by Abigail Owen
A risk he was willing to take to keep her.
Ladon didn’t need to see how Skylar’s jaw clenched, or the flush that ran up her neck, or Kasia’s wince to know he’d used the wrong word. She’d already said she wasn’t a woman who could be claimed.
Though begging went against everything in him, chafing like sandpaper against his skin, he moved to squat in front of her. “You aren’t safe anymore. I can keep you safe only if no one else can have you.”
“Especially Pytheios,” Kasia said.
Skylar sat forward, getting in his face. “I’ll keep myself safe. Thanks. I damn well won’t be rushed into mating.”
“It’s not just about you, Sky,” Kasia reminded her, a world of regret in her voice. “If Pytheios gets you, it’s about all of us. The dragon shifters caught in the middle of these kings…and our family.”
“You want me to mate a man I barely know?” Skylar flung an arm out at him, smacking him in the chest, her tone implying that to do so was a fate worse than death.
Kasia grabbed her hand, clasping it in her own. “I want you to find your destined mate, like I did,” she said, her eyes wide. “But I want you to live more.”
…
Skylar put every emotion, every thought, on pause as she stared at her sister. Kasia was terrified in a way Skylar had never seen before. Just because Pytheios was coming for Skylar…
He’d been smart enough to attack her phoenix grandmother as she’d willingly passed her powers to their mother, killing both her and their grandfather with one blow when they were most vulnerable. He’d managed to best their father, a king in his own right. Eventually he’d murdered their mother.
Underestimating Pytheios would be the height of stupidity.
This was not how Skylar had pictured saving Kasia would end up.
She knew with lead-lined certainty her sister was right to be frightened. If the other kings knew, they’d come for her, track her down. She couldn’t leave. At the same time, her unmated presence made things more dangerous for everyone here. Including her sister.
She didn’t dare glance at Ladon. Looking at him would only cloud her thinking with his eyes, and that sexy cleft in his chin, and the rough voice. He’d surprised the hell out of her with that conversation about earning her trust, and she’d been dumb enough to almost kiss him for it. One little genuine offer of help and she was a goner. What was wrong with her? She and Kasia were the strong ones, but Skylar knew down deep that she was supposed to keep her family safe. Instinct or a calling. Whatever. But that’s who she was.
Mating a king seemed like the only way now.
“Do you see anything, Kas?” Brand prompted Kasia, slipping a hand up under the heavy fall of her hair.
That’s right. Kasia had visions.
Her sister’s lips flattened, turning white. “No,” she said. “Nothing.” She turned eyes heavy with worry to her mate. “What does that mean?”
“It doesn’t mean anything,” Skylar declared. Not that she was truly certain, but worrying about it wouldn’t solve a damn thing. “It means I have to make a decision as blindly as I did before.”
Could she mate a man she didn’t know? One she still wasn’t sure she trusted? One who was the kind of creature she’d been running from her entire life? Sure, she’d already chosen to give him a chance at convincing her, but that was still a thousand leagues away from doing the deed right this second.
He sees you, a small voice whispered.
He saw through the crazy, calling her bold and decisive. No one had ever believed in her like that. Sometimes not even her mother. Most of the time, her family assumed she was irresponsible when the exact opposite was what she was trying to be. Protect her family, the only people in the world who mattered to her, even when they couldn’t do it for themselves. Did Ladon truly understand that? She got the feeling that, of any dragon shifter in the world, he did. A king who took his throne to help his people.
There could be worse things.
An image of deep red dragon scales and molten eyes flashed in her mind’s eye. Pytheios. If he got to her first, gut instinct warned her that her fate wouldn’t be as simple as killing him with her fire when he attempted to mate her. He’d lived too long and taken out too many powerful players to not know that was coming. No doubt he had a plan, even if she couldn’t see it yet.
Skylar shuddered, then took a breath and reached for calm.
She cast her gaze over the man still squatting in front of her with way more patience than she’d ever give him credit for. Strength radiated back at her. Determination. An iron will reflected in that jagged scar that gave him a fearsome permanent scowl.
Can I trust you?
In her mind she cataloged what she knew of him. Fierce warrior. Ruthless. Would do anything for his people. He’d given her the opportunity to get to know him before choosing him.
Respect.
She could respect him. He’d offered to be a resource.
When it had been her mother and sisters, only their mother had the abilities. So Skylar had been the one determined to do everything else she could—become the best fighter, learn to fly a plane so she could help with escapes, stay up at night, watching over them.
The mere concept of Ladon and his clan being a resource. Something big and dangerous to help her protect her family…
He remained still, waiting for her, not touching, but in her space in a way she couldn’t ignore. In a way that her body responded to even as she willed it to stop. She could definitely have sex with Ladon. The odd appeal he held for her was undeniable.
But mating meant the rest of her extremely long life tied to the man. What if he was a total dick? What if all that understanding and ruthless good guy was an act?
“Trust me, Skylar,” Ladon murmured in that rough voice.
And a small, crazy part of her suddenly wanted that. Which made no sense.
