Page 11

Chapter 10

Aruan

M y only thought is to protect my mate.

Someone tried to kill her.

Fury wells up inside me, but I push it down because her dress is drenched in the poison. I need to get that off her skin.

I growl an instruction to the guards who stand on either side of the doors to the Great Hall as I fly across the threshold with Elsie in my arms. “Keep the guests locked inside.”

Every person will be questioned. I will find the bastard who tried to assassinate her. Poison has been used to eliminate rivals for as long as Zerra has existed. It’s the weapon of cowards and corrupt people who lack honor and pride.

“Aruan,” Elsie says, pushing on my chest. Her blue-green eyes are wide with alarm. “You drank it. You drank a whole goblet full of it.”

Her concern for my welfare warms my chest. If urgent measures weren’t required, I’d bask in her care, but I have to make sure she’s safe.

“Aruan,” she repeats, sounding close to hysterical. “Are you listening to me? You need to put me down. Call Vitai. He can fix this, right?”

Not even Vitai can fully reverse the effect of a powerful poison. Once it’s been ingested, it quickly devours flesh and blood, too fast for a healer to intervene before the onset of death.

I don’t have time to explain, but the need to reassure my mate demands that I set her worry at ease.

My reply is gruff. “If there’d been poison in my goblet, I’d be dead already.”

A gasp falls from her lips, and a dragon can maul to me a pulp if I don’t feel her fear as if it were my own.

The minute I’m outside the hall, I lower Elsie to her feet. I don’t pause to think. I act fast, gripping the neckline of her dress and ripping the garment down the middle. I’m deaf to her shriek as the fabric pools around her ankles and she stands there naked.

My body reacts to hers naturally. Even in such dire circumstances, I get hard at the sight of her pale skin and small, perky breasts. The aphrodisiac rushes through my blood, amplifying everything until I’m about to combust, but those are only physical needs. They won’t dictate my actions or influence my decisions as long as Elsie’s life is in danger.

Locking my hands around her tiny waist, I drag her closer. She utters a yelp and tries to push me away, but she’s no match for my strength.

I study her breasts. They’re not wet from the juice. To be sure, I lean in and sniff her skin.

“Hey,” she cries out. “What are you doing?”

The only smell that clings to her is the intoxicating fragrance of dragon flower blossoms. There’s no trace of the cloyingly sweet scent of poison.

Beating her fists on my shoulders, she shouts, “Let go!”

“Keep still,” I say with warning.

Whatever she hears in my voice, which sounds more animalistic than human, makes her obey.

Good girl.

I keep my hands fastened around her middle in case she gets it into her head to defy me again. My mate is obstinate. It’s a characteristic I’m quickly getting to know.

Lifting her by the hips, I set her aside so that no part of her body touches the dress.

“Do not move,” I repeat. “Disobey me, and there will be consequences.”

Her throat ripples as she swallows.

I kneel down and pick up the dress between a forefinger and thumb. The inner layer is dry. The thin cloth that lines the dress is impermeable. We use it for protective clothing but also to soften the roughness of the shiny outer fabric that includes hair-thin threads of spun silver.

I’m grateful for the meticulous specifications I gave when ordering the dress. At least none of the toxic substance came into contact with her skin. If that cursed pixie dragon had knocked the goblet out of my hand a second later, things would’ve worked out very differently.

A shudder runs through me at the thought.

That vulturous little dragon saved her. As for me, I almost forced her to drink. I nearly sent my own mate to her death.

The rage rises again, and with it the uncontrollable power that shakes the very walls. The light inside the reflective stones goes out. Darkness bleeds through the hallway. My eyes adjust quickly, their enhanced ability allowing me to see through the inky shadows that swallow us.

“Aruan,” Elsie says, my name sounding like a question on her lips.

I look at her.

She’s folded her arms around her breasts, hiding her nakedness from me, but the curly triangle of copper hair between her legs is exposed, and the sight does things to me, things that are highly inappropriate given where we are and what just happened.

I almost lost her.

Again.

A snarl curls my lips.

There’s only one thought left now, one ruling instinct, and for once, my mind and my body are aligned.

Claim her.

I’m on her in a wink, cupping her head in my hands and crushing my mouth to hers in a bruising kiss.

The tiara slides down her hair and falls somewhere on the floor. She utters something that’s lost in the clash of our teeth. Her lips on mine are like homecoming. The vibration I first felt at her presence intensifies ten moon cycles over. When I taste the sweetness of her tongue, my mind finally fails me. My body takes over, and what it demands is to sink deep inside her hidden heat.

