Page 22 of Purple Protector (Eiloren Clan #3)

Normally, Aaron would be cowering in a corner.

He kind of was, actually. He was terrified, and he knew how badly this dragon could hurt him without even trying.

He was done taking this, though. He was a clan member, and even though he was human, he had as much right as this dragon to be here.

He wouldn’t allow anyone to push him away from the clan and from Birch.

He didn’t care why they wanted him to leave.

He wasn’t going anywhere, no matter how many times this or any other dragon growled in his face.

“No,” he said, pushing forward.

The dragon cocked their head. “What?”

“I said no. I’m not leaving.”

The dragon growled. “I don’t think you understand how serious this is.”

“I do understand.” Aaron pressed his hands against the dragon’s chest and pushed him away.

“You’re not the first dragon to attack me.

Hell, at least you did it to my face and talked to me before trying to toss me out a window.

I don’t care what you or whoever you work for wants, though.

I’m not going anywhere. I’m a clan member, and this is my home as much as it is yours. ”

Aaron was about to get his ass handed to him, wasn’t he? This dragon was going to eat him, or maybe beat him up. Hell, maybe they’d do both.

Aaron’s only chance to get out of this mess was for someone to notice it was happening. Luckily for him, the dragon hadn’t chosen a deserted hallway or an empty room to threaten him. They were in a hallway just off the dining room, and Aaron could hear people talking not far away.

The dragon appeared puzzled, as if they hadn’t expected Aaron to stand up to them. If Aaron had to guess, they’d thought that he would agree and run because he was afraid for his life. He was afraid for his life. He just wasn’t willing not to fight for everything he’d found with the clan and Birch.

“Do you want me to hurt you?” the dragon asked.

Aaron raised his chin. “Not if I hurt you first.” It was the stupidest thing Aaron had ever said, but he didn’t care. He didn’t have time to because the dragon was already reaching for him.

Aaron had read somewhere that the best defense was offense, so he screamed and threw himself at the dragon. He startled them, but unfortunately for him, it only gave him the time to punch the dragon once. He aimed for the face, but the dragon moved, and Aaron clocked their jaw instead.

He screamed again, in pain this time. He shook out his hand, but he didn’t have time to complain that he was in pain. The dragon reached for him.

Aaron kicked them.

The dragon slammed Aaron against the wall. Aaron thought he was about to die when the dragon wrapped a hand around his throat and pinned him there, but he wouldn’t go down easily. He scratched along the dragon’s arms, tried to kick them again, and made a pest of himself.

He grinned when his foot collided with something, and the dragon’s eyes widened. If the dragon had been a human male, they’d probably be folded in half and on the floor right now. Aaron had aimed between their legs, and he’d nailed it.

The dragon stepped back, and Aaron swung at them again.

The dragon pulled Aaron away from the wall and tossed him on the floor.

Aaron expected to be stomped on, but instead, the dragon threw themselves at him, almost as if they’d forgotten how much bigger and stronger they were. They just wanted to hit Aaron.

The dragon punched Aaron in the face. Pain exploded in Aaron’s cheek, and he whimpered, but he wasn’t done yet. He grabbed the dragon’s hair and pulled it, grinning when the dragon yelped.

The dragon was suddenly pulled away from him. Aaron scrambled to his feet, wanting to take advantage of whatever was happening, but someone grabbed his arms and pulled him back.

“What’s going on here?” the guard who was holding the orange dragon back asked.

Aaron licked his lips and tasted blood. “They attacked me,” he said.

“You punched me,” the orange dragon said.

“After you threatened to kill me if I didn’t leave the clan.”

“Enough!” the guard snapped. Their tone was an odd contrast with their soft pastel green color. “I don’t care who threatened what. You’re not allowed to fight, especially not in the hallways. Understood?”

Aaron nodded. He was still breathing hard, and he was anxious to see what kind of damage the dragon had done to his face. He’d never been in a brawl before, and he wasn’t planning on being in one ever again. It hurt, dammit.

“You’re not going to do anything stupid if we let you go, are you?” the guard holding the orange dragon asked.

“I already reached my stupid quota for the day,” Aaron grumbled.

The pastel green guard didn’t look impressed, but he nodded. The guard holding Aaron let him go. Aaron’s attacker was free, too, and Aaron glared at them.

“You can’t let the human go,” a voice Aaron recognized said.

