I knew she liked us. I just wasn't sure what sort of like that was. She probably didn't know either, so I wasn't pushing it, but ever since she'd fallen asleep beside Zasen back at the house, it was like a switch had been flipped for her. She'd decided this was safe. It was okay. She was allowed to not only be touched, but also tolikebeing touched.
And she did.
There was just one more thing I had to be sure of. "So, if I end up wrapping my arms around you, am I going to get in trouble?" I asked.
She looked up at me. "Like this?"
"Yeah, like this," I agreed, because my arms were around her shoulders.
Ayla murmured, then surprised me again. Without pulling away, she shifted a little more, tucking herself right up against my chest like she was using me as a backrest. Then she reached down for my tail and yanked it across her legs.
"Dragons really are made for touching. I didn't realize you used your tails for it, but I like that part too," she said.
So I wrapped my tail around her calf and hugged her softly. That put my mouth right beside her ear. "And what happens if I kiss your neck?"
Ayla actually leaned even closer. "I like that too." And she glanced back. "You're soft, Kanik."
"Like satin?" Zasen asked, proving he was listening in.
But Ayla shook her head. "No, you're like satin. Rymar's like cloth that's been worn enough to no longer be stiff."
"Comfortable," Rymar offered.
Ayla nodded. "Kanik's different."
"Like rabbit fur?" I guessed, not sure how she'd get that, but it was the only other soft thing I could think of.
"No..." She made a face, thinking about it. "You're soft like a dream. Like that moment just before you wake up when nothing bad has happened yet."
And Zasen pushed to his feet. "She means like safety, Kanik. You're soft like protection, a warm blanket, and a friend."
"I think that's the best kind of soft," I told her before leaning in to kiss the side of her neck. "Ayla, you're soft like my own puppy."
She tilted her head, giving me better access to her neck. "But you don't have your own puppy."
"Nope," I agreed.
Rymar just chuckled. "He means like a daydream, Ayla. Like the idea of growing old or farming plants."
"Yeah," she breathed. "I like that kind of soft too. The kind you think is impossible, but is actually real and waiting for you."
Forty-Three
Ayla
Sleeping beside Kanik had been nice. Feeling his arms and tail around me had been even better. The best part, though, had been when Holly climbed on the bed and wanted to get between us. Kanik had told her no, but then had her lie on his other side.
I didn't know why I liked that, but something about it felt nice. I actuallylikedthat he wanted to touch me. Not tolerated, not needed to, butwantedto simply touch me in a way that felt like it meant something.
As I prepared to show the Reapers Holly's trick to disarm the Moles, my mind kept jumping back to the heat of his body against mine. Yes, I was distracted, and I didn't need to be. Today, I had to focus, because the last thing I needed was to have a group of men who knew dogs better than me think I was an idiot.
Rymar had found a gun. Apparently, the militia members from Lorsa had collected the ones they could find in the last fight. Even better, they'd all been secured properly, but two of them were broken. One was missing the trigger. The other had been bent. It would never be safe to shoot again, so I claimed those to train the dogs.
The bullets were out. The safety was on anyway. Both hung by the straps over my chest, and Holly was watching me intently as more and more dog handlers made their way into the small clearing Lansin had picked for my demonstration. Much too soon, it was time.
"Okay," Lansin said, speaking to the Reapers. "For those of you who don't know her, this is Ayla, the Phoenix. Shewasa Mole. Now, she's a Dragon, and trust me, she is as much as Dragon as Zasen. I've seen her in combat. It's how she got that dog beside her. She's not only a natural with the animals, but ruthless against the men who made her life hell until she escaped."
"I got it, I got it," a man grumbled.
