anyone among your kin care about politics?”
“Only Bideven. But only enough to help when any of us get into trouble.”
“And you?” she asked, smiling up at him. “Do you care about politics?”
“Not even a little.” Big fingers brushed across her cheek. “Dirt,” he explained.
With a nod, Shalin walked into the Great Hall, desperately trying to ignore the way her skin tingled where Ailean had touched her.
Ailean paced the length of his room again. Since he’d knocked the wall out of three rooms to create it, this was no short trip.
For two hours he’d tried to sleep. For two hours he’d tossed and turned and masturbated until he feared his hand would fall off. Yet nothing could alleviate the burning, clawing need he had at the moment.
And Ailean wished with all his heart that this need was merely sexual. That all he wanted from Shalin lay between her thighs. But he wanted more than that. He wanted to sit and talk to her again. He’d never been so at ease with anyone not blood, and he never had to yell over her to be heard. She listened to him and that meant more than anyone could realize.
“This is ridiculous,” he told the air. “I’m a grown dragon. I can do as I like.” And they would only talk. Like they had the night before.
Confident in his intent, Ailean stormed to the door, snatching it open—and froze.
“Good evening, brother,” Arranz said calmly. He sat in a chair just outside Ailean’s room, cleaning his weapons.
“What are you doing?”
“Just…keeping watch.”
“Keeping watch outside my room?”
“This hallway, brother. Danger is everywhere. Even you. You’re in danger, too, Ailean. We have to be ever vigilant with you as well as Shalin.” Arranz looked at his brother, all innocence and naïveté, which Ailean knew for a fact was nothing more than centaur shit. “But Ailean, where are you off to so late? Is there something you need, brother? Something I can get you?”
Ailean’s eyes narrowed and Arranz grinned.
“You have money on this, don’t you?”
Arranz went back to wiping his weapon down. “How you think of me, brother. As if I’d bet hard-earned gold on something like this.”
Snarling, Ailean stepped back into his room and slammed the door shut. He hated his kin.
Hated. Them.
Shalin jumped when a door slammed. Biting her lip, she charged across the room, sliding to a stop in front of her own door and placing her ear against it. She listened but could hear nothing that would lead her to believe Ailean made his way to her room.
Damn the gods! Why were they torturing her so? Putting her in arm’s length of her greatest desire but keeping it just out of reach.
And the gods did not give her the kind of bravery that would allow her to march out of her room, down that hall, and to Ailean’s chamber. To demand he take what she offered.
Instead she waited in her room like a frightened mouse, hoping someone would put the cheese before her.
Gritting her teeth, Shalin paced back to the window, the puppy stumbling behind her.
Would her life always be this unfair? This brutally cruel? Would she ever get what she truly wanted or would she always yearn for what she could never have?
“Do the gods have some vendetta against me, little one?” she asked as she picked up her puppy and held him close. “Some vendetta against my ancestors that I’m unaware of? Or do they simply enjoy toying with me?”
Since Shalin came from a most boring line of dragons, she felt quite confident that the gods merely toyed with her.
“Bastards,” she muttered before heading to her bed.
7
Shalin had not slept well. She’d pretty much done everything but sleep. She’d read. She’d tossed and turned. She’d played with the puppy until he fell asleep. Now all she wanted to do was spend some time with her horse.
She walked down the stairs and into the Great Hall.
“We need to get you a dress that fits,” Arranz said in lieu of a proper greeting. “And some boots.”
“Are you done?” And her clipped words had Arranz staring at her.
“Is there a problem?” he asked.
“No. Not at all. Feel free to comment on anything. My hair all right with you? My face? Anything else I can fix to your satisfaction?” When he didn’t answer, Shalin looked at the rest of the Cadwaladr Clan. “Truly. Feel free while I’m standing here to comment on anything you like. No?”
Unable to stop sneering, Shalin grabbed a loaf of bread and walked out to the courtyard.
Ailean walked into the Great Hall. He passed by his kin, the lot of them nearly filling the room, grabbing a loaf of bread from the table. Before he went outside, he stopped and asked, turning back to his kin as he did so, “I need to train. Anyone up for—”
In the ten seconds since he’d started to ask his question, all but three of his kin remained. The twins stood.
“We’ll—”
“Sit down,” their mother ordered. And they both obeyed. She remained the only being on the planet who had full control over them. “What’s going on with you two?” Deniela asked Ailean.
“What are you talking about?”
“That sweet, innocent dragoness—”
At Ailean’s snort, Deniela’s eyes narrowed, and he held his hands up, indicating she should continue.
“She was in a foul mood and I’m blaming you.”
“How is it my fault?” Although deep in his soul, he prayed it was his fault. He shouldn’t be the only one not sleeping.
“She’s an innocent, Ailean. Don’t play with her.”
“I haven’t. And she’s not an innocent.”
“She’s probably a virgin.”
“Don’t be daft.”
“Have you asked her?” Deniela demanded. “Maybe you should before you set your sights on dirtying her up.”
“I have to say, Aunt Deniela, that I don’t appreciate you suggesting her being with me would dirty her up.”
When the old cow only stared at him, he walked out.
Shalin glanced up and that’s when she saw Ailean staring at her—again. She’d found him doing it several times since he’d walked in to groom the horses a few hours before. Finally, unable to stand it anymore, she asked, “Is something wrong?”
“No. Why do you ask?”
“Because,” she said, focusing back on Nightmare, “you keep staring at me.”
“Sorry.” But he didn’t stop staring.
“Ailean,” she finally said, “you haven’t done anything wrong.” In fact, he hadn’t done a damn thing and she’d gotten tired of waiting for him to.
“I know that.”
“Then why do you look like you’ve ravished me and left me pregnant like some human?”
“No, I don’t.” He finally grinned. “There’d be much more running away involved.”
She petted Nightmare’s neck. “I appreciate your family’s