He held out his hand to Anna. “Do not fear me, my queen.”
She recoiled. “No. I don’t belong to you.” She grabbed Joe’s biceps, taking comfort in his warmth. That comfort seemed so ethereal now, so frivolous. But it was something she wanted, desperately. What she wouldn’t give for one more night in his arms.
Pijeth eyed them both for a moment and smiled. Anna gritted her teeth, wishing she could scratch that smug grin off his face. Bastard.
The gold dragon turned and shouted into the cave’s heights. “A new day dawns for all Draconia.”
The room erupted in roars and sprays of fire. The crystal dragons sat quiet and still. If Anna’s heart wasn’t throttling so hard, she might feel sorry for them, coming so close against all odds, only to lose the throne on a technicality.
Pijeth lifted one arm, silencing the room. “Today, I take the honor bestowed upon me through right of combat.” More cheers as he spun back to Joe and Anna.
Joe straightened. “I can’t do this.” He pulled Anna back behind him. “You’re mine. I’m not giving you to another.”
Her dragon quivered beneath her hands. What would happen to Joe if he didn’t give her up? Would their stupid ancient rules require Pijeth to gut him publicly?
A shiver ran over her skin as she moved back to his side. She wouldn’t let Joe sacrifice himself.
Pijeth’s smile broadened.
“Quenor trusted you,” Joe said.
Anna glanced at Connor, whose gaze darted between Joe and Pijeth. What would he do, if Joe and Pijeth came to blows?
A single, ear-shattering roar filled the theater. The ground quaked as a massive, tattered gray slammed to the ground. The beast considered those around him with one blazing yellow eye. A scar cut across the other, coating it with a milky film. It was obvious none took that as a handicap.
An elegant blue alighted by the gray’s side and fluttered its wings in Nik’s direction. The Kotahi straightened. A blush stained his cheek before the gray lumbered forward, blocking Anna’s view.
The two golden guards beside Pijeth parted, bowing to the gray as he approached.
Joe’s eyes reflected the megalith. His lip trembled slightly.
Anna tightened her grip. “What? Who is that?”
Joe gulped. “Ugaron, the Ancient One. The only living former king.”
Jesus, was this guy going to stake a claim, too?
Pijeth, struggling against his limp, held his chin high and approached the beast. Pretty ballsy, when Ugaron could swallow someone in human form whole.
Joe tapped Anna’s hand on his arm. “Ugaron is here to transfer power to the golds. The fighting is over.”
Anna shivered and leaned her cheek on Joe’s shoulder. He said he wouldn’t give her up. What did that mean for him? What did it mean for us?
Connor stepped behind them, putting a hand on each of their shoulders. He tightened his grip when the gray’s yellow eyes fixed on them.
Pijeth turned to them as well, that god-awful smile still leeched to his face. Anna’s jaw clenched. That rat bastard had been planning this all along. He was just waiting for someone else to get her to the mountain so he could muscle his way in.
The scheming gold led the gray back to them. He gestured to Anna. “The blood right queen stands among us, Ancient One.”
Anna took a step toward him. “And she is going to scratch your eyes out if you come any closer.”
Pijeth’s eyes widened before he laughed.
The bastard actually laughed!
Joe pulled her back. “Don’t make this worse.”
Ugaron leaned in and smelled her. She gaged on the stench of decay as the beast garbled something in Draconic.
Pijeth nodded.
Joe straightened as the section of gold dragons started howling. Two of them spit fire in the air.
Anna covered her ears. “What’s going on?”
Conner pulled her tight to him. “He just said you smell like Joesephutus.”
Joe’s hands fisted. He took a step forward. “She is mine, Ancient One.”
Several crystal dragons jumped into the arena. The two gold guards raised their wings and howled at them. Connor backed her away.
She thrashed in his grip. “Let me go.”
He grunted before grabbing her face. “You are hurting me, but that will not stop me from keeping my promise to protect you.”
Protect her? Anna’s gaze shot back to the center of the arena. Ugaron bellowed into the sky, silencing the room.
