Page 11 of Brutal Dragon King (Nayara Dragon Kings #1)

King Haid?n, in his powerful, majestic dragon form, disappears between the clouds as the rainfall becomes heavier and more persistent. My brows curl into a firm, confused frown, my body tingling in the aftermath of that very, unsuspectingly passionate tryst.

Luckily, the rain washes over me, washing away the scent of the dragon king long before I find the strength to stand up. My body is too sensitive to attempt any movement, other than falling back and resting my head on the cold stone.

What was that?

We just had the most mind-blowing experience—at least, I did—and he shifted and fled the grounds as if he couldn't stand to give me a second glance. All he’d been doing tonight was staring at me, unable to remove his eyes from mine while he did the wildest things to my body and unlocked pleasures I never thought could be achieved in this life.

He surpassed all my wildest fantasies with the things he did, and those hungry, ravenous kisses… He praised my beauty and made me feel like I was the most beautiful creature in the world, not only with the words that fell off his lips like a mantra but also by the way he touched me, and felt me, in ways no one could have ever done. He made me feel beautiful, for the first time in my life.

He didn't berate me for my size, or even comment on it. Instead, his eyes glimmered with what I thought was genuine appreciation as his hands explored my overflowing curves. Only to leave me naked out in the open like none of it meant a thing to him.

I don't know why I gave in to him, surrendering to his whims and commands in a moment of weakness. Why can't I fight him when he looks at me through eyes glazed with hunger?

It's not like it changes anything. I'm still his slave.

Of course, it didn’t mean anything to him. I’m just the human slave, as everyone keeps reminding me. Was this his revenge for all the times I refused to bow? To use me and leave me as a trembling pile of nothingness, worthless because I have no value in the kingdom other than to bear his dragon children and be a loyal servant to him.

Huffing my disdain, I open my eyes to stare longingly at the sky, which has since calmed with the subsided rain. The gray clouds move slowly, making way for the moon’s dominance once again. She’s a brilliant sphere of cosmic treasure, littered with craters that are visible from up here on the mountain. I try finding calm, seeking the solace of the moon’s maternal warmth to embrace me in her arms, but even her comforting rays through the clearing skies don’t seem to do justice and provide me the sanctity I desperately crave.

It’s too much for my frail, human mind, or body for that matter. Tonight’s events only proved that the sexual attraction I feel toward the king is a weakness.

More than a weakness, it’s an addiction that I can’t seem to dispel. It’s as if my hatred for him drives this addiction, the baser desire too strong to fight.

Tonight, I felt high, drunk on something I hadn't consumed, if the king's natural, dominating presence doesn’t count. Just the mere sight of him drives me insane, and perhaps that’s one of the reasons why I’ve always defied him and refused to bow.

Showing him my hatred must have fuelled my desire for him when he threw me in the pits of the guest bedroom beside his, instead of punishing me. It’s like he can sense the wanton need radiating off my being whenever he’s around, and he equipped the weapon of mass destruction against me tonight.

He used my weakness against me, to punish me and leave me here all alone in the forest on the mountain between the Stonehenge where the ritual was conducted. I’m a deflowered heap of nothingness, and as the heat of my body from being used by the king leaves, I’m left cold on the stone. It’s only the tingling between my thighs that remains, but even that soon disappears as if following the lead of the moon as it disappears in the sky.

It’s the early hours of the morning, and I’m slowly turning numb. I have no idea how long I’ve been out here all alone without a single sound to indicate life outside of my own breathing. A few minutes? A couple of hours?

My concept of time has escaped me in the numbness washing over me, my sense of self depleting until I’m left wondering if the dragons were right all along.

Humans have no rightful place in The Emberlands, least of all in the kingdom. Perhaps it was foolish of me to value my life so much that I’d be bold enough to stand up to the king.

No.

