The Taming

Wounded

Lucien shook his head, forcing himself to displace the pain. Stumbling back before catching himself, he clutched his wounded arm. Watching the Cimmerii toss the panther aside.

Gold eyes focused on the Cimmerii as Bast relentlessly returned in his attack. Over and over.

Lucien took two long steps. By the time his foot hit the ground on the third it'd turned to the great talons of the dragon. A massive gray beast crouched in place of the wounded man, one wing drooping where he was damaged. He fought to lift it in flight. Staring at the dark creature below him struggling to shake the panther which kept lunging back.

The Cimmerii was muscled with sinewy back legs and short clawed arms, managing to violently shake the panther several times. Getting a solid kick on the feline's side.

Just enough to piss Bast off. Lucien watched the panther's eyes darken with determination. Well-aware of what lurked in the oversized feline.

For a moment Lucien pitied the Cimmerii. He flew low and stretched to sever the thing's head from its shoulders in a single snap of his jaws.

The Cimmerii's body slumped lifelessly.

Battle over. Lucien shrunk back to human and slid to the ground in exhaustion. Opposite him the panther lay breathing shakily. Resting on its side as it changed into a gold-haired man. Without the thick coat of shining fur, Lucien saw his friend bled severely from several wounds down his chest and abdomen.

"How did he get one in on you, Bast?"

"He didn't. I did it to my fool self."

Lucien used the arm that didn't have a hole through the shoulder to shove himself over onto his back.

"I jumped on the prickly beast's back." Bast continued. "A poorly planned ambush." He said, ruefully. Holding his hand to his side where a whistle emerged between two ribs.

"Do we need to get you help?" Lucien was concerned.

"Ah, ballocks!" Bast objected at the suggestion. "I heal faster than any of the rest of you fools." He slapped Lucien on the shoulder.

Lucien hissed in pain and clutched the wound, glaring at his friend.

Bast shot him the characteristically unabashed grin. "You cry like an old woman, my friend."

"Such great mocking from a man with the flowing locks of a girl." Lucien gestured to Bast's unfashionably long blonde hair.

Bast feigned a glower, but laughter twitched his lips.

Lucien grew serious. "Bless your foolishness, man. Without it I'm certain I'd have been Cimmerii dogfood. Unable to jest with you now." He rubbed the sore shoulder as the skin stitched closed. "How did you know, by-the-by, that I was under siege?"

"Dreamt it." Bast said simply. He climbed to his feet, outstretching his palm to assist his comrade. Lucien clapped his hand into Bast's. They stumbled through the trees to the Iron Hide Gambling House. "Come, The Alpha has a mission for you...After we catch up!"

Lucien glanced over their shoulders and watched the black flesh of the Cimmerii recede. Steaming and withering until there was nothing left of the corpse but a dead naked human.

She almost got me. I was a hairsbreadth from death.

Had it not been for Bast. He glanced over at the brawny blonde next to him.

Bast was right. He was healing already. Wounds on his chest now looked like only bloody smears. He grinned, eyes bright at the idea of sharing some drinks.

Does he even realize how close it was? Lucien wondered.

But Sebastian didn't miss a beat. Laughing and jesting.

He knows. Lucien realized. He's no one's fool.

Lucien flexed his arm and felt the stiffness settling in. The shoulder would bear a scar. Radix's jagged white mark. Tearing through the gray scales of his dragon, as a constant reminder Lucien would have to be increasingly wary.

***

WaterRose, Meadow Mountain, Grier Country

SEBASTIAN

"Sebastian." There was a tentative knock on his chamber door this afternoon. Startling Bast from tucking new tunics into the armoire in his chamber. He stilled and turned to the door at the sound of her voice.

"Come in."

She did, dutifully.

What's this newfound obedience about? Curiosity had him tucking his tunic in the armoire and closing the door to give her his undivided attention.

His couldn't keep his gaze from moving to her lovely slim form in deep purple silk, to the large four-poster bed beyond her.

She noticed but said nothing.

She looks uncomfortable. Like a child caught doing wrong.

"What is it? Why have you come here?"

"I'm sorry." She blurted.

"For what?"

"For hurting you. For making-" She gestured to him helplessly. "For that-whatever."

"My neck and side?" He gestured absentmindedly.

"Yes." She sobbed. Covering her mouth in horror.

"That wasn't your fault." His brow knitted. He tilted his head in confusion.

"Then what was it?"

"My emotions."

"You were mad at me!"

"And I should've done better at controlling myself." He said. Feeling a touch of shame that she was clearly disturbed by what she'd seen.

Rightfully so, I suppose. Why hadn't it occurred to me she would be? It's a brutal sight.

I didn't think it'd matter to her. He defended.

"It did occur to me to apologize to you." He murmured. Eyes falling before returning to her.

Hers rounded at his confession. And her head jerked back.

"There was no reason to yell at you like that. I'm sorry I lost my temper with you."

"Why did you not come say so, then?" A touch of outrage tinged her voice.

"I figured you'd prefer my absence to my presence telling you so."

"No."

"What?"

"No. That's not right." She murmured from a ducked head. Peering at him from below lowered lashes.

"You'd have wanted to hear it?"

"To hear the great King of the Castle of Water apologize to his mere captive?"

"Is that a teasing note in your voice?" He laughed.

She shrugged.

It was.

"You're no mere woman, Elsabet. You're a world apart from the rest, amazing. The one I want for my mate."

And intend to have. If I quit complicating things...