Her resistance is a vague notion like the fine winter mist over the lake. The scent of her skin doesn’t help. It cloaks my senses and drives me mad. The man has fled, and only the beast is left. He’s ruled by instinct alone. He needs to claim what’s his.

A puff of air from her lips steals into our kiss.

I’ve backed her up to the wall. The surface behind her is rough, but it serves the purpose of keeping her up as I part her legs with my knee and slide a thigh between her naked limbs. I can feel her wetness through the fabric of my pants. I can smell her arousal and her readiness. I can sense her submission as her resistance crumbles.

The kiss turns less violent as she gives in. I don’t waste time. I take what she offers by plundering her mouth. Her moans spur me on. The poison that could’ve killed her has manifested as the venom in my blood that makes me lose all rationality and control. The dress on the floor is forgotten, and so is the reason why she’s naked. All I can focus on is that she’s here, ready and willing, her naked body accessible and her mouth already mine.

My promise to make this enjoyable for her and therefore ignore my own needs is forgotten too, not by choice but because I’ve lost the ability to think. All that remains is the need, the terrible urge, the insatiable desire.

No longer commanded by a primal exigency to prevent her from getting away, I release my hold on her head so I can explore the smoothness of her shoulders. Her skin is like silk beneath my palms. The small mounds of her breasts were made for my hands. Those pretty nipples are going to taste so good in the gentle vise of my teeth when I’ve rolled them into hard little points between my fingers.

Everything I’m going to do to her flashes through my mind, tormenting me with unbearable desire. I’m going to savor the sweet honey between her legs, and then I’m going to bury myself so deep in her tight heat that she’ll never forget I was inside her. I’m going to bring her to the edge, giving her so much pleasure it will border on pain. I’m going to drive her to madness, and then I’ll give her the remedy. I’m going to teach her that the only remedy is me.

Elsie is kissing me right back. I’m not sure she’s conscious of her actions when she hooks her leg around the back of my thighs in search of more friction. Like me, she’s ruled by lust. Her body has taken over her mind. But if she carries on like this, I’m going to lose the last shred of humanity left inside me. I’m going to take her hard, and her body is too small and fragile to withstand an Alit male’s strength, especially the blind, fervor-stricken strength of a mate in heat.

The thought sobers me somewhat.

“Elsie,” I say into the kiss, her name a plea to pull me back from the animal to the man. “Slow down, my sweet, or I’ll take you right here against this wall.”

Her reply is to arch her back and flatten her breasts against my chest.

Dragons.

The little self-control I salvaged goes up in flames. I slide a palm over her flat stomach and wedge my hand between our bodies until my fingers find the wetness hidden beneath copper curls.

So hot.

She’s going to spill a lot more of that honey for me before I’m done with her. I’m going to drench her in her own arousal before lapping it all up. I want to dip my fingers into her tightness and stretch her until she can take me. Then I want to watch her face as I claim every inch of her. I will look into her eyes when she screams my name as she comes.

I cup her jaw, holding her in place for a deeper kiss as I feverishly work my cock free.

“Aruan,” she moans when I brush the lips of her sex apart.

“Yes.” I stroke the button hidden beneath those plump folds. “Say it. Say my name again.”

“Aruan.”

Only, the voice that has spoken doesn’t belong to Elsie.

It’s like diving into an icy sea. The heat coursing through me is doused in a beat.

Cluster of cursed dragons.

That voice belongs to Kian.

Elsie gasps and lowers her leg. A flush grows over her cheeks. The haziness disappears from her stunning blue-green eyes, and as they clear, shame sets in.

I clench the hand in which I cup her sex into a fist, my fingertips burrowing in the soft flesh of feminine parts.

I won’t allow her to hide behind shame.

A snarl tears from my chest. My words are directed at my brother. “If you don’t want to end up as a heap of ashes, I suggest you walk away.”

Most people, including my own family, would run at the threat.

Kian’s tone doesn’t give away fear. “It’s Mother.”

From the way he says it, I know it’s serious.

“Don’t move,” I bark out.

The order was meant for Kian, but Elsie flinches.

She flattens her back against the wall, putting the distance she tries so hard to always keep between us, and turns her face sideways.

I was a second away from sinking balls-deep into her. I didn’t even take the time to walk us to my quarters. The whole hall would’ve heard her screams. And I wouldn’t have given a dragon. I would’ve delighted in letting the whole of Lona know I’ve claimed my mate.

