Page 49 of The Forbidden Dragon King (Shadow Kings #1)

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Aurelius’ Study, Shadow Court

F reya

“You had to choose this morning to stage a rebellion,” Aurelius says wearily.

He’s slumped behind the large, oak desk in his study. He looks immaculate in his leather tunic, which is lined with metallic thread, tan breeches, and crimson cloak.

He’s washed out, however, and dark shadows hollow his blood-shot eyes.

Hangovers are a bitch.

To my relief, he doesn’t look anything like Hadrian any longer, but is once again my Aurelius.

Golden drapes have been pulled over the large, columned windows at the back, which look out over the manicured rose garden, probably to help his hangover. Despite being morning, the room is in shadows.

Aurelius massages his throbbing temples, reaching for a goblet of water that sits to the side of the desk. He takes a long drink, as if needing the strength to talk to us.

Daire and I are seated on a long bench, which has been dragged from the side of the room and placed in front of the desk. It feels like we’re awaiting judgment from a court.

Or are about to be interrogated, which I guess we are.

“Nay, it wasn’t a rebellion,” Daire says with a merry loudness that I just know is on purpose. “More like revenge.”

Aurelius groans. “Can you keep it down?”

He places the goblet back onto the desk with a wince, as if even that noise is too much for his head.

“I can but why should I? You’re the idiot who drank too much last night.”

I bite back a grin, despite my nerves.

Seeing my two Alphas together makes me want to purr with happiness.

I dart a glance between these two powerful rivals.

It feels so right to be together like this, even if it’s in the wrong situation.

Will Aurelius truly punish us?

Aurelius once told me that Daire needed to be called Kit because Daire could only survive in the Shadow Court if he was perceived to be harmless .

Unfortunately, Daire isn’t declawed.

“And you’re the idiot who has a cat hanging around his neck.” Aurelius arches his brow.

“Isn’t she beautiful?” Daire reaches up to stroke Five, who is still wound around his neck and shoulders like she belongs there.

Aurelius grimaces. “Does she have fleas?”

“Don’t listen to your mean uncle.” Daire tickles under Five’s chin. “Da loves you.”

“ Uncle? ” Aurelius mouths. Then he sits straighter, eyes narrowing. “I have here…” He slams his hand down on the file in front of him, “a complaint that my bad pets?—”

“Spark is a good pet,” Daire says, quickly. “She was only there to bring me breakfast. She isn’t part of this.”

Aurelius’ expression gentles, as he glances at me. “I should have known. Either return to your duties or your room, Little Wolf, while I deal with him.”

I cross my arms. “Not a chance.”

Aurelius’ heavy gaze settles with displeasure on the feather woven into my hair.

Then he studies Daire’s bruised cheek, busted lip, and purpling eye, before taking in the careful way that he’s holding his side. He’s fought enough battles to know how badly Daire has been beaten up.

Surely he won’t side with his fucking sadistic guards?

“Do you need a healer?” Aurelius finally asks.

Daire looks caught off guard, as if that’s the last thing he expected Aurelius to ask. “Why? Don’t you enjoy looking at the results of your orders?”

“I didn’t order the guards to beat you. ”

“But they did.” Daire cocks his head. “Who’s ruling this court? You or the Council? Maximinus? The guards told me that you had no authority over them. By the Shadow Gods, my kingdom may have been shattered a decade ago, but if any of my soldiers had dared to say that…”

He trails off with a sharp smile.

I suck in a breath at Daire’s boldness.

He’s playing a smart but dangerous game.

Aurelius drops his gaze. He restlessly plays with the files in front of him on the desk but it’s like he’s not truly seeing them.

When my gaze settles on the papers, I flush at the memory of official papers being stained blood-red by plum and cinnamon scented wine.

Then how Aurelius had bent me over this same desk, messing up its careful neatness and ruining his orderly work in the same way that he wrecked me.

The cool wine licked from the dip between my breasts, the honey sucked from my pussy, and the King kneeling for me, his goddess.

My cheeks heat.

Daire casts me a knowing look. He must be feeling my surging desire through the bond.

My cheeks redden further.

“Those guards…who will now be exiled to the borderlands for not recognizing my authority …report,” Aurelius says, coldly, “that my Kitten talked back to them.” Daire smirks, nodding proudly as each misdeed is listed.

I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. What on the moon is Daire’s plan?

To get his ass kicked? “Threatened to kill them. Was insolent and disobedient. Broke one of their no ses, teeth, and ribs. Knocked the second one out. And the third…” He points at Five.

“…needed stitches because of that furry menace.”

“Good girl.” Daire strokes Five. “Aren’t you impressed?”

