A Pet for the Dragons

37.

ZORGE

Arika clung to Ivret for relief, which irritated me, but I couldn't do much in that situation other than suppress my jealousy.

She needed Ivret more in this situation. I didn't have much to offer to subdue her pain, but I could avenge her. I'd punish my brother for hurting her. I owed her this much.

"Let me see it, Arika. I want to know what my brother did. I want to punish him," I growled.

A part of me still couldn't believe that Radrox would stoop so low by hurting a female, a human female at that. However, I'd shun him if all of this was true. I'd be ashamed to call someone like him my brother.

Radrox had already tarnished my image enough, but I used to forgive him because he was a red dragon and my only brother. He had it hard from the beginning. But I wouldn't tolerate such things anymore from him. I was done with his spoilt and entitled demeanour.

Arika was reluctant to show me her wound, thinning my patience even more. I was tempted to rip the fur off her body and search for her wound myself, but the fear and uncertainty in her eyes stopped me.

She'd want me even less if I made a wrong move. I didn't like how she seemed to prefer Ivret so much already. She trusted him, which increased my jealousy even more. Ivret seemed to have taken full advantage of my absence to get close to Arika.

Ivret was aloof most of the time, but when he got down to plotting, no one could beat him. I ground my teeth in frustration. I'd find a way to get back to Ivret later, but first, we needed to ensure that Arika was right.

"Yes, let him see what Radrox did to you," Ivret growled. Ivret was still fuming at my brother. I'd never seen him so angry before— not even when he was mocked in front of the whole court at the Cardinal House.

However, seeing Arika hurt brought this reaction out of him. It surprised me, but I was glad he told me about Radrox's ill-doing. But Ivret was too protective and possessive of Arika. This was grinding more on my nerves.

I didn't have any problem with Ivret being protective of Arika. He was a healer, and it was natural for him to feel protective of people because seeing people in pain bothered him. However, his possessive side was stretching my patience thinner.

"Alright," Arika muttered, and I hated that Ivret could convince her so easily.

I'd deal with this later, I kept reminding myself, and I focused on Arika instead.

She let go of the furs she was clutching, exposing her naked body. I caught sight of her round and heavy breasts with the pink tips that made my mouth water, but I focused on her legs.

She was hurt.

Slowly and reluctantly, she parted her legs, and I sucked in a breath to find blood staining her thighs, and it seemed to be coming from the slit hidden between her folds. I clenched my jaw. Of all the places, Radrox chose a female's most vulnerable part to hurt her. I'd kill him.

"She's bleeding too much. Do something!" I hissed at Ivret, unable to withstand the blood. Arika flinched all of a sudden, and her thighs shook as pain filled her features. She whimpered helplessly.

I could sense her pain slightly, and whatever I felt was enough to make me feel uneasy. It felt like someone was gutting me, and this feeling was accompanied by intense nausea.

"Arika," I growled, unable to offer her anything to soothe her pain or misery. I glared at Ivret, but he looked troubled and overwhelmed.

"I'm trying, Zogre. I'm trying to sense where her wound is, yet I can't tap into her energy or share mine with her," Ivret said, and I knew he was telling the truth. Just then, Arika let out another tortured moan, and the foul smell of blood thickened the room, making me nauseous.

"Do something," I hissed. "Give her the a-nard. She'd been weak ever since she woke up, and now she's suffering like this," I suggested, but Ivret looked reluctant.

"I don't know how effective it'd be for her. She's a human, Zorge. It could backfire on her," Ivret told me, but I shook my head. I was willing to do anything to take Arika's pain away because the shame of my brother's offence was starting to consume me, along with the fact that I was useless in this situation.

"Just give it to her. It'll help her heal," I said, but Ivret shook his head, adamant.

"I don't want to take the risk of giving her a-nard. There's no guarantee that it'd do anything for her, Zorge. As far as I know, only dragons have the immunity to withstand it, and even some dragon babies fall sick when they're given a-nard for the first time. She's a human,"

I clenched my jaw, enraged. Arika let out another loud moan and limped into Ivret's arm. I wrapped my arms around her waist and tried to get her into my arms, but Ivret gave a warning growl.

"Give her to me. You're too busy making excuses," I growled, and Ivret gave me a biting glare.

"Excuses! Do you think I'm getting pleasure from seeing her in pain?" Ivret growled.

"Then DO SOMETHING!" I roared, finally snapping. I pulled Arika in my arms even though Ivret didn't want to let her go. She let out a low sob; her voice sounded weaker. Ivret let her go hesitantly, and I cradled her in my arms, checking between her legs for the blood. It looked worse.

"I'M TRYING MY BEST TO HEAL HER! CAN'T YOU SEE!" Ivret roared back. I clenched my jaw and glared at him.

"You're not trying hard enough," I said. This got to him finally, and he stormed out of the room, probably to his study, to find something for her.

"You'll be alright with me, Arika," I whispered, but her eyes were closed, and she didn't respond. Her head lolled back in an almost lifeless manner when I shifted in her arms. It nearly made me panic, but she had a pulse in her neck, and that gave me some relief, but she wasn't responding to me anymore.

"Radrox will pay for this," I promised her as she slept in my arms.

~

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