Dragon Heat by Charlene Hartnady

Chapter 7

The next day…

Azure pacedon the vast balcony. It was still early. The sun was still hugging the horizon. The sky was colored with streaks of orange and pink. The lair was still sleeping. Lucky them. There had been no sleep for Azure. Between the burning need for release and the idea of spending her heat with Skarn, she’d tossed and turned all night.

Holy shit!

What had she done?

Why had she chosen a stranger?

Better the devil you know.She should’ve picked someone she knew. Someone she got along with. Someone she was at least attracted to. Ice.

No!

Shit!

That would be messy. This would work better. They could rut. It wouldn’t be too bad. Skarn was a good-looking male. He was polite and kind. He would be a good father. Hopefully, he would be a good father. It wasn’t like she knew him. Why had she been so foolish? So hellbent on having some control over this…her body…her life. So hellbent on sticking it to Thunder and all the males in her tribe that she’d done a stupid, stupid thing.

“Good morning,” Skarn said from behind her.

Azure almost jumped out of her skin, which felt too tight. Too hot. She turned. “You should know that this will just be rutting and breeding,” she blurted. “That’s all. No more and no less. I don’t want to mate you,” she told him. “I think it’s important that we set boundaries before we leave… Sorry…um…good morning,” she mumbled the last, feeling bad.

His nostrils flared, and he took a step back. She had thought him immune to her heat, but it seemed that she had been wrong. “Let’s take this one step at a time,” he said.

“There is only one step. We have to breed. That’s it. What did Thunder call it?”

“Kikalla. The breeding season.”

“Yes, that.”

“Okay…that’s fine.” Skarn nodded. “We will breed. It’s absolutely fine about all the other stuff. No pressure at all.” He held up a hand like he needed to placate her.

Poor male!

Hearing him talk about breeding made her feel panicked. The rest of what he said made her feel bad. This was a blessing. Most of the infertile females would give anything to be in her place. She wished for the hundredth time that she could give this away to someone else. Someone with more of a clear-cut idea of what to do and who to do it with. What was she saying? She had already picked Skarn. It wasn’t like she could change her mind. That wouldn’t be fair to him.

“Azure…” He smiled. “It’s a lovely name, by the way.”

“Thank you.” Skarn was too nice! He was too damned nice. It irritated her. Grated on her nerves. She’d picked him because the others were rude. Assholes even. Now she didn’t want him because he was too nice. What was wrong with her? It was her and not him who was the problem. That much was very clear. She needed to get over herself. This was a duty, like any other.

“We are going to have a whelp together. That is a big deal.” He kept his voice even. “Perhaps we should steer clear of making any kind of big decisions too early.”

“I don’t want a mate.” She shook her head. “I will allow you to be a part of his life, of course. If that’s what you want.” She touched her belly, even though they hadn’t even rutted yet. She could feel the possibilities inside her. All it did was scare her. She was a horrible, terrible person. Azure was going to suck it up. She was going to do this for her tribe. For this male, who was looking at her with such expectation. Such longing. Such desire. Her stomach was in knots. It made her feel ill.

This whole thing felt so wrong.

Why had Thunder made her choose?

Azure knew the answer. She might never have a heat again. This might be her only chance at a child. Her tribe’s only chance.

“We might have a girl,” Skarn said. “And you might develop feelings for me.”

Azure didn’t say anything. Skarn was sweet. He was a guard, but she could easily run circles around him. She wanted a partner who challenged her. Someone who interested her. Who made her heart thrum faster whenever he was near. Her mind wandered to thoughts of a certain male with glacial eyes. Just as quickly as the thoughts entered her mind, she shut them down. She’d be over it in a couple of days. She’d be with whelp in a couple of days.

Oh, by the gods!

Her heart beat faster, and she felt ill. Then again, this was the first time in a very long time that she had allowed herself to think about a mate. A partner. Someone to spend her life with. To grow old with. She’d learned to shut such thoughts down as soon as they entered her mind. She’d done so in self-preservation because she knew that a mate most likely wasn’t in the cards for her. Not as an infertile female. Things had changed. They’d changed, but she was still the same. She’d had no chance to accept the change and grow from it. Now she’d never know.

Ice.

Was it the hormones talking?

Or was it truly him?

Had she thrown away a chance at being happy?

Ice had never been interested in her in that way, though. Not like that. She’d snuck a glance his way once or twice during the ceremony, and he’d gone from looking indifferent to…angry. Ice hadn’t looked remotely interested. He hadn’t stepped forward. He hadn’t said a word. There had been a part of her that had hoped he would come and see her, but it had been radio silence since she’d raced off yesterday. Since her heat had first started. No! It was time to move on.

Skarn’s nostrils flared. “Come, female. Let’s make for the cave. Your heat grows stronger. I scent your need. I will fill your womb with my seed.”

Part of her wanted to run. To run and hide. Instead, she nodded once, lifting her chin. Azure had never backed away from anything in her life, and she wasn’t about to now. She shifted and took to the sky.

