Page 20 of Court of Rivals (Their Dragon Rider #1)
H arper
It’s been a long ass day, and yet, I’m restless. Frustrated. Agitated. I don’t know why. It’s like I have bugs crawling under my skin, and I just want to yank them all out.
There’s a knock at my bedroom door.
I toss the book about dragon riding and the war between the Hollowborn and us.
The chapter was about how the Hollowbone kill dragons and raise them as bone wyrms, because they’re incapable of bonding with living beings, which was fascinating, but reading wasn’t what I wanted to be doing in this mood.
I want to… I don’t know. Scream, maybe? Not that I’ll give the princes the satisfaction of hearing me doing such a thing, knowing that two of them are right next door to me.
Still, I have no idea why anyone would be knocking at my door after dinner time.
Tossing open the door, I find Roland standing there nervously. “Hey, what’s up?”
He shifts from one foot to the other. “I was wondering if you might want to join me in town tonight. Not me, I mean, all the dragon riders.”
“Why are they going into town?” I ask, confused.
His cheeks heat. “You know how all the female dragons are… typically without a male. Their, uh, needs aren’t typically being met.
And since we’re all connected to our dragons, it leaves all the men feeling, well, a little lonely.
Which means the dragon riders go into town every few days to find themselves some company for the night. ”
“Company for the night?” I say, thinking about my restlessness. “That could be exactly what I need. You know, as long as this isn’t some plot to humiliate me in a new way.”
Roland looks shocked. “N-no.”
“Because you don’t typically want to be seen in public with me…”
He winces. “Well, I didn’t plan on us hanging out at the tavern together.”
Of course. “Regardless, a change of scenery sounds nice.”
Stepping out into the hall, I close the door behind me feeling a rush of emotions.
Sex is probably the exact thing I need to get this feeling to go away.
To stop thinking about the three asshole princes, to stop wanting things that don’t make sense.
My thoughts stray to what they look like bare chested, all strong arms, broad shoulders, and flat stomachs full of rippling muscles.
Their nice asses as they walk away. Fuck.
Where are my thoughts going? I’m not attracted to jerks, so I’m not sure what’s going on.
Maybe it is my connection to Ebron. That’s got to be it.
“You know… you don’t have to have company for the night. I was just thinking you might like getting a little space from the academy and seeing the city.”
I turn and flash a smile at him. “I guess we’ll see where the night takes us.”
Roland finishes into his pocket and hands me something. “Money from the king to spend. There will be more coming, of course, given that you’re now his ward.”
“Money? Nice,” I say, not minding it one bit and tucking the pouch into my pocket.
We start heading out of the academy. I’ve never been in this area before, so I try to watch where we go, knowing that there’s a good chance I’ll be heading back by myself tonight, if I don’t snag some good-looking man to keep me company.
“So, if I’m really horny, does that mean my dragon is really horny?”
There’s a sharp intake of air, and a look of pure shock, before he manages to cover it up once more.
“Unless you’re usually… horny, yeah, it’s probably your dragon.
Things have actually been a lot worse for all of us since your dragon came.
We’re thinking the females will probably be going into heat soon. ”
“Oh, I had no idea.”
“You haven’t noticed the looks from the other men?”
I look at Roland, frowning. “No.”
His brows wrinkle. “Do you have any sense of self-preservation at all?”
Strangely, his tone isn’t rude, just curious. “All I’ve sensed from the men is a general consensus that they hate me.”
He pushes open a door and we head into a courtyard and toward the gates enclosing the academy. “Hate and desire often walk hand-in-hand.”
“Not for me.” Well, that’s not entirely true. My thoughts stray to the three handsome princes yet again .
As we begin to explore the city, I find myself shocked.
I could see that Elarwyn was massive when we flew overhead, but nothing could quite prepare me for walking in the city.
There are tall buildings that seem to have multiple small homes in them.
Businesses and markets at random places, not just in the market square.
And people are everywhere , even at this time of night.
It’s overwhelming.
“Here,” Roland says, pointing to a large building. “This is the tavern the dragon riders tend to hang out at.”
“Nice,” I say, even as a bubble of nervousness explodes inside of me.
The other dragon riders won’t be happy to see me. But I’m not here for them. I’m here to have my own night of fun.
