Page 23 of The Forbidden Dragon King (Shadow Kings #1)

Lucius gives a wry smile. “I can hardly believe that I was once such a na?ve child. Relius could have ripped my heart from my chest. My brothers had enough experience of doing that. Instead, he happily patted the roses on his hair like they were precious to him, despite the thorns that pricked him. Then he let me down gently. He thanked me but told me that he was forbidden to bond because of a prophecy and asked me to be his friend instead. I hugged him then because being friends was even better; I’d never had one of those. ”

Relief at Aurelius’ kindness to the lonely young Omega floods me. Yet concern also sits heavy in my stomach.

Why is Aurelius forbidden to bond? What prophecy?

“Of course,” Lucius adds lightly, although his expression is tight, “Father found me in a whirlwind of fury and blows. I was knocked into the rosebushes, scratched and crying. The flower crown was trampled, while Aurelius, young as he was, tried to defend me. I was locked in my rooms for the rest of the trip on Tarquin’s order for being a troublemaker . ”

I swallow. “Did you get to stay at court?”

When Lucius raises his silver eyes to me, they are haunted.

“Well, isn’t that how the heroic tales should go?

Aurelius witnesses the brutality of my family and insists that I stay at his side.

I am afraid that troublemakers like me are sent back to the borderlands to be bullied into sweet, submissive boys who are as silent as shadows. ”

“But you said that Aurelius saved you.”

“Oh, he did. As soon as he became King, years later, he summoned me back from disgrace to become his courtier and special adviser. Father was enraged that out of all my brothers, I…a weak, non-martial, too pretty Omega…was the one who was selected by the young King. He tore up the summons in front of me and sent back that I was gravely ill and couldn’t come to the Shadow Court.

Then he beat me near to death and locked me in my room permanently. ”

I’m holding my breath. Horror floods me at Lucius’ story.

Lucius holds himself like an elite who has never suffered for a day in his pampered, privileged life.

It’s a lie.

A mask.

Now, I understand why Lucius must have been attracted to War, a fierce, older Alpha who still allows him to prove his worth on the battlefield.

She fights for and with him; she doesn’t lock him up.

I believed that my childhood had been shit as an orphan Omega in the Fang Court. I never guessed that it could be worse to grow up as an elite Omega in a silver dragon family.

Lucius leans closer.

His gaze meets mine. “And this is where you show how little you know our Relius. Do you think that he accepted my father’s response?

When Relius is your friend…when he loves you…

he will burn down the world for you. He flew his entire army, led by War, to the borderlands and put the fear of the Shadow Gods into my family.

I heard the screams and roar of flames from my room.

Then this huge, muscled, beautiful Alpha, who I later discovered was War, smashed through my door with an ax and dragged me over her shoulder.

She carried me to the courtyard in front of the villa.

Aurelius was standing there in golden armor, grown and looking like the sun.

He came all the way just for me. Father was sh aking in terror.

My brothers, grown Alphas, were crying. Yet they thought me weak. ”

I stare at Lucius in shock, mesmerized by his story.

Then I grin, sharply. “So, Aurelius did swoop down to save you, but it was War who carried you off.”

Lucius blushes.

“Who says that I wasn’t the one who swept her off her feet?

” He pulls away from me, tugging at his torn tunic, trying to cover his bare shoulder.

“You should have seen Relius’ eyes that day.

If I had not begged for my worthless family’s lives, they would all have been reduced to ash.

Some people are just ungrateful because that didn’t stop my own family disowning me.

” He ducks his head. “See, Relius may seem emotionless but he never forgets even people who others would shrug their shoulders about and never think of again. After all, how much is a flower crown worth? Underneath his coldness, our King burns hot. He’s the only family that I have now, and I’m as loyal to him, as he is to me. ”

My brow furrows.

Has this whole story been to manipulate me?

It feels true, but truth is more powerful than lies, when someone wants to play on your emotions.

Raised with nothing but words to use as weapons like Lucius was, I know how useful they are. He has the same tricks as I do.

“Is this the shovel talk?” I blurt.

Lucius’ lips curl into a lazy smile. “You’re smart.