Pijeth called his guards back as he faced Joe.
Anna refused to let this happen. She elbowed Connor in his injured stomach. He doubled over, dropping her. She sprinted back out and forced herself between Joe and the gold.
Pijeth’s self-righteous grin returned as he grabbed her. “Take note, all those within the sound of my voice!” He faced up into the theater. “The Ancient One has confirmed the girl can carry the seed of the Draconi.”
Screw this. She didn’t give a damn that she had a special blood type. The gold was not her dragon. If Pijeth thought she was going to be an easy lay, he had another thing coming. She twisted and pulled, but he barely budged.
Pijeth’s smile widened, and he whispered, “Feisty, an amiable quality in a queen.” He shoved her into Joe’s arms and raised his palms into the air. “The golden sept recognizes and accepts the crystal dragon’s claim to the throne.” He turned to Joe and bowed low at the hip, splaying his hands at his sides.
Joe tensed beneath Anna’s touch.
The hush in the room hovered like a hatchet waiting to fall before Pijeth look up.
Joe huffed out a breath. “Wh-what?”
“Place your hand on my head, boy. Quickly.”
“But you won. The mountain is yours.”
“And it is also mine to give away. I wasn’t battling for the crown. I was keeping that murderous gray away from my brother.” His nose flared. “Now accept my offer before I change my mind.”
Still trembling, Joe reached out and placed his hand on Pijeth’s head. Anna breathed a sigh of relief.
The room erupted in a thunderous cacophony again as Ugaron touched his head to the floor at Joe’s feet. Then the shimmering blue dragon beside him bowed, followed by the crystals that had jumped to the stage, followed more reluctantly by the golds.
Anna pressed her hand to her chest, holding back the joyous ache as dragon after dragon bowed to the gaping, wide-eyed, pale man beside her.
Cradling his now even more injured stomach, Connor limped to Joe and kneeled.
Joe made to stop him. “You don’t bow.”
Connor held up a palm. “Today, I bow. Tomorrow I will return to being a talon in your side, my king.”
Anna’s heart swelled. More shouts echoed through the room as Connor’s head touched the floor.
Pijeth stood and reached out to shake his new king’s hand. Joe showed the gold his blistered, bloodied fingers left from grasping the dragon spear. Pijeth smiled, spit into his palms, and rubbed Joe’s wounds until they disappeared.
“Thank you.” Joe accepted the older dragon’s hand. “The crystal dragons recognize your sacrifice.”
“You found the girl. The throne was always yours.” The gold shrugged. “And I’m more the brute strength type than the ruling type. I think I could much better serve our people as the head of your guard.”
Joe smiled. “I accept, with great honor.”
Pijeth Grabbed Joe’s hand and thrust his fist into the air. “Our new king!”
The dragons around them roared in a deafening thunder that reverberated through the chamber. Joe pulled Anna tight to his side as dragons continued to make their way to the stage and bow.
The red baby dragon scuttled to the front of the assembly, followed by the adult who’d tried to help free Anna. The larger dragon shifted into a man with coppery hair and a beard.
The red bowed to Joe. “Please allow us the honor of removing the remainder of the queen’s bonds. I’m sure
a crystal dragon has no desire to have her shackled while you mate.”
Joe’s neck twitched. He glanced at Anna, then back to the red. “You’re correct, but I’m sure we can find the key.”
“True.” The red placed his hand on the baby’s head as the youngster sat and wagged his tail like an expectant puppy. “You will understand this more when your queen gives birth, but my fledgling wants to help. He’ll be shattered if he can’t finish what he was brave enough to start.”
How adorable was that? Anna’s heart warmed, despite the giving birth comment.
She held her wrist out to the baby. The chain dangled, the links massing on the floor. “I’d be honored for the help, little one.”
The red smiled as the child started gnawing on the shackle. “You are going to be the greatest of queens. I’m overjoyed that we will get to know you.”
Because if Gale won, the psychotic tyrant would have screwed her, tied her up somewhere until she gave birth, and then fed her to the baby. God, that was screwed up. Why had all of them allowed this to go on for so long?
