Claws and Kisses

“Miss Cindy, I . . .”

“Ma dame, you look lovely. Enough of this pitreries!”

The old maid prodded me from behind, pushing me through the hall full of servants, guards, nobles, and everyone else that was attending the funeral. The mountain was ginormous, and everyone was trying to get from one place to the next. Along with Cindy, Bella, Danielle, and a few other maids from earlier, there was a squad of guards keeping a wall between me and all the other attendees.

The guards were . . . steadfast in their pursuit of protecting me. They had obviously had a talk with Avel beforehand. All six of them acted as if I was a crate full of diamonds being transported from one storage room to the next. On the rare occasion when someone would approach me to introduce themselves, they would only get a few feet from the soldiers before they were turning their swords on them and telling them to get lost.

Charming, I thought sarcastically.

All the nobles and servants were heading to one chamber in particular. In the dead center of the mountain, there was a humongous, arena-style room. The outside walls of it reminded me of the walls in Avel’s mountain. Carvings of dragons, humans, death, victory, loss . . . all of it was drawn upon the smooth, sandstone walls. The sight was both terrifying and awe-inspiring.

As we headed toward the arena, Bella giggled from behind me, her brunette curls bouncing as she squeezed my shoulder. “Ma dame, you look ravishing. When that lord of yours sees you, he is going to say, “Oh mon dieu, c’est la femme la plus sexy que j’ai jamais vue!”

I stumbled, my eyes wide and suspicious on the two laughing maids. Cindy snapped something in french at them and they quickly shut up. However, those mischievous smiles never quite left their face, and Danielle was soon turning back to me to say, “Ma dame, I must ask you a question. It’s a . . . peu personnel, oui?”

Glancing back at the maid, I raised an eyebrow. “Why do I get the feeling that I am not going to like what you are about to say?”

Bella pushed up beside Danielle, her white skirt twirling slightly as she walked fast besides us. “Tell us, ma dame. Have you and your mate ever—what’s the word, Danielle?”

“Sex!” Danielle replied loudly, snapping her fingers as if she had just solved a very difficult math equation. A few of the Drachen nobles nearby glanced at her out of the corner of their eyes, frowns on their face.

With cheeks once more red and flaming, I shoved her hands down and glared at both of them, ignoring Cindy’s smirk from ahead of us. “Would you keep it down, please?”

Bella patted the side of my cheek affectionately, shaking her head as we walked through the large doors into the arena. “What is wrong, ma amie? Sexe is nothing to be ashamed about, no? Now tell us, have you and that attrayant seigneur mated or not?”

One of the guards slid me a look, and the heat on my face worsened. We were now inside the arena, and I could not help but gasp a little upon seeing all of the people in one room. The stands were packed, and there was not a seat open as the crowds of dragons and humans alike scrambled to sit down. Below the seats was a circular clearing, composed entirely of smooth stone floors and lit chandeliers hung from the high ceiling. In the center of it all was a colossal rock slab, and sitting upon it was the biggest dragon I had ever seen.

Loch Shade’s corpse was enormous. His entire dragon body spanned from one end of the clearing to the other. His skin was a leathery green, and the undersides of his belly and neck were tinged dull yellow. The tips of his wings were extended into claw-like tips, dangerous and powerful. His tail curled tightly around him, tucked under his long snout and sharp fangs. The sight was a hypnotizing one.

“No . . .” I heard myself murmuring in response, my attention on the dead dragon. “We haven’t even kissed yet. I think it has something to do with the mating ritual.”

The head guard—Adhemar, I think—suddenly twisted around and placed his hand on the small of my back. In his rough, Jaran drawl, he said, “Ma dame, this way.”

The soldiers escorting me had the crowd parting in an instant. Once we were in the stands, it was hard to tell where we are or where we were going. There were too many bodies, too many faces crowding around. The only light came from the dim glow of the candles up above. Dragons and humans intertwined in a way that I had never seen before. All throughout it however, Bella and Danielle chatted cheerily behind me.

