Not a regular touch. A touch that will tell her you wish to mate. My Claudia prefers kisses and caresses. She likes for her skin to be stroked. She wants her body to be touched with tenderness. Make her feel good and she will give you her mating scent.

Bah. This seems…too simple. And a kiss? What is this?

You press your mouth to hers—

I have done that. Frustration leaks through my thoughts. Do you lie to me?

Never. Kael sounds amused, and it irritates me. My temper begins to rise. Does he think it is funny I have not claimed my female yet?

He mocks, the ravens whisper. He thinks you are not worthy of happiness.

Anger burns low in my belly. Send me an image, I tell him. So I can understand.

His mind immediately closes off to my own. I can feel it shut until we are only at the barest of communications. I am not going to send you images of me kissing my mate. Such things are private. My Claudia is still angry that you have stolen her friend. She will be upset that I have helped you.

Helped me? You have told me nothing!

I am trying to help you, old friend. Calm yourself and listen.

Even as he speaks, I feel the prick of another mind coming into range. Another male. A growl surges through me, along with frustration. You would leave my mate in danger by not helping me?

I am trying, Dakh. I value our friendship. I value being able to speak to another of my kind and not being overwhelmed by madness. You are already much improved.

Lies, the ravens whisper. He thinks to trick you and steal your mate away.

In the distance, against the horizon, I see a speck flying in the air. It might be a bird…or it might be the male dragon I sense, heading for my mate. Protective anger blooms in my mind.

Bring your mate to visit mine and—

Lies! You seek to take my mate from me! I fling myself into the air, spouting flame. I will confront that male. I will rend him limb from limb and—

Sa-cha cries out in terror, clinging to my foreleg. “Dakh!”

My mate.

How could I forget her?

How could I forget how fragile she is? She will never survive if I go into a fight with her in my claws. And yet I cannot set her down. If I do, I leave her vulnerable to other humans and to drakoni. Only in my grip is she safe. Only with me.

Reluctantly, I swallow my flames and wheel about in the skies. I will speak to you some other time, I tell Kael. For now, I must take my mate to safety. And I flap my wings with all my might, pushing off of a nearby building to gain strength. I must go high and fast to get away from the other, before he sees me. I pull back in my mind so there is nothing for his madness to touch.

And I will bring my mate back to her nest, where I can protect her.

I hug her close to my chest, making sure she is secure. Speaking with Kael was a mistake. Perhaps my mind is still too full of ravens for his words to make sense. Touch my mate. Bah. As if I do not touch her. As if I do not have her clutched to my scales right now.

Still, some of his words ring true. I ponder them even as we fly onward, back toward the nest I have claimed as ours. The long, low building comes into sight again, and my Sa-cha makes a joyful sound, patting my claws. I think she realizes I am bringing her back, and she is pleased. This makes me happy, as well. I have found a place for my nest that, while not perched high in the clouds, delights my mate. There can be no better home.

I set down on the roof of the building, but my mate exclaims and points at the ground below. She wants to go back into the nest itself. Very well. I hop down to the flat, hard ground and release my mate gently.

She makes another happy sound and hugs my foreleg, wrapping herself around it and pressing her cheek to my scales, all the while making talking noises. Her touch surprises me, as does her pleasure. When she lets go of my leg, I immediately shift to my two-legged form to see if she will grab me again. But she does not; she only beams up at me with obvious pleasure.

I decide I will put my arms around her, then. I move forward and embrace her, pulling her against my chest.

Sa-cha makes a startled sound but then giggles and pats my back, letting me hold her close. I rumble with pleasure, deciding that this is nice. I let my hand stroke up and down her back, and she makes a contented noise, relaxing in my arms.

Perhaps this is what Kael meant by touching my mate. Perhaps I should be stroking her and giving her pleasure. Perhaps he was not wrong after all.

I have much to think upon.

11

SASHA

“So, are we going to go inside?” I ask as Dakh continues to hug me in the parking lot of the SuperMart, his hand stroking up and down my back. I don’t even mind his touch. It’s nice to be hugged, and I’m just so thrilled to be back here that nothing could ruin this day.

I thought I was going to lose all of my new treasures when he made me leave my bag this morning. I thought we were leaving for good when he took me up in the air, and it made me sad. The SuperMart has everything I could possibly need for some time. Sure, it’s a little stinky in places, but it’s a paradise in these times. For bringing me back, he can have all the hugs he wants.

He doesn’t seem like he’s in a hurry to move, though, and I can’t help but smile to myself. “You’re sure into hugs, aren’t you?” I rest my cheek against his chest, deciding that I’m going to ignore the fact that he’s completely naked and any underwear he might have worn last night is completely gone. I guess it ripped apart when he shifted. Maybe that’s why he doesn’t seem to care about clothing—it doesn’t last very long. Well, if it’s not his thing, I won’t push it on him. I sigh and relax against him, figuring I can let the hug go on for a little longer. It’s…kind of nice. He’s hot against my skin, not quite uncomfortably so, but definitely warm enough to make me pink up and feel tender where we’re touching. Still, feeling all that warmth is kinda relaxing, and I close my eyes and figure I’ll enjoy for a bit longer. His hand rubs up and down my back in a soothing way, and I wonder if he’s been lonely and that’s why he’s so into this hug.

It makes me a little sad for him. Weird how I’m sad for a savage monster that eats people and flames cities, but I am. “The After’s kind of a sucky place,” I whisper to him. “I understand how you feel, though. Sometimes it’s just nice to be held and feel safe. That’s the rarest feeling in the world.”

Kind of like how I’m feeling right now. Huh.