Page 4

DRAKE

M y heart twisted inside my chest as I walked down the long corridor leading to the Great Hall. The dawn’s rays peeked over the hilly horizon beyond the windows and gilded everything in dusty lavender hues.

Blue eyes, the radiant shade of sapphires, plagued my mind, erasing all other thoughts.

The female werewolf I had encountered last night not only possessed my waking hours—she visited me in my dreams the night before.

Her shapely body had drawn my mouth to flooding with moisture in want of her.

Her scent of jasmine and spring rain had caused my cock to go hard.

I was no idiot, not by a long shot. When I had laid eyes on her at the summit, I knew who she was to me, what she was meant to be—my mate .

And when I’d held her last night in the elven gardens—hell, nothing had felt more perfect. Had been more wrong…

Dammit …

I couldn’t be with her. She was the enemy.

Her kind had rended my soul in two when they had snuffed out the life of my best friend.

Gallax was as close to me as my own kin.

We had ridden into battle together on numerous occasions; we had saved each other’s asses too many times to count.

Then, we had ridden into one battle, which he didn’t walk away from.

Instead, his lifeblood had soaked the hard earth as he had died in my arms. He had shielded me from a werewolf lunging for my throat and had gotten his throat ripped out instead.

My heart squeezed impossibly tighter as I thought back to his final words.

“Promise me,” he’d rasped, blood bubbling from his mouth. “Promise me you’ll look after my sister. She has no one left in this world.”

I had squeezed his hand tightly and had sworn, “I’ll do more than look after her. I’ll marry her.”

I’d watched the relief that had washed over his bloodstained face. Then, his eyes had turned glassy, vacant, as his last breath passed from his lungs. With that, he’d gone forever still.

Both Gallax and I had known how his little sister, Rosalana, had bore a crush on me for many years.

Though I hadn’t returned her affections—viewing her as no more than a little sister—I knew it would make my friend happy if I were to be bonded to her by a marital bond.

The relief in his eyes at my declaration had proven it.

Yet now…now that I had found my life mate…

“Shit,” I hissed, raking a hand through my dark hair.

“Drakegeon,” a deep voice called from further down the corridor .

My head snapped up, my gaze landing on my father. King Tridar loomed ahead, his brow hardening, nostrils flaring. His eyes flashed.

Lips peeling back, he growled, “Follow me.” Then, he whirled on his heel and stalked away down an adjacent corridor, his cape billowing behind him.

My heart pitched into my stomach.

What the hell was that all about?

Back muscles rigid, I followed after my father. Rounding the bend, I spotted him at the door to his quarters. He opened the wooden door and gestured for me to enter first. Raising a brow at him, I swept past, and my father trailed me inside, closing the door behind himself with a solid thwack.

My gaze did a quick sweep of the room. Soft light slanted in through the bay windows at the far right of the room, the window seat beneath it unoccupied.

The large king bed was made, the thick crimson covers tucked neatly over the corners of the mattress, beneath the bed’s frame, spanned an elk’s pelt that covered most of the hardwood floor.

An oak dresser stood at the far side of the room, and to the left of the room spanned a luxurious bathroom with marble flooring and a deep freestanding tub.

There was no sign of my mother anywhere. She must have stepped out.

“What is this about?” I demanded, my scalp prickling.

My father circled me, his hands firmly clasped behind his broad back. My eyes tracked his every move, my body coiled up as tightly as a viper’s. Finally, King Tridar stopped before me; his eyes narrowed to thin slits.

“Why the hell do you smell of werewolf?” The words were hardened in steel. His nose wrinkled as he inhaled deeply. Anger twisted his dark face. “A female werewolf’s scent clings to you.”

Horror sank its talons into me. Disbelief followed soon on its heels.

I did a quick mental scan of the bond. It had not gone full circle, remaining in a horizontal line.

The cords glowed brilliantly, mine a lavender fire…

the female’s a brilliant crimson flame with tongues of gold.

Relief coursed through my veins. We weren’t permanently bonded. My brows slashed over my eyes.

Can he scent the mating bond? But how?

