Claimed by the Dragons

by Cara Wylde

  “I’m sorry, but I…” Delyse swallowed hard before finishing her sentence. She looked into his eyes, and he held her gaze this time. “I’m scared.”

  Viggo felt like his heart had just melted.

  “There’s nothing to be sorry for. We’re all scared, believe me. We’re just too proud to say it out loud, you know?”

  “Dragons…”

  “Yeah, dragons…” he smiled.

  Another moment of silence. The tension was so thick in the air that one could cut it with a knife.

  “Viggo…” She didn’t know how to continue her sentence, so she simply let the sound of his name hang in the air.

  “Lily…”

  He bit the inside of his cheek again. He fought the urge to reach a hand and touch her arm, or her shoulder, or her hair… anything. Instead, he took an unconscious step towards her.

  His skin radiated heat. She was enveloped by his warmth and his masculine scent. The closeness made her forget how good things had been between her and Eric since he had come back from London. She rose on her tiptoes and whispered against his lips: “Just this once…”

  “No…”

  But even as he said “no”, he leaned forward, making it easier for her to press her lips to his. It was a quick, closed-lip kiss, but it was intense. It was over before it started, and if their lips hadn’t burned so hot and their palms hadn’t been clammy with sweat, they could have doubted that it ever happened. Delyse immediately put some distance between them, because if she didn’t do it, then she knew she wouldn’t resist. Viggo cleared his throat and turned his back to her, determined not to let her see the sadness and hurt in his eyes. He couldn’t have her, yet he wanted her even more with each passing day. They waited for the others in complete silence, neither of them capable, or willing, to make any kind of conversation. The tension hanging between them had turned to guilt.

  ***

  Eric hesitated before leaving his office. The door was open, and all he had to do was step over the threshold, and he’d be in the hallway. Lily and Viggo were waiting for him at the end of the hallway, near the stairs. He could smell them and hear them even though they kept their voices down. Astrid and Finn had disappeared God knew where, and the three of them would have to wait if they wanted to have lunch in town. He had promised Lily he would take her to see the island, and lunch was a great opportunity to do just that while also spending some quality time with the members of his clan and help Lily adapt to her new position as the Fyrstur’s bride.

  He furrowed his brows. Why was he hesitating? There was something in the air. If he tilted his head back and sniffed, he could almost figure out what it was. Tension? Fear? Arousal? That was just ridiculous. Then it happened… Those simple words, so small, yet so significant, leaving Lily’s lips in a tiny whisper. So tiny that he almost missed it.

  “Just this once…”

  Eric stepped over the threshold in time to see Viggo whisper a strangled “no” before she rose on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his. He didn’t pull back. In fact, he closed his eyes. It was over in a second, and when they parted and stepped away from each other, Eric made sure he was back in his office. They hadn’t heard or noticed him, he was sure of it. Too caught up in their little exchange, in what they felt for each other… Too preoccupied by the fact that what they had just done was wrong. Yes, Eric knew now: that strange thing he felt and smelled in the air was guilt. Their guilt. Was this the first time they had kissed? Had Viggo kissed his bride before, while he was gone? What else had they done?

  He shook his head and rubbed his temples. No. It couldn’t be. He didn’t know Lily for long enough, but he did know Viggo. His Annarr would never betray him. Unless…

  “Unless he loves her.”

  Eric leaned with his back against the wall for a couple of minutes and let the information sink in. Lily was so sweet, so fragile, so innocent. She wasn’t capable of something like that. On the other hand, if she and Viggo had done more than just kiss, he had to admit he, Eric, had pushed her a bit. He knew very well he hadn’t been the best husband so far, ignoring her and not letting her draw him into a proper conversation. He knew he was rough. It was in his nature, and he knew he couldn’t change it. He didn’t want to, actually. Being the Alpha of an ancient dragon clan came with responsibilities. He had to be a true leader. Viggo, on the other hand… As the Beta, Viggo didn’t need to seem uncaring and unmovable. He could afford to show his emotions. He could afford to hold a woman gently and kiss her hair sweetly without fearing his clan’s judgment. Eric’s heart clenched at the thought. As he stayed there, against the wall, for five more minutes, he tried to calm down his heart enough to think with his brain. In the end, the worst realization of all was that Lily did need and deserve a man like Viggo.

