Wild Rider (Dragon Castaway Book 1) [Complete] {2018 Wattys Longlist}

Chapter 34

Putting out this chapter as a thank you bonus, enjoy!

"And so, now we part" Jake said as he and Wyena walked out of the tree line and onto the road. It was bustling with activity as people made their way to and from the capital some distance away, but no one paid any mind to the two of them as they emerged.

Even though no one seemed to be paying attention to them, Jake very much wanted to get on his way. They hadn't joined this crowd in the usual way and someone too curious for their own good might ask questions. "Such a shame, it was good to have a traveling companion for a change"

"You seem to forget that it was completely involuntary" Wyena replied with a smirk.

"Yet still enlightening" Jake replied. "You have to admit that you know more now than you did then, no longer trying to put me in my place would count"

"Indeed" she conceded flashing a grin. "It's too bad you won't accompany me back to the capital to turn yourself in"

"I'm not ready to shake up this world's order just yet" he responded shaking his head. "But I do owe you a favor. You can find me in the central highlands if you ever want to call it in."

Wyena nodded "don't think that I'll about forget that." Moving closer she grabbed onto Jake's forearm in a move he recognized as being an older style of shaking hands.

"Thank you" he said grabbing her forearm in return.

"By the way" she added as she walked onto the road and into the crowd "I wish you the best of luck on your path as well."

Jake smiled as he watched Wyena meld into the hustle of people. His eyes not leaving her until she had disappeared around a bend in the distance.

As soon as she had left his line of vision Jake turned and quietly melted back into the trees. Making sure that no one was following, he headed on a circuitous route back to where the twins were hidden.

Ragnarok's head perked up as he stepped into the dense grove that sheltered them.

"Ease down kids, it's only me" Jake said as he walked over and quickly mounted the black dragon. "We lost some time saying goodbye, but I think we can make the highlands in the next day or so if we move at a good clip."

Ragnarok let out a snort. From the bond he could tell that the devious dragon was amused about something but was intentionally keeping the subject murky.

A moment later Jake nearly fell off in utter surprise as the dragon sent him a very vivid image of himself and Wyena having sex together.

"You dirty minded little shithead!" Jake choked out in embarrassment, wishing that he had an impossibly long arm so he could slap Ragnarok upside the head. "The last thing I need is to start some kind of Stockholm Syndrome affair with a person who was not only chasing me, but literally wanted to feed me to her limp dick little squad mate."

This time it was Valkyrie's turn to snort only hers was derisive, clearly she didn't believe Jake's protests either.

"Oh, so now you're gonna call bullshit on me too?" he said incredulously. Of all the dragons in this world he had to get a pair that were too perceptive for their own good.

"Fine" he ground out. "I'll admit that she is incredible, brave as hell and quite a fighter to boot."

"Not too bad to look at either, though I doubt she's ever thought of herself that way, this society probably wouldn't regard her as naturally beautiful" he added as the twins took off. Flying low they began to head east, making sure to stay behind a series of rolling hills to conceal themselves from traffic on the nearby roads.