Okay. Look at this logically.
Mating didn’t mean she had to stay here forever.
There was an idea worth examining. Say they managed to take down the old kings and bring peace not only to the shifters but freedom for her and her sisters. She could safely leave him then, if she wished.
Win-win.
She either earned her eventual freedom—that was the long game—or she fried a dragon king as they mated.
A result that brought its own set of issues worth shoring up.
“What if I kill you?” she asked.
He stilled, and she could see his mind whirring. “I’m willing to risk it.”
“That’s not what I meant, and you know it.”
He crossed his arms. “If you choose me, I won’t—”
“I could be choosing you for the wrong reasons, and it all goes tits up. No one can say how this works for sure.”
He narrowed his eyes, a brooding cocktail of command and determination reflected in eyes she could drown in. “So, choose me for the right reasons.”
“There’s not enough time, according to you.”
His lips flattened at the implication that she didn’t trust him, but she ignored his irritation. “Rush a mating, and you might burn to ash instead of getting a phoenix. So…what happens to me if I kill you?”
The chilly expression that stared back at her should’ve had her quivering in her boots.
“You’re like a fucking brick wall, you know that?” she said. “Immovable.” Granted, she wasn’t any better, but she was giving up a lifetime of hatred to mate him.
“I’ve had to be,” Ladon snarled.
That gave Skylar pause. Everything this man had said or done so far told her Ladon Ormarr was a reluctant ruler. Meira was usually the one to see both sides of a situation, but Skylar couldn’t deny that she wasn’t the only one being forced into an untenable situation. Still… What was he giving up?
Every
thing, a small voice whispered inside her. He’d put his life on the line just to take his throne and defy the regime in power. He’d risk it again trying to mate her.
The insight broke over her almost gently. Ladon’s motive was to help his people. This wasn’t about power or greed but survival.
That she could trust.
She studied his face, the rigid set of his shoulders, the way his jaw clenched. She sensed a restlessness, as though his life had caged him. Or kept beating him down in a barrage of shit events.
That she could relate to as well, suddenly making him more…real to her. More human. Less monster.
How had the trajectory of her life changed so drastically, so inalterably, so fast?
“I wouldn’t try to hurt you on purpose. I promise.” The words were out of her mouth before the conscious thought even formed, and she had to hold herself still to keep from jerking back. Not kill a dragon when she had the chance. What kind of power did this man hold over her that she’d willingly promise such a thing? It had come out more easily than she liked to admit, even to herself.
A brief flicker in his eyes was gone before she could interpret the emotion. “I’ll leave orders that you are to be protected if the mating fails and I die,” Ladon said. “Brand will enforce them.”
The silent mountain of a man sitting beside Kasia gave a sharp nod of affirmation.
Skylar stared at Ladon. Hell. She’d been going for not executed outright for killing the king, but protected? He’d do that for her?
Skylar refused to acknowledge the shard of rejection the thought of accidentally killing him wanted to push through her chest. Ladon Ormarr meant nothing to her beyond another layer between her and her family’s murderer. Plus, potentially good sex.
She eyed him—all muscle and menacing force. Make that damn hot sex.
“Fine. I’ll give it a shot.”
Ladon scowled, as if he didn’t like that answer, then reached out, taking her face in his hands. Staring at her with a look that sent a shiver skittering down her spine. “Was that a yes?”
Skylar swallowed, then hated herself for the weakness. All that intensity focused on her, and they weren’t even in bed yet. “Yes. I’ll mate you.”
Giving in didn’t sting like she expected. Instead, a sense of anticipation fizzed inside her like bubbles and butterflies. That couldn’t be because of Ladon, though. She didn’t know the guy. Maybe because of the possibilities this presented, the change to the course of her life? The purpose it gave her? Or maybe because her traitorous body was already heating at the thought of what was about to happen.
Ladon released her and stood, and she had to stop herself from shaking her head to clear it.
What is wrong with me?
No light of victory entered Ladon’s eyes, no smirk. All he did was nod and turn to Brand. “We need to inform my men, and then my Curia Regis.”
Brand stood, towering over them, and crossed his arms. “I don’t think this is a good idea.”
“I didn’t ask.”
Brand paused, as though he wanted to argue the point, his gaze moving to Skylar. She stared back, unmoved. After a minute, his expression turned disgruntled. “Gods save us from stubborn phoenixes.”
Kasia snorted a laugh, but Brand finally nodded and left the room.
“Ready for this?” His lips pulled up in the first full smile she’d seen, reminding her more of a jaguar about to lunge for her jugular.
I’m the prey. The idea sat about as well with her as the hot pink dress Kasia made her try on for a formal event at one of their schools. She lifted her chin. “Maybe I’m hoping I kill you.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Even before his smile disappeared behind a scowl, that twitch near his bad eye going off, Skylar wished she could take it back.
I don’t mean it.
She slammed into a wall of realization. A short time in Ladon’s presence and she wasn’t ready to rip the head off this particular dragon king.
What did that mean?
