Her Dragon King: A Dragon Shifter Paranormal Romance (Royally Mated Book 3)

by Bianca Cole

  He nods his head. “There’s no one else who can. Trust me, love.” He glances at his mother. “Are we ready?”

  She nods, and he meets my gaze. I’m not sure I am, but I have to face this. We’re a team now, and the shifters inside the castle are opposed to my mate. I’ll do anything to get him back where he belongs.

  “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

  Aiden smiles and then continues to walk forward, heading for the castle eagerly. I follow him, feeling stronger than ever. My power has been building ever since we met, and now I know why our coven’s power is so low. King Kendall was sucking the life out of hundreds of witches and warlocks.

  Aiden stops in front of the door and turns back to us. “Follow my lead. We all stick together inside, do you understand?”

  His mother waves a hand in the air. “Aiden, I’m your mother, not one of your subjects. Let’s get on with it and burn that bastard, Charles, to a crisp.”

  I swallow hard as Aiden nods and turns back and steps through into the castle hallway. It’s deathly silent. I wonder if the fae warriors have even started rounding up the traitors yet.

  I follow him next, and his mother is right behind me. “I don’t like this,” I breathe, glancing around the empty hallway.

  Aiden shakes his head. “Come on. I think I know where he will be.”

  His mother clears her throat. “Aiden, you need to find Charles, but I need to find that passcode.”

  She’s right. We will do better if we split up, but Aiden doesn’t want to.

  “It’s too dangerous to split up. What if Charles finds one of us alone?”

  His mother smiles. “I think you forget how powerful a shifter your mother is, son.” Her brow raises. “Not to mention, this castle is crawling with a hundred fae warriors to protect me.”

  He grits his teeth. “Fine. Be careful. I’ve just found you. I don’t want to lose you too.”

  She shakes her head. “Don’t worry. You won’t.” She steps up to him and hugs him before taking my hand and squeezing. “I’ll find that passcode for your family, dear.”

  I smile. “Thank you.”

  We watch her walk up the stairs, disappearing. Once she’s gone, I turn my attention back to Aiden. “What’s the plan?”

  Aiden’s eyes flash with uncertainty. “Charles has a favorite part of this castle. I bet any money he is there right now.”

  “Where?” I ask.

  He glances at a door at the back of the grand hallway that leads outside. “The maze in the garden.”

  My brow furrows. “Why would he be in the maze?”

  Aiden’s jaw clenches. “He will know I’m here.”

  “How?”

  He shakes his head. “Not all those guards will be loyal to me at the prison, and he would have scented me before I entered.”

  “The maze is the perfect place to hide.” He grabs my hand. “Come on. We’re going to find him now.”

  I let Aiden guide me out of the back of the castle into a huge, landscaped garden. A giant hedge maze sits in the center. Aiden heads straight for it, but I pull him to a stop. “Do we have a plan?” I ask, eyeing it suspiciously.

  He shakes his head. “How can we plan for the unknown? Stick with me, and we’ll be fine.”

  “Okay.”

  We head through the entrance of the thick, tall maze. Aiden clears his throat. “Charles, I know you are here. I can fucking smell you. Come out and face me,” he shouts.

  My eyes widen. I’m not sure it’s a good idea to signal where we are in the maze. An uneasy feeling clutches at my gut.

  Suddenly, a young man appears in front of us. He’s handsome, with dark black hair and dark brown eyes. “You came to face me, finally.” He tilts his head. “What took you so long, Aiden?”

  He growls a deep sound. “You’re bastard, Charles. How could you betray me?”

  He laughs. “Quite easily.”

  Aiden shakes his head. “Are you ready to fight fair? Dragon against Dragon?”

  Charles tilts his head to the side slightly. “Sure, I’m the stronger one.”

  Aiden clenches his fists by his side and glances at me. “Stand back, love.”

  I take a few steps backward, knowing he’s about to shift. He doesn’t take the time to get undressed as he starts to shift into his dragon form.

