I was surprised by the pinch I felt at those words. “You haven’talwaysbeen alone,” I muttered.
She groaned and clawed her hands through her hair. “That wasn’t what I meant. You’reallvery patient with me. Especially you.” She reached up and thoughtlessly placed a hand on my chest, patting me like a well-behaved horse. But the touch sent a shiver through my chest. I stiffened. “I’m grateful, Donavyn. I wouldn’t have gotten this far without you, or my brothers. But I’m sick of being a pain in the ass. Saul just wanted to spend time with me. He’s the same rank as me. He didn’t see me as… as atask.”
“Bren, you aren’t a task.”
“Yes, I am,” she insisted, raising her eyes to meet mine again, her hand on my chest pressing harder. “And I understand that’s how it has to be until I’m stronger. But there isn’t a single other Furyknight who needs a bodyguard every time they step foot out of the stable!”
I frowned. “Even a man alone can be in danger from other men. You may not see a Furyknight who needsguarding,but neither do you. This isn’t about monitoring you, Bren. It’s about support. The longer you’re with us, the more you’ll see that we rarely socialize alone. Our uniform, our reputation—any of us can draw unwanted attention from a cocky young man who wants to show off, or an angry farmer or merchant who wants to prove he’s strong. Those men are stupid to pick a fight, but they do. And that’s why we call our squadmatesbrothers.We’re family. We help each other—”
“But right now, everyone’s helping me, and I can’t help anyone else! They’re going to get sick of it!You’regoing to get sick of it!”
“Bren, I amnotsick of y—”
“I’m a weight, Donavyn! A responsibility! You keep saying every Flameborne is, but not like this. Not like me! Saul was chosen less than two weeks ago and he was already cleared for flying today!”
“And so were you.”
“It took two months!”
“And I’d train you for another two—more if it’s needed. Don’t throw that away because you’re lonely! Why do you think I offered to train you myself? It’s because I know you’ll put in the work, and it’ll be worth it! I want to see you succeed. God, it was all I could do not to throw you in the air myself today. You werestunning.You’re not a burden, you’re an inspiration. I’m not babysitting you, Bren. I’m asking you to tell me whenyou’re leaving so I can make certain you aren’thurt!”The words just came. I hadn’t prepared them. But her eyes went wide and she froze.
“Why would you care?” she breathed and her fingers tightened on my shirt.
“Why—you ask mewhy?”I wanted to snarl. To getangry.Not at her. But at whomever had taught her that she had no value beyond the tasks she could perform. Instead, I took hold of myself and leaned down so that we were eye to eye, and I let the sternness of my tone tell her how seriously I meant the words. “Bren, I have stood at your side for weeks now. Every day I see you grow. It ishumbling.Then, today I watched you fly and I saw—again—your brilliant mind, your courage… You bringcolorto this world. I know the Creator placed you among us for a reason. Please.” I gently tapped her temple with a finger. “The voice telling you that you have no value is wrong. Let me answer it. Let meshow you.”
She stood at my toes, gaping, her wide, liquid eyes shining. Then heat flashed in her gaze.
Startled, I played my own words back to myself and heard it then… not just the ragged conviction. But the pained tone in my voice, thepleading.My very unprofessional desire had bled through.
Shit.
I cleared my throat and took a step back. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have—”
Her grip on my shirt tightened and she yanked me forward, threw an arm around my neck when I stumbled and pulled my head down.
I sucked in a breath, but then her lips were on mine and the softness of her breasts pressed against my ribs and the warm, honey taste of her…
Home.
The dragons groaned as I shuddered and fought with my own need, my mind swinging wildly between elation and denial. I put my hands to her shoulders intending to push her back, but then her tongue darted out to trace under my lip and desire bolted through me and my fingers tightened instead.
With a ragged curse, I snaked an arm around her back to lift her, swept her off her feet, grabbed her up to my chest, tipped my head and delved the sweet velvet of her mouth.
And when her arms wrapped around my neck, my bodythrilled.
I was lost. For those too-short moments, the world disappeared. I forgot where we were. Forgotwhowe were. Like a dam that had cracked and bulged, every ounce of my self-restraint gave way under the pressure of that aching, yearninglongingthat had tormented me for weeks.
Our bodies pressed together until there was no space, the sweet slide of her lips, her tongue, the clawing of her fingers in my hair, and feminine sigh that lit up my insides like sunlight all conspired the shred the last threads of my control.
Idevouredher, trembling, grasping, panting—
Somewhere in the stables a pail clanged and reality crashed back in.
I stood in a stablekissing Bren, pinning her to my chest where she dangled, her breath growing ragged.
I was her General. HerCommander. I was the one who’d ordered the men to treat her as a sister and nothing more.
I had always despised the King for using his position to tempt sexual partners. How was this any different?
