A Pet for the Dragons

47.

ARIKA

"I can't move," I groaned. My cramps were back, along with the bleeding. I managed to make a pad with the help of some fur scraps that Zorge bought me but it was still very uncomfortable.

On top of that, Zorge continued to wrap me in more and more fur until I felt like a penguin. He only grunted at my groaning and continued to put more fur on me.

"I won't be able to move like this," I told him.

"You don't have to,"

"What if I've to pee?" I asked.

"You will hold your pee until we reach the other side. It won't take much time, but you must wear these furs, or you'll freeze to death," Zorge warned me darkly.

"I'll get a heart attack if I step out without acclimating to the weather outside," I told him, but Zorge shook his head as if I was talking nonsense, and for a second, this struck fear in me.

The dragons were utterly ignorant about humans, and I'd been using this to my advantage until now, but it could easily backfire. I needed to talk to him about this.

"I've never been in such extreme weather before, Zorge," I told him as he wrapped a fur around my head and ensured my ears were properly covered. "This could backfire. I'm not as strong as you all. My eyes don't glow like yours," I told him, and for a moment, he stopped to consider.

"You were alright when we brought you here," He told me after a second's pause. I could tell that he was thinking about it.

"How did you bring me here?" I couldn't help but ask. I'd never asked this question before, and this was the first time I wondered about it, but as soon as the question popped into my head, the answer followed quickly.

Zorge grinned at me.

"I carried you in my claws," He told me, and I shuddered just imagining things.

"Y-you flew me here?" I asked, slowly feeling the blood drain out of my face. I hadn't considered this before. If they were going to fly me to the other side, then I was already dead because I was scared of heights.

"Of course," Zorge answered as a matter of fact. "How else do you think we crossed the sea? You were unconscious, so you don't remember anything. What happened? Why do you look so pale, Arika? Are you feeling sick again?" Zorge asked. His tone was instantly full of worry as he searched my face.

"Isn't there another way of travelling?" I asked him, fighting the bile slowly rising in my throat. "Like a sledge or something?" I suggested, earning an incredulous look from Zorge.

"Why would you want to travel on a sledge when you could just fly? It's faster and easier," Zorge said and seeing the enthusiasm on his face made me feel sicker.

"I can't fly," I choked.

"Why not?" Zorge frowned.

"Well, for starters, I'm a human, and I don't have wings," I told him, and he shook his head.

"You know what I mean," He pushed, fastening the final layer of fur around me. I shuddered. I couldn't tell Zorge that I was afraid of heights. That was one of my weaknesses, and giving away your weaknesses to your enemies would be foolish. "You're scared of flying, aren't you?" Zorge suggested before I could come up with another excuse.

Damn him!

"No, I'm not!" I shot at him and saw something stir in his eyes before he gave me a bright smile.

"I see," He said, and I cursed myself mentally. Zorge figured this out without me saying anything. Fuck him!

"I'm really not scared of flying. I love flying, actually," I told him, and Zorge nodded as if he was buying my bullshit, but he wasn't.

"It's a shame you aren't a dragon. You'd have loved flying even more," Zorge said with a suggestive tone, and I glared at him. He was covertly pulling my leg, and I knew it.

"If I were a dragon, I'd have burnt you to a crisp," I told him, making him laugh out loud.

"I'd have loved to see that happen, but come on, leshka. Let's not pretend you didn't like what you saw last night. I know you want more of it," Zorge dished back at me. Whatever blood had drained out of my face at the thought of flying came back to my face immediately at his hot reminder.

I glared at him. Many colourful words were at the tip of my tongue, but I swallowed them back because I wasn't stupid enough to spoil my plan right when it started to work. I couldn't risk insulting Zorge and making him change his mind at the last moment. It'd be a dumb thing to do.

I pressed my lips in a thin line and swallowed the insult. Zorge cocked an eyebrow at me, waiting for my come back, but I didn't give it to me.

"Say it," He said, and I shook my head, looking away. "I wanna hear that insult you're holding back. Say it," Zorge forced, but I didn't give him, which seemed to annoy him. "I'm not that sensitive. I love a battle of insults,"

"Booboo, I'm a sailor. I can make your horns fall off just by cussing," I told him fiercely and saw excitement flicker in his eyes. It was the same kind of excitement from last night.

"Then do it," Zorge pressed, straightening up and crossing his arms on his chest. "Throw me an insult, and I'll see if my horns fall off or not," He said, a hint of challenge in his eyes.

"Oh really?" I challenged back, and I swear his eyes almost turned gold for a second. "Are you sure you wouldn't start crying because I can be harsh,"

"Lay. It. On. Me," Zorge said. I gave him a broad smile, grabbed the front of his cloak, and pulled him down until he was face-to-face. This sudden action of mine made Zorge's eyes flash pure gold. I saw how all the grey and dark specks from his eyes drained away to leave the gold behind. It looked like magic.

"You know what I enjoyed last night?" I purred, dropping my voice to a sensual whisper.

"What?" Zorge asked, his voice thick, as if he was finding it hard to retrain himself from closing the rest of the distance between us. I didn't miss how he was eyeing my lips hungrily.

"I love how you seem so smug about last night, yet you were the one begging me to use you," I reminded him, and if I'd thought that his eyes couldn't turn more gold, then I was wrong. More gold flashed into his eyes until it swallowed all the whites. I tried not to gasp at the sudden change in his eyes.

"You're playing with me, leshka," Zorge growled, inching closer until his lips almost brushed mine. I smiled at him. I didn't know what leshka meant, but I assumed it was something used to flit.

"Am I?" I purred. "Or is it just that you're so desperate you'll have anything I'll throw you—" The rest of the words died in my throat as Zorge claimed my lips hungrily. It was a short, heated kiss that left me craving more. All of a sudden, I wanted to shed all the furs he'd wrapped around me and start a war of tongues and kisses with him.

"Once we're back from the other side, we'll see who's the desperate one," Zorge challenged, his voice was deep and dark. I could feel it reverberating throughout my whole body, starting a low pulse between my legs despite the bleeding.

I cocked an eyebrow at him, accepting his challenge.

"We'll see," I shot back as if I didn't have the plans to run away.

~

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