Page 3 of Dragon Blood (Dragon Island #3)

T aking in the vaulted ceiling of the airy mansion, Kai Sun rolled his shoulders. He still questioned his fragile reasoning for agreeing to fly across the world to a tiny island in the middle of the ocean when he had a stack of contracts that waited on his desk to be reviewed.

Even though he’d completed the most pressing portfolio before leaving, there was always more waiting for his attention.

Kolina had insisted. She’d called him to see about his acceptance. His sister was getting married, and it was the marriage of a dragon’s lifetime. An Aeleftherian dragon’s lifetime. Which he was not. By blood, yes, but as a male, wholly irrelevant.

His jaw tightened as his gaze landed on Kolina at her approach. He nodded respectfully. “Mother.”

He stiffened as she reached out, giving his arm a light squeeze, eyes roaming his face as though he would disappear at any moment.

She’s much softer than I remembered.

Gut tight, he buried the rising emotions he had yet to examine since her sudden reappearance, seeking to reconnect with him after all these years. Many years. He still reeled over the whole unexpected reunion. If it weren’t for his family’s encouragement—his father’s family—he’d have shut the door in Kolina’s face and got on with his life.

Her smile faltered, but still held it as she dropped her hand. “I’m glad you decided to join us. Kymri is so excited to meet you.”

Something he never thought would happen. Not with the Aeleftherian attitude toward male children.

He nodded, not letting her off the hook. “Shame it took so long for it to happen. And to be honest, I wasn’t going to come. Not with the current workload I have.” He cleared his throat, turning his attention to the other guests arriving.

“Well, consider it an impromptu vacation.” She turned as an older man approached, broad shouldered, trim, salt and pepper hair. “Odson. This is my son, Kai.”

The way Odson’s gaze swept over Kolina, lingering on her face, left Kai with no doubt about his affection for her.

Odson Blackridge. Kai had heard of him over the years. He held out his hand to the older man.

Odson accepted it with a firm shake. “Kai.”

“Is Kymri ready? She was looking for Jori when she asked me to find Kai,” Kolina said.

Odson nodded, turning to lead them toward another wing of the vast house. “We’d better do this while everyone is settling in before dinner. Carson is just waiting for Queen Regina to arrive.”

Kai followed behind, thoughts whirling through his mind, stomach and chest so tight he had to force himself to breathe as he struggled to make sense of what was happening. As he had so many times before, he questioned the reality of the circumstances and his sanity for agreeing to come to this weekend wedding for a sister that didn’t even know him.

She was so tiny and perfect with those big glistening eyes…

Despite being a fourteen-year-old boy, his heart had melted at that first—and last—sight of his baby sister all those years ago. Kolina’s return to present the child to their father had also been the last time he’d seen his sister—and his mother.

Kai never forgot Kolina’s stern expression when he’d asked her to stay with them and she’d refused. Her duty was to her people. Not her family.

Kolina turned, stopping Kai before they entered the room after Odson. She visibly swallowed before speaking. “Kai, whatever your feelings toward me and my choices, just remember that Kymri is innocent.” Her eyes searched his face. “She didn’t know of your existence until I finally decided to look for you. You are here for her. Not for me, though I wish it were otherwise.”

Having no words, Kai straightened with a nod, his gut churning.

He drew a deep breath, determined not to let his emotions cloud the experience. Just like when he approached the boardroom.

Calm. Thoughts in order. Clear assessment.

Kolina led him into the commodious, light-filled room, cream and white like every other space he’d seen so far.

While his own, usually dormant, inner dragon rose within him, scenting the other dragons in proximity, his tiger growled beneath the surface at so many apex predators in his vicinity.

His gaze immediately landed on the bright, wide eyes of the woman staring back at him.

One hand rested on her rounded belly, while the delicate fingers of the other remained laced with those of the man next to her.

Kymri.

His heart melted all over again, easing his inner beasts.

Kai smiled. “Hello, little sister.”

The man—Jori, he presumed—released her hand with a light squeeze. She seemed to float toward him, eyes bright. She stopped within two paces, studying him as he studied her. The resemblance between her and their mother was undeniable, but he saw flecks of their father in her too.

“Brother.” Finally, she reached out a tentative hand, eyes flicking toward Kolina. “I’m glad you’re here. Mother didn’t think you’d come.”

He grasped her small hand in return. “Father insisted. But I’m glad to be here to meet you, and see your big day through.”

“Father? He’s well?” Her breath hitched on that first word.

“He is. And when you’re ready, he awaits your visit.”

Her shoulders lifted as she drew a deep breath, turning away to hide the tears forming in her eyes. “I will do that. Now, this is Jori Mountainside, king of Katoa Koro. You’ve met Odson Blackridge, his uncle…” she went on naming names of those in the room he’d ignored until that moment.

Jori stepped forward, hand extended. “So glad you’re here, man.”

Kai noted his neatly pulled-back man bun and the tattoos lining his arms below the rolled-up shirtsleeves. He hesitated at the unexpected gesture from a dragon shifter king. “Aeleftheria is pretty awesome, once you get past the whole no-man thing. You’re going to like it—if you decide to check it out, that is.”

“I’ll… think about it.” Kai nodded, shaking his hand.

He whirled through a few more names and faces… Elora, Jonathan, Stenlen, and Frederick—sometimes called Goliath.

They fell into awkward idle chatter until their host, Carson Perenga, appeared at the door. “Queen Regina is here.”

He stepped aside as two women entered the room, dressed in formal engraved leather armor covering flowing cotton tunics and pants, ceremonial spears in hand, silver hilted daggers tucked into the armor at various accessible positions.

“Marli Fleetwing and your cousin, Zayli Steelscale.” Kolina whispered to Kai. “They’re both Aeleftherian guardians and until recently, were under your sister’s command.” Kolina nodded toward the uniformed women. “If Kymri hadn’t met Jori, she’d still be on her way to eventually replacing me among the queen’s personal guard.”

“You’re a member of the Queen’s Guard?” Kai looked down into Kolina’s face.

“I am. But today I’m here as mother of the bride. I just wish your grandmother had come too, though I never expected she would have.”

Mother, sister, cousin, grandmother…

“She disapproves of the groom?”

“You could say that, though it’s not personal to him. As part of the Queen’s Council, Kymri’s choices have upset my mother’s plans for Aeleftheria’s traditions and the Steelscale legacy.”

“Sounds complicated.”

“Not any more complicated than the social structure of your father’s clan—ah, Queen Regina.”

Kai turned at Kolina’s nod to the entrance, curious to see the revered ruler.

A charge rippled through the room, making the hairs on his arms and nape stand on end. The sensation of power caught the attention of his inner dragon, while it set his tiger on edge.

He finally pulled his gaze from the captivating woman’s face to the one standing directly behind her.

His breath stopped, thoughts frozen, words jammed in his throat as he stared at the equally stunned expression staring back at him.

Red.

Kolina leaned in again. “Princess Astred Arakkil, heir to the Aeleftherian throne.”

Princess? Heir? Fuck.

Red’s expression registered shock, a flicker of delight, then dropped into a narrow-eyed scowl before she found her mask.

Kai’s heart pounded with each change, tightening on the final one.

He drew a deep breath and adjusted likewise.

I knew I shouldn’t have come.