Free Taming the Dragon Collection by Jessica Ryan Page B

strange, though.”
    “You should not read any of my books,” Alek said, his face growing red.
    “I’m sorry,” she said, flipping her hair behind her as she gave him her most seductive look. He was getting angry; she had to distract him. “How come no women were listed? It listed everyone’s fathers, but not mothers.”
    Alek’s eyes grew wide and he bit his bottom lip, obviously trying to hold himself back from exploding. Mara stepped back, realizing that her attempt at seduction was doing nothing to quell the great dragon’s rage. Did he feel violated?
    “Pick up my spoon,” he ordered through gritted teeth.
    “Alek,” she said.
    “Pick up my spoon,” he ordered again, pointing at the stone spoon lying on the ground.
    Mara squatted down beside his chair and grabbed the spoon, looking up to find him leering down the front of her dress again. She pinched her shoulders forward, allowing them to hang lower, hoping to distract him from the anger he was feeling. She had no such luck.
    “Give me my spoon,” he ordered, holding his hand out. Mara stood up and presented him with the spoon, trying not to anger him any more than he already was. “Now go.”
    She turned and started to leave, hoping that this would be the end of it, but Alek loudly cleared his throat, stopping her at the doorway.
    “Yes,” she asked, turning slowly.
    “Have one of the other maids fix your dress,” he said. “And report to Raylene first thing in the morning. I will have new duties for you.”
    “Yes, Alek,” she said.
    “My name is Aleksander,” he informed her.
    “Yes, Aleksander,” Mara said, feeling her face growing hot and her hands growing shaky. She was so upset she could barely stand.
    “Be gone, maid,” he spat, before turning back to his meal.
    Mara rushed out of the room. She didn’t stop until she was back in her bed chamber with her face buried in her pillow. Why was she so upset that the man holding her captive had turned on her? It didn’t make any sense that it affected her so much, but that night she cried herself to sleep.
     

Chapter 11
     
    When the next morning came Mara did not want to get out of bed. Her eyes were puffy and her face was swollen from crying the night before. Priya and Abigail had tried to console her when they came to bed, but Raylene had forced them to leave her alone and go to sleep. They couldn’t help anyway; they didn’t understand what she was going through. Alek—no, Aleksander—had never shown the kind of affection to them that he had shown to Mara. She was alone and trapped with a dragon she had angered and women who were too busy trying to please him to see her plight.
    Raylene was waiting beside the bed with a large jug and an oversized cloth.
    “Welcome to the world of the living, dear,” she said sarcastically.
    Mara could tell Raylene didn’t like her: the way the maid was always ordering her around, always looking at her with jealous eyes and always finding ways to put her down had been apparent from the get-go. She had been with Aleksander the longest and didn’t like the new meat coming in and usurping her spot as favorite.
    “I’m awake,” Mara said. She felt miserable; her head was pounding and her face hurt.
    “You’ve been reassigned,” Raylene said, holding out the jug and cloth.
    “What’s this?” Mara said, looking at the thick, white cream that was in the jug.
    “It’s for polishing precious metals,” Raylene said.
    “What?” Mara asked, looking up and curling her lip.
    “The master has reassigned you to the treasure hoard,” Raylene said. “You are to polish the coins and items he has counted the day before. You are not to speak to him or approach him. Is that clear?”
    “Yes,” Mara said, feeling another stab in her heart.
    “Your bath privileges have been revoked as well,” Raylene said, giving Mara a knowing smile. “At dinnertime you will not clean the cauldron and you will no longer bring the master his