"Unless you wish to forfeit your birthright, you will marry Petra. The wedding will be in three days. We have waited too long for it due to your absence. It will bring peace and contentment to our home, which has been in a state of turmoil since you disappeared. The dragons do not like dissension among their ruling class. You will obey my order," the king replied in his booming tone.
"If I refuse, what will you do?"
"You can't refuse. The human will be allowed to live if you follow my rules." The king turned his eyes on Evette. "We have discussed it among my council, and we are to wipe your memory of us. You will be sent back to your home to live your life in peace. You will not remember how you regained your health, where you have been, or that Valen ever existed. We cannot guarantee that you won't lose other memories as well. However, we will do our best to keep your past intact. We are being lenient in our judgment because you were not consulted in this arrangement. Valen took you without your knowledge and had you treated without consent. You should not be punished for his misdeeds. I have had time to calm down and assess the situation. Our home must be protected. I'm sure you can understand that. I know of your profession and that dragon's blood would be a miracle for your patients. We can't oblige."
She nodded humbly, though she was sad about it all. Evette was resigned to her fate. Valen couldn't lose his birthright. He would marry Petra regardless of his lack of feelings for her. She would have to say goodbye, with the knowledge that she would forget him and everything else. Kathy would wonder why she didn't remember her apprentice and how she had been cured, but there would be no answers. She prayed her knowledge of tinctures and cures would remain. Without them, she had no reason to live. That was the most important. At least, that is what she had to tell herself to not break down right there in front of all of them.
Taking a deep breath and looking at Valen with tears in her eyes, Evette announced, "I accept your decision. Valen has a place here, and I don't. Thank you for saving me with something as precious as dragon's blood. You were right, I would want to use it to save humans from suffering. The best way to stop me is to make me forget. I only ask that you do your best to leave my memory of my work, so I can continue to help others. Otherwise, there is no purpose for me to have been saved."
Valen burst out, "Stop this! I don't accept your ruling.” Evette’s head popped up to look at him, and their eyes met. She felt something there, and she wondered what in the world he was doing. There was no convincing his father. She could see that. So, why was he stirring things up even more? “I choose Evette as my mate. You will send me back to her, or we will both remain here. It doesn’t really matter which, as my choice will be the same."
Chapter Thirteen
Evette looked around her, feeling something rising in the crowd even if no one was moving. She knew that Valen had angered his father, and probably a good portion of the other dragons, by saying what he did. He had certainly stunned her.
Evette caught the eyes of Petra, and she was glaring and Evette suddenly worried for her life. It was one thing, having been locked in a room where the dragoness was powerful, but it was another thing entirely to be surrounded by other dragons that would back her up now, including a dragon king. That was when she also saw the two men that flanked the exotic beauty, looking quite similar to her. They had to be her family, and they looked furious.
"So, what about my sister, then?" one of them said, stepping forward. Evette could not even begin to guess if he was older or younger than Petra, but he was just as beautiful as her with his dark looks and chiseled body. She might have felt some twinge of attraction if it weren't for the fact that he was related to that terrible woman who had all but threatened her once they were alone. Evette held her tongue and stayed calm, even though she did not understand a society where people fought so hard to marry off two people who did not love each other at all. "She is more than worthy of being the princess, of being a Queen. That was promised to her. You would have her shamed?"
Valen shook his head, and Evette was also wondering about his response. "It is not a shame at all for her to be allowed to marry someone else who would care about her more, who could fully give themselves to her. There are plenty of eligible men in the clan with high rankings. All I want is to be with whom I desire. "
His answer was graceful, but as both the brother and the other man who was with Petra, who was probably her father, approached Valen, she knew that it didn't make a difference. It was suddenly chaos as they attacked him, beating him up right in front of everyone. The king did not stop it, and no one else moved to stop it either.
Evette heard some grumbles and mumbles between the men who were ganging up on Valen, whom she was now very worried about, and she caught on that they believed she was entitled to the throne and to his desire for her.
Evette looked around as the beating continued, seeing if anyone would be willing to step up and stop it. Then, they all burst up into the air at once, transforming into three dragons, beginning to get out of control with this fight.
"Isn’t anyone going to do or say anything?" she finally screamed out, unable to hold back any longer, no matter the consequences. "There is no need to be fighting over me or any another woman for that matter. hear him out and move on. That is the way I have been doing this. Do you really think this is the right way?" she asked, incredulous at everyone's dumbfounded expressions. until finally, others began to speak up, much of the king's outrage. The look on his face was deadly.
There were comments from all around now, those coming out to say various things about the situation, and particularly about the policy that they couldn’t interact with humans. It seemed like many had never understood the reasons why humans could not be with them if they wanted, why it was such an abomination. Evette was surprised but happy to hear that maybe Valen was not the only one without a skewed view of things. Maybe they had all just be afraid to speak up before until their prince said something.
The king turned to his wife and began to talk, and then the Queen shot up, suddenly a sapphire blue dragon, the most gorgeous one she had seen yet, and went to stop the fight while the king stood. Evette noticed his eyes glowing as he stomped a foot down, turning everyone attention towards him.
