Page 21

21

Elle

“ I don’t blame you.” If I were Az, I wouldn’t visit often, either. Even I understood that they’d insulted him in their gift exchange. I cuddled into his side, offering him silent reassurance.

Competitive gift-giving was going to give me a panic attack at some point, but that, back there with his parents? That had made me want to vomit.

He pulled me through the massive dining room, which was lavishly decorated with gilt, paintings, and statues hidden in alcoves. Oddly, unlike our bedroom and some of the other, smaller rooms, no chandeliers hung from the high ceilings.

My eyes widened, taking in everything. “How many people did you say were coming again?” I asked, gripping his hand.

“Just the six of us. Why?”

“It’s such a large room for so few people.” It could easily fit a hundred people. In the center sat a fifteen-foot-long table, laden with food.

He glanced around, squinting. “Sometimes we like to take our four-legged form after dinner.”

I ran my hand down the length of the garnet chain on my necklace. Right. Their four-legged form. Drinks had been bad enough, with all the complicated undercurrents I couldn’t decipher. Adding fifteen-foot-tall forms on top of that sounded like a recipe for disaster.

“Cool. Great.” I sipped the drink that had appeared next to me while we were talking to his parents. It was delicious. Of course it was.

Az nudged me toward a dragon-sized chair, pulled it out for me, and I hopped up. My feet dangled above the floor. My eyes focused in front of me long enough to see a little gilded name card with Eleanor Miller printed on it.

Assigned seats. Obviously Az’s parents were super controlling on top of being huge assholes. At least Az and I were sitting next to each other. Udar settled into his chair at the foot of the table, at my right.

Across from me, Rasonu leaned back, wings spread out, and I understood why the table was so large. Both she and Tika, who was seated to her right, could spread their wings without smacking into each other.

The low lights in the dining room glittered off everyone’s clothing. I’d initially worried that my silk dress and jewelry would be excessive for a family dinner, but I should have known better after spending weeks with Az and his embroidered, bedazzled wardrobe.

With a furtive look at Udar, who was deep in conversation with Rasonu, Az leaned over and whispered in my ear, “Why didn’t you tell me you didn’t finish school?”

“Because it’s not important.” I’d had a decade since dropping out to figure something else out.

“Of course it is.”

“How?” I asked.

Udar’s eyes darted in our direction, and I lowered my voice another notch. “I don’t use my degree for work, and you’re the one always going on about how once we’re mated I won’t have to work, anyway. ”

He jerked back. “But education is important for its own sake. Only learning what you need for work is barbaric.”

“That’s fine for a dragon, but humans have to work to pay for things like food and shelter. I don’t even know if I want to go back, anyway.” It wasn’t like I wanted to sit around discussing philosophy or literature these days. I’d enjoyed it, but that was nineteen-year-old Elle’s dream, not thirty-one-year-old Elle.

These last few weeks were the first time in years I’d been able to think about more than getting through the day. Tomorrow still loomed large and murky.

My forehead wrinkled as I recalled some of what his family had said. “I mean, it sounds like you left school as soon as you could, too.” They’d been unrelentingly mean about it.

Az’s whole body tightened. “Regardless, if you want to pursue a degree or three, I wouldn’t stop you.”

“Ah, Elle, you know my brother so well. Humans really are as observant as I’ve heard. Az here barely passed basic knowledge-sniffing and hasn’t cracked a book since.” Udar’s grin turned predatory. “But an English degree is all about books, right? So you must like them.”

Az tensed under my fingers, and I didn’t need to look at him to know he was glaring at his brother.

“I like books, but there’s more to life than reading.” I sent him a glare. Az was obviously upset, and Udar was stirring the pot.

Udar gave me one of those wide, toothy dragon grins, and I remembered how much every dragon I’d ever met praised any hint of spine. I wondered if I’d just made a horrible mistake by pushing back. Udar was already far too interested in me.

“Elle let me take her flying a few days ago. You can’t get that from a book.”

Udar’s lips thinned. “I suppose not. ”

No description in a book could compare to the wind rushing past my ears, the exhilaration of looking down at trees and grass and people hurrying past. It was indescribable.

