Page 17 of Captured By the Dragon Warlord (Fated Mates of the Sarkarnii Warlords #2)

I look down to where we are joined. The whole thing feels very, very strange. It’s not something I’ve done before. Not just because I haven’t rutted for a female but in all my interactions with them. This is not the Sarkarnii way.

Scarlett’s hand is curled up in mine, her fingers laced through my calloused fingers.

I can’t deny, it also feels…good.

Although the fact we’re walking together, through the Steel Jewel to the dining hall, through hallways filled with warriors, makes the whole thing somewhat odd.

I think I’m growling more than ever.

“Do you need to growl so much?” Scarlett asks.

“Was it one of the rules?” I sigh.

There were a lot of rules. This one about the hand thing doesn’t seem to mean anything, although Scarlett seems happy about it.

“No.” She inclines her head, exposing her long neck and some of her soft skin. “It wasn’t, but perhaps keep it to a minimum?”

A warrior walks past, stares at our hands, and causes a fresh gush of smoke from me along with a low snarl.

“Not going to be possible,” I say through gritted teeth.

I attempt to concentrate on her neck and skin, working out the best place for my claiming bite, if and when she decides to let me claim her.

I feel it may be a long way off.

We reach the dining hall. It’s relatively empty, and I lift a silent thanks to the ancestors, who presumably are laughing their wings off at my current predicament.

If I’d been honest from the start with Scarlett, there might be more mating and fewer rules.

So, this is entirely my fault. Especially as, despite my earlier confusion, I am most definitely in rut for her. I can’t seem to stop my hips from flicking, my desire to shed is ramping up to a peak, and as for my cock, it hasn’t stopped throbbing since Scarlett started outlining the rules .

I throw myself into my usual seat. Scarlett glares at me.

Rule One: Be a gentleman.

I get up from my seat and offer it to her. She sits with a smile on her face.

“Thank you, Dexx.”

Apparently, being a gentleman on her planet means her males do small actions, like giving up their seats or putting garments over bodies of water.

How doing such a thing helps their mating remains a mystery, but Scarlett was adamant.

Sarkarnii females just threaten to bite any male who does something they dislike, and right now, it seems a much more pleasant prospect than trying to remember the rules.

Rule Two: Ask, don’t demand.

“Would you like something to eat?” I ask her.

“Yes, please. I’ll have whatever you’re having,” Scarlett says, swinging her legs on my chair as they don’t quite reach the ground.

Is this a trap? Is there a rule for having what I’m having ? Does this mean I get what I usually eat in the nova-morning—an aravas haunch and a goblet of ale-wine, or do I get her more of what she made for herself, the sweet kifyli and meat?

Nev this to the ancestors! I’d definitely prefer to be envenomated than to deal with this. I smoke hard as I stomp to the food prep area and snarl at the warriors inside.

“Breakfast for my mate.”

“What would she like, Lord?”

I growl under my breath, glancing over at Scarlett who is staring up at the atrium roof high overhead and not paying me any attention.

My skin crawls and several scales flutter to the ground. One of my warriors visibly swallows.

“I’ve heard, my Lord, the females on Darax’s ship like ovum and toasted kifyli in the morning,” he suggests, bracing himself.

“Ovum? In the morning ?” I snarl. He nods.

Nev, females are strange creatures indeed.

“Then give me ovum and toasted kifyli, enough for both of us.”

“Ale-wine, my Lord?”

This time my growl is accompanied by a significant amount of smoke.

“No, just fee.” My face twists at the thought of the sarkarling drink, but it is what Scarlett had at the celebration and seemed to like.

In very short order, the food is produced, along with two vessels of steaming fee. As I carry it over to Scarlett, I have to admit the aroma it releases is pleasant enough.

“What have we got?” Scarlett sits forward and rubs her hands in anticipation.

I can’t seem to help it, but my heart jumps into my mouth and my hips shimmy to an unheard beat.

“Ovum and kifyli.” I place the platter in front of her with a flourish.

Rule Three: Always tell the truth.

“I don’t normally have this for my morning meal, but my warriors say this is what you had on Darax’s ship.”

I do my best to keep the growl out of my voice as I say his name. And in fact a growl in general because I had to get the information elsewhere.

“Egg and toast? Perfect! Thank you so much for checking what I liked.” She grins at me.

My heart does a strange, slow, lazy flip in my chest, as if it’s attempting to break free.

“You are happy with this meal?”

“I’m happy you found out what I like rather than just bringing meat and alcohol or something,” she says, scooping up one of the ovum and placing it onto the toasted kifyli before taking a big bite.

Despite rule three, I decide to keep my big mouth shut, take a swig of the fee, which isn’t as bad as I thought it would be, and copy what Scarlett is doing with the ovum and kifyli.

I rumble my appreciation at the way the flavors combine. I like this, but aravas meat is infinitely better.

“Good?” Scarlett asks, her cheeks bulging.

“Good,” I respond, with an enthusiastic nod.

She smiles. And it lights up my world.

Rule three can go take flight into a nebula.