her off of his back.
She saw blood and pulled-out hairs fly as the chain scraped over his scalp. Then she landed hard on her back, just shy of the cot.
Maybe she hit her head harder than she thought, because for a moment, she could have sworn that she heard the flap of leathery wings outside. But even as he threw himself over her and struggled to force her legs apart, and even as she kicked him with the one leg that wasn't pinned under him, she sensed something.
It was almost as if she had just caught a whiff of Kaelon's cologne, but even subtler. She knew in that instant that he had found her.
Hope gave her strength to keep fighting. Torvin kept trying to pin her down, even as he rubbed his groin grotesquely to try and regain his erection. Finally, he gave up and punched her in the face twice.
Her head bounced off the floor and she saw stars, going temporarily limp. “Finally,” he growled in exasperation. “That was too much fun to even be fun. You have no idea how to please a man.”
She spat blood in his face, and then smiled up at him as he sat back rubbing his eyes. “I don't see any men here. Just an animal that learned to talk.”
He snarled and raised his fist to slam into her face again. But before he could, they both heard an explosion outside.
Torvin raised his head in alarm. He sniffed twice, and his eyes widened. “How under the sun did he find us?”
Irina’s heart leaped, even as she recovered from his blows. I'm okay. I'm okay. He didn't rape me, he didn't break anything, and he didn't hit me in the mid-section. I'll be fine. Kaelon's here. “I think you're in deep trouble now, asshole.”
“ TORVIN!” Kaelon’s dragon-voice was an ear-bending roar of outrage.
“...Now what did I just say?” She grinned up at him through sore teeth as he hastily started yanking his breeches back on.
Minutes later, he dragged her out of what turned out to be a small cabin, and into the clearing in front. Her lover stood there in dragon form, the corpses of four of Torvin's guards lying at his feet. He snarled low in his throat as he saw her nude, battered form.
The steel collar around her neck chafed hard as Torvin yanked her forward. “Back off or I will kill the girl.”
The dragon snaked his head forward until it was just a few feet away from them. “ Let her go or I will kill all of your lousy servants, and reduce this place to rubble. Then, I will take three days to kill you.”
“You think you'll actually manage that?” He pulled back on her chain so that he could press up close behind her, using her as a meat shield again. He tried to put his hand on her breast, but a sharp elbow in his ribs made him back off slightly.
“ You don't take your hands off my woman, and we're going to find out.”
“That's not legal. You can't just destroy everything and murder everyone. You may be the High Commander, but you still have to obey the law.”
The dragon hesitated, raising his head. Tobin's other men occupied the roof behind them, nervously pointing their rifles in the dragon's direction. He turned to her, and then nodded once. “Then I challenge you to a duel. The winner gains all of the loser’s holdings, and the woman as well. The loser dies.”
Torvin stared at the dragon nervously, and then looked back up his men. They were nodding to each other, and immediately put up their rifles without his ordering it. “I….” he started, and then set his jaw. “Fine.”
Locking the end of her leash to a loop set in the wall of the cabin, he strode forward toward the dragon. “I wouldn't advise using your fire breath here,” he said conversationally as his voice deepened into a growl.
She saw fur sprout on his skin, and then a moment later he went down on all fours and shifted. “ The human is right behind me. You'll likely cook her as well.”
“ I don't need fire to end the likes of you.” The dragon’s tail lashed as he awaited his opponent’s charge.
Irina held her breath as the
She saw blood and pulled-out hairs fly as the chain scraped over his scalp. Then she landed hard on her back, just shy of the cot.
Maybe she hit her head harder than she thought, because for a moment, she could have sworn that she heard the flap of leathery wings outside. But even as he threw himself over her and struggled to force her legs apart, and even as she kicked him with the one leg that wasn't pinned under him, she sensed something.
It was almost as if she had just caught a whiff of Kaelon's cologne, but even subtler. She knew in that instant that he had found her.
Hope gave her strength to keep fighting. Torvin kept trying to pin her down, even as he rubbed his groin grotesquely to try and regain his erection. Finally, he gave up and punched her in the face twice.
Her head bounced off the floor and she saw stars, going temporarily limp. “Finally,” he growled in exasperation. “That was too much fun to even be fun. You have no idea how to please a man.”
She spat blood in his face, and then smiled up at him as he sat back rubbing his eyes. “I don't see any men here. Just an animal that learned to talk.”
He snarled and raised his fist to slam into her face again. But before he could, they both heard an explosion outside.
Torvin raised his head in alarm. He sniffed twice, and his eyes widened. “How under the sun did he find us?”
Irina’s heart leaped, even as she recovered from his blows. I'm okay. I'm okay. He didn't rape me, he didn't break anything, and he didn't hit me in the mid-section. I'll be fine. Kaelon's here. “I think you're in deep trouble now, asshole.”
“ TORVIN!” Kaelon’s dragon-voice was an ear-bending roar of outrage.
“...Now what did I just say?” She grinned up at him through sore teeth as he hastily started yanking his breeches back on.
Minutes later, he dragged her out of what turned out to be a small cabin, and into the clearing in front. Her lover stood there in dragon form, the corpses of four of Torvin's guards lying at his feet. He snarled low in his throat as he saw her nude, battered form.
The steel collar around her neck chafed hard as Torvin yanked her forward. “Back off or I will kill the girl.”
The dragon snaked his head forward until it was just a few feet away from them. “ Let her go or I will kill all of your lousy servants, and reduce this place to rubble. Then, I will take three days to kill you.”
“You think you'll actually manage that?” He pulled back on her chain so that he could press up close behind her, using her as a meat shield again. He tried to put his hand on her breast, but a sharp elbow in his ribs made him back off slightly.
“ You don't take your hands off my woman, and we're going to find out.”
“That's not legal. You can't just destroy everything and murder everyone. You may be the High Commander, but you still have to obey the law.”
The dragon hesitated, raising his head. Tobin's other men occupied the roof behind them, nervously pointing their rifles in the dragon's direction. He turned to her, and then nodded once. “Then I challenge you to a duel. The winner gains all of the loser’s holdings, and the woman as well. The loser dies.”
Torvin stared at the dragon nervously, and then looked back up his men. They were nodding to each other, and immediately put up their rifles without his ordering it. “I….” he started, and then set his jaw. “Fine.”
Locking the end of her leash to a loop set in the wall of the cabin, he strode forward toward the dragon. “I wouldn't advise using your fire breath here,” he said conversationally as his voice deepened into a growl.
She saw fur sprout on his skin, and then a moment later he went down on all fours and shifted. “ The human is right behind me. You'll likely cook her as well.”
“ I don't need fire to end the likes of you.” The dragon’s tail lashed as he awaited his opponent’s charge.
Irina held her breath as the
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