  His clothes rip apart as his scales begin to break out across his tan skin. I watch in awe as his clothes shred to pieces, left in a pile. I’ll never get used to seeing him shift and change into a dragon.

  Charles roars too, as black scales start to ripple across his skin. Black dragons are renowned for leaning toward the darkness the most, and they are scarce. Aiden should have been warier around him.

  I guess it’s easy to fall into a false sense of trust with someone you’ve known since you were a child.

  They both square off against each other, eyes wild. I take a few more steps backward and take cover behind a giant statue.

  If they use fire, I’ll be screwed. This maze will burn to the ground quickly. Aiden is strong, but I can’t leave him to it. He might need a witch on his side. I watch with gritted teeth as they both rush toward each other, talons and teeth bared.

  My heart is pounding against my rib cage as I watch them crash in an angry clash of talons and teeth. I’ve never felt more scared as I watch Charles sink his teeth into Aiden. This is going to be the most nerve-racking moment of my life.

  17

  Aiden

  I lunge for Charles with my talons, missing him by an inch. He tries to sink his sharp, razor teeth into my neck, but I’m too quick.

  How did we come to this?

  Best friends since we were kids, and now he wants to end me. I always knew he was jealous. He’s always been in my shadow because of my royal status, but I never knew he hated me this much.

  I feel the fire rising in my throat. It’s building along with my rage. Not that it would help against Charles in his dragon form too. Perhaps I should have seen this coming. All black dragons are prone to falling from grace. Charles is the only one I know.

  He swipes his talon across my face, cutting me. I roar and launch myself at him, catching him in the side. Thick, black blood oozes from the side of his abdomen as I catch an unarmored part of his belly. The screech that comes from him is enough to deafen most people, but not a dragon.

  I think of Ilsa, hoping she is staying back. She is a distraction from the fight at hand. I need to keep her out of my mind.

  Charles launches at me and catches my side too, slicing me with his sharp talon.

  I twist and grab his neck between my razor-sharp teeth, shaking my head to break through the scales at the top of his neck.

  He growls, trying desperately to get out of my grip. I will kill him, even if it kills me. This man murdered Elaine. I can’t deny that I’m thankful he took my father out, after learning the truth about him.

  Charles manages to break free and grabs hold of my arm with his sharp talons, digging them in deep.

  I roar as black blood litters the ground. We’re slowly tearing each other apart.

  The screech of another dragon draws my attention. My mother—she’s in her majestic emerald form.

  A dragon on dragon fight is going to achieve nothing but both of our slow and painful deaths. If she can tip the scales, we can get him into a cell, and he will stand trial for treason.

  We need to make a statement. Anyone who fucks with the royal family will answer for their crimes. She lands by my side and roars at Charles. His eyes widen as he recognizes her, clearly unaware that she was still alive. It seems my father was good at keeping that fact hidden from most of the damn world, including me.

  My mother launches herself at Charles and is quick to fasten her teeth around his throat, making him whimper as she latches on. He slices at her, but she hardly flinches.

  I bound forward and slide my talon under his throat, ready to cut. I meet his gaze as he cowers lower to the ground, falling onto his knees.


  He whimpers, before bowing his head in submission.

  My mother lets go of his throat, and he slowly shifts back into his human form. He curls up on the ground, a shell of a man. Blood oozes from his wounds, as Ilsa comes out of her hiding spot.

  “What are you going to do with him?” she asks, looking me straight in the eye.

  I shift back to my human form, as does my mother. Ilsa blushes the moment I do, clearly uncomfortable by our state of undress. It’s natural for us and not embarrassing, but I can understand why it would be for her.

  “He will stand trial.”

  Ilsa waves her hand and summons two robes, throwing me one. She passes the other to my mother. “Here you go.”

  My mother glances at it hesitantly before taking it and wrapping it around herself.

  “He won’t last it to a trial with those injuries.” Ilsa’s eyes go to the slice in my stomach, and she rushes forward. “Let me heal you.”

