Page 2 of Owned by Four Alphas (Silverthorn Alphas #2)

Despite her defiant expression, nervous energy was rolling off her in waves, the scent of it sharp. Kaelen bared his teeth, utterly unfazed by the fire in her eyes as he approached her.

“Omega,” he ground out, “what are you doing?”

“I’m enjoying the celebrations,” she retorted, stepping out from the safety of Malek’s arms to meet him.

“By yourself?” he replied, crossing his arms, his dragon shifting beneath his skin with agitation.

“I’m not by myself ,” Selena said, dropping her voice to mimic his angry tone, “Malek is right here. And Ronan knew where I was going.”

Kaelen glanced up at his packmate, eyes narrowing at the shadowy figure of the monster king. “I thought we agreed”—his fists balled—“that you shouldn’t go out with just Malek. It’s not safe.”

“You might have agreed that,” Selena shot back, her temper flaring, silver eyes flashing, “but I certainly didn’t. I’m perfectly safe with Malek. And just by myself.”

“Selena, you carry our child.”

Selena was practically spitting enough fire to be a dragon herself, drawing herself up to her full height and stepping forward. Despite the lush curves of her hips, her breasts, her stomach, she was still laughably tiny compared to him. It never seemed to deter her from trying his patience. “I do hope you’re not implying that me going out into the city endangers the life of our baby? Because I swear to all the gods, Kaelen, if you are, then so help me, I will—”

“Easy, little dove.” Elian elbowed his way between them, an amused smirk on his face. “Why don’t we go somewhere a little more private, hmm? That way, you can hand Kaelen his balls in peace.”

Kaelen snarled at the smug Fae, but Elian ignored him, instead guiding Selena away from the crowd of people failing miserably to hide their interest in the dispute.

“I thought you agreed with me,” Kaelen said to Malek, his fists clenching.

“Beyond the walls of the city, I do,” Malek replied, falling into step beside him, a few paces behind Elian and his furious omega, “but it’s daytime, and we’re in the center of the Marble Halls. I could smell at least ten of Elian’s personal guards in the crowd. Nothing was going to happen.”

Kaelen growled, his eyes fixed on the dark hair of his mate, the stubborn set of her shoulders. He wanted to rage at Malek, remind him of what happened those few months ago. How Damien and Phaendar had used the Crown to control him, turn him against his pack. Remind him that while at the temple he had been distracted by something in the forest and humans had nearly taken their mate.

But he held his tongue. Kaelen was many things, but he did not consider himself to be cruel. In truth, he knew that within the Marble Halls, Malek was just as capable of defending their mate as Kaelen was.

But every moment he was apart from Selena, every second she wasn’t tucked safely against his side, his anxiety threatened to overwhelm him. She was so determined to face up to any that challenged her, so willing to face threats head on. He didn’t understand why she couldn’t just let him loose upon her enemies, let him release his dragon and descend upon them.

Instead, she was determined to use diplomacy—talk and posture, Elian showing her which honeyed words to use. He growled as he watched the Fae Lord drape an arm over Selena. Diplomacy would get them nowhere if Selena’s enemies decided to rise against them. The pack would be all the stronger if they could prove now that they weren’t afraid to spill a little blood in the name of peace.

And oh, how he had longed to spill a little blood. Trips back to his throne in the northern volcanoes had often ended with violent reminders to some of the more outspoken nobles of his court that he was still their king. And like it or not, Selena was their queen. The queen.

Elian, heir to the Benellane name and Lord of the Marble Halls, kept different laws in his territory. Laws Kaelen was honor-bound to follow. The realm was not yet united, Selena’s control not yet absolute.

And she was pregnant. Vulnerable. So small, so soft. So defenseless against those that would seek to attack her. Her magic had changed when she had rejected becoming a goddess, and while she was working incredibly hard to learn to control it, she had not yet mastered anything that would allow her to defend herself. And until she did, she needed her mates to protect her. No matter how much she argued.

Elian joked and laughed with passing nobles as they made their way up the steps into the palace, Selena still tucked tightly into his side. The same nobles eyed Kaelen with fear and apprehension, side-stepping as he stalked after his packmates. He growled at the few that were stupid enough to wander too close to him, his jaws snapping. Beside him, Malek sighed.

As if sensing how close Kaelen was to losing control and shifting right then and there in his ancestral home, Elian dipped into one of the many airy lounges, the far side bare to the cool breeze except for a few intricately carved pillars. Magic kept the worst of the cold away, a blessing since the darkening clouds outside spoke of another seasonally late storm.

Selena wasted absolutely no time rounding on him, hands on her hips.

“This doesn’t need to be a long conversation, Kaelen,” she said, tone full of warning, “as I believe I only need to say this once. I can go wherever I damn well please with whomever I damn well please. Including Malek. Especially Malek. Are we completely clear?”

He couldn’t stop the dark laugh that erupted from his chest. He advanced on her, slowly, letting every ounce of his scent roll off of him. Her eyes flickered to his neck, his arms, and her throat bobbed.

Good.

“Little Omega,” he purred, grasping her chin with his thumb and forefinger and lifting her angry face up to meet his gaze, “I don’t think we’re clear at all. You disobeyed me. Do you think I put these rules in place to punish you? To limit you? Twice you were nearly taken from me, twice you were hurt because you were by yourself. If you cannot obey me, then I promise you, you will quickly learn all the ways that I will make you obey me.”

