4. Rehan

CHAPTER FOUR

REHAN

M y view of the spot Giggles – as I temporarily dubbed her – disappeared behind the ass of an overly shined red dragon brat. I crossed my built arms over my chest and frowned. The arrogance of fire grated on me even more than usual. Or, maybe everything bothered me more because our entire hunt made me feel sick to my stomach.

I didn't know the woman who'd brazenly walked across the fire prince's claws. But I wanted to—more than anything. In my opinion, anyone who could make a fool of themselves and still walk away with their head high was worth their weight in gold, especially in this situation.

"She's fast."

"Fit ass."

"Narrow hips, though. She might struggle with a dragon baby.…."

The chatter from my peers, seated in the stadium with me, added to the discomfort churning in my stomach. I had no right to nickname the woman, but it was better than thinking of her as cattle—breeding stock for our dying race. Bringing humans here wasn't fair to them or us, but I could do nothing to change it. I was just a dragon caught up in motions, which started over a century ago.

I let out a harsh breath and scowled at my grandad, who had been alive over a century ago. Tukaqu observed the world from under a mountain of white hair and a ring of thorny horns. Unlike the rest of my family, who'd dressed in shorts and loose shirts to beat the heat, he still wore his thick robes of light blue. Like he was some medieval wizard, which I guess in some ways he was.

I'd spent my life listening to his stories about how the world used to be before we trapped ourselves on this island. Mates hunted each other. The skies filled with our colorful wings. Female dragons still birthed healthy kids, and we didn't need to bring humans into our lives unless we wanted to.

"What are you looking at?" Tukaqu scowled, his jowls shaking. "Does your magic feel off? Can you feel the Ley Lines today?"

I looked away from him and let out a breath. No one felt the Ley Lines anymore. Only a few of us could still even see them. An uneasy shiver ran down my back, childhood trauma reminding me of its existence. I didn't let it take hold.

"It's not the Ley Lines. It's me." I pulled my short, high ponytail out of my hair, only to redo it.

Tukaqu clapped me on the back. "This is your last hunt. If you fail, I will force a pairing. My blood will continue through your labors."

I grunted, not liking it, but bowing to my elders like I had my entire life.

I didn't want to knock up a stranger. I wanted love. An equal who argued with me as much as supported me. A woman who stood at my side, who knocked me to the ground and wring every ounce of pleasure out of me. I wanted to feel her in my arms. With a woman at my side, the discomfort this entire island caused might ease.

I scrubbed my eyes. An endless sheltered existence stretched before me. A future where I sat on the water dragon council to keep the status quo and not rock the boat. It was my nightmare, one hunt away from coming true.

Unless.

I reached up to rub my delts, and my gaze unfocused. Tyson's fat dragon ass still blocked my view of Giggle's exit. Giggles. A smile pulled at my cheeks. She'd done something different, the only one in years. I cracked my back, eyeing the dragons around me. I couldn't be the only one who noticed.

Although some of my fellow hunters set their gaze ahead of us, more than I wanted looked past Tyson, searching for the odd woman out. Doubt tried to worm its way into my heart, but I didn't let it. I was the first son of the water dragon king, one of the biggest and strongest dragons on the Island. If I couldn't beat my peers, I didn't deserve her. A jolt of excitement made me punch my fist into my palm. This was precisely what I wanted, what no hunts before her offered.

The moment the women's head start was up, we rose in waves, all transforming or just running toward our chosen prey. Four dragons took to the air, flying over the eucalyptus forest, two in their human form with only their wings out.

A roar split the air. Tyson spat fire and launched himself up, following the four.

Adrenaline flooded my system. Beating one of the fire princes to get her would make my victory that much sweeter.

Tukaqu stabbed me with a bony, gnarled finger. "Go, my boy. But be wary. Something's amiss."

I didn't acknowledge Tukaqu's words. Kicking off my flip-flops, I launched myself to the forest floor. Scales grew around my feet and ankles to give me better armor and traction. I slipped into the spot Giggles had gone through an hour ago.

Her scent hit me like a drug. Licorice and rich earth cut through the sweet eucalyptus which permeated my existence. Blood rushed to my cock, and my magic sang, latching onto a hint of the power she couldn't possibly possess.

My world became her. I had no doubt this human was my mate, my true mate.

Blind with need, I crashed through the forest. A few vines and sticks tore at my skin but didn't break the surface. Impressively, Giggles got far ahead, though left an easy trail to follow. A pointy tree branch held a hint of fresh blood on it, where she must have run past and scratched herself in her hast.

She gave our hunt everything she had. This was my dream. Someone who I couldn't easily run down. My equal. Mine. My heart beat only for her.

The sound of water added to the tweet of birds and the buzz of bugs. I skidded to a halt on the banks of a small creek. The earth on either side of it appeared undisturbed. Had she gone upriver or down?

Above me, Tyson roared, and the clash of claws on scales filled the air. No one had found her yet. I bit the inside of my cheek. What would I do if I'd woken up, ready to be hunted by a dragon? Based on her easy-to-follow trail, I'd assumed she wanted to be found, but this was the opposite. She left her trail either because of inexperience or a need for speed.

I growled low. It wasn't inexperience. She'd read the map and bee-lined for water. After another moment, I pointed myself down. If she was in a hurry, traveling down would be faster than up.

It took me too long to realize my mistake.

The clash of Tyson engaging with another dragon in the air came from my backside. I skidded to a halt and pivoted, my chest rising and falling. Fire blazed between the bushy trees, and a giant brown dragon dropped a few feet in the blue sky before catching himself. I didn't know if Tyson found Giggles, but if she'd run down the creek, I should've seen or smelled something by now.

I charged back the direction I came, a mad grin splitting my face.