Aurelius appears to be struggling to hold onto his temper. “Any defense?”

“Apart from that I was having my arse beaten? That you can see I’m a walking bruise? That they attempted to attack both my Omega and my cat?”

“Spark?” Aurelius’ concerned gaze shoots to me. “Did they hurt you?”

I shake my head. “Daire protected me.”

“Kit almost killed two of my guards, while terrorizing the third.”

I grin, viciously. “Isn’t he perfect?”

Aurelius sighs, rubbing his head. “I have two wild pets. What on my wings am I going to do?”

Kiss me , is on the tip of my tongue, followed by fuck me over this desk , while Daire fucks my throat just as deeply.

I’m proud of myself that I don’t say it out loud.

Daire leans forward, resting his arms on his knees. “On the sacred ash, you’re not going to send me back to that bloody cell. I’m not safe. Think what your guards will do to get back at me. They’ll cut off my wings or slit my bloody throat.”

Daire’s eyes fill, as if with frightened tears. I tremble as well, but then, I catch the twitch of Daire’s lips.

I feel through the bond, sensing his calm amusement.

He’s playing Aurelius .

Finally, I understand what he’s been planning all along. In the dungeon, he was provoking Tiberius because he wanted to be beaten as a way to escape his cell.

What is so urgent that it was worth him suffering this agony to return to the main palace? He is acting as if he’s running out of time.

But why?

Aurelius looks panicked in the face of our distress, as if he doesn’t know what to do with our emotion.

He shuffles the papers around on his desk, coughing. “Well, obviously, I wouldn’t send you down there again, unless I could ensure your safety. But on all the Shadow Gods, would you swear to stop attacking my people and attempting to assassinate me?”

Instantly, Daire’s faked tears dry. “A fae never makes oaths that he’s definitely going to break.”

I smother my laugh on my palm.

Aurelius taps his fingers on the desk. “Unless you want me to break you, then remember that I am your King now. You won’t be able to use my Omega or a cat as a shield forever.”

Daire’s expression instantly shutters. “ Our Omega.”

When shadows spark from Aurelius’ horns like ash, I startle. I shuffle closer on the bench toward Daire, until our thighs touch.

“You picked a bad day for all of this.” Aurelius rubs his temples, as the shadows fall around him. “My head hurts, and I’m still… I don’t quite remember what happened yesterday at the banquet but…”

“You roasted some random vampire, a Lanlin lookalike, alive to celebrate your brother’s deathday,” Daire deadpans. “Congratulations on proving the size of your knot.”

Aurelius stiffens in shock. “I did what?”

His horrified gaze shoots to me for confirmation.

I nod. “Your uncle told you that you’d be avenging your brother’s murder and showing everyone that you deserve to be King.”

“Dear Shadow Gods.” Aurelius clutches his golden hair like he’s trying to pull it out.

He closes his eyes. Tremors wrack him.

Daire and I exchange a glance.

Does Aurelius truly have no memory of last night?

When he uses that cursed dagger and becomes wreathed in its shadows, does he become the actual reincarnated Hadrian?

It’s a terrible fate.

When Aurelius slams his forehead against the desk, I jump.

“How can I not remember?” He slams his head down again with a resounding crack. Blood trickles down his temple. He drags ruthlessly at his hair. “Remember. Fucking… remember …”

When he smashes his head again, I leap off the bench and round the desk. I release calming pheromones, hoping that they will break Aurelius out of whatever is going on.

Aurelius glances up at me with anguished eyes. I gently take one of his hands, disentangling it from his hair .

“It’s normal when you get that drunk,” I reassure, even though I don’t believe it myself. “Stop literally beating yourself up, or War will blame us and she’s scary.”

Aurelius wipes at the blood that’s now trailing down his cheek, as if only just realizing that he’s bleeding. “I’m sorry. I don’t feel right this morning. My mind is a mess. Just return to your room. I don’t want you to see me like this.”

I smooth his hair back into place, allowing him to take deep breaths of my scent gland. My pheromones are settling him in the way that they did before.

He’s both touch and pheromone starved. He needs me like he needs air.

Of course, the more that he needs me, the safer I am. Also, the closer that I come to holding secret power in this court.

I’m his Queen.

The fact that being close to him like this causes feelings of love and connection to flood through me, is something that I can’t examine too closely right now.

Aurelius snatches up a blank parchment, crumpling it. Then he dips it in the remaining water and casually uses it to wipe the blood away from his face.

Daire snorts. “Remind me never to go to you for healing.”

Aurelius throws down the bloodied paper. “We’re both soldiers. Since when were we coddled?”