Dragon Heat by Charlene Hartnady
Chapter 2
The next day…
Taking long strides, Azure walked down the hallway that led from her apartment. She still had plenty of time to make it to the balcony, where the rest of her team would be assembling soon.
Azure pulled some hair behind her ear. It was getting too long. She needed to cut it off again. She could use one of the hunting knives. They were sharp and could do the job just fine. She smoothed a hand down her dress. It was plain cotton, easy to take on and off when required. The garment was practical. She owned several more just like this one in various sensible colors.
Azure slowed as she caught sight of the human. No! Not today! Talking about impractical, everything about this human was impractical. Her strides slowed, and she contemplated turning around and going back to her room. She could pretend that she’d forgotten something. It probably wouldn’t help; the irritating human would probably still be there when she came back out.
“Hi, Azure.” The female smiled brightly.
“Hi, Melina.” Azure tried to smile back. It more than likely came across as a grimace. It couldn’t be helped. She was feeling ratty this morning. Azure didn’t know why. She should be excited about having a weekend to herself.
“You look well,” Melina said. “My order finally arrived yesterday.” Her eyes were bright. “Don’t you love my bodysuit?” She looked down at herself.
“It’s very pretty.” Azure nodded. It was tied around the human’s neck in a knot at the back. It was a good thing that she didn’t need to shift. It must take forever to get in and out of that thing. “What do you do when you have to go to the bathroom?” She frowned.
The other female laughed. “You have such a great sense of humor.”
Azure frowned harder. She hadn’t meant to be funny. “No, really.” She couldn’t see a zipper or any buttons. Why Melina needed high heels here at the lair was beyond her.
“I undo this.” Melina pointed at the knot at the back of her neck. “And then pull the whole suit down. Not that difficult.”
Azure nodded, even though she didn’t agree at all. She was trying to be polite. Melina was irritating, but she wasn’t a bad person. The last thing Azure wanted was to hurt her feelings, hence needing to be on her way.
“I don’t mind.” Melina shrugged. “It’s not like I’m naked under here.” She laughed, even though what she had just said wasn’t funny in the least. Azure didn’t get why humans were so appealing to her kind. Okay, perhaps she did. They were highly fertile, but they were also…strange creatures. “I’m wearing a bra,” Melina felt the need to add. “It’s not like I can afford to let the twins free.”
“I can imagine.” On that note, Azure agreed with the human. Her own breasts might be large for a dragon shifter, but they were small next to this female. Azure was thankful, too. Breasts like that would get in the way of everything.
“I don’t know how you humans wear undergarments. I tried a bra once; it made me itchy and half suffocated me.”
“I’m sure you were wearing the wrong size,” Melina said. “You should come over. I’ll help you pick the right size. You can try on some of my stuff. I have a dress that would really suit you. It’s a gorgeous purple that would match your eyes…which are amazing, by the way.”
“I doubt any of your clothing would fit me. I’m about twice your height.”
“Twice?” Melina snorted. “Not hardly. You might have legs that go on for miles, but you’re lean otherwise. There are a couple of things that would fit you just fine. I could even do your makeup.” Her eyes brightened.
“Um…thank you. Um…yes, sure…that sounds like fun.” Not! She would rather poke her eyes out or stand on hot coals.
“What about tomorrow? I hear that your team is on the stag run. That means you’re not working, right?”
“I’m pretty tired. It’s been a grueling week. Can I let you know tomorrow morning?” She didn’t want to be rude to the female.
“Of course. I hope you’ll come. Freeze can hang out with his friends. It can be a girl’s night. We’ll drink wine, and—”
“Sorry, Melina, I’m going to stop you there. I need to get to work.” Azure winced, pointing down the hallway.
“Of course.” The human nodded. “Let me know…okay? You have my number.” She lifted her brows, rubbing her shiny lips together. Whatever she had plastered on them smelled nice…like berries. Not that she was interested in doing that to herself. Makeup? Hard pass!