"There will be no more of this at the moment. If you want an open discussion, this is not the way to have it. It must be orderly and fair. Most of all, the prince should be involved, and a human, an outsider, should not."
That statement only made the dragons angrier. They were shouting that of course, she should be there since she is basically the exact subject.
The four dragons, including Valen, landed, and shifted back. Evette immediately began visually inspecting him for injuries and saw much fewer than she expected. He had been holding his own up there. Then, she turned back to the king.
"The reason we do not mess with humans is because they are dangerous now. There are many of them, more than us, and they have weapons that could destroy us if they found out. Or they could drain us dry of our blood to use us for medication to cure their illness. Humans and dragons remain separate for a reason." He was not leaving much room for argument, but Evette could still hear a few whispers.
Evette felt the need to speak up then, feeling like she was just causing more damage. the last thing she wanted was to ruin Valens kingdom or get him in even more trouble. "Look, I mean no harm to any of you. I appreciate everything that was done for me here, and I accept that I am meant to be with humans and you are not. I think it is best that I just go home before this gets out of hand."
The king and Queen nodded their agreement, and another dragon came from the crowd up to her. She assumed it was the one that would be wiping her memory. The woman took her arm and began to gently lead her away when Valen came down and blocked their way. The crowd turned their eyes to her again. It made her very self-conscious, especially with how emotional she was feeling. Of course, she didn't want to lose her memory of Valen or of any of this, but she didn't see another choice.
"Don't give up. Please stay, Evette. I love you." Gasps went through the crowd at his words, but Evette barely noticed as her ears rang with them. She loved him too. She knew she did.
"Okay." Valen smiled at her and swooped her up, turning into a dragon with her screaming in fear and ecstasy as they flew off, landing about a mile or two away. He set her down and she held onto him for a moment to get her bearings.
"What are we doing?" she asked him in a breathy voice.
"For now, we are finding a place to talk and work through this." He took her hand and led her into a nearby cave which looked to be stocked with some items, odds and ends, like people kind of came and went. "I used to come here when I was feeling overwhelmed. Some of the other males do it too. We won't be bothered here for now."
"So, what is it we are talking about?" Evette asked, feeling strange to be alone with him now after everything and still getting used to the feel of her newly healed body.
"Well, I would say Petra is a question for you as well as mating, if you are even interested. We need to make a decision. I hate to pressure you into anything so fast, but they will do something if we don't." Evette understood so she bobbed her head. She got it. They were in a dire circumstance. Not that it mattered because she felt freer to do what she wanted to than ever. She was cured. What was holding her back now?
"I love you too," she said, feeling a little delayed.
"You do?" he asked, looking a little surprised.
"Of course. I just didn't ever want to push you into something with someone you were just going to lose especially since you are so young. Or at least you look it. I really don't know now," she joked. "And I know you don't love Petra. I think that became pretty clear when I was alone with her. She isn't looking for love, just power. I can see that’s the name of the game here."
Valen pulled her closer to him, and she was happy to be wrapped in his warmth again, though, and she had to admit it didn't feel as warm as before because their temperatures were close to each other's now. He kissed her on the top of the head, and she sighed releasing all the tension in her shoulders. "So, mating, can I ask how that works, other than the obvious?" she asked after a little while of silence just being together. She knew time was of the essence, and honestly, some of her qualms had already melted away just being there alone with him. It just felt right.
"Well, there is generally a ceremony first that is much like a wedding. The legend is that after we mate you will have the ability to turn into a dragon as well. We don't know that for sure because humans have never mated with dragons, as I am sure you have realized." Evette smirked at that one. That was more than obvious.
"Wow, so, I might end up being a dragon. I mean, how would that work in the real world and all of that."
Valen shrugged. "We would work it out. I doubt we would be able to stay here anyway if we chose to do that. I mean, you saw how everyone was reacting. Even if some people tried to agree with us, they will be silenced by morning. I could teach you how to control it the way I do, and you would live back at your home or mine, whichever you wanted. Nothing would have to change too much."
Evette liked that idea. She still wanted to help people. Maybe, in rare instances, if she was a drain, she could save someone who was desperate the way she was. She would have to just be careful about it.
As she thought it all over, though, there was one thing that crossed her mind. She was feeling like a brand-new person, and she wasn't really the wait-until-the-wedding-night type. She wanted to get rid of those nerves, that first time, right now, when she was feeling this way. "I want to ask you for one thing before we mate,' she said, making sure she used the right word.
"Anything”, Valen said in her ear.
"I want us to be together first, normally, no mating ceremony or anything involved. Just two sort of humans, and my new body, just expressing their love for each other."