Gritting my teeth, I tuck my cock back into my pants. My movements are jerky as I take off my jacket and help Elsie pull it on. The garment is so big on her tiny frame that the hem falls below her knees. I try to ignore the painful hard-on raging in my pants as I slip the buttons through the holes to make sure she’s covered.

I only turn to my brother when I’ve fastened the last button.

Kian watches me with a level stare. “You’d better come.”

“Gaia!” I call, holding Kian’s gaze.

My sister comes running from the hall with tears still wet on her cheeks.

Her unhappiness unsettles me, but more important issues are at stake. Crying will have to wait.

“Take Elsie back to my quarters,” I say. “My guards will go with you. No one but me is allowed to enter. Understand?”

My sister bobs her head. Taking Elsie’s hand, she leads her to the stairs.

Kian tips his head toward the doors.

I go ahead.

When I re-enter the hall, the guests are huddled in groups in the four corners. My father could’ve easily ordered the guards to let the royal family out. They answer to both him and me, but as the king, he holds the highest power. Yet my immediate family, including my two close cousins, are still gathered around the king and queen’s table. My mother doesn’t sit up straight in her chair. She’s stretched out in it, her arms hanging limply at her sides. My father kneels in front of her, clutching one of her hands in both of his.

Kian, who follows behind me, says in a voice that doesn’t carry farther than my ears, “You’d better clear the hall. Father isn’t in a state of rational thinking, and the guests shouldn’t see this.”

One look at my mother is enough to tell me he’s right. As far as the people and even the nobles are concerned, the royals are powerful and invincible. Showing weakness wouldn’t only hurt the pride of the person in question. It would undermine our authority.

A nod at a guard communicates my instruction. Quickly, he organizes a team to line the people up before escorting them out. The waterfall that gives access to the palace will remain in place. For now, I’m not allowing anyone to leave.

The hall starts emptying while I walk to the main table.

Vitai studies my mother with a concerned look.

“Aruan,” my mother exclaims when I stop next to her chair. “You’re alive.” She sags in her seat. “Thank the dragons.”

My tone is chilly. “What did you do, Mother?”

“I don’t know what happened.” She coughs. “I swear it on your life, my son.”

I raise a brow. “Is that why I’m alive but Elsie was almost killed?”

“Mind your tongue, Aruan,” my father says with all the venomousness of a red jungle toad. “You will not disrespect your mother.” Turning back to his wife, he says in a gentler manner, “Rest now, my love. You mustn’t exert yourself. Let Vitai finish his evaluation.”

Suno and Tarix stand at the edge of the table, looking on with big eyes. The only reason my father isn’t sending them away is because, as the son of a favorite sister, Tarix is my mother’s private secretary and protégé. Suno acts as my father’s advisor. He’s learned in every scroll and law that hold legal power in Zerra.

Vitai takes a terracotta bowl from the table and holds it to my mother’s lips. Under my father’s wakeful watch, she manages to take a few sips of water.

“What happened?” I ask.

“She’s showing mild signs of poisoning,” Kian replies.

I barely manage to hide my shock. “What are the symptoms?”

Vitai glances at me. “She’s having trouble breathing.”

It could be acting. I wouldn’t put it past her.

Kian, always quick to read my thoughts, says, “Look at her tongue. It’s purple.”

I go cold. That can’t be faked. Unless she used the petals of cardon flowers. They’re dried and crushed to die fabrics. But if she didn’t…

“Can you fix it, Vitai?” I ask as evenly as I can.

“Fortunately, this case is mild enough, so I’ll do my best,” he says. “She shouldn’t have more than a fever and chills for a few days. Judging by her symptoms, she must’ve had light topical contact only. She’s lucky she didn’t ingest any.”

“How could this have happened?” Tarix asks, his voice close to breaking.

“That’s what I’d like to know.” My father’s expression darkens. “And I will find out.”

So will I.

I turn to Kian. “Read the mind of every person who entered the palace today.”

He nods grimly. “I was planning on it. It’ll take time, though. There must’ve been over five moon cycles of people at the banquet alone.”

My father gently arranges my mother’s hands in her lap before getting to his feet. “Go. Now.”

Kian leaves without another word.

“Do you have any idea how this could’ve happened?” I ask my mother.

She’s my main suspect, but would she truly have poisoned herself intentionally to appear like a victim to hide her guilt? It’s unlikely. The chances of living after exposure are too uncertain.

“I made the infusion myself,” she says, turning her face toward me with effort. “Tarix can vouch for that.”

“That’s true,” Tarix says. “No one was allowed in the kitchen while your mother prepared the precious potion.”

