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Beside him, Aelwen was frozen in place. She carefully nocked a bow on her string, slowly glancing in his direction. "What do we do?"
Killing it would be ideal, so it didn't threaten any nearby towns, but that might not be possible with only a crossbow and a bow. A drake's scales were naturally resistant to piercing weapons, and they needed a sword or magic, which neither of them had.
Scaring it off and coming back with a larger hunting party would be Vinir's second choice. He spotted a weakness in the drake's wings, a gap between its scales that revealed soft tissuebeneath. He knew he could easily strike at it and harm it enough to scare it away if he could just get close enough.
He nodded to Aelwen and readied his crossbow. Taking a deep breath, he crept forward on horseback, keeping himself steady. The drake reared up in territorial anger, and as soon as its front claws landed in the dirt again, Vinir fired a crossbow bolt straight into the drake's wing. The creature roared in pain and kicked off into the sky with a powerful thrust of its wings.
But instead of flying off into the night, it whipped around and flew straight toward them.
"Get down!" Vinir cried.
He and Aelwen jumped off their horses and took cover behind a nearby tree. Vinir pushed Aelwen behind him protectively, doing his best to use his body as a shield against the creature's wrath. The drake flew in circles above them, screeching and snarling, spitting fire that lit up the night sky.
Vinir loaded another bolt into the crossbow, ready to fire again if needed. He looked over at Aelwen and noticed the fear in her eyes but also determination. She had already nocked another arrow on her bow and aimed it toward the sky. Even though he knew this creature could easily destroy them both, he felt a wave of pride wash over him at his wife's bravery.
In the moonlight, Vinir could see the beast's wings twitching restlessly. The beast flew closer and closer, its wings beating so hard that small gusts of wind buffeted against their faces as they crouched behind the tree. Its mouth opened wide and its jaw revealed serrated teeth that glinted in what little light was left of the moonlight. Then it released an ear-splitting roar that echoed through the night air like thunder.
"At the same time," Vinir gasped as the drake flew toward them. "Aim for its mouth!"
Aelwen nodded and lifted her bow at the same time that Vinir lifted his crossbow. The creature neared, and before its mouth closed, they both loosed their attacks, their aim true. The crossbow bold, and the arrow thunked into the vulnerable flesh inside its neck and throat, and the beast screeched and lost all momentum, spinning out of control and crashing into the trees nearby.
Vinir clutched Aelwen's shoulder, ensuring she was safe. "Are you all right?"
"Fine," she breathed. "Is it dead?"
They stood there, waiting in the darkness, clinging to each other. If it wasn't for the beast roaring at them straight on like that, they might not have been able to defeat it. He was immensely grateful that he and Aelwen made it out of the encounter unscathed.
"I think so. It hasn't moved in a while."
They were still pressed against the tree, and now that the danger had passed, Vinir became more aware of the warmth of Aelwen's body pressed against his. She'd been so stunning at the castle, sitting atop her horse, and she'd been stunning while she waited now behind the tree.
Her hair was wild around her face from the wind, her eyes a little crazed, and her heart beat a loud flutter in her chest.
Vinir looked down at her, and he knew that he wanted to kiss her. He wanted to show his gratitude for all the danger she had faced and for having faith in him when he felt nothing was going right. But he was afraid of hurting her with his cursed hands and his cursed body.
Aelwen looked up at Vinir, reading the look in his eyes. She smiled softly and reached out her hand to brush against hischeek. "I'm not afraid of you," she said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.
She stepped closer so that her face was just inches away from his. Encouraged by Aelwen's words, Vinir closed his eyes, leaned in, and kissed her. He tasted the sweet honey of her breath and marveled at how soft her lips were against his own. The kiss was soft but passionate, full of relief and love for the woman before him who had just fought so bravely alongside him against a great foe.
When they finally pulled away from each other, Aelwen smiled up at Vinir with admiration in her eyes as if to say, 'see? I told you'.
But Vinir was so far from finished with her, and from that look in her eyes, her irises like pools of liquid desire, he knew she wanted more, too.
Needed it.
Chapter 11 - Aelwen
Vinir shoved her against the tree, gentle but firm, as his mouth captured hers in another all-consuming kiss. She was already lightheaded from the slow, devouring way he kissed her, as if even despite knowing that she was immune to his curse, he had to hold back just in case.
She'd been terrified the moment she saw that drake. Horrified that she'd blindly followed Vinir into the woods, thinking the creatures they found hidden in the trees couldn't be anywhere near as terrible as the beasts in her homeland. She'd been wrong.
And in those bright red eyes, she thought she'd been staring her death right in the eye. The death of the baby growing in her belly.
But Vinir hadn't been afraid. He had a plan, and because of them, they came out of the encounter alive and well.
He'd protected her.
His firm body pressed up against her, the bulge at his crotch rubbing against her thigh. A groan escaped him, vibrating against her lips. Aelwen threw her head back, unable to breathe, and he pressed his mouth to her neck instead, sucking on the tender flesh there and making her shiver.