“The mating ritual, eh?” Danielle huffed, her voice slightly haughty as she continued. “That boy is sure taking his time, huh. If it were me, that mating ritual would have been done in moins d’une seconde. None of this drawn out merde.”

I chuckled despite myself. Bella gasped from behind me and slapped Danielle’s shoulder lightly. “Tais-toi! I think it is very sweet, ma amie. He seems like a real gentleman. A modern chevalier dans une armure brillante.”

The soldier in front of me stopped suddenly. I bumped into him, his armor harsh against my skin. I stumbled back into the arms of Bella, who looked just as confused. She opened her mouth, most likely to ask what the hold up was, when a menacing growl erupted from somewhere in the crowd in front of my little group.

“What is going on—oh . . .” My words faded to nothing as I finally spotted what had caused our procession to stop. Standing in the middle of the crowd in his golden armor and red silk cape was Avel. His eyes were zeroed in on the soldier’s hand which was still on my back. Quicker than what felt possible, the guard had taken his hand off me and backed up a couple dozen feet. It took me a moment to see that everyone—the guards, the maids, even just bystanders—had stepped far away from me. For the first time since we stepped into the arena, I was alone.

Avel looked beyond handsome. Everything from the way his violet eyes gleamed in the candlelight to how his blue-black hair fell messily across his forehead was perfect. In that moment, my heart clenched so brutally and fiercely that I thought I could die from how much I wanted to be with him. Around him. Just in his orbit so that I could keep staring at his beautiful face forever.

Another growl emitted from his chest. It was only then that I noticed the way his eyes were running up and down my attire, taking in my curves and angles for all they were. I briefly glanced down at the dress, and once more felt bare and exposed in front of so many people.

The dress was long and gauzy. The bodice was tight and fitted, highlighting the expanse of my breasts and the dip of my waist. The skirt fell to the floor in ruffled layers. There were numerous slits up to my hips, so that when I walked, my legs would slide in and out of the ebony folds. Cindy had made sure to decorate my ankles and fingers with jewels of all kind, and to fix it so that the dress was styled in a way that allowed for my bracelets and necklace to show. The top of the dress was nonexistent, and left a portion of Avel’s tattoo for all to see.

Another booming growl from Avel. I let my eyes drag up from my dress to his face, and found his tyrian orbs waiting for me there. Our eyes locked. As if in a trance, I began to take slow, careful steps toward him. With each step, the rumbles coming from his chest grew louder. Dangerous. I did not stop, knowing that those growls were not for me.

Once I reached him, there was a moment in which we did not speak. We did not move. We took the other in, assessing. Scrutinizing. For some reason, these past few hours we had been separated felt longer than that.

His nose flared slightly as he inhaled the air, my scent. His eyes were vivid and slightly slitted as he breathed back out, his shoulders shifting with the movement. I watched, entranced. Our argument felt years away, and as his gaze once again drew to my exposed mark, I knew he took it as a symbol of my love. My love for him and all that I had gone through to be here with him.

The moment drew to a close as he swept his arms around me and led me once more back into the crowd. The squad of guards surrounded us once more, but at a much more distant position. I glanced once behind me only to see Bella waving, Danielle winking, and Cindy blowing me a kiss. I nodded at them, knowing I would see them again soon.

Avel led me to a booth near the top of the arena. It was a boxed out section, with many chairs, food, wine, and a ledge overlooking the funeral. Inside, the Inner Circle awaited with a few other people. Before we entered the booth however, Avel stopped me with a tiny growl.

“What . . .” He squeezed his eyes shut, his fingers spread across my waist as he tried to form the right words. “What are you wearing?”

A small, mocking frown curved my lips. “You don’t like it?”

With a small laugh and the shake of his head, he rested his forehead against mine. He shut his eyes once more, taking a deep breath before saying, “That is not the problem here. I’m worried that if I don’t keep my eye on you, Bear is going to snatch you up from under my nose and claim you as her own.”

