Page 3 of Owned by Four Alphas (Silverthorn Alphas #2)

“How can he be so bloody arrogant all of the time?” she fumed, pacing back and forth, throwing various dresses and robes about the place. “I mean, does he not hear himself?”

“He’s a dragon.” Elian leaned against the wall by the fireplace, an easy smile on his inhumanly beautiful face, the light from the fire dancing in the curls of golden hair tumbling by his pointed ears. “Pride and arrogance are inevitable. Hoarding treasure is an instinct. And you, my dear, are his treasure.”

She scoffed, tossing yet another impossibly gorgeous gown over her shoulder. “Don’t make excuses for him, I know you think he’s right.”

Elian shrugged, lithe muscles of his chest rippling beneath his pale skin, visible due to the gaping silk shirt designed to show them off. “I think you’re trying to do an incredibly difficult thing.” He pushed off from the wall and stalked towards her, his face full of mischief. “I think learning to control your magic would be an almost insurmountable task to anyone, let alone a human. I think until you manage it, paltry issues such as your security are better handled by us, freeing up your time and energy to focus on the task at hand.”

She collapsed into the pile of silks, satins, and furs with a groan, batting Elian’s wandering hands away as he curled himself around her from behind. “How come when you say it, it makes sense?”

“Because unlike the dragon, I have some measure of intelligence.”

“More like manipulation,” she grumbled, leaning back into him. “Do you have an issue with me roaming the city alone this morning?”

“Impossible to say, darling, as you weren’t ever alone. I had guards trailing you from the moment you left our chambers.”

Her jaw fell open as she twisted around to glare at him, “Excuse me?”

He chuckled, his arms a steel trap around her middle even as she tried to pull away from him, “The fact you haven’t yet noticed them means they’re doing their job. Perhaps I’ll give them a pay increase!”

“Elian! That’s not funny!”

“Oh I don’t disagree with you at all, my sweet little mate.” He flipped her onto her back with practiced ease, trapping her legs beneath his and pinning both her wrists in one hand. “It’s not funny at all. In fact, it’s deadly serious. I won’t compromise anything at all when it comes to your safety.”

She growled at him, struggling helplessly in his grip as his free hand roamed over her torso, tickling her side and grinning wickedly as she wriggled underneath him.

“Didn’t it occur to you,” she narrowed her eyes, “to tell Kaelen about the guards before he felt the need to cause a scene in the middle of the square?”

Elian rolled his eyes and released her, huffing his displeasure at her lack of desire to let him have his wicked way with her. “Is it my responsibility to try and control Kaelen? He does as he pleases.”

“But you could have told him.”

“Perhaps I didn’t want to tell him. Perhaps I mightily enjoyed watching you give him a verbal lashing.” He batted his eyelashes, crawling forwards towards her, his lower lip pushed out into a pout. “How can I make it up to you, my little dove?”

“Don’t try that with me, I know you’re full of it.” Selena yet again pushed his hands away, raising an eyebrow at his petulant expression. “Do you think he’s terribly angry with me?”

Elian groaned and rolled onto his back, arms splayed out, “May the gods spare me from the dragon’s constant interference when I’m trying to seduce my mate!”

Selena threw a shoe at his chest. He caught it with lightning-fast reflexes, chucking it over his shoulder as a grin spread over his face.

“Did you just try and attack me with a shoe?”

“Be quiet and answer my question.”

“How can I be quiet and answer your question?”

“ Elian , you’re impossible !”

He jumped to his feet with the easy grace of a cat, stretching and rolling his arms with no small amount of show. “You know Kaelen’s never actually angry with you. Frustrated perhaps, and constantly confused that you have the audacity to break his silly rules. But never actually angry.”

“He certainly didn’t hesitate to shout at me,” she grumbled, well aware of the petulance in her voice, “and threaten me.”

“In his defense,” Elian said, raising his hands at her answering glare, “you do sometimes give him mixed messages.”

“What?” Selena growled, hand already searching for another projectile to send flying at his face.

Elian’s eyes darkened, “Come on, Selena, I’ve seen you two together. Participated myself on more than one occasion. When he has you naked and writhing beneath him, you’re all too happy to submit completely to him. You’re so strong, Kaelen, I’ll do anything you want, please, I’ll obey you, you’re my alpha, just please don’t stop—”

“Yes, alright!” Selena shouted, her cheeks burning. “That’s different! When we’re…you know…”

“Fucking.”

