Page 147 of The Dragon Warlord

“That’s the tricky part. Even Ikara hasn’t been able to master the magic. I was hoping she could teach you, but you’ll have to work with me. It could take some time. Come home, learn how to use them, and I will allow you to move between worlds at my discretion.”

I’m still under this thumb, but with this bite and collar, I am anyway. It’s a generous offer that he doesn’t have to give me. “I said I would, Alpha. Thank you, this means a lot. I may one day forgive you.”

“You will forgive me.”

“Don’t be so sure.” I recall what Baya wanted me to ask him. “I want to bring my husbands.” There’s no point in asking for just one. If Baya’s coming with us, Corrik will want to come and Alrik too. We’re not leaving the babies behind.

“You are greedy, pet, and I’ve already given you a monumental gift. If you want something else, you’re going to have to negotiate.”

Fuck. “What do you want?”

“You have a dragon that I’m interested in.”

My father? I don’t say it aloud, but he reads it on my face.

“Not that one. I’m not an idiot. Besides, best to keep temptation away for as long as possible.”

“Do you … ew! You’re not boning my father.”

“I wouldn’t be boning him, trust me,” he says and he’s definitely imagining my father fucking him up the arse.

“Moving on from this topic, forever, which dragon do you want?”

“Bonifant Kanes.”

“Hell, no. He isn’t a dragon anymore anyway.”

“Not as such, but I could reverse his vampirism. He could grow up.”

Bon is around a thousand years old, but when he was turned, he was frozen in a child-like state. Bon might want that. I have often gotten the sense he does.

“I’m not giving you my son.” Bon might not have been mine for long, but I’ll kill for him. I’ll take on the dragon lord if I have to.

“I’ll let you keep him, but he’ll wear a collar.”

“No.”

“Don’t you think he should be consulted?”

I guess he should, but Corrik … Gods. I can’t begin to know what he’ll say about this.

“Failing that, you do recall I don’t have to ask.”

In other words, he’ll have Bon one way or the other, but at least this way I’ll get something too and he can appear civil. “Why Bon?”

“An unsolved mystery. He was the first in a long procession of turned children. I want to know why.”

“And you think Bon will know?”

“No. I want to see what happens with him if his dragon magic is not frozen eternally, unable to manifest. To be a dragon, you need a beating heart.”

“How long do I have?”

He extends his hand for “my” gift, which I suppose is useless to me for now seeing as I haven’t a clue how to use them. I hand the bracelets over and he slides them onto his wrists.

“A week.”

“A whole week?”