If you hurt my King, then I’ll destroy you in ways only an Omega can another Omega.

Protect him like I do, however, and you’ll find me the best friend to have at your side in this court.

And you’ll need one. Remember that I did save your life last night. ”

“Friends,” I say, as levelly as I can.

Friendship is important to this dragon.

Like me, he has no family. Unlike me, he has been disowned and locked up for much of his life.

Friendship is his salvation. I can use that.

I also need it myself with an aching yearning. Listening to his story, I realized in a way that made tears prick my eyes that I have never had a best friend, never had anyone who tried to save me from the bullies as a kid, and definitely never had a savior who would lead an army to rescue me.

Lucius is wrong. This is a truly heroic tale.

Lucius’ expression relaxes. “So, breakfast…?”

“When you tell me why, after all that, you think I am a threat to your King. Is this about him not wanting to bond me? Him choosing to spend his rut alone?”

“You heard that as well?” Lucius mutters. “This is about our King not rutting anyone, ever .”

“What?” I shove myself to the edge of the bed, looking back at Lucius in shock.

My mind is whirling.

Other people aren’t like wolf shifters who need a bond to be triggered into heats and ruts. Fae and dragons have ruts from the moment that they reach adulthood.

Aurelius must be touch starved and near feral if he’s spending his ruts alone .

Suddenly, the conversation last night makes more sense.

Why is he torturing himself like that? Because it is torture.

I stare down at the slick soaked nightdress, smelling my pheromones that are thick in the air. Hurriedly, I stand and rush to the screen, standing behind it.

The sooner that I change and wash myself, then clean the bedding in here, the better.

This must be painful for an Alpha to smell who is going through ruts alone.

“Why would he do that?” I demand, shoving the ruby, pearl, and jade dragon embroidered screen between Lucius and me.

I slip the nightdress over my head, then bend to the basin on the floor, which holds cold water for me to wash myself.

I pick up the sponge, squeezing out the excess water, which drips like tears from it. Then I sigh, as I wash between my pale thighs, down to my calves.

“Relius isn’t allowed to show his emotions and fucking , even to the worst Alphahole, strips you down to the primal part of yourself.

It’s hard not to show some tenderness, when you’re knotting an Omega so hard that they scream your name.

” Lucius stands and walks closer to the other side of the screen.

I can only see him as through a veil. “His uncle fears him. He fears what he may become. He fears what he may unleash.”

I stand in the cool morning light, shivering and wet. Yet the goosebumps are not because of the cold .

“I don’t understand.”

“Have you seen any statues, monuments, or frescoes to the original Golden Dragon, Emperor Hadrian?” Lucius whispers.

Spurred by his quiet urgency, which makes me certain that he’s imparting a secret that I’m not meant to know, I press closer to the screen.

My heart is beating faster. “Nothing. Why not? Aren’t you dragons proud of your Emperor?”

Lucius hesitates. For a long moment, I think that he won’t be brave enough to tell me more.

Then his lips press against the silk of the screen. “Curious little thing, aren’t you?”

I touch my own lips to his lips’ dark outline. “Talkative little thing, aren’t you?”

“There’s a reason that every trace of Emperor Hadrian has been hidden away. A reason that the North Tower, where he once lived, is forbidden to anyone but the royal family.”

“What reason?” I demand, breathlessly.

“So curious. But there is a more pressing question to solve. Relius isn’t able to be himself for a reason.

He has been forged into a weapon. A symbol of the Draca Kingdom’s power.

One to make people fear us. He’s our enemy’s nightmare.

Here’s the question: What does a kingdom do with that nightmare, once their enemies have been defeated, tamed, and turned into pets? What use is a weapon in peacetime?”

Anxiety spikes through me. “You’re worried for Relius. You believe that he’s in danger. ”

“Always.”

“So, who is holding the weapon? Someone must be controlling him.”

Lucius finally steps back from the screen, blurring into shadow. “We’re all controlled. And mostly, he controls himself. Now, get dressed. Delightful as it is to swap stories like such a loyal new friend, you also need to get to work. It is time to serve breakfast to the Golden Family.”