  When he came out of the office and walked towards his bride and his Beta, Eric was a different person, but he didn’t let it show. He ignored their unease, plastered a smile on his face, and asked them if they were ready to go.

  “I don’t know about you,” he said while wrapping an arm around Lily’s shoulders, “but I’m starving.”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  The Council Meeting

  Eric held the door open for her, and Delyse entered the impressive building in central London which hosted the headquarters of the Council of the Six Factions. Wide-eyed, she looked at the tall ceiling and stared at the elegantly dressed people, humans and shifters, going about their business. Excitement grew in her heart as she realized her father had worked here for the better part of his life. Now, he was waiting for them upstairs, in the conference room, where he had gathered all the other members of the Council, along with their personal advisers and her two friends, Avelyn and Amelia. She smiled when she remembered she would see them again in a few minutes, and she almost bolted to the elevator. Fortunately, Eric took her hand and stopped her before she made a fool of herself.

  “You look lovely, by the way,” he whispered as they stepped inside the elevator.

  “Thank you.”

  Delyse was wearing a black, high-waist pencil skirt, and a white shirt. Black pumps made her legs look longer than ever, and her blond hair was gathered up in a complicated updo. Astrid had insisted to braid it and twist it until she was satisfied with the result. She was wearing minimal make-up, just enough to make her sky-blue eyes pop. Eric didn’t look bad either. He was wearing a smart suit that fit perfectly over his tall, strong body, and his raven hair was tied in a low, classy ponytail. Anyone who looked their way had to stop for a second, sigh, and think how amazing they were together.

  Delyse took his arm the moment they stepped out of the elevator. It was for support and for courage. She hadn’t seen her father in years, but that wasn’t what made her so nervous. She knew the conference room would be packed with the most important people in the world, and the meeting that was about to start would pretty much decide the fate of both humans and shifters.

  “Relax,” Eric said, his hand on the door knob. “We’re going to be fine.”

  She nodded, and he opened the door. When they entered the room, all eyes turned on them. They were five minutes late, but it had all been because the driver who had taken them from the airport to central London had moved like a snail. Eric started shaking hands, smiling, and exchanging pleasantries with everyone, so Delyse found herself with a huge, fake smile plastered on her face, following his lead. The only time when her smile became genuine was when Avelyn and Amelia jumped on her and squeezed her between them in a group hug.

  “Oh my God, finally!” said Avelyn. “I thought this guy forgot you at Alma Venus.”

  Delyse laughed. “Well, he was busy sleeping, you know…”

  “Look at you!” said Amelia. “All happy and married! To a dragon, no less.”

  “I got lucky.”

  They chatted for a while, but they eventually became painfully aware of the silence around them. The councilors and their advisers were waiting for them to calm down, indulgent smiles on thei
r faces. Avelyn rolled her eyes, Amelia winked and whispered “Later. We have a lot of catching up to do,” and they went back to their seats.

  Arthur Harington hugged Delyse before she took her own seat next to Eric.

  “I’m so glad to see you,” he said.

  “Me too. How’s mom?”

  “Oh, she’s fine. Busy bee with a new charity project.”

  “For orphans and shifter brides…” There was sadness in Delyse’s voice. Her mother, Margaret Harington, had always been more interested in other peoples’ children than in her own.

  “You know her.”

  “And James?”

  “Neck-deep in research. He barely leaves the lab these days.”

  Delyse nodded and sat down. Now that she was a proper shifter-bride married to a powerful Alpha, she hoped she would get to visit her parents and spend more time with James. While they were at the boarding school, the brides were isolated from the outside world and taught how to be the best wives and mothers they could be. They were only allowed back into society after they were bought by shifters.

  Everyone in the conference room was looking at Arthur Harington, as he was the one who had called the meeting. Delyse took her time to look around her, study faces, body postures, and tense smiles in an attempt to figure out where they stood.

