“And what do you treasure, Matthias?” Sybil asked. She really was curious.
“Air Dragons crave only one thing,” Aleksei said. “Power.”
Matthias didn’t seem perturbed by the disdain in Aleksei’s voice. “Power is everything. You can lose your money in an instant, looks eventually fade over time, you can even lose territory and land with bad luck. But power,” his eyes glowed, “true power is the one thing you cannot buy, trade, or steal. It must be earned.”
The coldness in his voice made Sybil uncomfortable. Sure, Matthias was handsome and he could be charming, but something about him just didn’t feel right to her. Even her dragon felt uneasy.
“What about the Water Dragons?” Dutchy asked.
“Probably sticks or rocks, whatever it is they have there on those God-forsaken Northern Isles,” Matthias sneered.
Sybil waited for some snappy comeback from Aleksei, but he remained silent. Huh. If she didn’t know any better, he seemed like he wanted to let Matthias keep thinking that.
“The beauty of the Northern Isles is in its natural resources,” Aleksei stated. “Of which we have plenty.”
Matthias snorted. “Why are you even here, Aleksei? You’re not even Alpha. Your father, King Harald, is the Alpha of the Water Dragons.”
A tick in Aleksei’s jaw jumped. “And I will be Alpha one day, which is why I attend to matters outside of our territory in his place.” His eyes turned stormy. “Besides, you know why my father cannot be here. About our guest at home, who needs supervision.”
Matthias didn’t say anything, while Ian shifted in his seat uncomfortably, and though a few seconds passed, no one elaborated on Aleksei’s last statement.
“Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m getting tired of this ‘hoard measuring contest.’” Kate curled her fingers into air quotes with the last three words. “How about we order brunch?”
The whole thing seemed like a farce to Sybil; all of them, sitting down to brunch on a Sunday morning. She stood up. “This is insane, I’m leaving.”
“Please, Sybil.” Aleksei’s hand on her arm made her skin tingle, but it was his plea and those blue-green eyes staring up at her that made her freeze. “Stay.”
“Fine.” She sat back down. “But you all better behave.” She opened the menu, grateful that she was able to hide behind it as she pretended to browse the specials, despite knowing the entire thing by heart.
“This is really quaint.” Matthias said as he glanced at the laminated pages, “You know, Sybil, there are four Michelin-starred restaurants in Chicago. I could take you to any of them for our first date if you wish.”
“You will not address my mate in such a familiar manner,” Aleksei snapped. “And there will be no dates. She is mine.”
“Oh, for Christ’s sake!” Sybil slammed the menu down and got up. “I’m not some thing to be won or owned.” This really was getting ridiculous. Not even her father or brothers treated her this way, and they were so overprotective while she was growing up. She felt the fire burning up inside her and the pressure was starting to get too much.
“Sybil—”
“Please—”
And she couldn’t keep her control any longer. She opened her mouth, and the fireball rose up from her throat and flew out, landing in the middle of the Formica table.
“Holy shit!” Kate exclaimed as she grabbed her menu and began to stamp out the fire. It wasn’t a big fireball, but it had left a singe mark on the table.
Sybil groaned. She had just paid Rosie for breaking a chair a couple of weeks ago. I guess I’ll have to get that new lamp next month, she thought glumly. She turned to Aleksei and Matthias, who both wore inscrutable expressions. It was their fault, and she had had enough. “I’ll find my own way back to the castle,” she said to her friends. She hated shifting in a public place, but she didn’t exactly have a choice. Flying was the fastest option to get her away from this situation.
Chapter Four
Aleksei wanted to kill Matthias. Well, he wanted to kill the alpha and then go after his mate. However, the warning look from Sybil’s friends made him stay put. Besides, this was really starting to get irritating, having to chase his mate all over the place.
That first day, after they had all left the lake, Aleksei cloaked himself and waited for Sybil to leave the cabin. He followed the car, flying high above, thankful that since his dragon’s wings weren’t very large, they didn’t make much noise or wind. Really, water dragons were more suitable to swimming, but flying short distances was no problem.