“I’m surprised you had the courage. Few humans do.” Udar’s gaze returned to the same spot high on my neck where his parents and sister kept eying.

After that awkward meeting with his parents, I realized they were checking for a mating bite, the same way a human might look for a wedding ring, only somehow more judgmental.

“There are lots of adventurous humans. We call them ‘adrenaline junkies,’” I said. Az had told me that most dragons barely interacted with each other, much less humans. Maybe reminding Udar that other humans existed would get him to back the fuck off.

“And do you consider yourself an ‘adrenaline junkie’?”

Damn. If anything, his slit-pupiled eyes were more focused on me. I glanced at the far end of the table, in the vain hope that Az’s parents would notice what was happening and step in, but they were both leaning toward Tika, whose shoulders were drooping by the minute.

Apparently, only Udar escaped their criticism.

I turned back to him. “Not really.” I’d wanted to try things like skydiving and rock climbing, but rent and work always came first.

“Elle isn’t one of your research papers. Go find your own human to study,” Az said from above my head.

Thank god the servers arrived at that moment, placing salads in front of us, refilling wineglasses. I’d barely touched mine, though.

During dinner, Az and I exchanged a few whispered comments about the food, one of his arms slung over the back of my chair. His wings brushed my back.

I couldn’t suppress a little shot of anxiety as Udar’s eyes tracked every touch, though I tried my best to ignore him .

After long minutes of eating in silence, Udar said, “So, Elle, what’s it like living in a dragon-claimed city?”

I glanced at Az, who was back to glaring at Udar. “A lot of stuff is still in flux, because Az and Niemrin are making so many changes, but I’m eager to see where it goes.” Over the past few weeks, I’d learned how much the two of them were implementing, how careful they were being. I was a lot less nervous about getting pushed by the wayside than I’d once been.

“Are you thinking about claiming a city? You’ll need to find a second dragon. Even you can’t hold a city all by yourself,” Az said, his expression tight.

“The idea has crossed my mind. I’m waiting for the right one. The best one.”

I blinked. Didn’t dragons claim cities to improve them? So it wouldn’t be all that great until after he’d claimed it.

Then I caught the direction of Udar’s stare and realized we weren’t talking about cities anymore.

Fuck me, this is not how I expected tonight to go.

Judging by the trail of smoke coming out of Az’s nostrils, he was likewise displeased. I squeezed his thigh under the table.

“It’s good for you to be picky, Udar. The best city for one person—dragon—may not be best for another.”

Udar jerked his head back, and Az suppressed a snort of laughter.

“Surely you understand that ‘best’ is obvious?” Udar rocked back in his chair, wings spread carelessly behind him. “I have the second largest library here. Therefore, it’s the second best.”

“Udar’s library is enormous, and perfectly matched to his treasure hoard. It’s the largest and most well-balanced among any dragon we know.” Rasonu turned away from her conversation long enough to toss that our way, then turned back to her mate and daughter .

Udar preened. Az curved a wing around his body, away from his parents.

I squeezed his thigh again, knowing how much my dragon responded to a little physical affection. His wing wrapped around my shoulder.

“What about the contents?” I asked Udar. He was so far up his own ass, I felt sure I could diffuse things with a well-placed comment.

Az’s arm, still slung across the back of my chair, tightened around my shoulder.

“It’s large and diverse.” Udar preened.

“And boring,” Az growled.

I squeezed Az’s hand. “Are they all books on the Dewey Decimal System, or would there be something I’d want to read?”

Udar’s eyes flared hot, and he shot Az a look of intense jealousy. Az smirked.

I wanted to sink into the floor. I’d hoped to put Udar in his place, but yet again my idea had backfired.

Udar’s eyes fixed on my necklace. “Is that the Rúndiamhra Síoraí set?”

Az had given me jewelry with names ? How expensive did a piece have to be before it got a name? I took several shallow breaths.

Ignoring Az’s glare, Udar continued, “A fine set like that should really have a bracelet.”