* * *

Ice clenched his jaw.He watched as Azure shifted. That blasted Earth male followed suit. His mouth twitched when he saw the male struggle to keep up with her as they flew away. That was Azure. Dishing it out every chance she got. Everything swirled inside him when he reminded himself where they were going. What they were about to do.

Fucking hell!He had no right to get angry. No right feeling this way. It wasn’t like that between them. Why was he so damned jealous?

Ice wasn’t sure he liked what he had seen go on between the two of them. The dynamic had been all wrong. It looked like an argument to him. He’d caught a few words, and he didn’t like it. Azure hadn’t looked happy.

Fuck!He should have gone to her before the meeting in the hall. Spoken to her. He should’ve offered to… What, exactly? Father a child? Why did he keep saying such dumb things? A whelp? With Azure?

Not a chance!

“You looked pissed off.” Fog scrutinized him. “If I didn’t know you better, I would say that you were having regrets right about now.”

“Regrets about what?”

“Regrets about not throwing your hat in the game yesterday. You look sorry to see Azure leaving with that male.” By now, the couple were specks on the horizon.

“I am sorry,” Ice grunted. “Not in the way you think,” he lied through his teeth. “She should have picked an Air male.” His voice was gruff.

“You look like maybe you think she should have picked you.” Fog chuckled. “I know…it’s her scent. There is nothing like the smell of a dragon female in heat. Her wet pussy—”

Ice wasn’t sure what came over him. One second, he was watching Azure leave, jealous as fuck, and the next…he was punching Fog. The male needed to watch his mouth. He’d warned him.

Fog’s head snapped back. He put a hand over his mouth, his eyes going wide. “What the hell was that?” He took his hand away and his lip was bleeding. Fog looked down at the smear on his fingers. “I can’t go on a stag run with a busted-up lip.”

“Your mouth will be healed in an hour…you asshole! I’ve told you not to talk about Azure in that way.”

“She’s in heat.”

“I don’t give a fuck!” Ice growled. “She’s still Azure. She’s still part of our team. She’s a friend.”

“Who just happens to be hot as hell.”

Hot!

Was Azure hot?

Holy shit!She was hot. She was. From her shiny hair to her long legs. Then there was her full mouth, her breasts that were just the right size, with tight pink nipples that begged to be sucked… He groaned, running a hand through his hair. No! No! This was her heat playing tricks on him. Yes, she was hot, but it wasn’t like that between them. It just wasn’t.

“Let’s go already. I’m sorry about hitting you… Actually, I’m not!” Ice added. “Don’t say shit like that again. It’s not right.”

“You’re right. Fuck! She’s Azure. She’s…our teammate. I won’t…do it again.” Fog wiped his mouth, which was dripping blood. “Let’s get out of here.”

Ice noted that everyone had arrived. That some of the males had shifted.

“I can already smell human pussy.” Fog bobbed his eyebrows.

“Don’t be a jerk.” Ice shook his head. Is this what Azure had to listen to all these months? Is this how they sounded? How he sounded. No wonder she’d been pissed off. No wonder she had chosen an Earth male. They were a bunch of assholes.

“I’m going to bag two.” Sun held up two fingers. “There’s just so much of this to go around.” He pointed down at himself. “Too much for just one female.” He thrust his hips suggestively.

Ice grit his teeth.

He watched as, one by one, they shifted and flew away.

“Let’s go!” Fog shouted at him.

Ice shook his head.

“What do you mean? It’s our turn to go on a stag run. You’re on the list to pick a mate. Human pussy, bro. I mean,” Fog widened his eyes. “Really lovely human females await us, dude. Come on!”

Ice shook his head. “I think I’ll sit this one out.”

“You can’t be serious. It’ll be weeks, possibly months, before we get another opportunity to—”

“Go! They’re leaving you behind,” he urged Fog.

Fog frowned. “You’re not thinking of going after Azure, are you?”

“No! Of course not.” He shook his head, looking at Fog like he’d lost his mind, because the male had lost his mind. He wasn’t planning that at all… Was he?

Fog cocked his head, studying him for a few moments. “There are rules to Kikalla. I don’t remember what all of them are exactly. Not that there were that many. It doesn’t matter because one of the rules was that once a female has chosen, she can’t change her mind. Males may not fight over her anymore. Once it’s done, it’s done. Azure chose Skarn. She—”

“Stop!” Ice held up his hand. “That’s not it. I just… I’m not feeling the stag run. That’s all.”

“Are you feeling pressure about taking a human mate?”

“I don’t have to take a mate,” he countered. “So, I’m not feeling any pressure.”

“We are urged to take a mate when we are eligible,” Fog said. “If you stay, it will be frowned upon. You need to at least try to find someone you are compatible with. Also, your mom will have a shit-fit.” Fog chuckled.

“My mom will survive, and I don’t care what Thunder thinks.” Ice realized that he was pissed off at what had happened to Azure. Pissed that she had been forced into this. It wasn’t right. Thunder was being unreasonable. This Kikalla bullshit was ancient. It was barbaric. It was plain wrong! “Go already. Have fun!”

“Don’t do anything stupid,” Fog said just before he shifted. Ice folded his arms, watching as Fog took to the air, his great wings flapping.