The group stopped as Scaron approached Taylor and I. He stood beside our bench seat with his arms crossed, impatiently tapping his foot on the ground.
“Well?” He asked, clearly implying we should vacate our seats for him. Neither of us got up. Drovo made this for me, not this piece of scum.
“She needs it. She grows tired quickly.” Drovo looked beyond agitated. If Scaron didn’t hold so much sway over their Savrix, I’m sure Drovo would have knocked him on his ass hours ago.
The short sirret furrowed his brows and looked me up and down. “Are you sick?”
“No, I’m not sick. I have a weak heart.”
He slowly nodded his head as he took in that information.
“Doyouhave a weak heart?” He turned his attention to Taylor.
“No.”
I didn’t like where this was going.
“Then I’ll take your seat.”
Taylor hesitated for a moment.
“Give me your seat female or I might be too tired to give my Savrix a favorable report about our journey when we reach the valley,” Scaron growled, winning an even deeper growl from Brexl.
Scaron’s attention snapped to Brexl and fear flashed in his eyes. Good.
“Cut that out you vile beast,” he demanded.
Brexl looked like he was in an angry trance. His growl deepened and his bone plating started to emerge from his blue skin.
Taylor hopped off the chariot and rushed to his side. The moment her hand touched his shoulder, he snapped out of whatever trance was holding himcaptive. His bone plating disappeared, and he wrapped a protective arm around Taylor’s waist.
She wrapped her arm around his waist in kind and they held each other as they stared Scaron down, waiting for him to make his next move.
“That’s better.” The corner of his mouth turned up in a smug, self-satisfied smile.
He settled in beside me on the bench and had the audacity to put his arm around my shoulders.
Drovo looked murderous. My gentle dryad shifter was seething with anger, and I hated Scaron for making him feel that way.
“Get your hands off my mate,” he growled.My mate. I liked the sound of that. We hadn’t declared anything official. It was just last night that we shared our first kiss, but I could see myself being his mate. Hell, I’d been envisioning myself as his mate shortly after Gabby had claimed Tarak as hers. It was only when I thought Drovo was withholding this chariot from me that my vision of us being together had changed.
“The Savrix will decide if you’re mates or not. In the meantime, I’ll do as I wish. Lead on Zander. I want to get to the valley before nightfall.”
The group moved forward, and I held myself stiffly, as far away from Scaron as I could manage on the little bench seat. What I wanted to do was punch this guy in the balls, but I knew I couldn’t. I wouldn’t rip away the one religious practice the guys had left by doing something rash when Drovo and Brexl were trying so hard to keep themselves in check.
I sat next to Scaron for as long as I could take it before declaring that I needed to stretch my legs.
“I thought you had a weak heart.” Scaron eyed me suspiciously. “Which is it? Are you weak or are you lying?” His suspicious look had turned predatory, like a cat ready to pounce on its prey.
I got up and walked toward Drovo as I shook with anger.Weak. I hated that word. I am so tired of feeling weak. Every day I wake up with less energy than I had before my heart failure. Weak. I could rip that guy's head off for calling me that.
As soon as I reached Drovo, he pulled me to his chest for a tight hug as if we’d been separated for a millennia and not half a day.
“Let me carry you,” he suggested.
I nodded my head, and he got down on one knee so I could climb onto his back. Once I was firmly in place, I loosely wrapped my arms around him and kissed the back of his neck. He wrapped his tail around my ankle in a possessive gesture.
“We’re ready.” Drovo declared leveling Scaron with a stare that promised violence.
