The sorting of weapons and armor took longer than Brannie thought it would. Took so long, in fact, it was decided they would camp in the nearby forest for the night. As soon as a fire was started, Brannie dove headfirst into all the wonderful weapons and armor her cousin and uncle had created. Eventually, though, she had to borrow Aidan’s surcoat to cover her nakedness so that Uther and Caswyn would stop staring.

Idiots.

Like she didn’t know how those two really felt about her as a dragoness. Apparently her tail was “too short.” Uther used to call her “Stubby” behind her back. And if they didn’t enjoy looking at her true form, what did she care if they lusted for her human one? They both went together and she loved every part of herself.

Why shouldn’t she? As she always told her brother Celyn . . . she was adorable!

What Brannie didn’t know . . . ? How Aidan felt about her. She’d never heard that Aidan had said anything about her one way or another. But when she’d suggested they’d have sex for a little stress relief, he hadn’t been remotely interested.

Strange. She’d always thought he kind of liked her. Not seriously, but enough to fuck a time or two. She wasn’t asking for a lifetime mating. She had no doubts she’d find her mate one day, but she was sure it would be another warrior like her. Loyal to the army and the troops. Another captain perhaps. Or even a general. That would be nice.

But until that happened—and she knew it was a long way off—she still had “needs” as her mother liked to call it when her youngest daughter had volunteered for Her Majesty’s Army.

“You’ll have needs,” Ghleanna had said, picking a quiet time when everyone, even Brannie’s father, was out somewhere else. “And there’s no shame in that. You just have to be careful who you choose. Don’t be like your grandfather or cousin Gwenvael and choose whatever piece of ass crosses your path. Pick someone kind, who won’t call you a beauty to your face and a whore behind your back.”

It seemed a strange conversation with her mum. Especially when Brannie found out Ghleanna’s conversation with Celyn was “Treat females like trash, and I’ll hunt you down and cut your prick off. Understand?”

But as Brannie advanced through the ranks, she’d kept her mother’s words in mind and found she was right. Those she’d chosen to share her bedroll with had been fun, nice, and discreet. Only one had decided to get drunk in a pub and expound on what a “great lay” Brannie was. Too bad for him, her cousin Éibhear had been standing behind him. It was before he’d become Mì-runach but he was already becoming known for his temper.