I will not be defeated like this, I think as I lift myself back to my elbows, gazing down at my body that now has the marks of the king’s presence bruised all over. With a resentful scoff, I lift myself higher, becoming reacquainted with my bodily functions until I see the crimson spot on the stone between my thighs.

Thunder rips through my heart, my eyes raining now as I realize that I’ve just lost my virginity to the king. It’s not that it meant anything before, and the flower of virtue wasn’t a prize I would have given any deserving man back in the village.

It’s not like there were any prospects to begin with, but now that my virginity is gone to the king, I feel a sense of grief for the loss of my purity.

What does it mean now, anyway?

His abrupt exit from the meadow has left me feeling worthless, as everyone claims I am. Sniffing back the tears and stopping this unwarranted rainfall, I wipe my face and take a deep breath.

I will not be defeated like this.

The repetition of the thought brings a newfound determination to complete my mission. It might not be much, but it gives me the will to keep going, to keep my survival spirit alive and thriving in the throes of the king’s punishment with his mating ritual.

If he thought he could hurt me with his rejection of me right after he’d taken my body and possessed it with the ritual, he was wrong. I will not let anything stand in the way of my desire for revenge, not even this foolish sexual attraction.

He might have pleased me in unimaginable ways, but when I touch my neck to find that my mother’s necklace is still intact, I’m renewed with determination to exact my revenge.

Now more than ever.

He’d just used me and left me alone out here in the worst way possible. When I hiked up this mountain earlier tonight, I thought I might use this chance to escape. But getting revenge is more tempting than escaping, even if I have the perfect opportunity to do just that.

Besides, where will I go? Even if these woods are safe for me to escape through, I’ll only end up in the one place I know beyond the walls that keep the kingdom hidden—the village.

The chances of finding respite there are slim. I’ll only be subjected to more abuse, and after tonight, I will not stand for any kind of mistreatment that comes my way, not even from the dragon king.

With no hope other than fulfilling the purpose that kept me driven in the kingdom all along, I decided to lift my chin with determination again. There’s a dull ache between my thighs that lingers long after the numbness has taken over, but I push through it, pulling myself to my feet and stretching my arms over my head.

The sheer, flimsy robe lies in a heap on the ground, soiled and torn and as despondent as these circumstances are. Pulling it over my arms, it’s missing a sleeve, but at least it covers most of my body.

It will suffice to get back to the palace, even if I have no idea how to get there. The guards led me here before, and I’m guessing the dragon king was meant to take me back.

I glance up at the sky, wondering where the king flew off to, and if he’s coming back. When there’s nothing in the sky, not even a bird flying past, I know he’s not coming back.

It’s not like I want to see him again.

“Pfft!” I blow a frustrated breath through puckered lips, pulling my fingers through my damp hair to tie it into a bun at my nape. Crossing my arms over my chest, I begin trudging through the eerie forest. By some stroke of luck—which is highly unusual for someone like me, I see the lights of the palace building glowing up ahead.

My only wish is that I do not encounter King Haid?n tonight.

***

I gaze at the rising sun through the window in the guest bedroom, frowning at it with one question skittering through my mind. Had my luck turned after the mating ritual was completed?

I got my wish when I returned to the palace without any dragon shifter badgering me or treating me like the slave I am. I’d made it to the king’s chambers without being seen, and without stumbling into the king himself.

Curiosity might have killed the cat, but not the slave, and that’s why I decided to make my way to the door. I peeked out at either side of the hallway and found that it was still as empty as when I arrived. Taking a deep breath, I enter the hallway barefoot and pad my way toward the king’s bedroom.

I need to find something… anything to make his life a misery. Surely, in his private quarters is where I’ll find that thing, even if I’m not sure what it is. A secret? An advantage over him?

To ensure that the king hasn't returned to his bedroom, I gently rap three times on the door, matching the beat the servants use to knock on their king's door before entering when they find it empty. When the absence of a grunt or bellow to chase me away signals that he hasn't returned to his chambers in almost three hours, I try the handle.