“I have your number. I’ll call you.” It seemed like the human was eager to make friends, which made sense since she was about to mate a dragon shifter. Freeze was a sweet guy. They made a cute couple. Next would come the mating. Then it wouldn’t be long before Melina was heavy with child. Azure felt a pang but quickly pushed it aside. Children tied you down. There was so much she wanted to do. It was better that she couldn’t have them.
They said their goodbyes. Within minutes, Azure arrived at the balcony. Fog was already there. He wore a pair of black cotton pants. They were lightweight, like her dress. “Hey!” Fog said as she approached. “I have to say, the elk was delicious.” He patted his abs. “The steaks were perfectly cut. Not too thick and not too thin.” He rubbed his hands together. “I’m thinking that we should look for wild boar today.”
“That’s a crapshoot. We’d be lucky to come across a boar.” She pulled her dress off, hanging it on a hook on the wall for when she returned. “It needs to be bison. We can bring a couple down. Enough to feed the—” She stopped talking because she noticed how Fog was looking at her. The males on her team might have offered her a rut from time to time, but they had never ogled her before. “You okay?” she asked, frowning.
Fog snapped his eyes up to hers and even gave a small shake of his head. It was like he was trying to clear his mind. “Um, did you do something to your hair?”
What?
She groaned internally. Just when she thought things were going well. “No!” she pushed out.
“Oh!’ He rubbed his chin, giving her the once-over again. “Maybe…maybe it’s your scent.” He sniffed the air. “Are you wearing perfume? A different shower gel, perhaps?”
“Stop your shit, Fog!” she snapped. “What’s up with you?” She gave him a shove.
Fog stepped back. “Nothing. I was just wondering what changed. You have this air about you.” He shrugged. “Ignore me.”
“I do not have an air about me, and nothing has changed. Drop it!” She was worried the others would pick up on the vibe and join in. Just when she was starting to feel like one of the team. Just when they were accepting her.
“Ready to watch me take down our dinner again tonight?” Ice yelled across the wide balcony. He was already naked. Avalanche and Sun were with him. They were all smiling. Fog was taking off his pants.
“In your dreams.” She shifted quickly and took to the sky. From the sound of wings flapping behind her, she knew that the males were close on her heels. They were headed northwest today. Hopefully, they would pick up the scent of a bison herd, or perhaps another elk or two. She flew hard. Ice could forget about making the kill today. He could forget about pulling a cheap shot, too. Bastard! If she’d been in her human form, she’d have smiled right then. Instead, she roared.
* * *
They flewfor nearly three hours. Ice was just about to call for a break when Azure made a rumbling noise. She was still ahead of them and moving fast. The rumble meant that she had spotted something up ahead. Ice picked up the pace, and sure enough, there they were, a herd of bison. It was a big herd, too.
He gave a rumble as well. There were many young males in the herd. It wouldn’t be long before they were kicked out. Young bulls happened to be their main target. Hunts were always strategic. Never a female during the birthing season. Big male bulls in herds of females were also left alone. Young males were the best option, or females just before breeding season. There were a whole lot more rules. It was all about making sure their hunting didn’t affect the number of game adversely. Ultimately, about sustainability.
Ice felt his blood quicken. It looked like they would bag a couple of kills today. The tribe would have fresh meat for days. Bison were huge.
Ice enjoyed messing with Azure yesterday. She was their ‘newest’ team member, after all. Truth be told, they’d all gone far too easy on her in the early days when she had first joined them. They had treated her differently because she was a female. No more! It was time that she was initiated and properly accepted. That meant that she would have to eat some dirt on their next couple of missions. It was only fair. Then, and only then, would she truly be part of the hunting team.
Azure dove toward the herd; they all did. Only he went after her instead of picking a bison to take down. He wanted to take her kill…again. Next week, the others could give her shit, and then they’d ease off. Azure could take it. The female was strong and fast. More importantly, she was strong-willed. She’d proven herself over and over again during the last six months. It was time to cut her some slack by treating her exactly the same as any of the others. He felt ashamed for thinking less of her as a hunter simply because she was a female. It had been wrong of him. It wasn’t just her beauty that had affected how he thought about her; it was how sweet she was. What he hadn’t realized was that there was just as much heart and grit as there was kindness. Ice would be the first to admit that his initial assessment of her wasn’t fair. Well, it was time for her to be initiated by him, good and proper.
