“What if he’s human?”

“What?”

“It’s possible. Your best friend is human. Princess Morfyd mated with a human. Your male royal cousins all mated with humans. What if it turns out a human is your true love? Then you’ll never have sex as a dragoness again. That would be so sad.”

She dropped her hands on her hips, sucked air between her teeth before asking, “Do you or do you not want to keep this friends-fucking thing going?”

In answer, Aidan pushed himself off the bed and moved in front of her. He grabbed the bottom of her chain mail shirt and lifted it.

“Arms,” he ordered. She raised them and he pulled the shirt completely off.

“What are you doing?”

“Keeping the friends-fucking thing going.” He untied the material that bound her breasts. “Is that all right with you?”

“You still need to agree.”

“Yes. I agree. No fucking as dragons. I totally understand it,” he added as he unwound the cloth from her body and tossed it on the shirt. “Like prostitutes that won’t kiss their clients.”

“Are you calling me a whore?”

Smoothing his hands down her waist, he stopped. “No. Do you want me to? I’ve known a few She-dragons who like that sort of—”

“No. I don’t want you to.”

“Oh. All right. But what about dirty . . . and naughty?”

“Yeah, that’s all right.”

Grinning, he leaned in and kissed her neck. He stopped briefly so Brannie could get his shirt off, then he was back. Kissing her neck, her shoulder.

He inhaled her scent before moving down to her breasts. He sucked on one nipple, then the other.

Brannie’s hand pressed against the top of his head and he happily took the hint, dropping to his knees before her. He gripped the top of her chain mail leggings and pulled them down. She lifted each leg as he tugged them off. He removed her boots last before pressing his face against her pussy.

He took another breath in, slipping his hands around her hips and gripping her ass. He pulled her in close and began to kiss her stomach, making his way down . . .

The door abruptly opened and Zoya Kolesova walked in, shocking them both. But when she saw Aidan on his knees, her smile dropped.

“Oh. You have Aidan.”

He pulled back a bit, clearing his throat. “Um . . . do you need something, Zoya?”

“Well . . .” She glanced at Brannie, then Aidan, then back to Brannie. “You will not be long with him, yes? I can be next?”

Brannie’s entire body got stiff and her hand took firm hold of the hair at the back of his head. She clearly had no intention of letting him go—which he truly appreciated!

Between clenched teeth, Brannie snarled, “Get. Out.”

Zoya pointed an accusing finger. “You Southlanders do not know how to share with others!”

“Kachka!” Brannie bellowed.

“Zoya Kolesova!” Kachka yelled from her room across the hall. “Whatever you are doing—stop it!”

“Selfish She-dragon,” Zoya snapped before storming out and slamming the door behind her.

Stunned, Aidan looked up at Brannie and asked, “Does she really think I have no say in any of this?”

“Penis-havers have no say. Those are her words, by the way, and she’s said them . . . often.”

“Well, don’t let the fact that I’m on my knees confuse you, Captain,” Aidan teased. “I’m in complete control.”

She grinned and shoved him to his back. “That won’t be for long.”

Chapter Eighteen

Keita knew the second she was no longer alone in the tiny pub bedroom. She opened her eyes and saw the human standing over her in the dark, a blade out.

She took in a breath, willing to blast this man—and perhaps the entire pub—into oblivion. But before she could unleash her flame, big hands came from behind the man and grabbed him, slamming him into the wall beside the door.

“You try to kill such a small female with such a big knife?” Zoya Kolesova pinned him there with her left hand. “Weak men like you disgust me.”

She rammed the flat of her hand against the man’s chest once, and Keita heard bones breaking.

Keita grinned. Perhaps Aidan was right about having these Riders with them on their journey.

* * *

The bed was small, so they were wrapped around each other, but Brannie didn’t mind. She’d woken up in worse positions over the years.

But it wasn’t being curled up with Aidan the Divine that had dragged her from a solid after-sex sleep. It was the scent of humans she didn’t recognize.

She opened her eyes and Aidan was already staring at her. They’d fallen asleep with their arms around each other, their legs intertwined, and his cock still inside her. Both of them too tired to even bother separating.

Now they were both reaching for their weapons when the door was kicked open. A hard bang was heard from one of the other rooms just as Brannie got to her knees, a short sword in hand.

Two men stormed in, their faces hidden behind hooded robes. A blade flashed, coming down at Brannie. She blocked it but before she could tear out the man’s heart, another blade slammed into him from behind.

Blood hit her in the face and the man coughed up more before he was pushed off the sword and to the floor.

Aidan had already disemboweled the other one, but she wasn’t sure it had happened before that man’s throat was cut from behind.

“We must move,” Kachka ordered, walking out of the room now that her work was done.

Brannie quickly grabbed her clothes, armor, and weapons off the floor and started for the door. “I have to check on Keita.”

“She is fine!” Zoya announced from the hallway. With her arms around the She-dragon’s human waist, she carried Keita like a child’s doll. “I will take her out. We must go.”

“I can walk, peasant,” Keita complained.

“You are too weak to fight. Look at her!” she ordered, holding Keita out. Her cousin’s arms hung limply at her sides, red hair still mussed from bed, lips pursed. If she suddenly set Zoya on fire, Brannie would not be surprised.

Quickly putting her clothes on in the middle of the hallway, Brannie asked, “Who are these men? More Zealots?”

“I tried to look,” Keita replied, “but the giantess wouldn’t give me any time.”

“She’s protecting you,” she reminded her cousin. “Be nice.”

Aidan, now dressed, crouched beside one of the men. He pulled the hood back and yanked down the cloth that covered the man’s face.

Frowning, Aidan shook his head at Brannie. “They’re not Zealots.”

Surprised by that, Brannie quickly pulled on her chain mail shirt and stepped back into the bedroom, close to the other male. She also pulled back the hood and removed the black cloth around his face.

Aidan was right. These men weren’t Zealots.

“They could have been hired by them,” she suggested. “Keita said Salebiri had been hiring troops. That’s why he needed the gold.”

“Either way,” Keita said. “They came for me, trying to stop me if they thought I could get the Empress’s armies on our side.”

“Do not worry about danger, tiny female,” Zoya told her, pulling poor Keita in close and holding her against her ample chest. “I will protect you.”

Then they were both gone.

“It will not be long before Keita kills her,” Aidan said with a sigh.

“I know. I know.” Brannie stood, took a moment to get her boots on, then grabbed all her weapons, putting her “stick” into a small holder on her belt.

Brannie went out into the hallway, with Aidan behind her. A hung-over Caswyn and Uther were trying their best to appear intimidating, even though they looked more like they were about to pass out.

She was heading over to ask them how they were when Nina Chechneva rushed back up the stairs.

“There are more men outside,” she warned. “I think they wait for us.”

“Do it,” Kachka ordered, and Nina ran back down.

“What’s she going to do?”