Chapter 41

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

“ I s she okay?” asked Kylo quietly. He leaned down, peering over Jaxxon’s shoulder as they looked at Tiara.

Crossing his arms over his chest, he breathed deeply. “I’m not sure. Her magic is volatile, and she has much to learn.” Jaxxon hoped she’d be ready to use her magic when the time came. The amulet was the only way to locate the dragon breeding grounds and whatever else the symbols on the map directed them to find along the way. And once they located the breeding grounds, which always had dragon eggs, Crelentian females were the only ones who could hatch them.

“Tiara is strong and determined. She’ll find a way to amplify her magic and hatch the eggs. Just as she found a way to wield the amulet’s magic.” Kylo turned to Galan, a sparkle in his eye. “The heartbeat she feels when she uses the amulet must be a female dragon. It’s calling out to her magic.”

Kylo rose tall, puffing his chest out and spreading his wings. “What I wouldn’t give to feel the comforts of a female dragon! To fly with her light in the night sky!”

He angled his horned head toward the sky as if he could see paradise. “To rise over her and spread my wings around her body! And to clamp my jaws around her delicate neck as she shudders from my passion!”

Galan rose just as tall. “Mmm, I would give her treasure and pleasure!”

The dragons beat their barbed tails on the ground, roaring in what could only be called good old-fashioned trash talking. Kylo and Galan walked off, discussing the naughty things dragons did in the dark with their females. But they both turned back to Jaxxon. “You’d better be nice to Tiara. So, don’t mess this up!”

Jaxxon threw his hands in the air. “What the hell? I am nice to her!” He chuckled.

Zade laughed, pointing at him. “Jaxx, our dragons only get laid if Tiara finds the breeding grounds. They’ll burn you to a crisp if you fuck this up!”

He gave Zade the finger. “I have no plans to chase her away. In fact, I plan on keeping her close.” Jaxxon looked at Tiara’s swishing hips as she headed around the corner to where her friends waited. Damn, she looks good in those jeans. He couldn’t stop thinking about her.

She’s winning over our ornery dragons. And she has her claws in me too! He growled, not wanting to admit his feelings for her.

But she’s keeping something from me. And whatever it is, it’s making her nervous. Which means it must be something dangerous. He couldn’t afford to let her or her friends manipulate him, his men, or their dragons. Too much was on the line. And history had already taught them the Goddesses of War weren’t to be trusted.

Drak, can I ever trust Tiara? A woman who doesn’t play by the rules and has a hidden agenda? He rubbed his chin, looking around the raiding sanctuary and all that it stood for. But maybe Zade is right. I shouldn’t let past prejudices dictate the future.

He’d give her a chance to prove her trustworthiness. So far, she’d done okay. He turned at the sound of the dragons laughing. And I don’t want to take on Kylo. He’s already on Team Tiara!

Could I love her? He didn’t know. He wasn’t sure he even remembered how to love anymore. A warlord’s life was a hard one. But as he looked at Tiara, something within him shifted. Maybe loving her wasn’t about getting her to conform at all. Perhaps it was about learning to burn together without being consumed.

He followed the dragons back to the clearing where Lakoda was playing with a few of the women while they cooked the last of the fish they’d taken from the Sea of Cadence. Kylo wrapped his wing around Tiara as she leaned into him.

Okay! She’s definitely got her claws in my dragon. He didn’t know why he felt a ping in his chest. Maybe it was knowing she would always be safe with Kylo protecting her or knowing Kylo would rip him to shreds if he hurt her. And he hoped he wouldn’t have to find out.

Lakoda still wasn’t strong enough to fly, and having a baby dragon on foot was dangerous. Tiara had been caring for Lakoda, even helping to prune his wings. Hell, she would have fed him herself if she had a spoon large enough for his jaws. He chuckled.

Kylo and Galan flew off to take patrol.

Over the next two hours, Jaxxon and his men went through the supplies, deciding what to take and what to leave for the next time they returned.

Heading back outside, Lori’s eyes went wild when he turned toward them. Maya looked away, whistling. Jaxxon looked at the women as they fidgeted.

He closed the distance between them in a few long strides. Furrowing his brow, he shouted, “Where’s Tiara? And Lakoda?”

Dead silence echoed around him. With every passing second, it pissed him off more. Before he could yank them to his side and force them to speak, he saw Lakoda barreling from the tree line. He screeched to a stop before Jaxxon. And then spun on his hind legs to look back at the way he had come. He roared, slamming his barbed tail on the ground, kicking up dust. He blew a ring of smoke at a figure, running full speed toward them.

Tiara somersaulted into the air, going through the ring of smoke and landing on her feet before Lakoda .

“Yes!” she shouted. “I almost caught you, Lakoda! I told you I’m fast!”

When her eyes met Jaxxon, the look on her face was priceless. If he weren’t so pissed, he would have laughed.

“Oh! Ah...Hi, Jaxx!” She looked at Lakoda, the tree line, and then back at Jaxxon. “We didn’t go beyond the safety of the dragon mist! We were racing?—”

“I can only keep you safe if my eyes are always on you. That means you only go where I say!”

She swallowed, looking around as the other women acted like they weren’t listening to Jaxxon ripping a hole in her. He chastised her for not following orders.

“This isn’t playtime!” He closed the distance between them, lowering his voice. “ But if you behave yourself, I’ll give you something to play with!”