To my relief, I find the door unlocked. Steadying my breathing so it isn't too loud, I push the door in gently, peeping through the crack for double measure. What I see inside is breathtaking instead, and my feet move of their own accord into the king's suite.

The luxurious, oversized bed is spread out with silk sheets in a shade of cream that almost appears like freshly churned vanilla ice cream. Draped from the ceiling is a sheer gold organza that matches the curtains. The creamy walls are neatly adorned with golden ornaments on floating shelves of solid gold, along with a bookshelf near the balcony window. The door leading to my bedroom is sealed, and through the arched wall on the far left lies two more doors cast in gold as if they're just ornate pieces.

This is a bedroom fit for a king, I think bemusedly as I narrow my eyes, inspecting the room now with less admiration and more speculatively.

I tiptoe inside, heading for the shelves, inspecting each item as if I'll find a treasure that keeps secrets, like the ancient lamp on the last shelf. Rubbing it like they do in the tales we've been told as children, a magical genie doesn't appear like it did for Aladdin.

Moving to the bookshelves, I trace my fingers over the spines, but the titles aren't anything out of the ordinary. They're all books I've read myself, and I start to wonder if we share similar interests.

“No!” I chastise myself, shaking my head to dismiss the thought as quickly as it entered my mind.

It's not like I care what his interests are!

I plant my hands on my hips when I'm done skimming the spines of the books, becoming frustrated by my lack of clues toward something that might be useful in my quest to get revenge on the king. There's nothing on these shelves, so I turn my attention to the two doors and march that way. A quick inspection shows that behind the first one is the suite bathroom, which is equally extravagant and luxurious as the bedroom.

But there's no time for appreciation of the finer things the palace has to offer. I'm on a mission, so I head to the second door, where I find that it's a dummy.

The handle doesn't move when I try it. After a few failed attempts, I take a step back to inspect the dummy door. Surely, there must be something behind it, something that's being hidden, something important enough to create a door that cannot be opened by the handle.

“Magick?” I ponder under my breath, waving my hands over the door. My finger lightly brushes a camouflaged button, and my heart begins to race with anticipation. With a coy smirk curling my lips, I push the button and just as I suspected, the door swells out as it lifts on hydraulic hinges, then parts to the side automatically.

It reveals a small room, as narrow as the door, and much shallower than the bathroom beside it. I flip the switch near my face, flooding the tiny expanse with white light that illuminates the neatly organized shelves full of weapons. I gasp, stepping inside and walking amongst the swords and daggers. There's one for each floating shelf, displayed like ornaments and flaunted with metal plaques that bear names like “Vampire Slayer,” “Panther Blade,” and “Dragonclaw Dagger.”

The “Dragonclaw Dagger” captures my attention, and standing on my tiptoes, I reach for the smaller knife that's only a few centimeters longer than my hand. It's heavier than I expected, the cast-iron handle adding to the weight of a polished silver blade. Turning it over in my palm, my heart races now with a flicker of hope.

Is this another stroke of luck that landed this piece in my palm? Is this how I make the dragon king pay for what he did to my family?

The only indication that this dagger is meant to harm a dragon is by its name. I reach for the shelf, patting the surface for any other clues, but find nothing.

Dragonclaw? Every other weapon in this room seems to be a lethal weapon forged to hurt a certain kind of creature, the names giving away their purpose.

This must be it, I decide with a proud smirk, murmuring praises to the higher power that must be on my side tonight. First, the uninterrupted tread back to the palace after the ritual was consummated, now this.

Someone must have taken kindly to me.

Tucking the dagger firmly in one hand, I turn off the light in the dragon king's hidden weapons inventory, then step out and click the camouflaged button to secure the door back in place. Snapping my head from one side to the other, I scan the surroundings of the king's bedroom as if I'm a spy on the most important mission of my life. Tiptoeing back to the main door, I take a deep breath before stepping out in the open and closing the king's bedroom door behind me.