The metal bracelet fell from her wrist with a clunk, and the baby jumped to the ring around her ankle. The child grunted and tugged, his tail wagging with excitement. He was kinda cute for something that would grow into a two-ton predator.
She wouldn’t get to see him grow, though. Not if she left as planned. She looked up at the expectant faces around her, some human-looking, but mostly dragons. They hadn’t dispersed after recognizing Joe. Probably because there was still one little matter to attend to that involved Anna and her womb.
Joe’s brow furrowed as he watched the baby toil with the last shackle. He hadn’t expected to take the crown. Now that it was his, would he backpedal on his promise? Would he keep her here and force her to have his child to placate their archaic customs?
The anklet popped and the baby savaged the metal as if giving a killing blow. The dragons roared and scraped their talons on the stone. The shifted dragons applauded.
Joe took a deep breath. His hands clenched and unclenched. Their gazes met. His crystalline eyes were wide and shaky. This was it, the moment she’d been dreading since she found out about the Seventeen Year.
A sharp pain started in Anna’s throat and deepened. Joe wanted to let her go, she could tell, but now that they were here, he had no idea how to get her out of this.
The sound abated around them, until the onlookers stood in silence.
The red shooed the baby behind him and inclined his head to Joe. “There is the matter of impregnating the queen, Sire.”
Joe drew in another breath. “I am aware of that.” He took in the crowd before returning his gaze to Anna. “I will not take her publicly. This is an intimate moment, one I look forward to enjoying in private.”
The dragons hummed and garbled over what must have been a huge change in tradition. Was Joe simply biding her time to escape, or had he decided to go through with this? She retreated a step.
Joe grabbed her wrist, pulling her back. He whispered in her ear. “I made you a promise, and I intend to keep it. Do you trust me?”
Did she trust the guy she only met a few days ago? The answer should be obvious, but it wasn’t. Simply looking into Joe’s eyes left her with an overwhelming calm and a sense of freedom. She moved closer and smiled.
The red lowered his chin. “May I suggest, Sire, that you take your queen back to your clan residence.” His nose twisted. “I doubt you will find the condition of the royal chambers to your liking.”
Anna cringed, imagining what horrors Gale left behind for them.
“Very well, then.” Joe offered Anna his hand. “Shall we, my queen?”
* * *
*.*.*
* * *
At the top of the stone stairs, Anna and Joe hesitated as a large, shimmering, white dragon landed on the platform and shifted. The man left within the sparkling flash had hair as white as Joe’s and eyes only a touch darker.
Ignoring the fact that he was naked, the man embraced Joe. “You have done your sept proud, my son.” He released Joe and bowed to Anna. “You will have to forgive us, my queen. We were not anticipating such esteemed company, and my mate and I have just completed a breeding cycle.” He looked from Joe, back to Anna. “Crystal dragons don’t shift while they are nesting. She will have to greet you as a dragon. I hope you understand.”
Joe wrapped his arm around Anna. “I trust that means I can be expecting a fledgling brother soon.”
A bluish hue touched his father’s cheek. “That is our hope, yes.” He looked down the hallway. “I will need to prepare your mother. When you didn’t return the first night, we thought the worst. She doesn’t even know you’re alive.” He hunched his shoulders, possibly embarrassed by that admission, before passing through the doorway and into the darkness.
Joe took Anna’s hand. “These corridors are not made for human eyes. Let me guide you.”
Within three steps the light disappeared as if someone had thrown a switch. Choking down her panic, and need to reach out and feel for the walls, she strode beside Joe until an open doorway bathed the dragon-sized hallway in light once more.
The moment they entered, a large silver snout touched noses with Anna. She froze, her breath hitched as Joe wrapped his arms around the dragon’s neck and whispered to her.
The creature cooed in Draconic. Anna’s heart warmed and she smiled. Who’d ever have thought such a massive, horrifying beast could be so affectionate?
When the dragon turned back to her guest, Anna waved her hand. “Umm, hi. It’s nice to meet you.”