He should have known that they would all be at the castle. He had flown over it today, and thought it was quite impressive. Nothing like his palace back in the Northern Isles, but it was clear that the Mountain Dragons had done well for themselves, despite being cast out. Of course, they would; they were dragons after all. Out of all the kinds of dragons, Mountain Dragons coveted wealth most of all, even more than the Silver Dragons. It was no wonder that even after being banished and left penniless, they still found a way to increase their treasure hoards.
Still, it was disturbing that apparently, they had no knowledge of the basics of dragon magic. Did they also not shift with their clothes? It was a terrible thought, knowing that his mate had to disrobe each time she changed.
Aleksei had watched from above as Sybil and her family went inside the castle. He guessed they wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon, so he’d sent a mental message to Dmitri, who had given him directions to The Blackstone Hotel. Apparently, the council and the other alphas had the same idea, and by the time Aleksei had arrived, Matthias had already taken the best rooms. Sure, his suite was acceptable enough, but it irked him that the Air Dragon Alpha always had to have the best. Many times, he’d wanted to put the arrogant ass down a peg or two, but his father’s voice always rang in his head. You must never reveal our secrets, son. We Water Dragons know our own true power and worth, and that is enough.
In any case, the rooms were of no consequence. What mattered was that he had to claim his mate, and destroy The Knights before they struck again. At this moment, it seemed that the latter task would be much easier than the former.
“Well, looks like fun’s over,” Matthias said as he got up from his chair. “I’ll see you all tomorrow. Ian?”
“I think I’ll follow ye in a bit,” the alpha said, a twinkle in his eyes. “I think things are about to get mighty interestin’ here.”
Aleksei huffed. The Silver Dragon never took things seriously, after all. Despite flirting heavily with the redheaded shifter, his eyes roamed around the room, checking out the other women in the cafe.
“Suit yourself.” Matthias nodded to the women and then left without a backward glance.
“Wow, that guy is something,” the woman with the dark blonde hair dyed with pink said. Sybil had introduced her as Kate and Aleksei guessed she was a wolf shifter, based on the scent of her fur.
“I don’t like him,” the other woman, Amelia, frowned. The woman’s scent was strange. There was fur there, but there was a familiar undertone to it. “There’s something not quite right about him.”
Aleksei had to admit that his mate’s friends were perceptive. “If you’ll excuse me, ladies, I should go off and follow my mate.” He stood up to leave. He didn’t put it past Matthias to follow Sybil, and he had to make sure she was safe from his rival’s attentions.
“Sit down, Yer Highness,” Ian suggested.
“I don’t have time for this,” he stated. “I must go and win my mate before—”
“Aleksei, fer feck’s sake, mon, ye have the best resource for winning your bonny mate sitting in front of ye.” Ian nodded his head at the three women. “Ye lassies wouldn’t mind putting my friend out of his misery by helping him out?” He flashed them a charming smile, one that Aleksei knew no female under the age of one hundred could resist. “After all, two of ye are mated and understand how it is.”
Aleksei realized what Ian was trying to say and sat back down. This
was difficult for him, to have to ask for help; after all, he was going to be king someday and he was supposed to project power and confidence. But then again, his father taught him the value of having trusted advisers. “Ladies,” he began, using his best diplomatic tone. “I would truly appreciate any insight ye would have on this matter. Why does Sybil resist the pull of the mating call? Surely females must feel it as much as the males do?”
“Of course, we do,” Kate said. “But, you can’t just come breezing into town, announcing you’re mates, and then expect her to fall into your arms.”
“And why not?” Aleksei asked. “Isn’t it more simplified, the whole thing with mates?
“Duh, where’s the fun in that?” Kate chuckled. “We’re all shifters, true, but we’re still human.”
“And we’re women,” Amelia said.