Az’s claws pricked my shoulder. “The Rúndiamhra Síoraí only has a necklace and earrings,” he said.

“You know, the jeweler is still alive. You could finish the set.” Udar’s eyes tracked to my bare wrist, then my hand, where the grip on my fork had turned tight, my knuckles white.

What the hell was up with dragons and matching sets?

Az bared his teeth at Udar .

“I’m quite happy with the set as it is,” I said tightly.

What was Az supposed to do, call up the jeweler and demand more pieces?

Christ, he probably would if I asked him to.

“Oh, it’s a very nice set. I can see that. I just thought you’d like to know there are other, finer, more extensive sets on offer tonight.” Udar seemed oblivious to the daggers Az was shooting him.

Did Udar think I could be bought by a few baubles?

“She has quite an extensive selection already,” Az said through clenched teeth. “And we’re just getting started.”

My lips flattened into a thin line. Did Az think I could be bought by a few baubles?

Well, why wouldn’t he? That’s how we’d met, wasn’t it? I’d practically stamped a price on my forehead.

“One can never have too much,” Udar said with a toothy grin.

“You know, humans have a saying: money can’t buy happiness.” I forced the words through pinched lips.

They both laughed like I’d told the funniest joke in existence, the sound booming around the room. Az’s parents and sister paused their low conversation long enough to glance our way before going back to ignoring us.

“Don’t be absurd. Of course money buys happiness,” Udar said.

I gaped at him. That was the most misguided thing I’d ever heard. But when I turned my attention to Az, to suggest he maybe go easy on Udar—no wonder he was miserable if that was how he viewed the world—Az was nodding like he agreed .

I didn’t get it. If all Az valued was money, he’d have married another dragon, or an heiress or something. It was on the tip of my tongue to point out the contradiction, but a dinner party with his family, where his brother was already being an asshole, wasn’t the time .

I forced my questions down and pasted on a smile instead. “I’ve never had much money, but I can always find ways to be happy.” That was the whole point of Mama’s tell me something good question. Having money smoothed the way, but it wasn’t the end-all, be-all.

“Sounds like your human doesn’t know the standard she should demand.” Udar gave Az a cutting glance. “You always were an expert bargain hunter.”

Az straightened in his seat, smoke billowing from his mouth and nose. “Don’t you dare call my mate cheap. Elle knows exactly how much she’s worth, and she’d never settle for less.”

Stomach churning, I froze in horror. Were my boyfriend and his brother about to dissect my value over dinner?

Udar snickered. “Oh, I doubt she’s cheap . You like gold too much to go for a cheap mate.”

I flushed. Cheap was exactly what I was. Money had been my biggest consideration my whole life. It was the first thing I thought about when it came to clothes, activities, anything . How much will this cost? Can I afford it? What bills do I need to take care of first?

“But she isn’t your mate yet, is she? She still has options.” Udar turned to me, eyes glittering. “I can afford anything a mate might desire, and I can provide the kinds of deep conversations Az can only squint at.”

Az stood, his chair clattering to the ground behind him. “Quit trying to steal my mate, frumser .”

The other three dragons in the room glanced over. Throat dry, I wanted to scream at them to do something. Everything I said just ratcheted up the tension.

“I’m sure you boys can get along for a few more minutes,” Az’s mom said before turning back to Tika.

Tika shot her brothers a sympathetic look .

“ Theft? ” Udar lowered his voice a notch. “It isn’t stealing if she comes willingly.”

“Come on, Arum .” Az placed a hand on my shoulder, and I stood on shaking legs. “Let’s get out of here.”

That sounded like the best idea I’d ever heard. Then I could wrap my head around what the hell just happened, and what Az had said. We could talk about it, and…

“Enjoy the human while you still have her. Elle, I’ll be ready when you get bored with this idiot,” Udar snapped out.

Az’s hand left my back, and the pop of bones and wings changing form echoed in the massive room. I scrambled backward, away from the elephant-sized red dragon charging for Udar.

Udar, too, burst into his larger form, the subtle sheen of magic glittering over him. I dove for the corner as claws and teeth flashed.