a shy smile toying with her lips.

“You’re cleaning both of those.” He smiled at her, trying hard to get back to that place where they were comfortable with each other. Where they were friends.

“Oh, I know.” She laughed, looking down. Azure had a look at her nails, inspecting them. Her nails? Then she gave a little giggle. “It worked.”

“What worked?” he asked. By now, the others had joined them. They were already hard at work gutting their elks.

“Oh…nothing.” She held up her hand. Her fingernails were colored with a soft white color. They had an iridescent finish, reminding him of a shell. “My friend Melina gave me a manicure.”

“A what?”

“She did my nails. I didn’t think the varnish would make it through me shifting into my dragon form and back, but it’s held up. Go figure!” She chuckled. It was throaty and sexy as sin. At that moment, Ice was unsure if there was even a possibility of going back to how things had been. He was doubting it more and more by the day…by the second. Then he thought about what she had just said.

Her hair.

Her nails.

Makeup.

What the fuck?

“Can I have a quick word with you?” he asked.

She frowned. “Did I do something wrong?” She licked her lips.

“No, but I need to discuss a couple of things with you.”

Her eyes widened. “Is there word on Skarn?”

“No,” he shook his head, “nothing like that.”

Her eyes narrowed into his. “What then?” Ice could see the others eavesdropping on their conversation.

“Walk with me?” he asked. “It won’t take long.”

She looked apprehensive, but she didn’t push him further. Instead, she put down the knife and followed him outside.

Ice pushed out a breath. He needed to word this delicately, but it was a conversation that needed to happen.

* * *

What was this about?

She got this sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. This wasn’t going to be good. Not a chance. She could see it in the rigid way he held himself. Even in the way he had asked her.

After walking for a few minutes, Ice stopped. He pulled in a deep breath. She watched his chest expand. He exhaled slowly, deliberately. Oh, no!

“Is everything okay with you?” he finally asked, turning to face her.

“Yes, I’m doing well.” She was. Well, she had been up until five minutes ago. Maybe she was overthinking this. Maybe he really wanted to know how she was. “Thanks for asking,” she quickly added.

“How are things with Summer?”

That was a strange question. “I haven’t really seen her since my heat.”

“Oh.” He frowned. “I thought you would’ve talked with her. I’m sure…I… Okay.” He still looked confused. Like he was trying to find a reason for her and Summer not talking.

“I tried to go to see her, but she’s mad I didn’t spend my heat with someone…that I didn’t at least try to become pregnant. She thinks that my heat was wasted.” Tears pricked in her eyes for a moment.

A look of concern bled into his features. “That’s rough. You did tell her what happened, right?”

Azure shook her head. “She didn’t give me much of a chance. She’s not talking to me right now. She said she needs some space.”

“Space?” Ice muttered. “I’m sure if she knew what you had been through – all of it – she’d feel differently.”

Azure shrugged.

“I know you’ve been hanging out with one of the humans. I’m hoping you’ve been talking to someone about your ordeal. Is this human a good friend?” He still looked genuinely concerned, and it warmed her.

“I’ve become quite good friends with Melina. That’s Freeze’s girlfriend,” she told him. “She’s easy to talk to. I had to talk to someone.” Maybe he’d be mad at her for telling Melina all that had happened. Even the stuff that had been between them.

“I’ve seen her with the male.” Ice nodded. “I’m glad to hear it. I take it she’s the one who is helping you with…other things.”

“Other things?” She frowned, not sure where he was going with this.

“Your hair, nails…the face paint?” It was like he had a list in his head.

The sinking feeling hit her again. “Um…yes…lip gloss is hardly face paint, though.”

Ice made this face and took a step back before roughing his hair up a little. “I need to talk to you for a minute as your superior, Azure.”

“Okay.” Crap!

“You work in a team of males…” He paused.

“Yes,” she prompted, folding her arms. “I’m aware.” Azure was sure to keep her eyes locked with his.

“I’m not sure that it’s appropriate.”