Ice spotted a large young bull. It looked like Azure had her sights on the creature. He made a soft rumble. Azure was so intent on her prey that she hadn’t noticed him directly behind her. She slowed slightly, bringing her claws forward to deliver the killing slash.
This was his opportunity. Had the female learned nothing after yesterday? Just as he was about to clip her again, she ducked, and he got air. His mind instantly clouded with…lust. His cock filled. His snout twitched, pulling in great lungfuls of air. Then he crashed into a large boulder…hard.
Ice fell on his back with a crash of scales, wings, and limbs. He lay there dazed for a good couple of minutes. When he blinked, he saw her…Azure standing over him. Her legs were a little apart, and her hands were on her hips. Her arms were splashed with blood, and she was smirking at him.
Ice shifted back into his human form. He growled loudly, the sound rough and raw and filled with pain. Sure, he’d hit his head hard. Hard enough to leave him reeling, but that wasn’t the reason for his discomfort. Shifting with an erection was always painful. Certainly not recommended.
What the hell?
He groaned again, this time deep and hard. His stare was focused between her legs. At her pussy. Such a pretty cunt.
Where had that come from?
What was wrong with him?
By everything that was scaled and winged. What the hell was he thinking? He breathed in deeply, his mouth filling with saliva. Fuck, but she smelled good. So good! His balls pulled tighter, and his cock gave a twitch.
“You’re getting slow, Ice.” Azure laughed. Her tits bounced a little. Big enough to bounce, but small enough to fit in his mouth. He was sure that by now, he was drooling. He wanted to rut…with Azure…now.
What the…?
“Fuck!” Avalanche groaned, drawing Ice’s attention. The male was looking at Azure strangely. He sniffed openly at her, which irritated the fuck out of him. It made him want to hit the male. He had to force himself to release his fisted hands.
“What are you doing?” Azure asked, sounding unsure.
“Azure…holy shit!” Fog muttered. The male had blood dripping down his chest. He must have killed a bison as well. He was breathing heavily. Ice doubted it was from the exertion.
Ice clambered to his feet, noting that the rest of the herd had scattered. There were four carcasses on the churned-up ground. Then he caught her scent again. “Holy crap!” he murmured.
“Can someone tell me what the hell is going on?” Azure’s eyes were narrowed, and her face was flushed. She was beautiful. Her dark hair fell about her shoulders in a wild tangle. Utterly breathtaking. Why hadn’t he noticed before? He’d seen her as beautiful, but not like this. Not sexy. Not alluring.
Ice had never tried to rut her. Besides not being attracted to her in that way, it wouldn’t have been right. She was his subordinate. Right now, though…all he could think about was pushing into her tight heat. Of rutting her hard and fast, and more than once. This was all kinds of fucked up.
“You are all making me nervous.” She looked at them each in turn. “What is it? Do I have guts on my…?” She looked down at herself. At her soft skin. At her— This needed to stop. He took a few steps back, downwind of the female. “You’re in heat,” he choked out.
“Me? What?” Azure shook her head. Then she started laughing. “Good one, asshole. You got me there, for a second.” She slapped a hand on her upper thigh, laughing harder.
“It’s true.” Fog’s voice was just as choked. “It won’t be long, and you’ll start to feel it too.”
“Feel what? What are you talking about?” Her voice was shrill.
“You’ll…” Avalanche swallowed thickly, moving back as well. Then swallowed again.
“You’ll get turned on. You’ll start to crave sex,” Fog told her.
“Okay.” Azure shook her head. “That’s enough. I don’t mind you clipping my wing or trying to steal my kill, but this has gone too damned far.” Her amethyst eyes were glowing. A gorgeous contrast with her dark hair and bronzed skin.