He walked off, knowing the change in her scent meant she understood every word. He suspected she’d be on her best behavior the rest of the day. She wasn’t the first woman to chase after him. Though he knew she’d be back to her old tricks tomorrow. How the hell can I keep this woman safe if she can’t follow simple orders? Tiara was playful and full of energy. She was a risk-taker, and he wasn’t. They couldn’t be more different.

Jaxxon posted one of his men to look after the women, making it clear the guard shouldn’t let Tiara out of his sight. Yet, Jaxxon found every excuse to check constantly on her whereabouts for the rest of the afternoon.

Tiara had been on her best behavior. She catered to Jaxxon’s every need, bringing him food and offering seconds. Even when he wasn’t watching, she found creative ways to help him.

Walking past the kitchen area, he heard the women laughing. It appeared Tiara was being roasted. “Stop chasing the man...” was all he heard Maya say before he entered the kitchen, and everyone quieted. But the laughter continued as he walked into the adjoining room. He heard them ask Maya if she liked anyone. Now, this he found interesting, given he hadn’t seen her with any of the other men. Several of them were already dating a few of the females back at their mountain fortress.

But Maya said she’d been so busy helping her friends that she hadn’t had time to consider her needs. He looked back into the kitchen, finding the women huddled together and hugging her.

Maya was lonely. That was a feeling he understood. But knowing the women had always had each other brought a smile to his face. He didn’t know what he would have done if he didn’t have his men and dragons to keep him company. They were the only things that were keeping him sane.

“Cheer up, you’ll find someone!” they told her. Lori blushed when they turned the question to her. And when they asked Tiara, they began roasting her again. He could still hear their laughter as he exited the front door into the yard where his men were gathered.

He and the men went over their supplies for the next hour, and went through a few drills.

Though they had survived the dangerous encounter on the Sea of Cadence, the tension in the air felt like a giant beast squeezing its prey. Everyone was stressed, and loud arguments broke out among the men. The women were also getting into disputes. Even the dragons pushed and shoved more than usual, seeking dominance at every chance. Snarling and growling, Kylo and Galan matched off.

Daring as usual, Tiara jumped in the middle of the sparring dragons, asking them to tell her about female dragons. She batted her long lashes at them and dramatically clapped her hands when they agreed. Jumping up and down, she yelled for the men and women to come to listen. And she then proceeded to tell everyone where to sit.

Jaxxon smiled, knowing she was trying to get the dragons to settle down and stop fighting. She was trying to get everyone to get along. And it worked. Kylo and Galan told story after story about dragon history and their mothers.

The stories were magnificent. But Tiara, in typical fashion, tried to use the story to her advantage in the end .

“Your female dragons were fighters!”

“Yes. And they followed their mates’ commands,” said Kylo, narrowing his slit eyes. Tiara rolled her eyes but didn’t dare argue with a dragon.

Jaxxon smiled, knowing his dragon had just defused the direction in which Tiara was about to take the conversation. He was happy not to have to argue with her. And then Kylo began telling jokes, bringing much-needed laughter to their ears.

Long, thick curls fluttered across Tiara’s breasts as she giggled at jokes told by the dragons. Jaxxon nearly tipped over, looking at her cleavage as she sat cross-legged before him. Leaning back into him, she looked up when he grabbed a lock of curls. Absently twirling it between his fingers, he smirked, reminding her the dragons wanted to be the center of attention. And knowing they’d set him on fire if he tried to carry her off while they were still telling their jokes.

A short while later, she rose from her spot, taking her sweet time standing in front of him as she began speaking with Lori. Jaxxon craned his neck to look around her at Kylo, who was in the middle of another story, telling her to take her seat. She looked back at Jaxxon with a devilish grin, knowing he watched her ass the entire time she stood there, continuing to chat.

Nothing else mattered at the moment but the view. And damn if it wasn’t a temptation to the brooding warlord. Jaxxon wet his lips, ready to bite her ass if she didn’t stop swishing it in front of him. Drak, how can this ever work between us? I demand obedience, and she offers defiance?

The sexual tension between them was building each time she spoke. Her sultry voice lured him to watch every movement of her lips and every swirl of her tongue. Jaxxon hung onto her every word. Totally captivated by her, he didn’t even realize when his dragon had asked him a question. Everyone laughed. But Tiara’s bubbly laughter ended him.

I need her.

Right fucking now !

She could have staged a coup, and he wouldn’t have noticed a thing. And neither would his men as they watched the women dancing around. Their laughter was full of promises of good things. Yet, he knew his father’s stories about the Goddesses of War. Of their beauty and their secrets. And of the coup that they staged before they were apprehended and sentenced.

His men and dragons all knew the story. And he was sure they wouldn’t fall for seduction if it had ill intent. And neither would he. He had no question in his mind about her current intentions. Tiara was chasing him. But would she know what to do with the broody shadow master once he let her catch him? He laughed, thinking about what he would do to her.

Jaxxon smiled, deciding to give her a chance to win his heart. He didn’t know what being in love felt like. And neither did his men or their dragons. He chuckled to himself. It seemed he was about to find out.

Destiny had found a way. And her name was Tiara Adisi.

Tiara had three smiles. One for determination. One for mischief. And one for what Jaxxon could only imagine was meant just for him. It was that smile he sought when he made his move.