“What exactly isn’t appropriate?” He wasn’t going there. No way! If he was going to go there, he was going to damn well spell it out for her, all of it, and to her face.

“The beauty stuff. Lip gloss and nail paint… Come on, Azure. You work with males. They’re following you around like a bunch of horny teenagers. Humans don’t understand us. I’m sure your friend means well, but you should know better.”

“So, what you’re saying is the others hitting on me is my fault?” She narrowed her eyes. “How is that my fault, exactly?”

“Well, like I said, the nails, the…” He exhaled audibly, his hand finding its way back in his hair.

“You think the color on my nails is turning them into horny teenagers?”

“Well, when you put it like that…I guess it’s not the nails. It’s… I don’t know, you’re different. You’re…” He looked like he was at a loss for words. He shrugged.

“Has my behavior changed?”

“Yes…no…yes, it has. You’re…different.” He sounded frustrated.

“But you can’t say how, exactly. Am I more feminine?”

“Yes!” he pushed out. “Definitely. It’s like you were almost one of the males last week, and this week…” He shrugged. “I don’t know, but whatever has changed, I need you to change it back. It’s not working like this. I can’t have the males acting like they have been. It’s disruptive and seriously fucking annoying.” His voice got gruff.

“Let me get this straight; I’m more feminine and I need to stop it immediately?” Hell no!

“Yes, that just about sums it up.” He took to looking smug.

The audacity of this male. “You want me to be more like a male? Should I wear a strap-on cock? Apparently, you can buy them.”

He leveled her with a stare. “That’s not what I expect at all. When you put it like that, it sounds stupid.”

“That’s because it is stupid. I’m a female, Ice. I can’t change that. I don’t want to. I don’t want to hide who I am either, just because I work with a bunch of horny males. I shouldn’t have to. This shouldn’t be on me at all.”

“You’re right! You can’t change who you are, but you can tone it down, please? Try for me.” He was not playing that particular card. No damned way!

She shook her head. “I’m not toning anything down. How should I tone down being a female? Next, you’ll tell me I need to wear those human coverings when we’re in human form.”

“I was considering bringing in a uniform policy. That we are dressed at all times, unless in our dragon form.” He looked deadly serious. His eyes clouded when she choked out a laugh.

“That’s crazy. It won’t work. We’re shifters.” Was he jealous? This looked like jealousy. It pissed her off, but it also made her happy. It meant that Ice might have feelings for her. “What’s going on with you?”

“My team is a mess. I’ve never seen so much drooling and flirting in all my life. Avalanche has started now, too.” He sounded angry. His eyes blazed.

“Speak to them. They’re the problem, not me.”

“I did speak to them, multiple times, and it’s not working. It needs to stop, Azure. Please stop with the strawberry glossy lip shit, as well. I’m going to have to start beating them soon.”

“What’s really going on here, Ice? It can’t be Fog and Sun hitting on me, because they both asked me to rut with them just last week, and you didn’t bat an eye. They flirt with me plenty. They have for months.”

“Not like this. They’re like lovesick puppies. All three of them. Fog told me the other day that he wants to check compatibility with you since he’s permitted to mate now.”

“Oh, good for him.” Azure was pleased for the male. “Thing is, Fog could’ve pursued mating me last week or last month. The list refers to finding a human. He didn’t. I’m sure you’ve got it wrong.”

“I didn’t get it wrong. He told me very clearly that he wants to approach you as a potential mate.”

“Oh?” She’d have to let him know that she wasn’t interested.

His eyes turned stormy, and he clenched his jaw. “Don’t tell me you’re actually considering Fog as a mate?” Holy shit, he was jealous. He had to be. “One of you would have to leave this team before I would allow it. No fucking around with a fellow teammate…period. I won’t have it.” He shook his head vehemently.

Shit!

Was this jealousy?

If it was, he’d just excluded himself. It couldn’t be jealousy. Or was she misreading this whole thing?

