Emmeric gets to his feet and dusts off the seat of his pants, and he notices me staring at Dandro. “Regretting rejecting him, are you? You shouldn’t always be such an ice queen.”
As if I want that kind of kiss from Dandro. I have no patience for Emmeric anymore today, and I say to the other two Alphas, “I didn’t know Dandro was mated to Cariss.”
Even though I’m not addressing him, Emmeric says, “Don’t be stupid. Cariss is his lavish.”
Lavish. I’ve heard that word before, but I’ve never really understood what it means. I think it’s something like a lover. Still addressing Zabriel and Onderz, I ask, “What’s a lavish?”
“Doesn’t matter,” Onderz says automatically because he still treats me like I’m fourteen.
“I’m a dragonrider now,” I remind him.
Onderz turns and stares at me. “Oh, yeah. I forgot. Congratulations on your first mission. Zabriel said it went well.”
I beam at him. “Thank you.”
“A lavish is a dumb little pet,” Emmeric sneers. “No more than a rag upon which to wipe your seed before crumpling her up and throwing her away. It’s all Betas like you are good for.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Zabriel snaps at his brother. “Zenevieve, when Dandro retreats into a rut, he takes Cariss with him and keeps her with him until it’s over. After, he might give her a present or money. It’s just somethingthat goes on between Alphas and Betas, and usually in the ruthouses down in the city.”
Ruthouses. I’ve heard a little about those as well. They’re places where Alphas go to work out their frustrations and desires during their ruts. They’re a little like inns, but not a lot of sleeping happens there.
“Why usually in the ruthouses?” I ask.
Zabriel shrugs. “I don’t know. I suppose if you want a willing Beta, the best place to look for one is in a ruthouse.”
“You should consider becoming a lavish,” Emmeric tells me. “It’s all you’re good for.”
“Hey,” Zabriel says sharply, stepping up into his brother’s face. “You’re being nastier than usual today. Why don’t you fuck off before I knock you down again?”
“One day, you’ll all regret the way you treat me,” Emmeric mutters as he stalks away.
Onderz raises his voice so Emmeric can hear him. “He’s just mad that Zenevieve won’t be his lavish, his mate, or even his friend in his wildest dreams.”
I turn back to watch Dandro and Cariss together, my curiosity piqued by the idea of lavishes. I can tell from the smile on Cariss’s face that she adores being Dandro’s lavish. She gets his undivided, hungry attention during every rut. He must turn to her because he needs her so badly he might explode. I’ve never seen an Alpha in a full rut, but I’ve witnessed Stesha at the beginning and end of his. A ripple of heat goes through me as I recall the alluring way he smells, how his eyes flash, and the way his body moves. I bite my lower lip and pull it through my teeth, imagining Stesha’s hot breath on the back of my neck and his muscular body pressed against me. I picture him breathing hard through his nose, eyes narrowed and flashing, his hair falling into his eyes, cheeks flushed, and flesh burning. His whole body would be tense as he wrapped his massive arms around me.
Still looking at Dandro and Cariss, I ask, “Does Stesha have a lavish?”
“No idea,” Onderz says.
Zabriel grins. “Stesha is so uptight he probably spends his rut beating his knot with a mallet.”
Onderz bursts out laughing. “You know, I wouldn’t be surprised if you were right.”
I shake my head, exasperated. “Don’t be ridiculous. He does not.” But secretly I’m pleased to hear their silly guess. I hope Stesha continues to be distant with everyone until he finally notices me. Everyone’s always said the only person he thinks highly of is me. They can tease me and call me dragonmaster’s pet, I don’t care, as long as I’m the one who Stesha finally takes as his mate.
The sun is sinking into the mountains, and dusk is turning the dragongrounds a rosy gold when I wave goodbye to Zabriel and Onderz.
Just as I’m approaching the bridge over the canyon back to the castle, a white dragon alights in front of me with a great whoosh of air and a sparkle of wings. A massive man in pale riding leathers slides down Nilak’s flank, and two booted feet hit the ground in front of me.
Stesha pulls me into his arms and drops a kiss onto the top of my head. “Wonderful,” he murmurs, in a deep, velvety voice.
My surprise melts into pleasure. I close my eyes, wrap both my arms around his waist, and press my cheek to his chest. Gods, it’s been too long since he held me like this.
“Are you talking about my mission?” I say into the folds of his open jacket without opening my eyes. His heart is thumping in my ear, heavy and slow.
“Of course.”
Before I can soak up all his warmth and scent that I’m craving, he pulls away from me. My smile slips as he stepsback, but I quickly affix it into place before he notices my disappointment.