Malek had moved to stand behind Selena, arms crossed over his chest, eerie black eyes fixed on Kaelen. The threat was clear.

“Something on your mind, Malek?”

The monster king did not respond, but his jaw tightened. Kaelen bared his teeth, yanking Selena closer into his chest. Malek’s answering growl echoed off the walls.

His dragon pulsed through him, magic rippling down his skin. Danger. There was danger. Malek was not backing down. So rarely did the monster feel brave enough to square up to him, so rarely did he ever assert his strength. He was too scared of being turned away, spurned from the pack, to ever step out of line. It seemed he was growing bolder with Selena’s favor. It was time for a reminder. If he wanted a fight, then he would get one.

“Hey—hey! No! Absolutely not!” Selena yanked herself out of his grip, glaring between them, “if you can’t discuss this rationally, then we won’t be discussing it at all.”

“Well said!” Elian crowed from where he lounged on a sofa. “Little dove, be a darling and come and sit on my lap. Leave those two brutes to their posturing.”

“Stop it,” Selena snapped, narrowing her eyes at him. Kaelen’s gaze was still locked with Malek’s, the air between them charged and dangerous.

“You cannot defend yourself, Omega,” Kaelen snarled, not dropping his gaze from Malek’s, “and so it is my duty to protect you. I only wish to keep you and our child safe. How can you not see that?”

“How can you not see that you’re being unreasonable! You knew I wanted to go to the celebrations today, you could have accompanied me yourself, but instead you—oh, for the love of—will you look at me when I’m talking to you!”

She snarled at him, baring her teeth, and so help him, Kaelen couldn’t stop the growl of anger and warning that erupted as he finally looked down at her.

Elian was on his feet in an instant, dark shadows swirling around his hands.

“Careful, dragon,” Elian said, his voice pure ice. “I happen to agree with you, but let’s remember our manners, shall we?”

Selena ignored Elian entirely, her own snarl growing louder, limbs trembling with fury, “I have the magic of the Forest God, Kaelen,” she hissed. “Tell me how exactly that makes me unable to defend myself.”

“Is that so?” he answered, every ounce of him desperate to dominate, to pin her beneath him, bite her neck, and remind her that she was his omega. “And what if I were to attack you now, hmm? We both know you haven’t yet learned to wield your magic. How effectively do you think you’d be able to fight me off?”

Her eyes flashed with something as she took in his warrior’s stance, his huge muscles, the curved blades at his sides. Her fierce expression faltered slightly.

“Well? Shall I demonstrate exactly how vulnerable you are? Shall I show you every single way I could have you beneath me in a matter of seconds? Because I can promise you, Omega, you won’t like the outcome.”

She growled again, but with noticeably less fire. Her body was fighting her, Kaelen could smell it. Shouting at her to yield to him. She was resisting remarkably well.

He took a menacing step forward and her eyes shot to his face, little fists clenching.

“What will it be, Selena?”

Behind her, Malek and Elian eyed him in warning, neither of them stupid enough to try and get in his way, but both primed to intervene should Selena try something idiotic. She certainly looked ready to launch herself at him.

But instead, her gaze dropped to the floor, her hands relaxing, her stance shrinking in on itself in submission. He was just about to drive his victory home, when she spoke.

“I wouldn’t be able to do anything,” she said, her voice quiet, yet unmistakably firm, “because you’re right. I can’t yet control my magic. But consider this, Kaelen.” Her eyes flicked upwards to meet his. “You may be able to strong-arm me into obeying you, force me to submit to your will, but is it worth losing my respect?”

She didn’t wait for an answer before pushing past him and leaving him with the weight of her words crushing into his chest.

After a few moments, Elian gave a low whistle, “Wonderfully handled, Kaelen. Truly a masterclass in negotiation.”

Kaelen launched at him, but the Fae was too quick, slipping out of the path of Kaelen’s swinging fist towards the door.

“Don’t take it out on me! Now if you don’t mind, I’m going to find our mate, and make sure she’s ready for the feast tonight. She’s been working on her speech for days!”

“Speech?” Kaelen growled. “What speech? I thought we agreed she shouldn’t do a—”

But it was too late. Elian was gone.

Kaelen released a great huff of air, his muscles still trembling with the urge to fight. His dragon was practically writhing beneath his skin, screaming to be freed. He eyed the great expanse of sky beyond the balcony, the encroaching thunderclouds rumbling over the mountains.

Just as he took a step, arms flexing, ready to let the transformation take over, Malek stopped him.

“What’s your answer?”

“What?” Kaelen snapped, half an eye on the sky.

“To Selena’s question. Whether controlling her to guarantee her safety is worth losing her respect. What’s your answer?”

Kaelen eyed him, jaw clenching. He knew exactly what Malek’s answer would be. The monster king made no secret that his loyalty to Selena was absolute. But he had also never had someone he loved taken from him. Had to mourn, certain in the knowledge that had he been there, he might have been able to prevent it. He had never had to carry that burden.

“I will do anything if it means keeping her safe,” Kaelen replied, finally allowing the dragon to break free. “Even if she ends up hating me for it.”

He took to the skies, his roars mingling with the heavy drums of thunder.