“Ah.” Aleksei scratched his chin. “Sybil is looking for the thrill of the chase.”
Kate chortled. “Uh, not quite.”
“It’s complicated,” Amelia said. “Sybil is … not just like any woman, you know? She’s a romantic, but also very practical.”
“She’s not going to fall for the bullshit men spout to get into a woman’s pants,” Kate warned.
Dutchy cleared her throat. “I haven’t known Sybil as long as these two, but I agree. And seriously? You’re coming on too strong and creepy with all the stalking.”
“I am not—”
“Ye’ll have to forgive my friend,” Ian said, sending him a warning look. “Things are done differently in his world.”
“Do you live in some type of medieval society?” Kate asked, her eyes narrowing.
Ian shook his head. “I mean, he’s royalty. Aleksei has never had to pursue women. They just kind of … naturally fling themselves at him.”
“I do not just fall into bed with any woman,” Aleksei clarified, in case Sybil’s friends thought of him as a womanizer, like Ian. “But …” He paused and tried to gather his thoughts. “I simply don’t have time for such pursuits. Too many people depend on me.” His father had shifted many of his royal responsibilities on him in the last few years, since he wanted to make sure his son was ready to rule when the time came.
“Ah, so you’re just inexperienced in the dating department!” Kate exclaimed with a snap of her fingers. Before Aleksei could protest at being called inexperienced, she shook her head. “Jeez. No way you’re a virgin! But, no, I mean, I’m glad you’re not some kind of chauvinistic manwhore who expects every woman to want to screw you because you’re hot and have a fancy title.”
“Sybil deserves better,” Amelia said in a tone that sounded like a veiled threat.
Aleksei’s dragon rankled at the thought of a common bear shifter challenging him, but he soothed the animal. Our mate has loyal friends, he told it. We should be glad and allow them to help us. “So, what must I do?”
“You need to find out what she likes and then take interest in her. Real interest,” Dutchy said.
“And what would that be?”
“Ha!” Kate slapped a hand on the table. “If we told you, that would be cheating.”
“Cheating?”
Kate and Amelia looked at each other. “Cheating you and her of the fun,” Kate clarified. “Listen, just try to get to know her, you know? Find out what makes her tick.”
“Fate or nature or God or whatever out there obviously thought you were compatible,” Amelia added. “But, you’ll have to find your way to being mates. Together.”
“It’s hard to explain,” Kate said. “But you should trust us on this.”
Aleksei’s brows furrowed. Surely, it couldn’t—shouldn’t be this hard. But then again, no prize worth winning was easy to get. He was not afraid of hard work. A king, after all, worked for his people, not the other way around. “Thank you, ladies,” he said with a bow. “I appreciate your advice.”
“Oh, and one more thing,” Amelia added. “I would stop with this ‘commoner’ BS.”
“Excuse me?”
“You do know that the ‘commoner bear’ you keep referring to is sitting right here?” Kate jerked a thumb at Amelia. “Her cousin.”
Aleksei furrowed his brows together. “What do you mean?”
“Oh gads, mon.” Ian slapped a hand over his forehead. “Ye insulted her family the first moment ye met.”
“I did?” he asked.
“Amelia is a descendant of Anastasia Lennox, too,” Kate said.
Of course. That’s why Amelia smelled and felt different from other bears. She was part dragon, after all.
Ian let out a loud chuckle. “This is turning into a farce.” He turned to the women. “’Twas lost in translation,” he assured them. “Dragons are fabled shifters, while those whose animals actually exist are called common shifters. He wasn’t referring anyone as a commoner because they weren’t royalty.”
“Fabled shifters?” Dutchy asked.
“Shifters who turn into mythical creatures, and not real ones,” Ian added.
“We are the only ones who exist of that kind,” Aleksei explained. “But our history says once there were others, before they were hunted down.”
“Others?” Dutchy’s eyes grew wide.