Once I'm back in the guest bedroom safely, without being caught, I heave a sigh of relief and stare down at the heavy dagger in my hands. I'll figure out a way to use it against the dragon king, but I have to hide it for now.

I rush to the bed, pushing the mattress away from the headboard and shoving the dagger behind it. When I push the mattress back in place, I breathe another sigh of relief to calm my racing heart. Satisfied that no one will find the weapon —since I'm a slave and the servants never visit to clean the bedroom—I take off my robe and slip into bed.

Armed with a weapon that could potentially harm the king, or worse, I let sleep wash over me with a boastful smile on my face.

***

“ Beautiful…” Haid?n's voice enters my mind, and I snap my eyes open again, groaning from the frustration of not being able to sleep.

When I hopped into bed, I thought the events of last night, coupled with the excitement of finding the dagger, would lead me into a deep sleep to cure my exhaustion. But I'd spent most of the morning tossing and turning despite the thick curtains keeping the sunlight out.

I've been restlessly revisiting the events that occurred out on that mountain. Seeing King Haid?n's face behind my eyelids every time I closed my eyes, or feeling his touch on my body every time I fell into that chasm between sleep and wakefulness.

Groaning at the ceiling, I press my fingers to my temples. My body ignited with heat reminiscent of the heat that flowed through my being when I was naked in front of the king. I don't want these plaguing memories, yet I can't get rid of them no matter how hard I try.

The least I could do was remove all of my clothes during my restlessness in an attempt to rid myself of this unwelcome heat. Lying naked in bed with only a thin sheet enrobing me like a second skin, I blow out a frustrated breath and toss myself onto my belly for the umpteenth time today.

Closing my eyes, a frown spreads on my face when I hear rustling at the door. I open one eye to peek through, realizing that the sound isn't coming from the main door.

It's coming from the door that separates the guest bedroom from the king's suite.

Holding my breath, I realize that the metallic sound is that of the door being unlocked. I quickly squeeze my eyes shut, waiting with bated breath for whatever is to come, when the hinges screech to part the door.

Is that the king?

A quick inspection through a narrowly opened eye proves my suspicions correct when I peep at the king standing at the doorway, his skin deliciously moist with trinkets of freshwater drizzled all across his honey-golden tanned skin, a towel hanging low on his hips. I gasped under my breath, quickly closing my eyes when I saw his hand going up to rest on his hip.

What is he doing?

I keep my eyes closed, feigning sleep with my controlled breaths and without moving even in the slightest. Tuning my attention on any sounds, I hear none, as if the dragon king isn’t moving either. Then it hits me—I’m lying naked in bed, the thin, barely-there sheet covering my bare form in such a tightly twisted way, that he can probably make out that I don’t have clothes on. Instinctively clenching my ass cheeks so I don’t make any sounds, it doesn’t help that my rear is the first mound he’ll see from where he’s standing.

He makes no voice since there aren’t any sounds made. When I tune in even closer, I can only his heavy breathing, as if he’s glaring at me angrily and watching me sleep.

Is he watching me sleep?

Why is he doing that?

After glaring at me reproachfully when we both climaxed as if I’d done the most heinous of crimes, and then fleeing the scene of the crime as if I committed the most heinous of sins, why is he here?

He just opened the door that leads from his bedroom to mine for the first time, and now he’s not moving, forcing me to do my best to remain unmoving so he doesn’t figure out that I’m pretending to be asleep.

Time ticks by slowly, and the only thing furthering its pace is my heart, until finally, the king heaves a heavy sigh, and I hear his footsteps faintly before the door closes with a gentle thud.

What was that about?

I can’t make any sense of the king’s strange behavior, but I don’t want to. I squeeze my eyes tightly, deciding that the only escape from this rollercoaster of emotions is by getting what I’ve been determined to get all along.

Revenge.

The dagger I found in his secret weapon room is the key to that revenge. I just have to figure out a way to put it to good use.