“Agreed.” I shook my head to clear it.
The elite were not foreign sights at the slavemarkets, but for one like her to walk so openly was unusual. Alpha-level shifters were not that common outside of the Ice Citadel. What spurred her confidence? Was it just arrogance, believing herself too powerful to suffer consequences?
Knowing the elite, it’s entirely possible.
“Come on, let’s get back to work. I really don’t want to stay here any longer than we have to.”
Milly and Ella agreed, and we resumed our routine. We sawed away with our fingernails, fraying the strips of brellwood bit by tiny bit, only pausing to switch when our nails needed time to heal. We had been at it all night and morning, and the ropes were finally starting to show signs of give.
It would be hours yet, barring any further interruptions, but in time we would be free. Hopefully, before someone came along and bought us. Half an hour later, my fingernails healing, I took Milly’s spot. She had made good progress. I was about to set to it when the smell of woodsmoke and citrus tickled my nose.
“Do you guys …”
I never completed my question as somewhere deep in my mind, in a place I had never visited, a door swung open.
Charging in through it came a part of me only ever felt at the furthest fringes of awareness, just enough to know it existed but nothing more. Angry, frenzied, and utterly strange this close, Igasped as my dragon reared back and slammed both feet down, driving me to my knees with its mental attack. The roaring and growling were deafening.
Two
Anna
“Anna?”Milly's voice was tiny and distant. “Are you okay? What’s going on?”
She was there, in front of me, chocolaty brown eyes looking into me with concern.
My dragon thrust its wings wide and bellowed for attention. For focus. It wanted something … and wanted that somethingbad.
“Ella! Something is wrong with Anna.”
I shouted at them from the inside of my brain. Tried to tell them what was happening, that my dragon, long dormant and barely alive, like every clippy’s, had somehow … awoken? It was there, taking control of my body, tensing every muscle, and preventing any sort of movement as impossible as it should be.
What was happening to me? I couldn’t even breathe, so paralyzed was I by the sudden intrusion into my head.
I looked up as movement stole my attention. Ella moved in front of me, checking me over. She brought with her more of that delicious citrusy-smoky flavor. The faintest whiff brushed againstme, and I suddenly inhaled, long and deep, drinking it in.
The second taste of that smell propelled me to my feet. I nearly bowled Ella aside, lurching to the front of the cage while desperately trying to inhale every bit of that heady, body-intoxicating smell as I could. I needed it, needed to bask in it, bathe in it, dip myself into its sweet embrace and never come up for air. I pressed against the front of the cage, the cold, hard, wood teasing my suddenly stiff nipples through the flimsy fabric of my slave outfit.
More. I had to have more, and I had to have itnow.
But where was it coming from? My head snapped left and right, muscles twitchy and on edge as I searched every face, every person. Someone out there was causing this, bringing my silent dragon to life. She growled, but the noise quickly turned to a mewling whine as movement caught my eye.
This one, she seemed to say, as I stared at them.
The hood of their cloak was pulled up over their head, hiding their face from me. I scratched at the bars, breathing hard, panting as my blood burned and fueled a skyrocketing need between my legs. A pulsating desire dimmed the edges of my vision until the only thing in focus was the person under the hood. Who the hell were they? Could they feel this? Did they know what theywere doing to me? I …
The mystery person came to an abrupt stop. I watched their body twitch. Was that shock? Surprise? Were they somehow aware I was watching their every step and admiring the predatory prowl that had brought them halfway across the market?
Under the hood, the head began to turn, moving mechanically in my direction, as if against the owner’s will. I stared deep into the darkness that hid their face, eager for any glimpse of the person beyond. No, not just eager. Desperate. I was pawing at the cage bars now, pressing myself against them while thrusting my hips and breasts forward against the solid brellwood that held my friends and me.
My dragon rumbled deep in its throat, frustrated at the barrier in its way. A shudder ran down my spine. A matching tremor on the other person told me they felt the same. Their chin came up ever so slightly, revealing their eyes.
I gasped. My dragon howled a singular word as we stared through the bars at the most perfect pair of emerald green eyes I had ever seen.
Mate.The thought slammed into my chest hard enough to break bones if it had been real.
Hands grabbed my shoulders, trying to pull me away from the bar.
“Anna, stop it. You’re drawing too much attention to us,” Milly hissed in my ear.