My father must have read the questions plainly reflected on my face, for he said, “As your King, I have the power to see the bonds that closely tie my people together. That includes your bond.” The King stepped closer, stopping when he was a hair’s breadth away, forcing me to stare into his violet eyes, a mirror of my own.

“As your father…I sensed something amiss with you the moment I saw you. Took a whiff and put the pieces together.”

“There are no pieces to put together,” I growled, clenching my fists.

“Don’t play games with me,” King Tridar hissed, his shoulders taut with restrained anger. “I know you’ve lain with a female werewolf.”

My eyes snapped wide. “The hell I have,” I snared. My blood boiled at his accusation. Did he think so little of me to betray our people—betray my promise to Gallax? I was in a relationship with his sister, for stars' sake! Promised to her through an engagement.

King Tridar scoffed. “Please.” He came nose to nose with me. “I can smell her on you! ”

My mind flashed back to my having embraced the female in the gardens.

Her brilliant sapphire eyes had fluttered close as she’d leaned into my touch and awaited my kiss.

Even now, my damn mouth flooded with moisture for her lips—to taste her, relish the feel of her ample curves pressed against all my hard places.

Arousal stirred within me, percolating like a volcano about to blow.

I clenched my jaw hard, pushing down the desire that rode me hard. “You can smell her because we held each other,” I admitted, the words bitter on my tongue. “But I did not sleep with her!” My gaze implored his. “I’d never betray my people like that. It’s unthinkable to do so.”

My father peered into my eyes as if searching for the truth. I felt his penetrating gaze straight to my gut. I held his gaze unblinking. Stepping back a fraction, the king allowed me my space. I felt my lungs swell with oxygen as if they were starved.

Heaving a deep sigh, my father said, “I believe you, son.” His lips thinned. “I know how deep your hatred runs for the werewolves.” His brow furrowed in confusion. “But that still doesn’t explain why a female werewolf’s scent clings to your skin like a cape.”

My jaw twisted as I considered my next words. Could I really tell my father the truth? That I had found my mate in the enemy. King Tridar was a just and fair leader, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t a highly dominant male with a quick temper.

I inhaled a steadying breath and straightened to my full height. “I met my mate here. It’s…,” I paused a heartbeat, eyeing my father. Cold realization rinsed his face, his eyes widening, mouth parting. Bile punched up my throat. “It’s the werewolf princess, Ember Vaughan. ”

Silence drenched in tension blanketed the two of us. King Tridar shook his head slowly. “It can’t be,” he murmured. “Are…are you serious?”

I dropped my head, tugging at the strands of my hair in agitation. “I wish I weren’t, Father, I do. But the female is my mate.”

My father whirled away, his back ramrod straight.

He placed his hands on his hips and dropped his head.

For the first time since knowing my father, he was at a loss for words.

A pang stabbed at my heart at seeing him reduced to this because of me and my bond with the enemy female.

My fists trembled with the urge to slam them into something.

The dark powers within my core swelled, seeking a release.

My father turned sideways. Rubbing at his chin, he angled a look at me that was calculating.

The fine hairs at the nape of my neck lifted.

What the hell is he thinking?

“This could work…,” King Tridar murmured. He gave a slow, contemplative nod. “This may be just what we need after all these centuries.

I raised a brow eyeing him through narrowed eyes. “What? What is it?”

My father slid his gaze toward me as if he realized I was still in the room. He straightened and faced me. Drawing near again, he said, “We must hurry if we’re to make the summit on time.” With that, he swept past me and exited the room.

I whirled, gaping at my father’s retreating back. “What could work?” I demanded. Hurrying after him, I drew up alongside my father, my long legs matching his quick strides. “Father, what in star's name were you saying back there? ”

“Don’t take that tone with me.” He warned, narrowing an eye at me. My jaw clenched. He looked ahead again. “Besides, you’ll find out soon enough.”

Cold dread snaked down my spine. Whatever my father was planning, I knew with every bone in my body that I would not like his idea.

Yet, it was too late to press him for any further information, for the King swept into the Great Hall.

All eyes swiveled to him and then on me soon after as I followed my father to our section of the terraces.

Everyone was already seated. Raised brows and narrowed eyes from the werewolves revealed they were not pleased with waiting.

To hell with them.