“It’s true,” Ice said. “You’re seriously and very definitely in heat, Azure.” He forced himself to breathe through his mouth. He could taste her. Delectable! He wanted to— Stop!
Fog put a hand over his fully erect cock. “Your scent is maddening,” he growled. “If you need someone to share your heat with—”
Ice roared, and Azure gave a small jump. He’d never seen her look nervous or back away from anything, ever…until now. She backed away from them a few steps, her eyes wide with shock. She shook her head slowly in disbelief. “It can’t be,” she whispered.
“You should pick me.” Sun stepped forward. “Better yet…I think you might be the female for me. Let’s go find a cave and make some whelps. We could have a long, happy life together.” The male looked like he meant it, and Ice was inclined to agree with the whole sentiment. It was his testosterone talking. Thankfully, he had the good sense to realize that.
“Fuck you!” Azure spat.
“That would be the idea…yes.” Sun nodded. “We could fuck a whole hell of a lot.”
“Stop this,” Ice growled at the males. “Go!” he told Azure. “You need to go straight to your chamber. Fog was right; your scent is maddening. I…we can’t think straight, and it’s going to get worse.”
“You too?” Azure looked at Ice like he had lost his mind, which he had. His dick throbbed. His balls tightened even more, making him grit his teeth. He felt sweat bead on his brow. She looked down at his cock, and her eyes flared as she quickly looked away. He was sure he heard her curse softly.
Ice nodded as she turned back, and he swallowed hard. “Go! Don’t stop. Stay clear of any males. I thought you were… That…”
“I’m infertile.” Azure looked shocked. “I’ve never come into heat before. Not once in all my years. It can’t be. It must be some kind of mistake.” She looked down at herself again, her nipples pebbled, and she made this little noise he felt at the base of his cock. It was starting to hit her. The need. It affected females differently. Some could handle it better than others. Azure might end up begging for relief. He wasn’t sure he could turn her down. They would probably end up fighting over her if she stayed. Ice knew that he would win, but although he wanted to be a father, he didn’t want it to happen like this. This was a mess.
“Go!” he growled. “I will send a healer to your chamber.”
He watched as she shifted and took to the sky. Thank the gods. He could finally breathe.
“Holy shit!” Fog turned around, his hand working his cock.
“At least go behind a tree,” Ice growled. The need to ease himself rode him hard, too, but Ice ignored it. A moment later, Fog grunted loudly; a thick spurt of seed erupted from his cock.
Avalanche grunted from behind the boulder. Sun made this noise in the back of his throat and ran off, his hand holding the tip of his cock. He groaned, hunching over his middle. The male was a lightweight. No wonder he needed his hands during sex.
Fog turned back to him. “What the hell was that?” He was breathing deeply. “I’ve been around females in heat before. It’s always been uncomfortable but never like that.” He shook his head. “It was insane.”
“I’m not sure,” Ice said. “Then again, this was probably a good example of zero to hero. From never coming in heat to the mother of all heats.”
“You’re right,” Fog remarked. “That sounds like a good explanation.”
“Nothing, and then an explosion of hormones and pheromones,” Sun groaned. “I can still taste her on my tongue. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to look at Azure the same way again.”
“Don’t be an asshole,” Ice told the male. “This is Azure we’re talking about. Of course, we’ll look at her the same. Nothing has changed.”
“Everything has changed,” Sun groaned. “I think I’m in love. I never noticed how plump her—”
Ice cuffed him on the back of his head.
“Hey!” Sun yelped. “What was that for?”
“For being a dick to Azure. She’s Azure, not some random female. We need to try to respect that. We also need to follow her in case she runs into trouble on the way home.” Ice felt everything in him bristle and tighten. He was feeling possessive all of a sudden. It was the hormones. Just the hormones. “Let’s go.” He roared as he shifted. It hurt like hell, since he was still fully engorged. All he could think of was keeping Azure safe. That, and rutting her. He worked hard at dismissing the second thought. It wasn’t going to happen.
