Total pages in book: 127
Estimated words: 119764 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 599(@200wpm)___ 479(@250wpm)___ 399(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119764 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 599(@200wpm)___ 479(@250wpm)___ 399(@300wpm)
I will protect my new family from anyone that approaches and means them harm.
The strange dragon bugles an affirmation and rises higher as I do, an agreement without words that she acknowledges my claim. A female. Unmated, judging by the scent of her. She smells like fire and ash and drakoni…but also faintly of human settlements. Her color is a dull red, a signal that she is not crazed with a mating heat. This strange female is not a danger. She is not flaming, not attacking. She is letting me set the pace. When I fly higher, she goes higher, as if to reassure me. I try to send her a greeting once more, but it fails again. There is nothing but silence on the other end, and as we circle each other, I realize this will go nowhere unless something changes.
So I decide to land.
I glide down carefully to the ground, where the females are in a panic. Dakota is covered in fear scent and squatting on the ground, loading her weapon. Rabbit is behind her, gathering up cats and herding them into the building. Aggie and Dottie’s chairs are vacated, and they are probably hiding inside, too. Their fear makes me feel bad. The female has indicated to me that she is no threat. She is likely just curious and wondering why I do not touch my mind to hers in greeting. I need to calm my humans and somehow explain to the female drakoni that I have lost my telepathy.
When my feet touch the ground, I shift to my two-legged form and straighten. I move quickly to Dakota’s side, putting a hand on her weapon when she raises it. “Is ok, Dakota. Is friend.”
“W-what?” She’s shaking with fear, her face colorless.
“Friend,” I say again, and cup her face. “Murr protect Dakota. Yes?”
Her mouth works quietly, no sound coming out. She thinks for a moment and her shoulders relax. She nods. “Okay. Thank you, Murr.”
I turn around as the female lands. She tucks her wings in daintily, and as she does, I can see one of her horns is slightly twisted and crooked atop her head, marring her otherwise perfect frill.
I…know that horn. It matches a slightly twisted tooth.
The female drakoni immediately switches to her two-legged form, getting to her feet and beaming a wide, human grin at me. “I know you!”
“Yes,” I say slowly, my mind buzzing with awareness. I know this female. She is younger than I am, easy in her own hide and with a fierce streak of rebellion. She served alongside me when we were a fighting unit under the Salorians. I have forgotten all of that.
Fothessa. I know her name and how it feels in my mind, but I do not know how to say it aloud.
She moves forward, smiling, and that crooked tooth is evident in her mouth. “I didn’t know you were nearby, Murtades.”
Oh.
My name.
All of it. I had forgotten so much of it.
“Murr-ta-deez?” Dakota echoes, surprise in her voice. Her hand touches my back. “Is…is that you?”
“Me,” I agree, tasting the word on my tongue. “Mur ta des.” It feels a little different in the mouth than spoken in the mind, but it still feels comfortable…and like it belongs to me. “I did not remember.”
“Some of us recover faster than others,” Fothessa says, all smiles and delight as she approaches. “I’m Fothessa in the human tongue, but you can call me Thess. I’m from the nearby fort, and I mean you all no harm.”
CHAPTER 56
DAKOTA
Thess is gorgeous.
Unabashedly naked and perfectly made, she’s got the same scale-patterned skin that Murr does, but instead of a rich gold, hers is a dull brick red. Her features are sharp and almost catlike, making her seem impish and fun. Her hair is a thick, wavy fall of red that flows down her back. Her eyes are the same bright gold that Murr’s are, and when she smiles, she has the same sharp teeth.
I don’t hate her. I want to be her. I’m envious that she can stand in front of us, so comfortable with her gorgeous body, and not care a whit about being naked in front of strangers. Hell, I’ve been snuggling with Murr for a month now and always make sure I go to bed fully clothed. Why? Fuck if I know. It’s stupid to think about being modest around a couple of nudists. I guess my worry was that I wanted to be ready in case Rabbit needed me in the middle of the night, like she did when she was younger and had bad dreams.
Looking at Thess, I feel supremely stupid.
I also feel like I’ve somehow lost the battle. Like Murr has been taken from me and I didn’t even realize I should have been fighting.
They’re gazing at each other with such joy. He’s found a friend again. I’m thrilled for him. He’s said a few times in his halting words that he has huge gaps in his memory, that he doesn’t recall why he’s here or how he got here. I’m genuinely thrilled that he’s going to get some answers.