The dragon ruffled her glossy, white mane and licked Anna’s cheek. Anna cringed, but did her best to hide her disgust before the dragon bumped her toward the rear of the room.
Joe’s father motioned them through a doorway. “We will do our best to give you both the privacy you ordered, my son. Please call out if you need anything.”
“I will. Thank you.” Joe dropped a thick, leathery door over the opening, blocking them inside. The room was a small cave not much larger than Joe would be in his dragon form. A small pile of trinkets glistened in one corner. The remainder of the room was filled with a huge pile of dried leaves and grasses with a well-worn dent in the center.
Anna found herself stepping away from what looked very much like a nest. “You said to trust you. I’m still trusting you.”
Joe pulled her into his arms and rested her head on his shoulder. “As you should. I have no intention of going back on my word.”
Her chest tightened. She’d made her wishes perfectly clear, but here they were, alone in his room and hugging beside his bed. She pulled him closer, taking comfort in his earthy smell as her muscles finally gave in and relaxed.
The rightness of it all should have sent her clambering for the exit. Instead, she stole another deep, content breath before leaning back. “All these feelings I have, are they mine, or are you doing something to me?”
Joe held out his hands in submission. “I haven’t done anything intentionally, but you are my mate, whether or not we act on that.” He glanced at the nest, big enough for ten people, let alone two. “It is possible that you’re feeling the bond. I’m not really sure.” He looked back at her. “I’m sorry having these feelings displeases you.”
Her eyes shot open. “No, no, no. It’s not like that. It’s just…”
She felt her own gaze draw to the nest, wondering if it were comfortable, wondering how it would feel to lay in his arms within its simple embrace.
He drew a line with his fingertips across her collarbone, up her neck, and settled on her chin, tilting her face toward him. Those crystalline eyes seeped into her again, holding secrets she’d never discover.
She trembled as he placed slow, tender kisses along her cheek, her temple, and her ear. His lips were soft and tentative, but sure and strong. She drank him in, knowing this might be the only tender moment they’d spend together.
Joe released her, and smiled as he wi
ped a tear from her cheek that she didn’t realize she’d shed. “My people need to believe we’ve mated. One more night is all I ask. Then I will bring you back to the village.”
“Oh.” She swallowed and dropped her gaze to the floor.
Her hands quaked as he drew her toward his nest. Her cheeks burned, realizing how comfortable she was with him in these strange surroundings, in everything that surrounded this guy and his foreign, mythical world.
Anna’s chest ached as she snuggled into his shoulder and tried to commit to memory his smell, the strength of the arms wrapped around her, and how for the first time in her life, she felt at home.
29
Brightly colored rooftops marked the town amongst the trees as a final gust of air wrapped around Anna. Shun fluttered his golden wings before setting her gently on the grass.
Anna grabbed her chest and took a deep breath of the warmer air on the ground. A few minutes into the flight, her terror subsided, but the lashing cold continued to berate her. She’d shouted a few questions to Shun, but he couldn’t do much more than grunt in response.
Pijeth beat his massive wings as he set Joe beside her. He then alighted on a nearby boulder. Takata dropped Connor from a few feet up. The large man scowled, grabbing his already wounded abdomen while the dragon released a set of grunts that sounded quite a lot like laughter. If this were true, Connor was far from amused.
The two younger dragons settled on either side of their larger brother. Their muzzles angled across the small clearing and, from their vantage point, probably beyond.
Connor glared at them, rubbing his bandages before turning to Joe and Anna. “I’ll wait over here and give you two a moment to…” He waved his hand between them, as if that summed up all the possible ways to end that sentence, before he backed away.
“Connor is going to take you the rest of the way to the town.” Joe studied the dirt at his feet.
Anna’s eyes widened. “Oh. I-I thought,” that Joe would take her to town. She’d hoped they could have a drink and talk for a few minutes, somewhere far from the dragonly chaos. This guy had, after all, saved her life, and then let her go when it was completely in his power to keep her prisoner.
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