Page 4 of Claimed by the Savage Dragons

I keep my words short. I don’t want to speak to them any more than absolutely necessary.

One of the ones that smells the worst points at a taller male. No, not taller than the others, just wearing a stupid, scuffed hat that’s seen better days.

‘My lords.’ He bows low and smacks the one next to him in the chest with the back of his hand to do the same.

I side-eye Orin. I hope this is over soon.

‘The females?’

‘This way, oh master of the skies.’

I hear young Orin snigger, the great rumble making the humans quake in their boots.

Kill me.

I’m led over to a line of women. Most seem so petrified that they can’t even look up at me.

They smell as bad as the males, though all of them are dressed in silks and satins and their hair shines in the sun.

I suppose that’s the best we can hope for from this ignorant people.

‘This is all?’

The leader shifts and glances at one of the younger ones. ‘One ran when you set down, my lord. The rest are all here.’ He gestures with his head toward the trees.

I don’t bother to look.

‘Only need one.’

The females squeal a little as I stand in front of them. I stare at each one until they cringe in on themselves, shrinking under my gaze, the gaze of a dragon. One even pisses herself.

Pathetic.

One wears such a short dress that I’ll bet that if I told her to turn for me, I’d be able to see the bottom of her ass.

But that’s not what has me pausing.

I lean closer and stiff.

She smells different from the others. She’s as dirty as they are, filthy in fact, but under the scent of sweat and grime is something else. Heady. Floral. Enticing.

With one massive black claw under her chin, I raise her head so that I can look into her eyes. She’s afraid, to be sure, but there’s also a defiance there. I snort and she startles as the warm air from my nostrils envelopes her body.

‘This one.’

The other females are equal parts relieved and terrified, this time of something else.

The female I’ve chosen swallows hard and steps forward.

‘I’ll go with you,’ she promises. ‘I’ll do whatever you want without a fuss, but I ask for a bounty in return.’

‘You’ll do as we wish no matter what,’ I tell her, but I find her words amusing. ‘But what do you ask?’

‘These men will be taking the other women to the Barelands to sell. Would you free them?’

I snort again. ‘Why would I?’

She looks around at the other females and then beseechingly at me.