Page 20 of Brutal Dragon King (Nayara Dragon Kings #1)

One Month Later

“... The crack is widening,” Jaid?n informs us of the latest unfoldings of the crack in the surface of Wyrmwood Forest, where the Wyrm’s awakening timeframe remains unknown.

He’d taken his group of soldiers out to the forest to check up on things since I’d been busy tending to my pregnant mate. I’d warned my brothers that I wouldn’t be as involved as I usually am unless the crack hit the willow tree a few meters down the line.

That’s the point the oracle prophesied for the full awakening of the treacherous creature—if the crack reached that point, it would mean the crack was large enough for the Wyrm’s resurrection.

It’s just a matter of waiting now.

“I would have put that thing back to sleep if I could,” Mother grouches with a grimace, reaching for her wine on the table. “I swear, once it’s awake…”

“Maybe if you did a good job the first time around…” Kaid?n comments snidely, prompting Mother to set her glass down with a deliberate force that clinks on the table as she glares at him.

I shake my head disappointedly. The youngest son and our mother have never truly gotten along. He blames her for our father leaving us.

Dysfunctional family dynamics couldn’t even escape the royal dragon shifter race.

I clear my throat, wanting to maintain decorum and keep this meeting as brief as possible.

“Jaid?n…” I address the second oldest Nayara Dynasty King. “... How are things in Khyronia?”

My brother’s chest puffs up with pride. Because of his attention to detail in combat, he’d been tasked with getting Khyronia in order after we’d successfully overthrown Hestios two weeks ago.

Jaid?n straightens up before replying, “The Kingdom of Khyronia is under control. The people understand that their king is dead and that the Nayara Kings will rule over them now.”

“Good…” I pause, taking a look around the table before deciding that I’ll finally break the good news to them.

After learning that Althea was pregnant, I’d kept it a secret, at least until we conquered Khyronia and had the kingdom safely in our hands.

“Althea is pregnant,” I blurt without further ado. I see no reason to keep this a secret when the news of her pregnancy brings with it hope that the Wyrm will be dealt with accordingly.

The oracle said that it would be a grave threat only if none of us sired an heir with a human.

Mother claps her hands in delight while my brothers take turns to congratulate me with slaps on my back and proud smirks. Once the congratulations are over and I’ve hugged my mother, I sink back into my chair, glancing at the window to see Althea returning from her evening run.

Ever since she discovered her new power, she’s been training every night despite my insistence that she needs to rest and nurture our growing baby. But Althea being Althea means she’s stubborn and won’t sit idly around.

I chuckle under my breath, turning back to my family.

“Since she’s pregnant with the heir of The Kingdom of The Spine, I’ve decided that Althea will be more than just my mate. She will be my queen.”

Mother gasps audibly. “What?!” she exclaims in horror. “A human will be this kingdom’s queen? A slave?”

A sudden burst of anger floods over me. “She is not a slave! She is my mate, and soon to be Queen of The Kingdom of The Spine.”

My blunt response is met with silence, but the hostility isn’t something I wasn’t expecting. I know how my family feels about the lowly humans, and I understand how my decision will change the trajectory of how things operate in my kingdom.

I’ll deal with that later. For now, not even Althea knows what I’ve decided. I’ve been wanting to surprise her with the news and make it a special occasion.

After all, the grand mating ritual isn’t something I’d like to remember, even if Althea is adamant that it was an unforgettable experience for her. I’ve internally vowed to make it up to her, and tonight, I plan on doing just that.

“So, you’re next, Brother Jai,” Kaid?n says as he slaps Jaid?n’s shoulder with a mischievous grin.

“What for?” Jaid?n frowns.

“The annual reaping next year, of course,” Kaid?n grins.

Jaid?n shakes his head. “Unfortunately, with the responsibility I’ve taken of training the Khyronian soldiers, my plate is too full.”

“Are you handing your turn over to me, Jai?” Kaid?n asks with a knowing smirk.

“I suppose I am,” Jaid?n concedes with a nod.

“Alright, family,” I sigh as I rise to my feet. “If you’ll excuse me, there is something I must do.”

No one questions me since the others are debating how Kaid?n, the youngest dragon king, should proceed with his annual reaping next year. Truthfully, I’m grateful that I’m no longer the center of attention, even if Mother just voiced her concerns about a human being, my kingdom’s queen.

None of them will understand, anyway. I don’t wish to prove anything to them, and the only one I need to prove myself to is Althea, who waits outside for me with the biggest smile on her face.

“Is your family still inside?” Althea asks as she rises to her tiptoes and peeks over my shoulder.

“Do not use that word right now,” I groan as I step forward to embrace her with a kiss on her lips.

“They’re being draining again, aren’t they?” Althea giggles. She avoids my family gatherings because she knows how the rest of them feel about humans. Soon, she will become my queen and the mother of my child.

I reach down and scoop her into my arms, executing our customary, fortnightly flight to the waterfall. Since her belly is ripening, we’ve decided to keep our rendezvous down at the bottom of the waterfall instead of plunging for a trust fall.

We trust each other enough, and these past two weeks have been blissful for us.

There’s only a need to revisit the place where we’d confessed our undying love for one another. Before, the top of the waterfall was significant for my childhood. Now that I have a child on the way, the bottom of the waterfall is special for us.

I gently set Althea on her feet on a leveled rock, steadying her with her hand in mine as I crouch in front of her, placing a hand on her growing belly.

“Hello there, little one…” I greet our baby with a smile as Althea cards her fingers through my hair. “Are you growing well? Being as strong and brave as your mother?”

“And father,” Althea adds with a giggle.

I plant a kiss on the top of the mound of her belly, then stand up to kiss Althea on the lips.

“Not as strong and brave right now,” I admit tentatively, grimacing when I lean back.

“I know that look, King Haid?n…” she laments with a speculatively lifted brow. “What are you hiding from me this time?”

I chuckle lowly because no one else truly knows me the way Althea does. She’s able to see right through me sometimes, and it’s not even thanks to the mind link.

She’s the only one I’ve ever opened up to, and she’s seen my heart for what it is.

Perhaps that’s why I’d kept denying my feelings for her, and avoiding her, thinking that I’d be too ashamed to be fully exposed. She’s shown me that even the darkest sides of me are worthy of love, and she loves me through it all.

I lift her hand to my lips and press a chaste kiss on her knuckles, then gaze at her through heady eyes. I see my entire future in those hazel eyes, and it isn’t as gloomy and barren as I once thought this immortal life would be.

“Be my Queen, Althea Waters,” I declare without hesitation. “I will marry you in an official ceremony in the kingdom. Do me the honor and say yes.”

“Yes,” Althea whispers without hesitation. When she says the word, I sweep her off her feet and press my lips to hers.

“I love you, my queen,” I say with a proud smirk when I’ve let her onto her feet and have my palm resting on her growing belly.

“I love you too, my king,” she replies with a giggle that sets my heart alight.

She had no idea that she’d saved me from myself, changed this cold king, and given him the gift of feeling. As I kiss her again, all I see is joy and wonder in our future together. We’ll raise this kingdom’s next heir, and remain in love for the rest of eternity.

*****

THE END