  I wrap the robe around part of myself, keeping the wound visible. “It’s a scratch.” She shakes her head, holding her hand over the wound. “Et ad sanandum potentiam magia,” she chants, as the magic tickles over my skin, sealing the wound. “There, as good as new.” Her eyes go to the man on the ground. “Do I need to heal him, too?”

  I grit my teeth as I stare down at the man who was once my best friend. I cared about Charles like a brother, and he took my sister from me. Elaine was innocent. She didn’t deserve what he did to her.

  Ilsa is right. He won’t survive long enough to stand trial.

  “Only heal some of them, to ensure he’ll survive until the trial.”

  Ilsa meets my gaze and nods. “Okay.” She squeezes my hand as she steps forward.

  I watch as Charles remains still on the floor. He has barely moved since he shifted back into his human form.

  She places her hands over his worst wound at the neck and chants her magic spell. Slowly, the injuries start to seal as the magic darts out over his skin.

  I feel torn. We should leave Charles to die in this maze. He doesn’t deserve a trial, but at the same time, I have a reputation to uphold.

  Charles moves suddenly, grabbing Ilsa.

  My heart skips a beat as the moonlight glints of the metal of a knife. Charles holds it up to her throat, making my stomach twist.

  He smirks at me. “Always playing by the book, Aiden, it’s the reason you are weak. You should have killed me when you had the chance.” He shakes his head. “Your father knew it. That’s why he appointed me to take over from him.”

  My stomach twists. “You killed my father,” I spit.

  His smirk widens. “Yes, he asked me to, he was ill and knew it was the best way to throw you in at the deep end. He knew the least prepared you were, the easier it would be for me to kill you.”

  It feels like nothing my father did could shock me, but it’s worse now. I feel a flood of panic as he increases the pressure of the knife against Ilsa’s throat.

  One flick of his wrist and he could take everything I love away from me.

  “Don’t hurt her,” I say.

  He smirks. “Or what? It looks like you are the loser here, Aiden.”

  I notice Ilsa muttering something under her breath, but I keep my attention on Charles.

  She has something up her sleeve.

  Charles’s knife is thrown into the air and floats toward me. Ilsa shoves him hard in the gut with her elbow, before turning around and punching him square in the face. She busted his nose with one hit, as he falls to the floor.

  Before he can even move, Ilsa shouts, “Conligo.”

  A pair of metal cuffs clap on his wrists, and a tree branch shoots out of the ground and binds his legs, holding him to the floor.

  I feel so much pride as I stare at my mate. Ilsa doesn’t need me to protect her. It’s a ridiculously attractive quality, deepening my love for her more than I believed possible. Ilsa’s the perfect equal to me—my queen, in every sense of the word.

  I step forward and set my hands on her shoulders, pulling her close. “That was amazing, love.”

  She smiles at me. “I told you I don’t need protecting.”

  My mother approaches. “You certainly don’t.” She sets her hand on my shoulder. “I found the passcode.” She passes the paper into my hand.”

  Ilsa smiles widely. “How is Flynn getting on?”

  “Perfectly well. All the traitors are rounded up and in the dungeons. We had a few dragon losses.”

  Ilsa practically jumps out of her skin as Flynn speaks behind her.

  “Fuck, don’t ever sneak up on me again like that,” she says.

  Flynn chuckles. “Sorry.” His eyes land on the piece of paper in her hands. “It looks like it’s time to go and free your family and the rest of the prisoners.”

  Ilsa nods. “Yes, let’s do this.” She holds her hand out willingly to Flynn.

  I can’t help my jaw tighten every time I see her touch another man. It’s the possessiveness of the bond, even though I know Flynn isn’t a threat.

  My mother links hands with Flynn on his other side. I take their hands and brace myself.

  I hate fucking traveling by dispersing, but I can’t deny it’s efficient. Also, time is vital when it comes to getting Ilsa’s family off that machine. We start to spin, and blue lights flood my vision as I tighten my grip on Ilsa’s hand and my mother’s. I can’t believe she’s alive.