A surprised laugh escaped me, and Avel smiled as I chuckled and laid a hand on his chest. He lifted his hand up to brush his thumb across my cheek in a soft, warm caress. “You look beautiful, little tiger. More beautiful than anyone I have ever laid eyes on.” His eyes flickered open for a brief moment as he glared passionately at the soldier from before. “And if anyone else lays their eyes on you again, I might have to—”

“Avel,” I murmured sweetly, cupping his jaw and forcing him to face me.

He did so with a small, guiltless smile. His long dark eyelashes lowered as he regarded my mark, a question in his violet gaze. “I thought you did not want to see it?”

I shook my head, my eyes on his full, pink lips. “I didn’t,” I admitted quietly, my hands sliding from his jaw to his neck. The arena around us was starting to settle, and I knew we would have to take our seats soon. Avel did not seem to care. My eyes flicked up to meet his, and I reveled in the love and affection I found brimming there.

“I didn’t,” I repeated. “But . . . once I did, I realized that we are in this together. I—” Suddenly, there were hot tears in my eyes as I looked up at him. “I know I’ve always said that once the Blood Moon comes, I would be gone, but . . .” Glancing at the ground, I drew in a sharp breath as I said, “I don’t know if I can leave you a second time. It nearly destroyed me the first go round and I’m not sure my heart can take leaving you again. Because you . . .” I gripped his neck, staring at his broad, gold plated chest instead of his eyes. “You’re more than I deserve. More than I can handle because you’re genuine and you actually care. And I don’t know if it’s just me or if you feel what I feel, but . . . gods, you’re the most important thing in my life right now. And . . . I want you to stay. With me. I want you to stay so damn bad.”

Avel lifted my chin, his eyes devouring mine. “Wendy,” he whispered, stroking my cheek. “You are the most important thing in my life. Always have been. Always will be. Understand?”

I nodded, unable to look away from his starry gaze.

“We will finish this conversation later,” he whispered against my cheek, pressing a kiss to the skin there. His arms slid around my waist, his eyes on the arena. The crowd of people were settling down, the lights dimmed. The funeral was about to start.

Avel led me into the booth. I waved at Bruce, Bear, Romeo, Elora, and Seth, who all sat a row behind Avel and I. They all had a different reaction; Bruce glared, Elora smiled softly, Seth nearly fell out of his seat waving back at me, Bear winked in a flirtatious manner, and Romeo . . . Romeo did not do any of those things. In fact, the dragon looked away when our eyes met, his hand going up to rub his jaw.

Huh, I thought. I’ll have to figure what’s up with him later.

Avel led us to the front of the booth, where we could see the whole of the arena. He sat me down first, made sure that I was comfortable, looked around the arena once more before finally sitting next to me. Even though both of our attention was on the funeral about to begin below, he still took his hand in mine and give it a squeeze. The message in that small gesture was clear.

I love you.

Aw man. You suckers had to wait all day for this. *Winks charmingly* I don't feel a teeny bit guilty.

Hello, loves! I hope you all are having a lovely holiday. Short and sweet Q/A today - what did you guys think of this chapter? Wendy had a pretty big speech there. And the maids! How I love writing about them. Thoughts?

Btws (as the kids say), (that means "by the way", if you don't know because you're not a cool kid) (who am I kidding? You're reading my book, of course you're cool!) I was thinking about having a questionnaire kind of thing sometime soon. If you are interested in participating, all you have to do is write a question in the comments that you have about the story, characters, or anything else to do with Claws and Kisses. You can even ask questions about me, if you are really interested ;) I will being going through all the chapters, picking out random ones, and answering them in the next few chapters. So, if you have any questions you've been dying to ask, now is your chance to ask!

That's all for today folks. I hope you enjoyed, and are excited for the upcoming funeral games!

~Elaine