  The Bear Councilor, Zachary Willamar, looked like he was presiding over the meeting. It was just an impression, of course, given by his ridiculously wide shoulders and bulky chest. He had short hair, black eyes, and dark skin, and his bushy eyebrows showed he was a bit confused about what was happening and he didn’t like being confused. Delyse knew he was ex-military, and Eric had told her he would probably be the hardest one to convince.

  Dimitri Voinom, the Wolf Councilor, seemed just as scary as Willamar. At least, he was flanked by Karl Blackmane and Max Blackmane, who had Avelyn by his side. On that part of the table, Delyse knew she had friends.

  The Eagle Councilor, Christian Kwahu, seemed blissfully harmless. He sometimes exchanged a couple of words with his two advisers, and when he didn’t, he doodled in his daily planner.

  These three were the people they needed to charm. Blake Sylfur, Amelia’s best friend and the former Alpha of Clan Sylfur, was the Fox Councilor. Amelia had taken her place when she married Blake’s Beta, Seth, and gave birth to Marcus, the only nine-tailed fox-shifter in the world. Well, until his sister was born… Now, there were two nine-tailed fox-shifters, and the fox faction couldn’t be more proud of Clan Sylfur. Amelia was a pretty good Alpha, too. She was also Blake’s main adviser. Calder Grimmr, the Dragon Councilor, was an old friend of Eric’s, so he was on their side. And the Human Councilor, Arthur Harington, was currently standing, dominating the long table with his rather short, frail form. For the thousandth time in her life, Delyse noticed her father’s authority didn’t come from his posture or looks. As a simple human, he was at a huge disadvantage when compared to all the shifters in the room. His authority came from the way he held himself, from his voice, and from within. Delyse remembered why she respected him so much and why she had always wanted to impress him, make him proud of her, give him the political advantage he needed by marrying a great Alpha, such as Eric Drekinn. Arthur Harington was too proud to admit he needed his daughter’s help, but Delyse knew. She had always known why he had chosen to donate her to the Alma Venus Boarding School, and she had never held it against him. Against her mother, yes. But not against him.

  Councilor Harington asked the secretary to place the thick files he had prepared in front of everyone, then cleared his throat and informed them he was once again, after many years, bringing to their attention the importance of developing antidotes for the five types of shifter venom they knew. The reactions he got from Voinom, Willamar, and Willamar’s advisers weren’t encouraging. The wolf-shifter sighed deeply and settled in his chair for what knew would be a long speech, while Willamar tensed and leaned forward to better fix Harington with his dark eyes. The bear-shifter still didn’t know why Avelyn, Delyse, and Eric Drekinn were present, but he had an unpleasant feeling about it. Sure, Amelia was Blake’s adviser and she sometimes came to London, but the other three had no reason to be there. As far as he knew.

  “When I first came to you with this project,” continued Harington, “it was in its first stages. This isn’t going to be the same speech I gave you then, trust me. We’ve made some significant discoveries, which I believe will change your perspective on the matter.”

  Dimitri Voinom immediately perked up. “Significant discoveries… How exactly did you make them? Your labs and facilities were closed, Councilor Harington.”

  The Human Councilor smiled uneasily. “Please bear with me. I’ll get there. First, I want to talk about the advantages, the real advantages of these cures.” He made sure to emphasize “real”. Years ago, he had come with too many hypotheses, and that was why he hadn’t been able to counter his colleagues’ arguments. It would be different this time. “At some point in the evolution of shape-shifters, nature and genetics decided to turn the females infertile. Shifters started to claim human females as mates so they could ensure the continuation of their species, and we all know this was one of the main reasons why we ended up waging war against each other. The peace treaty, signed over a century ago, helped our species function together, but I hope you will agree with me when I say humans were forced to make more compromises than shape-shifters. We agreed to the clause that says humans will provide brides for the five shifter factions, and we even created boarding schools where these young women received the education and upbringing they needed to become proper wives and mothers.”

  He made a pause and looked around the table. The only ones who were fixing him were the other humans in the room. Humans and hybrids, actually. The shape-shifters pretended they were busy studying the table, their hands, their pens… anything. “So,” he thought, “This does have an impact.” Time to hit harder.