“Stop with all the bullshit, already. You’re leading them on.” He sounded exasperated.

“I am not leading them on! Do you really think that hair and nails are causing all this?”

“I do,” he deadpanned, folding his arms across his impressive chest. Not noticing!

“There is nothing in any of the rule books that tells me I can’t cut my hair or paint my nails. That’s absurd.”

“You are the first female hunter, so of course there aren’t any rules. Besides, dragon females don’t do all that stuff. Why are you doing it all of a sudden? You don’t need it.”

For a second, she was too thrilled with hearing him say that, but she shook it off. “Well, maybe dragon females should do that stuff.” Her voice was animated.

“Not during work hours. Don’t force me to add a whole bunch of new rules. Rules pertaining specifically to you. I will if I have to.”

“Don’t be a dick, Ice.”

His throat worked. “Don’t speak to me like that.” He kept his voice even.

“If the shoe fits.”

His lip twitched, but he quickly schooled all of his emotions. “We’re naked; there are no shoes. Bottom line,” he exhaled through his nose, “I make the rules. I’m your superior. I can throw a whole lot of rules at all of you if need be. I can make life unpleasant for the whole team.”

“Thank you for not singling me out…this once.” Her voice was raised. He was being a huge dick.

“All the bullshit needs to stop. That’s all! No special treatment because you’re female. No—”

“I don’t expect or accept special treatment, and you know it,” she threw at him, everything inside her bristling. Her scales rubbed. “It’s unfair to even say that to me. Talk to the others. They’re the ones who—”

“I have.” He sounded defeated. “I’m going to have to take a hard stance on this soon, and it’s not what I want.”

“I recently had my first and, more than likely, only heat.” She swallowed hard. A late heat was rare; a female who went into heat again, after a late start, was even rarer still. She had no false expectations. “The whole thing is fresh in everyone’s memory.” His jaw clenched, like maybe he was thinking about what went down between the two of them. Her cheeks heated a little because she was thinking about it big time. “It’ll blow over, Ice. Give it time. You’ll see. They’ll forget, lose interest, and move on. Especially when it doesn’t happen again. Don’t make a big deal out of it.”

“You’re right.” He nodded, looking more relaxed. “You’re absolutely right. In the meanwhile, I’ll kick their asses when they step out of line.” He shook his head. “I was being a dick. I apologize. You’re right; I’m making something out of nothing.”

Disappointment hit. She had to work to keep the smile on her face. Perhaps this really was about work. Perhaps it had nothing to do with them. It was all wishful thinking on her part. There was still a part of her that knew what she had seen. Desire. She’d seen it in his eyes, in the way he’d looked at her. Azure would hold on to that and keep chipping away.

“There’s something else I need to mention. I already informed the others.”

She nodded once.

“Fog and I are going on the stag run this weekend.”

Act cool! Stay calm. Breathe.

Inside, she was reeling. She prayed it didn’t show. “Oh…okay.” She rubbed her lips together. “That’s unexpected.”

“I am on the list to pick a mate. I missed the last one, and so…” He lifted his brows. “Fog will be joining me now that he is on the list as well. If we don’t make quota, I will need you, Sun, and Avalanche to hunt on Saturday.”

“No problem.” Her voice was tight. Her whole body felt tightly wound. All she wanted was to get away. To lose herself in her work. To hide in her chamber.

“I want you to lead the team in our absence.”

“Me?” She touched a hand to her chest, frowning. She was the newest member. This was a big deal. A huge deal.

“Yes, you.” Ice smiled. “Don’t underestimate yourself, Azure. You’re a fantastic hunter, even with colored nails and lips that smell edible.”

She cleared her throat. “Good to know.” Her heart was still sinking like a gigantic rock. She’d been completely off base. Ice wouldn’t be going on a stag run if he was even remotely interested. It would hurt her if he was going for sex, but that wasn’t it, either. Ice was going to find himself a future mate. A human mate. Something she could never be, no matter how hard she tried. He was right; she’d been an idiot. No more!