“You said you’d choose me,” he growled. The man actually growled. “Even if it’s only about survival.”
“Calm down. I was kidding.” Which was still a shock.
Ladon grunted, though his glower eased. “We need to work on your teasing.”
She harrumphed. “Yeah, well, if you want the funny one, Angelika’s your girl. If you want the nice one, you should wait for Meira.”
“Skylar,” Kasia groaned, a hand covering her face. “Can you be serious for five seconds?”
“I am.” Granted, she wasn’t being entirely fair. That had been a horrible thing to try to tease about. Way too soon.
Ladon cocked his head, eyeing her closely. “Did I hit a nerve?”
Maybe. “Of course not.”
He grunted his disbelief. “Do you think you can act smitten in front of an audience?”
The change in subject left her spinning. “Smitten is not my thing. Why?”
“If I’m going to ask my people to protect you—should you incinerate me—they need to believe you didn’t kill me on purpose. Destined mates have been known to share an instant connection.” He looked to Kasia. “Not love, from what I understand, but they’re drawn to each other.”
Skylar snorted. “Who told you that big fat whopper?”
“Hey!” Kasia protested. They both ignored her.
“My mother,” he said. “She said that’s how it worked for her and my father. Instant, insatiable need that grew to…more.”
She tried to figure out how to pry her foot out of her mouth. Maybe with a crowbar? She went for humor instead. “Your mother said the word insatiable? To her son?”
He gave a small shrug. “I filled in the spaces she left unsaid. Love, connection, devotion, those all came later. According to my father, he was barely able to get her out of the room before mating her, he was so desperate to make her his forever.” His gaze dropped to her lips, and she had to force herself not to go all girly and lick them.
Her mother’s own rarely shared story had been much the same. So had Kasia’s, apparently. Lust and hormones. At least, Skylar had always dismissed it as such. “Sounds intense. Are they here? I’d like to ask—”
“They’re dead.”
The way he said it sent a chill skating over her skin and sinking deeper. Not because he didn’t care, but because she could see that underneath the control was a devastation that ran too deep for him to allow it free rein. Skylar knew that kind of devastation.
Her mother. She may not have entirely believed the love at first sight, soul mates part, but her mother’s desolation and yearning for her lost mate had been real enough.
“I’m sorry,” she murmured softly.
Behind him, Kasia raised her eyebrows. Skylar gave a slight shake to her head. Her sympathy for him wasn’t fake. Not about this.
Brand popped his head into the room. “They’ll be gathered in ten minutes.”
“Can you do this?” Ladon asked. “Convince them that you can’t keep your hands off me?”
“The things I have to do for my sisters.” The bigger problem was, she didn’t think she’d have any trouble at all.
“I’m serious.”
“Can you?” she demanded.
His jaw tightened, and he stepped into her—warm, solid, and forceful. “Are you attracted to me?”
His smoke and bourbon scent swirled around her, and those blue eyes wouldn’t release her gaze. Skylar tried to keep a handle on her body, though her control was slipping. Attracted didn’t begin to cover it. She wanted him in a highly inappropriate, idiotic, delicious way.
“Are you attracted to me?” she fired back. No way was she admitting anything. That would give him too much power in this dynamic of theirs.
“Yes.”
Holy shit. She had not anticipated that sta
rk, completely honest response.
“That’s cute.” She crossed her arms.
“You don’t believe me?”
“Sure I believe you. I think hormones have a lot to answer for,” she said. A huge fucking lot.
His blue eyes lit again with that inner flame, appearing to glow, and she stared, fascinated, while her body leapt with a heat of its own in direct response. He trailed a finger down her cheek, and she couldn’t control the shiver or the irritation when satisfaction joined the fire in his gaze.
“So you feel it, too,” he murmured. Not a question. “I can work with that. To start with.”
This was wrong on so many levels. Her mother’s words came back to her. When you are backed into a corner, take one step forward and reassess. Then another. Then another. Until you’re out of the corner. Step one… “Let’s go convince your people.”
“Good girl.”
His approval should mean jack squat, so why did part of her warm under praise that edged on patronizing?
Skylar turned to her sister. “Can you keep your bad poker face to a minimum?”
“Are you sure about this? It’s rushed—”
“Now you’re questioning things?” Skylar shook her head. “I’m sure.” For now. “You know I never did like to wait to make decisions, and it’s worked out so far.”
Kasia surprised her by stepping in and wrapping her arms around Skylar’s neck, squeezing hard. “At least we’ll get to be together again.”
The burn of unexpected tears pushed behind her eyelids, and Skylar took a step back, forcing her sister to let go. “Yes, we will.”
Ladon took her by the hand to lead her down the hall, not letting go. Conscious of how small her hand was in his, Skylar didn’t pull away. She’d never show weakness, perceived or otherwise.
The walk through the tunnels from his rooms to where his men waited didn’t take long. She figured he’d take her inside, but instead, Ladon stopped outside the door that she already knew from exploring led to the largest of the conference rooms and tugged her around to face him.