“Yes, thank you , Elian. When we’re… together like that, it’s different.”

Flashes of memory, of Kaelen’s intense amber eyes, his wild red hair, the fiery scent of him as he pinned her down and forced her to obey him—

“I don’t see how it’s different,” Elian replied, a knowing smirk on his face. “He’s an alpha. He hears an omega submit to him, he believes she’s actually, you know, submitting to him.”

“I submit to all of you when we’re in bed!”

“Not like you do with him. Ronan, it’s animal instinct. Malek, you go all lovesick and pining. And with me…would you like me to remind you how you are with me, little dove?”

This time, the shoe found its target.

Elian rubbed his chest and pouted. “So violent, my darling. But it does prove my point. With me, you’re a spoiled little brat who needs reminding who’s in charge. With Kaelen, he just has to growl and you’re a quivering mess of oh please and I’m yours . He takes it literally.”

“Well that sounds like his problem! If he can’t separate how I am in bed with what I want in real life, then he needs to learn!”

Elian’s face turned serious, all cheek gone. “I’m not sure you quite realize what it is he’s trying to do. What we’re trying to do. You’re young and you don’t always understand what our people can be like. We’re trying to unite the realm, and not everyone is happy about that. And while some may be charmed by your magic and your beauty, there are others who need convincing with altogether harsher methods.”

“Don’t patronize me, Elian, I know not everyone thinks I should be queen.”

“But do you know what Kaelen and I have been doing about those people?”

Her mouth opened, and then promptly shut again. She didn’t know. She had watched Elian and Kaelen move about the circles of nobles, heard them creep in from late night meetings, watched them murmur together with low tones. But she had always assumed it was just general political posturing.

Elian smirked. “I’ll take it by your silence that you have no idea. And that’s good. You shouldn’t have to know. But you can be certain in the knowledge that we are exposed to threats to you all the time. And we neutralize them. But they’re not going away, and they’re only getting stronger.”

She gulped as he stalked forward, his gaze purely predatory.

“I’m not denying that if Kaelen had his way, you would be tied to our bed and never allowed to leave,” he continued. “But some days, I’m inclined to agree with him.”

Shivers ran down her spine as Elian cupped the back of her neck with his hand, the other gripping her waist with familiar possessiveness.

“I’m not sure Ronan would have any complaints, either. Until you can control your magic, you are vulnerable. Until we have complete control of the realm, you are vulnerable. And you can stomp your little foot all you like, but at the end of the day, we will keep you safe. Whether you like it or not. Are we clear?”

She bit her lip, hands braced against the hard muscles of his chest, the omega within her whimpering and begging her to submit to him.

She managed a terse nod.

“Excellent!” Elian’s gaze brightened and he released her, looking down to the clothes piled at her feet. “Now, shall we prepare for the feast later? I’m assuming you still want to do a speech?”

She nodded again, her fists balling at her sides.

He was right. Of course, he was right. She had no idea how to manage the nobles, how to convince them that she only wanted peace and prosperity. They looked at her and they only saw a scared little girl standing in the enormous shadow of the Forest God.

She remembered her dream. Her father stood amongst the trees. Perhaps he was trying to talk to her, to tell her what to do? Because she truly had no clue how to do it by herself.

Kaelen was only trying to protect her, she knew that. And whilst she didn’t agree with how far he went in pursuit of her safety, she also didn’t know how to reassure him that she could take care of herself when she didn’t even fully know what she was dealing with. He and Elian did so well moving amongst the nobles—Elian, with all his scheming and his pretty words; Kaelen, able to command an entire room with his mere presence.

She had none of their abilities. She was trying to learn, trying to prove herself. Practicing her magic, learning the histories, conversing with the people. None of it seemed to be enough.

Shaking her head, she pushed away that line of thinking. It would do no good to wallow. She had to keep trying.

Taking a fortifying breath, she looked up at Elian. “Yes, I still want to do a speech,” she said, “and I think I need your help with it.”

Elian clapped his hands together with glee, “Of course you do! I am, after all, a master orator.” He winked. “In more ways than one.”