“She ismine!” Aura bellows.
“I’m claiming her!” The other male takes better shape as I rub the water from my eyes. Plates in dark grays line his spine and join like natural armor. His scales shimmer like blue fire hides inside them. And the angled shape of his horned face makes one word come to mind.
Dragon?
They throw punches, wrestle each other to the ground, and scrap in the sand. Aura arcs. The dragon male lights up and spits blue fire. Then, they roll back into the water.
The surface stills. I crawl toward the river, my body shaking from the disorientation and the idea so many males would fight over me.
I worry which one will be the victor. I’m not sure I could endure life with a dragon that lives in water as someone who’s a pathetic swimmer at best.
A blue pulse shudders underwater. Then a green one erupts, breaking the surface.
Not far away, a cameradrone hums. It sees me and comes closer. “Are you injured?”
“No. A bit shaken. I didn’t expect this. But I’m fine.”
Finally, the dragon male crawls out of the water.
My stomach sinks.
He stops at the edge of the beach and shakes off like a dog. Behind him, Aura hikes out, water draining from his armor like some glorious water god.
“Do not make me teach you another lesson about respect,” Aura bellows. “She ismine. You interrupted. Don’t touch my female again.”
Aura’s claim to me stirs an unfamiliar heat in my core, and I can’t tell if the slickness I feel between my legs is entirely from the water or a growing desire for him.
The dragon male hisses at Aura and scurries off.
“Damn Gragoraphors,” Aura mutters like he’s dealt with them a thousand times.
He turns to me with a triumphant smirk on his face. Aura quirks a brow. “Close your eyes.”
After a second and a decision to trust him, I do.
A bright flash of green light over my eyelids makes me wince and shield my face.
“Okay,” he says.
When I peek at him, he’s dry. Aura walks up to me and extends a hand. I take it and let him help me to my feet.
“Are you alright?” he asks.
My feet slosh a little in my boots. “Better now, but I am soaked. Wish I could flash dry like you.”
The way Aura eyes me makes me think he’s considering asking me something dirty.
“Soaked in a bad way or a good way?” he asks.
I chew a lip, trying to hold back a laugh.So he does have a dirty mind.“Both?”
“Is that so? Well, I’m not taking any chances this time. You’re mine, hot stuff.” Aura grabs me around the waist, hauls me up, and folds me over his shoulder.
A sharp zap tags me in the ass, scattering over my bodyweb. “Ow!”
“Whoops.”
“Oh, very funny.” Just a couple of hours ago, I had no idea who would want me. Now I know.