He swore under his breath when he turned and saw that Pearl, Killian’s half-sister, was coming toward them. She was trying to look worried, but Aaron didn’t miss the triumph in her eyes. She was happy.

Had she been the person to organize this? Aaron wouldn’t be surprised. She wanted him out of the clan and Killian off the throne, and it was clear that she was willing to do whatever was in her power to make that happen.

The guards both inclined their heads at her. “Nothing happened,” the pastel green guard said. “They were fighting, but we stopped them.”

Pearl pointed her finger at Aaron. “He attacked one of your own. Who knows what kind of damage he could have done.”

Aaron snorted loudly. He realized too late that he shouldn’t have, but it was ridiculous. “Damage? Have you seen me? Your dragon could have snapped me in half, and they probably would have if no one had stepped in to stop them.”

“See the way he talks to me? He has no respect. There’s no way for us to know that he won’t attack me or any other dragon the way he attacked this one. We need to take him to my brother. Killian has to know what’s going on so he can give the human the punishment he deserves.”

So that was her goal. She was going to have Aaron taken to Killian, and Killian would have to choose.

Either he could kick Aaron out of the clan and hurt Birch in the process, or he could allow Aaron to stay even though he was dangerous.

Most rational people would know that Aaron couldn’t have hurt this dragon or any other dragon even if he tried, but the people who were using Aaron, like Pearl, would go along with it.

They’d probably demand that Killian step down from the throne because he cared more about humans than his own clan members or something stupid like that.

Hell, Pearl could say that Killian was putting the clan in danger by allowing Aaron to stay.

Shit. Both Aaron and Killian were in trouble, weren’t they?

* * * *

“Y OU COULD HAVE TAKEN a few more days off,” Killian said.

Birch pointedly looked down at his stomach. The dark line was gone, a sure sign that he wasn’t fertile anymore. “I didn’t need to take more days off.”

“Not only because of that,” Killian said. “You deserve more time off. You and Aaron just got together. Don’t you want more time with him?”

“Of course I do, but being with Aaron leaves you with fewer bodyguards, and you’re a stubborn asshole. I don’t feel comfortable not keeping my eye on you.”

“I’m a perfect innocent angel,” Killian said with a pout.

Most people wouldn’t believe that this was what the king was really like. They only ever saw him in an official capacity, but Birch saw the real Killian. This was the Killian he loved and would die for. It was the Killian who was one of his best friends.

He loved the stubborn asshole.

Marlin snorted. “You’re neither perfect nor an angel.”

“You should ask Hedley. You’ll see,” Killian told him.

A knock on the door interrupted their bickering. Birch got up from his chair in front of Killian’s desk and went to open it, frowning at the expression on Tito’s face. “What? Has something happened?”

Tito turned his head and glanced toward his desk. Birch did the same, his eyes widening when he saw that Pearl was there, along with two guards, Aaron, and an orange dragon. He didn’t think it was the dragon who’d attacked Aaron in his room. The color was off.

Aaron had been staring at his feet, but he looked up. Birch growled when he saw the state Aaron’s face was in. He stepped forward, but Tito pressed his hand against Birch’s chest and pushed him back into the office. “No. You have to act as Killian’s bodyguard right now, not as Aaron’s boyfriend.”

“Have you seen him? He’s hurt.”

“I’ve already called Palmer. He’s coming.”

“What the fuck happened?” Aaron was supposed to be safe. Birch was supposed to protect him.”

“Aaron was in a fight with the orange dragon. I don’t have all the information, but Pearl has decided that Aaron’s dangerous. She wants to talk to Killian.”

Birch was going to strangle Pearl when he got his hands on her, and he would make sure it was slow and painful. He fucking hated her.

“Go stand behind Killian,” Marlin said from behind Birch. “I’ll stick with Aaron.”

“I want to do it.”

“I know, but you’ll probably punch either Pearl or the orange dickhead in the face once they’re close enough, and we can’t afford for that to happen. I’ll keep him safe. I promise.”

Marlin was right. Birch was too close to the situation and to Aaron. He might make the situation worse if he allowed his feelings to take over, so it would be best if he stayed by Killian instead.

He glanced at Aaron again, who nodded at him and tried to smile. He grimaced instead, probably in pain, and Birch had to resist the urge to stride over to him and pull him into his arms. Palmer was coming, and he’d make sure that Aaron was okay.