Page 38 of The Forbidden Dragon King (Shadow Kings #1)

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Shadow Court

F reya

I smile, tipping back my head and allowing the bright, afternoon sunshine to kiss my upturned face.

I wander through the deliciously scented courtyard, delighting in finally exploring the rose garden, which I’ve only been able to glimpse out of Aurelius’ study window before.

A wolf doesn’t like to be caged inside.

“Why does no one come here? It’s beautiful.” I glance around at the cypress trees that flank the garden like daggers.

The rosebushes are manicured. The blooms of the red roses are larger and more resplendent than any I’ve seen elsewhere.

I trace my finger over the closest flower’s petal in amazement.

So fucking soft.

I scrunch up my nose. The heady smell of the red roses is intoxicating.

My smile widens, when I realize that these are the same ones that Aurelius has been picking and placing in the vase in my bedroom during the night, as if they were delivered by a flower fae.

Fool romantic dragon.

I still can’t help touching the Golden Dragon brooch on my uniform, feeling a burst of joy at the same time that I stroke over my snowflake bond mark.

My two Alphas .

War leans against an ancient, twisted olive tree that sprouts in the center of the garden, looking bored.

She’s dressed in her usual armor but has taken off a shoulder pad and is polishing it with a rag.

“The garden is private,” War replies without looking up. “Planted by the King’s mother. Only Relius is allowed into the garden. I can’t figure out why he’s allowing you in here.”

Warmth spreads through my chest. “He’s probably worried that if he doesn’t let me go outside, I’ll start ripping up his papers to make a nest or pissing on his statues, you know, like bored wolves do, now that he’s gone on this vampire killing spree. ”

Finally, War looks up at me, as if she can’t decide whether I’m joking or not.

I look back at her straight-faced.

“No ripping up official papers.” She points a warning finger at me like a blade. “But go to town pissing on the statues. Fucking pointless things.”

I blink. “Okay.”

I study the rose again. The petals are unusually soft, but the thorns are strikingly large and razor sharp, tipped with crimson like blood.

I wince at the memory Lucius told me of being knocked into these rosebushes, scratched and crying, when he was still only a kid.

“Lucius said that he played in here once,” I say, quietly. “He made a crown of these roses for the Alpha he met. They’re unusual. I’ve never seen anything like them.”

“My Omega told you about that, did he?” War’s expression softens in the way that it always does when Lucius is mentioned. Does she realize? “Luc crowned our Relius first. He always was the smartest of us all, or at least, fancies himself a kingmaker.”

I can’t resist touching the thorn just to see if it is as sharp as it looks.

It is.

“Ouch.” Crimson instantly beads on my thumb, and I suck it into my mouth.

“Shadow Gods above, you’re just like Relius.

You know something is going to hurt, but you still have to touch it yourself to find out, huh?

” War laughs. “Those are Dragon Blood Roses. The last Queen, Relius’ mother, brought them with her from the only place that they grow in her remote home village in the mountains.

She was homesick when she was brought to this palace.

This garden was her sanctuary, just like it’s Relius’. ”

It feels like she’s trying to tell me something important.

I don’t understand what.

War tucks the rag back over her belt, before placing her shoulder pad back on. “When will you be done sniffing roses and shit?”

“You don’t have to follow me everywhere, you know.”

“I do. Relius made me your bodyguard.”

“Stalker,” I mutter.

“If Relius wanted you stalked,” War arches her scarred eyebrow, “then he’d have selected Vic. You wouldn’t even have known that sneaky bitch was there.”

She gives a knowing grin like that’s already happened.

I shiver at the thought of being tailed by Vicious, before deliberately taking another long sniff of the rose to piss War off.

If War has been ordered to follow me around both during my servant duties and my free time, then the least I can do is make her endure the same boredom as me.

“Why is Aurelius fighting the vampires?” Worry chases through me. “When will he be back?”

War refastens the shoulder pad with deft fingers.

“Surely even the wolves know why we’re fighting the fucking Bloods?

Don’t worry, it’s just a small skirmish on the lands that border the Bloods.

Propraetor Rustica Atticus is a wingless dick.

He incites more violence than he quells.

If he wasn’t Luc’s father, I’d have ripped out his tongue and made him eat it years ago. ”

I straighten, nervously taking a step back. “Specific.”

“If you knew the things that he’d said to my Omega, then you’d understand.”

I wet my lips. “Why didn’t you go with Aurelius? You’re his muscled, scary chief commander of?—”

“Imperial Legate,” War corrects me with a growl.