“But once we get in there, you should know I’ll probably just stick to the other riders,” Roland says, as if he needed to tell me.
I can’t help but call him a coward in my mind, even though I understand. I have a target on my back, and it’s not exactly a surprise that he doesn’t want one on his back too. Especially when it seems he’s not all that popular to begin with.
We head inside and, sure enough, the second we step foot in the massive room, Roland walks away from me.
Most of the dragon riders are in the back end of the room gathered around a table with a card game going on, and another area where they’re throwing darts.
Women in scantily-clad outfits hang all over them, and it’s clear the men are thoroughly enjoying their company.
A fireplace burns nearby casting shadows across the group of large men clad in leather.
Ignoring them, I head for the busy bar. A couple of women chat at a nearby table. A whore tries to coax men into the back, moving throughout the room, and tired-looking farmers and soldiers crowd around the bar. I make my way through them, stealing a stool the second one of the men gets up.
Sitting, I wait as the barmaid spots me and heads over. “One pint of ale,” I say.
She nods, but then glances around. “Aren’t you here with anyone?”
“Not really,” I say.
She whistles low. “A girl like you is sure to bring trouble…”
I smile. “I don’t mind a little trouble.”
Glancing at the door, I feel them even before I see them.
The three princes enter through the door without glancing in my direction.
Instead, they head straight for the back of the room, a commanding air to their massive frames, even without them saying a word.
They split off in different directions when they reach the back.
Prince Gareth joins the people throwing darts.
Prince Lucien sits with the men playing cards, and Alaric finds a seat near the fire, where a few other dragon riders talk.
I try not to notice how good they look. I swear, I really try. It seems a crime against nature that men who are that awful, that full of themselves, that threatened by just the existence of women, can look that good. But there’s nothing I can do about it. Nothing but fuck my frustrations away.
The barmaid sets my ale down. I reach into the pouch to pay when a man stops me, “I got this.” He shoves his way through the men around me, until we finally have some space, then pays the barmaid.
“Thank you,” I say, studying him beneath my lashes.
He’s six-foot-something with a mop of auburn hair and pale brown eyes. He’s built like a farmer, not a dragon rider, with a lean frame and lean muscles. He’s wearing a tan shirt made of inexpensive fabric and tight pants that do an excellent job showing off his nice legs.
“I’m Harper,” I say, stretching out a hand.
He smiles, and he has a charming smile. “Lee.”
The stool next to me opens up, and he snags it without another word, ordering another ale for himself.
I can see him watching me, barely taking his eyes off of me, but it's flattering rather than upsetting. He has… kind eyes. And although he could be hiding a monster behind them, I seriously doubt it. I’m usually a pretty good judge of character.
“What brings you to the tavern tonight, Lee?” I ask.
His smile never wavers. “Spent the day weeding and hoeing the crops. You?”
“Working at the dragon riders academy.”
“You work there?” he asks, his gaze scanning over my leather-clad outfit.
“I do,” I answer, knowing that he probably thinks I’m some kind of strangely dressed maid.
“And where are you from?”
“You don’t think I’m from here?” I tease, taking a swig of my drink, which is actually really good. I see why the dragon riders hang out here.
He shrugs. “It’s the way you talk. You sound like you’re from a small town.”
“I am,” I admit. “Pennyvale.”
“Never heard of it.”
“Yeah, I didn’t think you would have.”
We talk for a while longer, finishing our drinks, then getting another round.
He tells me about new foals that were recently born on his farm.
Twins! Which rarely happens. He tells a harrowing story about the night he had to help the mother birth them or risk losing her.
I learn about his brother and his sister, his mother and his father, and about how his grandfather mixes up things, often resulting in hilarious situations. He’s a nice man, with a nice life.
He asks me more about myself. I tell him about my four brothers and my parents. I tell him about harvest time in our small town, and about Tesson’s father, the lord we all hate.
By the time we start on our third drink, the liquor is burning through me along with desire. This man doesn’t excite me. Doesn’t make me want to do crazy things, but he’s handsome, and kind. The perfect situation for a quick night of fun.
Leaning close to him, I put a hand on his thigh. “Lee, are you married?”
I can practically see his heartbeat racing. “No. Definitely not.”
Smiling, I lean closer and whisper in his ear. “What are you doing tonight?”