“Couldn’t he have just grown tired of me?”

“Of course.” If he were a complete and utter idiot. “But males of most breeds still have moments when they take that which is most available. So I’m not sure how—”

She threw the skinned rabbit down on the ground and turned that dark, angry gaze his way. “Herbs. I put certain herbs in his food.”

“You poisoned him.”

“No!” She actually had the nerve to appear insulted when she was the one putting herbs in the man’s food. “Understand, he bed many others, it would have been cruel to deny him that, but anytime he came near me, he’d lose his…uh…” Once again she glanced at his lap. Seemed she couldn’t stop herself from staring at it. “Well, you know. With the herbs and a very simple spell it was surprisingly easy.”

“If you didn’t want him, why did you stay?”

“I don’t want to discuss this anymore.” She picked the rabbit back up and finished cleaning it. “It’s none of your business what I did or didn’t do with my husband.”

“Were you with others?”

“Other what?”

“Other males.”

She rolled her eyes. “I didn’t want the one I had. Why would I bother with another?”

“Because at our core, we’re all animals in need.”

Her head snapped up at his bald statement. For a split second, he saw a heat in her eyes that nearly burned him to embers. But, just as quickly, she hid it. He guessed she’d been hiding much her entire life. He looked forward to stripping away all the layers of protection she’d wrapped around herself.

“I don’t know what your needs are, dragon. And I don’t want to know.”

“Really?” Dramatically, he sniffed the air again, and she glared at him.

“Would you stop doing that!”

“I could. But where would the fun be in that?”

* * *

Fun? He thought this was fun? Nightmares were made of this. Tales of terror to scare children into behaving. She was not having fun. Dammit.

Standing up, Talaith went in search of a sturdy stick. “Tell me, dragon. Are you planning on forcing me to bed with you?”

“No.” He said it so casually. Like she didn’t just ask him if he had intentions of raping her.

She crouched down, moving a small pile of twigs and branches around until she found what she needed. “Then you and I will not be—”

“Oh, yes we will.”

The branch held tightly in her fist, Talaith stood and turned quickly to face him. “No. We will not.”

He snorted a laugh, his eyes rolling. “Why do you deny yourself?”

“Oh. Is that what I’m doing?” His arrogance made her head want to explode.

“Aye. To both of us.”

Marching back to her rabbits, Talaith again crouched by the fire. She picked up one of the carcasses and brutally shoved the stick through it. She didn’t even have to sharpen the end to a point with her knife.

“You, dragon, are the most—”

“Amazing being you’ve ever met.” It wasn’t a question from him. It was a statement.

“I was going to say the most arrogant son of a bitch.”

He blinked. “Well that’s rude.”

“Personally, I find you—”

“Shush.” He waved his hand.

For a moment, Talaith truly thought her head might explode. Through gritted teeth, she snapped, “Did you just shush me?”

“Aye. I want to take a nap before we move on.” He settled back against the tree, closing his eyes. “And I find your constant chatter quite annoying.”

Talaith looked around desperately. When did everything become blood red? Because at the moment, everything appeared blood red.

“And don’t try running off anywhere.” One eye opened and focused on her. “Although it might be fun to chase you down.” He smiled as he again closed both his eyes and seemingly drifted off.

Unable to think of anything else to do, Talaith stuck her tongue out at him.

“And don’t stick that tongue out at me,” he teased in a low, sing-song voice, “or I’ll find a good use for it.”

Startled, she immediately closed her mouth and turned back to her rabbit. But when she heard his deep chuckle from across the flames, she knew at that moment she really did hate him.

* * *

Briec only slept an hour or so. The suns hadn’t moved far through the sky. He glanced around the camp and panic swept through him. Gone. She was gone. But then he heard her gasp and a startled, “Ack!”

Before he could move, she stumbled out of the forest pulling her nightdress down. He really would have to get her something better to wear than that. He’d begun to despise it.

“What’s wrong?” he demanded as he quickly stood, ready to blast anyone who may have touched her or tried to harm her.

She opened her mouth to answer but closed it again.

“Well?” he pushed.

She shrugged. “Bugs.”

“Did you say bugs?”

“Yes. And don’t look at me like that.” She glanced around the forest. “I don’t like…” she shuddered, “…being outside.”

She walked closer to the dwindling fire. “I was off taking care of…uh…some things when something suddenly crawled on me.”

He stared at her and she angrily folded her arms across her chest. “I don’t need to be judged by you.”