“Yeah, that.”

“Aurelius is a big boy now. He doesn’t need me to hold his cock in every battle.”

Except, she shifts, avoiding my eye.

More like, Aurelius insisted that she stay here as my bodyguard.

I smirk, allowing myself to enjoy the moment.

I’ve spent my life looking out for myself. I accepted that no one would care about protecting me.

I’m independent.

I don’t need an Alpha to save me, but on the other hand, I love the idea of my pack protecting each other like this.

I’ve experienced how dangerous Maximinus is — I’ve reached out and been pricked by him — and I don’t fancy being left alone with a pet-hater like him in a court that I have only just started to figure out.

Aurelius can pretend to be as cold and hard as he likes.

Underneath, he’s thoughtful. He’ll even leave behind his best fighter to keep an eye out for me .

The yearning that swept through me, when I woke up and discovered that Aurelius had left on campaign again, shocked me.

I found a note on my pillow, smelling of smoke and leather. I pressed it to my nose, taking a deep breath, before opening it with trembling hands.

Inside was written in Aurelius’ neat hand:

My Spark, I shall miss you. I will think about you every day and take the memory of your touch into battle with me.

This campaign against the Bloods should last less than a week. War has your new duties.

Be safe for me, my fiery Omega.

Aurelius .

Tears pricked my eyes.

I’m confused by my feelings for Aurelius.

I turn away from War, not wanting her to read my expression.

Will Aurelius cope without my touch and pheromones? His need for me, his love, is something that I didn’t know would pull at me like this.

But then, we’re connected by golden threads of fate.

Aurelius may not have immediately told me that truth but he’s been hiding a lot of truths, including about the cruelty of his uncle .

I narrow my eyes, as rage surges through me.

Is it treason to want to tear out a royal’s throat? After all, Maximinus truly deserves it.

Aurelius is trapped by his Crown and his fear of becoming the ancient Golden Dragon Emperor, Hadrian.

I don’t believe in any of that. We make our own fates. Yet there is a net closing over Aurelius, Daire, and me.

I can feel it, prickling over my skin.

I need to understand exactly what is going on in this Shadow Court.

Also, what exactly a Golden Dragon is. Why is everybody so terrified of Emperor Hadrian? This forbidden North Tower?

I glance at the archway of the rose garden that leads further into the royal chambers, which only Aurelius and Maximinus have access to.

Then I side-eye War.

She’s staring up with a critical eye at some dragon rider academy cadets, who are flying above us in the blue sky. They are swooping around on maneuvers.

I edge as silently as I can towards the archway.

Without looking down from the sky, War demands, “Where are you going?”

I freeze.

I push my damp hair out of my face, nervously tugging at the hem of my tunic.

“Nowhere.” I laugh nervously. “I just need to piss.”

“You have some balls to lie to an Imperial Legate.” War’s fierce gaze snaps to mine .

I’m pinned in place.

Should I run?

“I think,” War pushes herself off the tree, “that you’re planning to slip away and do something reckless.”

I bounce on my toes, cocking my head and giving my best puppy dog innocent look. “What, me…?”

That look doesn’t work on Aurelius. Sadly, it also doesn’t work on War.

She prowls towards me across the garden, dropping her hand to the hilt of her sword.

I bare my considerably smaller teeth than hers, backing away before the intimidating Alpha.

My back hits the rosebush, and I wince at the scratch of the thorns through the thin linen.

War towers over me. The light catches on her ruby and gold armor.

Her scent is powerful, woodsy and crisp, like a grove of olive trees.

“Relius is so pheromone drunk that he has been conned into believing you’re a sweet Omega.

” War’s ash blond curls brush over my cheeks, as she leans close to whisper, “ You’re not.

I see the savage wolf who is playing both sides.

I see the wolf who is an equal trickster to her soulmate, the fae fucker. ”

My mouth goes dry.

Shit, shit, shit.

Why did I let my guard down for a moment around this legendary warrior? This Alpha who casually suggested killing me to make life easier for Aurelius?

Is there anything that she wouldn’t do for her King ?

Her loyalty is fanatical.

Or is this what true families are like?

War’s hazel eyes gleam with victory at what she reads in my face. “Don’t worry, I admire it. You’re no less dangerous in your own way than any of the Golden Family. You fit. Don’t think that we won’t all be watching your every move, however, and that fae fucker’s too.”

“Understood.” I’m impressed at how level my voice sounds, considering my heart is beating like a hummingbird’s.