His sharp lips pull back. “You should not lie to me.” His fingers wiggle through the strands of hair at my nape, touching my skin.
“Does it matter? He is dead, and you are not. You win.”
Fingers squeeze me. “Is that all you need?” Another snap. “A living mate, even if he is a smaller one!” Kaos drops his hand and growls.
Oh.
My eyes widen.Ooh.My gaze trails over his body from head to toe. Kaos, even human, is the largest human I have ever laid my eyes on, a giant compared to any male in any tribe I’ve met.
“If…” I begin but swallow. “If you were as big as this dead dragon… you would be too big for me.” Thinking back of his finger inside me, blushing. “You may already be too big for me.” My eyes drop to his stiff cock. “You frighten me,” I murmur, swallowing again.
He goes tense all over, and I know he gets my meaning. My cheeks burn.
“Yes,” he hisses, staring at me, all of me, with all of his raw male potency and furious heat. I feel it slice through me to my very soul, and my body responds. My core flutters and leaks. His nostrils flare. “Perhaps you are right. A dragon that large is wasted on someone so small and delicate as you.”
“I’m not nearly as delicate or small as you think.” Frustration laces my voice.
He takes a step forward, trapping me against the tree trunk. “Delicate, small, and easily corralled.”
His face leans toward mine and—stilling in shock—I think he’s going to kiss me.
A branch cracks and falls beside us, and he stops, startled. Ruining the turbulent moment. He takes a step back, his focus tearing toward the direction the femdragon went. “We should go.”
I lick my lips wistfully. “Yes,” I agree, moving to his side, both sad and thankful for the loss of his attention. Knowing next time, when it’s directed so fiercely on me again, I will have to fight to survive.
His fingers wrap around my wrist. And without a backward glance, we quicken our steps.
13
The Forbidden Jungle
The cries of the femdragon,always far away, keep our pace as fast.
Once we make it to the river, I take the chance to wash the worst of the dirt from my skin as we go, only dipping my hands into the shallowest parts, and check my body for cuts and scrapes that may need to be cleaned.
I notice that I’m banged up but not badly. I have a few scrapes and some of my muscles are sore, though nothing that would hinder my step. Being hurt much worse in the past, my aching body will be fixed by a little ointment and some rest later on. Taking the medicine from our satchel, I slather it on, using it up.
Soon after, I find a long, sturdy branch. Snapping it off from a tree, I wipe the moss hanging from it off. Testing it in my hold— though it’s not entirely perfect—it’ll still serve as a walking stick, a weapon.
Kaos keeps his eyes on me the entire time, hurrying me along, cocking his head this way and that as if he’s listening for more than the femdragon. He’s listening for any predators that may be nearby.
He takes in my walking stick with his gaze but says nothing.
Surprisingly, no predators do appear. No apes, no nagas, not even the deadly blue-tailed raptors that travel in packs. Occasionally, a snake will make its appearance, and once, a Titanoboa slithers through the river water to our left—but they leave us alone as long as we leave them alone.
It doesn’t stop me from being alert as well, watching each step in front of us and being as quiet as possible.
I don’t dare grow complacent.
Especially not with the burn of Kaos’s gaze on me—threatening me—roaming my skin and observing every little thing I do. He’s behind me, letting me take the lead unless he wants to check something out ahead of us, or prefers a parallel path to traverse. Those are the only times I’m reprieved from his blistering intensity.
He bumps his large shaft against me when he trips—because he still hasn’t fully figured out his new legs—but I’m beginning to think he’s doing it on purpose.
Bump. Slide.Prickles rise across my skin. Turning around sharply and narrowing my eyes on his, I push him away. He doesn’t budge. “Stop that.”
A smile tilts his lips, nearly stealing my annoyance.The dragon knows how to smile. “Stop what?” he asks.
“Stop pushing your cock against me. It’s distracting and dangerous—”
