Page 57 of Claimed by the Savage Dragons

Dreythos.

He half-watches me, a bored expression on his stupidly handsome face. His lips are full and his features, angular. His shoulders are broad. He’s even bigger than Brax, and he’s the biggest man I’ve ever seen in his human form. But when I really look at him, his eyes are a bit glazed. He’s hunched in the chair, but pretending he’s lazing in it. He looks exhausted.

I look over my shoulder at Tor. He stares straight ahead, not even bothering to glance my way. So much for his support.

Suddenly, I’m angry. At the dam it was all promises and cuddles, but here, when I need it most, I’m given nothing. Brax isn’t even in the room as far as I can see. The fuckers have abandoned me.

I clench my jaw and straighten, reminding myself that even though I’m a human in a dragon’s den, I’m a fighter. I’m not weak.

I start forward, willing my legs not to shake, and I notice humans. There are men and women. They’re moving between the tables, refilling cups and offering food from platters. The women are all in tan colored dresses that go to the knee. The men are in shirts and pants of the same hue. None of their eyes rise above table height and not one of them looks at the dragons.

‘Clumsy little cunt!’ someone hisses loudly.

I hear a scuffle at the back table and my eyes widen when I see that one of the serving women has been caught by a huge dragon man. He grabs the tray she’s carrying and flings it to the ground. Her eyes are pleading but she says nothing as he stands and pushes her over the tabletop, flipping up her dress and ramming himself inside her. Her pained squeal is drowned out by his booming voice.

‘Teach you to spill food on me! What do you say?’

‘Thank you, sir,’ she whimpers brokenly.

I look away, sure I’m going to throw up.

No one else even looks at them. Not one person, even the humans, seems even remotely surprised by what’s happening. A couple of the dragon men check their watches like this is taking too long.

I’m shoved hard from behind and I realize I’ve stopped walking.

‘The Commander beckoned you!’ Raina snarls.

Somehow, I make my legs move again, shuffling to the raised platform where the dragon commander looks me up and down slowly.

He glances up when the human girl screams loudly and he rolls his eyes.

‘Punish her elsewhere, Bron!’ he booms.

The noises cease and I hear a door close a moment later.

The Commander looks down at me again.

‘The Tribute,’ he mutters, a brow raised.

Then he frowns and his nostrils flare. He looks past me and I glance back to see Tor holding his gaze.

I hear whispers break out around us.

‘She smells of Tor,’ I hear someone close by whisper.

‘Brax too.’

The Commander gets to his feet in a fluid motion, his jaw ticking.

‘My office. Now!’ he snarls through clenched teeth.

I hear a small gasp, and his eyes move to a scared-looking Raina.

‘Not you. Him.’ He points at Tor.

She bows slightly, looking relieved, but when she grabs my neck and pulls me back, he stops her with a look.

‘The Tribute too.’