“Okay. We need to talk.”

“No talk now. Fuck! We must consummate our loving union.”

Celyn’s mouth twisted as he tried to choose between being angry or laughing. He walked to the bed and sat down next to her. “Branding me like I’m a cow from your farm does not a loving union make. Dragon mates are partners. They work together to get through this long and challenging life.” Celyn thought a moment, and added, “Besides, we fear our females too much to try to subjugate them as human males sometimes do to their women. She-dragons have no qualms about tearing our scales off one by one while we sleep, so we have to keep that in mind. Or wake up scale-less.”

“I cannot believe you are still talking.”

Celyn grabbed Elina’s arm and hauled her into a sitting position.

“Are we going to talk about this like two beings who, combined, average more than three hundred years old? Or are some of us—you—going to be spoiled brats about it all?”

“Spoiled brat?”

“Elina.”

“What is there to say?”

“Lots!”

Elina fell back onto the bed. “Why must you talk so much?”

“I don’t talk that much. I just like to ask questions.”

Celyn stretched out on the bed beside Elina. He rolled onto his stomach, planted his elbows, laced his fingers together, and rested his chin on his raised hands.

“Do you think I’m pretty?” he asked.

Frowning, Elina’s gaze shifted to his face. “What?”

“Can I stay home and raise the children while you go work in the fields? Will you tell me you love me and buy me pretty jewelry? Will you promise to be faithful? Forever?”

Elina squeezed her lips together, trying to look stern. It was not working.

“Will you call me lamb chop and brush my hair at night?”

She snorted and rolled away from him.

“Will your sister call me brother and stroke my head like a favored pet?”

Elina rolled back and covered Celyn’s mouth with her hand. “I beg you to stop.”

Celyn pulled her hand away, kissed the back of it. “At least tell me I’m pretty.”

Why, why had the horse gods thrown this ridiculous dragon into her life?

She should be mourning the life she’d left behind on the Outerplains. She should be thinking of the kin she’d left behind. She should be thinking of the times she’d seen the suns rise over the Steppes Mountains.

Yet she was doing none of those things. Instead she was listening to a dragon ask her stupid, ridiculous questions.

But then she realized . . . she’d branded the dragon like “a cow from your farm,” and yet he didn’t seem to mind. He wanted to discuss it, but he hadn’t gone for her throat or tossed her out onto the courtyard like so much useless trash. The alliance had been made; none of these people or dragons actually needed Elina’s help anymore. And yet it seemed they wanted her here. As if they expected her to stay forever. Did they?

Did Celyn?

He was trying to have a rational conversation with a woman who’d imbibed nearly her body weight in ale. Again . . . ridiculous, but now she realized that was because he wanted her to stay . . . with him.

Suddenly, the loss of an eye didn’t seem such a high price to pay to end up here. With this dolt.

This handsome, ridiculous, unbelievably chatty dolt.

Elina scrambled to her knees and placed her hands on Celyn’s shoulders.

“You are right. I should have talked to you first before making your cock my property.”

“Actually, that’s not quite what I meant.”

“You are like most males. Sensitive and moody and desperate to prove you are worthy. I took your chance to prove you deserve me away from you. And for that I am sorry.”

“Again, I think you’re not quite grasping what I’ve been saying to you.”

“But you should not be afraid. You are as worthy as I deserve.”

“Well, that doesn’t sound very good.”

“And I will treat you like treasured king when we are alone, and favored pet when we are in front of others.”

“Now wait one bloody sec—”

“But, of course, my sister will be allowed to beat you whenever she feels need. And you will be naked, of course.”

“Elina!”

“Just tell her you are sorry that you were bad boy and to please kiss it and make it better. Then it will be over before you know it.”

Growling, the dragon shot off the bed and had the door yanked open before he stopped and glanced back at her.

“You’re tormenting me, aren’t you, Elina?”

“How could I not? It was so easy!” she screamed before falling back on the bed, her hysterical laughter echoing out into the hallway.

“Is everything all right with you two?” someone called up from the Great Hall.

“Aye,” Celyn replied. “Everything’s fine.” He closed the door and faced her, shaking his head. “Except that I’m now mated to an idiot.”

But, of course, his annoyed tone only made her laugh harder, which did not help the situation at all.

Chapter Forty-One

Elina woke up the next morning mid-orgasm.

Celyn was behind her on the bed with one hand between her thighs, his fingers gently playing with her clit or sliding inside her cunt. His other hand gripped both her wrists, pinning them by the headboard. His tongue danced along her spine, which seemed to only intensify her orgasm. She didn’t know why.