  The two most important women in my life are here with me. I just wish Elaine could have been here too.

  We touch down outside the gate of the prison, and Jared is on the watch. “Wow, that was fast.”

  I nod. “Yeah, we’ve got the passcode. Take us back to the machine.”

  He bows his head. “Of course, sir.”

  I walk ahead of the rest, holding Ilsa’s hand as I go. I’m so thankful her family is still alive. I hope that machine hasn’t done any irreversible damage to them.

  Ilsa’s tension is unmissable and I can practically smell her anxiety in the air. It’s strange considering she’s about to be reunited with her family.

  18

  Ilsa

  My heart is pounding so hard, it feels like it’s going to beat out of my chest any minute. I watch Aiden’s mother walk over to the control panel set out in front of my unconscious family.

  Nerves flutter around in my stomach as I watch her punch in the passcode.

  I hope to God that they have got off unscathed from being drained for over a week.

  The horror stories I’ve heard about draining machines are awful. They can drive the witches or warlocks hooked up to them insane or make them lose their memories. I swallow hard, hoping they all recognize me once they are off of it.

  An insane witch or warlock is a dangerous one. I can’t stand to think about having to stop one or all of my family members after coming this far to find them.

  Slowly, the machine starts to shut down. I watch, wondering how long it will take for them to regain consciousness.

  Aiden’s father planned to destroy the world as we know it. It’s hard to believe he’s the son of a mastermind criminal. Yet, I look at his mother and know she’s why he’s the man he is today.

  His father may have snatched her away from him early, but he has taken after her anyway.

  Aiden sets a hand gently on my waist. “Are you okay?”

  I glance up at him and smile. “Yes, nervous. I’ve heard some horror stories about machines like this and what it can do to witches that come off of them.”

  Aiden squeezes my hip softly. “Don’t worry. They will be okay.”

  I shake my head. “You can’t be sure of that.”

  He shrugs. “It’s just a feeling I’ve got.”

  The darkness floods the room as the machine switches off entirely and the thud of bodies hitting the safety mat echo around us. I click my fingers, illuminating the room. They are still unconscious but lying on the soft mats beneath where they’d been floating. “How long will it take for them to wake?” />
  Jared, who is standing behind us, steps forward. “It can be anywhere between twenty minutes to two hours.”

  “Thank you, Jared. Can you get your men to come and take all of them somewhere more comfortable?” He glances back at me. “I think it’s time for my queen and me to free the rest of the prisoners in this place.”

  Jared smiles. “Of course.”

  Aiden laces his fingers with mine. “We are going to come across some angry people, but we need to explain what happened.”

  Aiden’s mother clears her throat. “Not without me, you don’t.”

  Aiden laughs. “Of course not, mother. Officially, you are queen.”

  She shakes her head. “I’m too old for that.” She waves her hand. “I want to live the rest of the life I’ve got since I’ve been trapped for twenty years.”

  It’s impossible not to notice the guilt on Aiden’s face. He may not have told me, but I know he blames himself for not learning sooner about his father’s true nature.

  Flynn clears his throat. “Don’t forget me. I think the faeries may be easier to tame with me there.”

  Aiden nods. “Of course, I’m forever in your debt for this, Flynn.”

  Flynn shakes his head. “Consider it paid the moment you joined the council.”

  Aiden nods. “Thank you.” He squeezes my hand. “Let’s go and do this then. My father has wrongly imprisoned these people for far too long.”

  He pulls me out of the room, but I glance back at my family. All I want to do right now is wait with them until they wake.

  Aiden senses my hesitation. “What’s wrong, love?”

  “I want to be there for them when they wake.”

  “You will be, this won’t take any longer than twenty minutes.”

  I glance back at my parents and brother’s lifeless bodies, before nodding. “Okay, I just can’t wait to speak to them.” Aiden smiles. “I know. Have patience, love.” He guides me out of the corridor, and we all follow Jared to see the rest of the prisoners. Several men filter into the room to move all the witches as we leave.