  “The point I’m trying to make is that shape-shifters need humans. Their only chance of survival stays with the brides we offer them as per the clause in the peace treaty. Now… we’ve all made mistakes. Before and during the war, when no rules were in place, many humans were turned into shape-shifters against their will and were forced to give up their families, jobs, their lives. I strongly believe that shifters owe this to them. The cure to shifter venom can offer them the chance to take back at least half of what they had. Without the ability to shift, these people can live normal lives.”

  To his surprise, Christian Kwahu actually nodded. It was true: while born shifters had no problem shifting at will in a matter of seconds, turned humans went through terrible pain the first couple of times, and they could never learn how to control their animal instincts enough to hold a normal job or build a family amongst humans. The change also took quite a toll on their sanity. Avelyn, for instance, knew very well. Sabine, her husband’s ex-bride, had gradually gone insane after she was turned.

  “If shape-shifters want to right this wrong, then they will not deny turned humans this unique opportunity,” Harington pressed.

  The air was heavy with tension. Some of the shifters around the table moved uncomfortably in their seats, although there was nothing uncomfortable about the expensive leather chairs.

  Councilor Willamar took a deep breath before speaking. If no one was going to say it, then he would.

  “More or less, you came with the same argument the first time. And we understand your point. We do. But don’t forget the war was started by you, the humans. Turning humans into hybrids will give them the same physical strength, enhanced senses, and incredible speed shifters have, and this time they will have it all: power, long lifespans, and the numbers.”

  “I agree,” said Voinom. “The human population has always been greater than the shifter population, even if you assume there are, indeed, more than five types of shifters.” The scientists studying shape-shifters had yet to come with certain proof there were more than five species in t
he world. “It’s an incredibly big risk. How do we know the idea isn’t to give humans the power and strength they need to start another war?”

  Delyse sighed and looked at Eric. He was tense beside her, and his golden eyes were switching from Willamar to Voinom, and back.

  Councilor Harington spread his arms, as if to show he had no hidden cards up his sleeves. He came in peace.

  “Dear colleagues and friends, we have to start trusting each other! We’re in this together! Humans have something shifters absolutely need to keep their species alive, and shifters can do things no human can. An antidote will only help the two groups meet half way. Humans and shifters can be on the same level. We all know our boarding schools were an acceptable compromise given the circumstances after the war, but are they still now, one hundred years later? The human brides we offer you have human lifespans. Think about it: how many brides will a wolf-shifter have if he lives 400-500 years? What about a bear-shifter? They live around 400 years, too, don’t they? Add the eagle-shifters to the equation, with their 350 years, and the fox-shifters, with their 200 years.”

  Everyone was waiting for the conclusion. They had to admit, this argument was new, and they were curious to see where it led. Arthur Harington turned to the dragon-shifters in the room.

  “Mr. Grimmr, care to remind us what the average lifespan of a weredragon is?”

  Calder Grimmr was happy to comply: “It’s hard to tell, but let’s just say I’m nearing 3467 and I’m not the oldest dragon I know.”

  “Thank you.” He turned back to the others. “Our shifter-brides understand the importance of the peace treaty and the clause which affects them directly, but it’s not right to leave them without a choice. There are special cases, of course, when the parents, or even the girl herself decides to attend a boarding school, but what about the ones who don’t have a word to say in the matter? What about the orphans the boarding schools usually buy from orphanages, or the girls who are sold by their parents themselves? For now, this system is a necessary evil, but maybe we can change some things by making it more bearable. Fair… By reducing the damage, so to speak. If my daughter, for example, becomes a hybrid, then she will have the lifespan of a dragon-shifter without ever having to shift, and without losing her gift of having children. What does that mean? Well, by my calculations, it means that her husband, Eric Drekinn, will not be forced to go through the pain of losing her, and will not have to buy another shifter-bride later. The same applies to all shifters: if their brides are hybrids, then they will finally get to enjoy life with a single mate, thus decreasing the need for new shifter-brides in the long run.”