Dragon's Wolf

Sugar Cookies and Rogues

Aeriella's POV

The Male Chief nodded and put his arm around his mate, "What brings you here?"

I knew he had heard me explain it to his wife since he had only been at the top of the stairs when I'd asked her but decided to be nice this time. After all, I have to get his permission to stay on the territory and that single fact alone annoyed me. I don't like asking for permission. Ever.

I smiled to hide my true thoughts, "I'd like to ask for permission to stay here temporarily. My mate is a werewolf and his territory overlaps yours. We're visiting his family."

He watched me for a moment and I had to resist the urge to show my dominance and challenge his eye contact. My resistance failed and I watched him just as closely. Dragons don't like to share their territories with other dragons even if they're just passing through. He must've sensed something in me, probably my badass awesomeness, and decided to drop the formalities, "What will you give us in return?"

I shrugged, "What can I offer you? The Arctic Tribe doesn't have much to give in terms of bribery if that's what you want. I'd just as soon fight my way through a hoard of hungry lions than stoop to bribery anyway."

He cracked a grin and his wife full belly laughed, "Do you like sugar cookies? I've just made some."

I was about to politely refuse when Aaron grinned like a little kid, "Are they homemade?" when she nodded he bobbed his head, "Yes please, those are the best kind. They smell wonderful."

She gave her husband a look and gestured for us to follow her into the cheery kitchen. Every imaginable counter was filled with sheets of baked and unbaked cookies as well as bowls of frosting and sprinkles. She gestured around, "There's a tribe meeting later and I decided to reward them for showing up. Call it bribery if you will," she stole a glance at me probably thinking I wouldn't notice, "but I really do like it when everyone shows up. It makes it all more fun, but it does take a lot of work."

Aaron opened his big mouth again, "Well we can help if you'd like. It's not like we have anything to do until tonight."

He waggled his eyebrows at me and I shook my head, dragons don't just randomly help out other dragons outside their tribes. It's just not done. She seemed surprised too but grinned all the same, "Sure, I'd love that. Just choose a bowl of frosting and some cookies and we'll get started. There's sprinkles kind of everywhere so don't be shy about using them."

We got to work since I knew that now there was no getting out of this. I hadn't frosted sugar cookies since last year around Christmas time when mom decided to throw a holiday party for the tribe. I'd always enjoyed doing it but didn't often get the chance to. I frosted a star blue and as I was sprinkling some little multicolored star sprinkles on it I decided to make use of the time, "So have you heard anything about the western tribes being evicted or any other species kicked out by the Western Tribe?"

She paused then continued shaping some dough, "Yes, I have. We've had a few of those come through here. Some seemed pretty badly beaten up and a few even asked to join the tribe. We had to say no to a lot of them since we're a pretty small group and can't support them all, but we took in what we can."

Nodding I decided to offer her some information too, "Yeah, our rogue camp is beyond full right now. Do you have any idea why they might be leaving?"

She chuckled as she rolled the dough out flat, "You just said it yourself, the Western Tribe is kicking them out. My guess is they're trying to expand their territory again and planning to attack something or someone."

"Any guess as to who?"

She looked up and held my gaze. Her eyes weren't like a kind old woman but instead fierce unlike before when she'd greeted us, "Quite honestly, you."