Instead of answering, he flipped her around to face him, and she straddled his lap, wrapping her legs around his back. His lips were on hers in seconds, taking her breath from her lungs and pulling it into his body as if he was feeding off of her, and he returned the favor, drinking his flavor down as his hands swam all over her body. She was coming alive in a way she had not in so long. With Joe, there had been little passion. It was all about logic and cooperation, and she had not seen her first husband in so many years, the only man that had ever made her blood boil with that until now. And this was so much more. Valen was everything she had been wanting since she first laid eyes on boys but didn't know it, not until she met him, and he kissed her. Not until he saved her.
Evette knew her body was at its best right now, its curves returned, and everything looking like she was 10 years younger. She stripped her clothes off without any qualms, then helped Valen get out of his, their warm bodies scraping against each other with every touch, kiss, and new movement. She had no more fears as she let him hold her close, his shaft growing hard against her bare skin while she explored everywhere she could reach on him unabashedly.
As he pulled her lip into his mouth, sucking and nibbling with his hunger for her, a sexy growl escaped his throat. It was something real and primal that was deeply embedded in the dragon, calling to the blood that was currently running through her veins. That blood wanted to take over, and she growled and sighed back, her nails digging into his back as she pressed her breasts into him. Valen’s hands around the side of them, massaging them before moving on to her hips, grasping onto them tightly.
Evette let out a gasp as he lifted her up and placed her right on his shaft, penetrating her awaiting and wet center before she had any time to react or ease into it. It felt both good and painful at the same time as he filled her up instantly, forcing her warm, sensitive flesh to expand for his girth and length.
Valen used his grip on her hips to rock her back and forth, slowly at first, until Evette was able to relax into it. With a moan, she began to pump her hips with him, helping him pick up the speed as her body connected with his as if they were always meant to be there together.
Valen’s lips began to trail across her collarbone, and she leaned back her neck so he could reach every nook and cranny there as he began to bite her, leaving marks all over her. She felt possessed by him but in a good way. Mating made so much sense now, and she would for sure be doing that, whether it was in his kingdom or back in the real, human world. She had never been so a part of someone before.
She reached up into his hair and stroked the short tendrils and their softness. He grunted and growled at that as he bit at the top of her breast while he picked up speed, taking her whole body on a ride of ecstasy. Soon, she began to quiver and shake. She could not control it, and Valen took over entirely, holding onto her as he continued to pump. She felt a warmth fill her up inside as he convulsed too, sweat dripping from his brow. And then, an explosion as she reached her climax, stronger than ever before.
Chapter Fourteen
Evette had fallen asleep in Valen's arms that night, laying on and wrapped in leather hides that had been in the refuge of sorts that Valen had brought them to. A small fire had been burning to keep them warm as well, and she had slept so much better than in any other time since her diagnosis. It was truly a miracle, and she was half afraid that she would wake up to find that the whole thing was some drug-induced dream from the meds that Joe had given her. Why she had let him take her home and finally talk her into going full-blown modern medicine with her treatment, she would never understand. As she was afraid, the side effects had been immediately horrible. She felt old and crippled. But now hopefully, if everything she had been experiencing was real, that was all behind her. She was cured.
She got her answer when she was woken up abruptly by shouting and the sounds of more feet than she could count coming into the cave with them. She woke up still in Valen's arms, pulling the leather over her body to cover herself. It was the soldiers, but they were not accompanied by either member of the royal family or by either of Petr
a’s family members. At least that was a good sign. Maybe they wouldn't be killed horribly.
Valen sat up and looked at them with a stern expression. "This is meant to be a peaceful place. Has my father sent you?" he addressed the soldier in the lead, a burly man with blonde hair.
"Yes, he did. I have come to execute an order. You have both been banished from this kingdom and will no longer be attached to this dragon clan in any way. We are to escort you out and lock your blood out of the gates," the man explained, displaying no emotions or opinions. Evette thought that was strange, considering how hard the situation sounded. His family was basically drowning him, yet the dragons in front of her didn't betray any emotions about that. Maybe it was for the best, but she felt sad for Valen.
"If you would please allow us to get dressed in private, I would appreciate that”, Valen said through gritted teeth.
The soldier turned and gave an order for them to back out of the cave. "We will be waiting right outside, so do not bother trying to run or fight," he warned before following the rest out.
Evette turned to Valen, but he had begun getting dressed in silence. She stood up and went to gather her own clothes and do the same. Maybe it would be best to let him live in his own thoughts for now, and they could talk later when they were back home. Well, her home. She would have to realize that while he may not get along with most of the dragons, the human world still was not Valen's home.
Once they were both dressed, Valen reached out for her hand, still saying nothing. There was a comfort in that. Evette was beginning to be afraid he would blame her for all of this. Even though she didn't know about him or where she was being brought when she was so sick, she had gotten him more involved in her life than she ever meant to. She had been the reason he had even been close enough to fall for her and feel the need to bring her to his kingdom to save her. A ball of guilt welled up in her stomach as they met with the soldiers outside and were surrounded so they couldn't move or really even be seen as they were being taken towards a gate, one Evette had not seen before. It must have been how to get inside, but then again she had been out cold when Valen flew her in.
The Wolf's Temptation (Alpha Wolves of Myre Falls Book 2) Page 27
