The Arena novel Chapter 47

Five dragons. I’m surrounded by five dragons. Well, four dragons and one asshole. Kaylani and Zephyr are gorgeous women. I guess that’s a dragon trait, but they are nothing compared to my mate. She is the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met.

But this little dragon in front of me … I don’t know what it is. I’m so drawn to her, feeling a pull to her in a way that I’ve only ever felt with Tana. Maybe it’s because I’m mated to a fire dragon that I’m drawn to them?

And Ishir must not have known about this little one. He told me that there were only four. Something inside me clenches. I have no idea how long it takes for a dragon to reach maturity, but suddenly, I’m remembering Avani’s snide comment about it being good to be the last male of your species. And he was more concerned about this little dragon than his own injury, even if his were minor. Could this be his daughter? Could this little dragon be Avani and Tana’s child together?

I grit my teeth to keep from snarling at the thought of them together. I don’t want to startle Little Red while I’m looking her over. I gently pull out her wing, looking at it. I really am checking to see if she’s healed all the way, but while I’m here, I might as well take my time and look over the beautiful animal that she is. I may never get the chance again to explore a dragon’s anatomy like this.

The thought makes me sad, and I look back at Tana being healed by the other dragons, Avani speaking to her so quietly that I can’t hear what is being said. I would love to take my time exploring Tana’s dragon form, although it would probably end up being a lot less platonic than it is with Little Red.

As I look up at her wings, I can see their delicate beauty. The muscles run along the top of her wing and down the side of her body, almost like the muscles on a human arm, trailing down to lateral muscles on the side of the human body. There is a smaller muscle that covers the bottom of her wing, going out to join the top of the wing at the tip. The rest of the wing seems to be made up of some type of covering, dragon skin maybe, with blood vessels and small bones. The red coloring makes the wing just shy of opaque. I can see shapes and forms from the surrounding forest but can’t actually see through them.

As I stroke the side of her body, I can feel her twitch under my hand. I turn and look at her. “Ticklish?”

She snorts, and I smile, continuing my progression down her side. Her scales, while obviously strong, feel soft and warm to my touch. I thought they would feel hard and sharp, but they are smooth, like the skin on a snake. Her tail has spiked ridges across the top, coming to a powerful point at the tip. Like her wing tips, this could be a powerful and deadly weapon.

Her legs are covered in thick skin, and her feet look like an elephant’s feet, except they are red and much larger. As I circle around her, checking her other wing, I come back to her front.

“May I see your chest, Little Red?” I turn and look to see that the others aren’t paying any attention to us. I lean into her. “I’ve never been able to get this close to Tana in her dragon form. I’m fascinated with your beauty.”

She moves her head and gently bumps my chest with her nose before lifting up so I can see her chest. Her chest is covered with the same scales that flow under her to her belly. I run my hand over her stomach. This is her weakness. If anyone wanted to take out a dragon, it would be here. No scales are covering her stomach. Even the skin here is softer than that on her legs. I run my fingers over the heat of her stomach before turning and walking back to her.

“Always keep your stomach protected, Little Red. That’s where you are vulnerable. I’m sure that others have told you the same, but it’s worth repeating. Your body is strong, and there is no doubt that you are fierce, but I’d hate for you to die because someone was able to shoot you in the stomach. So, will you do that for me, Little Red? Will you guard your stomach?”

She nods before bringing her head back down to me. I think she likes me, too. I look back and see them finishing up with Tana. I only have a minute to say what I want to say to this little dragon.

“Listen, I’m not sure, but if I had to guess, I’d say Tana is your mother, and Avani is your father. You may have noticed that he and I don’t get along well, but I love your mother if that’s what she is to you. And because I love her, I will always protect you. If you ever need help, if you ever need me, I will be there for you. My pack is called Sovereign’s Rule. I am the Alpha of the pack, the Alpha of Alphas over all werewolf packs, because I am a royal Lycan. I’m telling you this so you know if you ever need or want anything, you can come to me and my pack. We can protect you, keep you safe, or give you a place to live.” I hear them finishing up behind me. I lean in closer. “Okay, Little Red?”

She nods, then lays her head up against me; she takes her tongue and licks the wound on my leg. I stand perfectly still. Did I overstep? Is she about to eat me?

“She’s healing you, Cedric,” Kaylani says, coming up behind us, seeing my rigid posture.

I had forgotten the arrow to my thigh. It should have healed already, but it seems that even if the silver didn’t put me down, it is impacting my ability to heal. When she finishes, she moves her head back, looking over my leg before sniffing me.