“Obviously, the poison wasn’t in the potion,” Vitai says. “Or else you’d be dead, Aruan.”

“Then how did your mother come in contact with it?” my father asks, his face a thunderous mask.

“It must’ve happened when I straightened the place settings,” my mother says weakly. “I was annoyed with the maids for not setting the table properly. Elsie’s goblet was slightly out of line with the others, so I put it back in place.”

“Where did you touch the goblet?” Vitai asks.

“I picked it up by the stem. It was slippery, as if someone with fatty hands had touched it. I almost dropped it but managed to catch it before it hit the table. I polished the stem with a cloth and put the goblet back in the right place.”

“Could you have touched the inside of the goblet when you caught it or maybe while you polished it?” Vitai asks thoughtfully.

My mother blows out a tired sigh. “I suppose that’s possible. Yes, I most likely did.”

“That’s enough.” My father bends down and picks my mother up in his arms. “I’m taking her to her quarters. She needs to rest.”

“An assassin is on the loose,” I point out. “One who nearly succeeded in killing my mate.”

My father gives me a cold stare. “We’ll get to the bottom of this but not at the expense of your mother’s health.”

“Someone must’ve painted the inside of the goblet with a poison that’s not only translucent but also tasteless and odorless.” Vitai looks at Gaia’s dead pet on the floor. “Spiked dragons are notoriously good at smelling harmful toxins.”

“Night lilies,” Tarix muses.

My exact thought.

“Four moon cycles of people had access to the hall before the banquet,” Suno says. “It could’ve been anyone.”

“Precisely.” I cross my arms. “And it will never happen again. From now on, no one cooks or touches Elsie’s food but me.”

“Don’t worry,” Suno says, coming closer to warily pat my shoulder. “Whoever did this, Kian will find him.”

“Or her,” I say, still not completely convinced about my mother’s innocence in all this.

However unlikely it is that she would’ve touched poison on purpose, I can’t ignore how convenient it is that she fell ill right before I intended to confront her about the “death” of my infant mate. I still want answers as to how Elsie ended up on Earth.

My father exits the hall with my mother in his arms, leaving us to stew over the question of who could’ve attempted such a terrible deed, a crime punishable by the cruelest of executions.

The truth is that it could’ve been anyone. Both the royals and the nobles are well versed in the scrolls. They’re terrified of the prophecy about the Alit prince with a dark, uncontrollable power… and the role his mate— my mate—is supposed to play in bringing about the end of our world.

Personally, I’m not a believer. But I can see why they are.

Not even I know exactly what I’m capable of, and if anything had happened to her today… Gritting my teeth, I tamp down on the thought and the rage that accompanies it, which manifests as a crack in the ceiling.

Tarix and Suno jump.

Tarix leaves quickly with an excuse to go check on the queen. Suno offers to get rid of the dead pet and to get a new one from the breeder for Gaia.

I take a deep breath to calm myself, mend the ceiling with my mind, and then go back to my quarters, unsure as to what I want to do as far as my mate is concerned. We got carried away in the heat of the mating call, but I doubt she’s in the mood for another round considering someone has just tried to kill her.

As it turns out, I find Elsie fast asleep in my bed, still dressed in my jacket. Another wave of that earlier tenderness washes over me. I don’t have the heart to wake her.

In the corner, Gaia is quietly crying.

I dismiss the guards with a wave of my hand. They leave quickly.

Sighing, I walk to my sister. “Mother will be fine. She’ll feel like she’s been mauled by a dragon for a few days, but with proper rest and care, she’ll pull through.”

Gaia wipes her nose on the back of her hand. “I know she’ll be all right.”

“What did you give Elsie?”

No one sleeps that soundly after a death scare.

Gaia sniffs. “Just a few drops of dranlaud to relax her.”

That will take a few hours to work out of her system.

“Go get some rest,” I tell Gaia. “It’s been a traumatic evening for everyone.”

Gaia catches my sleeve when I start to turn. “It’s not just Mother I’m concerned about. I’m worried about all of us. No good can come of this. Where’s this going to leave us?”

I fix her with a narrow-eyed stare. “Do not say you wish my mate away. Don’t you dare even imply it.”

She blanches. “I’d never.”

“Good.” I continue in a gentler tone, “Suno offered to get you a new pet.”

“I don’t want a new one,” she says, her voice wobbling again.

My heart softens. I pull her in for a hug, but she pushes away to look at me.

“Tell me everything is going to be fine, Aruan.”

I don’t reply because I never make promises I can’t keep.