“Yes, like basilisk, hydras, thunderbirds, unicorns—”
Kate’s jaw dropped. “Unicorns?”
“Why yes,” Ian said. “Where do ye think men got the stories from? Though from what I’ve read, they weren’t the docile creatures men wrote them to be.”
Aleksei turned to Amelia. “I apologize for inadvertently insulting you and your family. I swear, I didn’t mean it.”
“You seem sincere and I understand how this could be a misunderstanding, so apology accepted,” Amelia said with a smile. “But I’m not the only one you should be apologizing to.”
“Of course, some do use it as a slur,” Ian added. “As ye’ve heard from our, er, blowhard friends.”
“I will think about your words,” Aleksei told them.
“One more thing,” Kate said, as he turned toward the door.
“Yes?”
“You hurt her, and we’ll kill you.” The three women looked at him with dead serious looks on their faces.
“I have no doubt.” With a final nod goodbye, he walked out of the door. He appreciated that his mate had such faithful friends and he had to trust them. Of course, according to them, he had already insulted her, but he would never intentionally hurt his mate. They were meant to be together. Deep in his heart, he knew it and so did his dragon. It roared impatiently at him.
She will be ours, he assured his inner dragon. I swear it.
Of course, while his dragon had already claimed her as theirs, there was one other complication.
Would his people accept Sybil as their Queen? Or would Sybil even be a good queen?
His dragon hissed at him in anger at her defense, as if telling him, “Of course she will, fool, she’s our mate.” Aleksei didn’t know whether to laugh or roll his eyes. They had spent just minutes in each other’s company and yet his dragon was confident in its assessment.
Of course, dragons knew nothing of history, and it did not care that the broken engagement of Anastasia Lennox and Prince Haardrad had left lasting scars on his people.
Chapter Five
“Oh good, you’re all here,” Sybil said as she walked up to the patio behind the castle. Her parents, Uncle James and Aunt Laura, brothers and their mates were all sitting around a table finishing up brunch. “I’m going home,” she announced.
“No way,” Luke protested.
“I think you should stay here for the time being,” Matthew suggested. “Until we’re sure you’ll be safe.”
“Your brothers are right,” Hank said. “You can stay in your old room.”
“Nuh-uh.” Oh no, she was putting her foot down. It was bad enough that some alpha male wanted to take her away, but now the men in her family were pulling this protective BS. “I have a job.”
Hank looked at his sons. Luk
e simply crossed his arms over his chest, while Matthew looked lost. “You’re an adult. You can do what you want, but there’s so much more at stake here. Maybe you can take a leave of absence.”
“No way. There are people depending on me, Dad.” Her work ethic and sense of responsibility wouldn’t let her just leave like that. Her job was too important and the kids needed her. Tomorrow she had to meet with a new client, and from what she’d read in his case files, she needed to do this home visit sooner than later.
“Fine, but I’ll take you home,” Luke said.
Hank seemed mollified. “I know you’ll make sure she gets home safe.”
Sybil breathed a sigh of relief. “Great. I’ll grab my stuff.”
The ride back to her place was silent. When Luke pulled up in front of her apartment complex, he turned to her. “Maybe I should stay with you.”
“Are you freaking kidding me, Luke?” She had just about had enough. All this testosterone flying around was suffocating. “Georgina and Grayson are waiting for you.”
“They’re safe at the castle.” But she could see the hesitation in his eyes. “Look, I don’t want you to be alone. With the threat out there.”
“I’m a dragon,” she reminded him. “If anyone tries to mess with me, I’ll turn them to ash.”
“I’m not talking about that kind of threat,” he said, shifting in his seat uncomfortably.
“Then what—oh.” When it dawned on her what he meant, she felt her cheeks go hot. “Really? You think I’m going to let some guy come in here and ravish me?” Her stupid dragon nodded its head eagerly. Hussy.
His eyes bulged out of his head. “He’s not just any guy. He’s your mate.”
“So? You heard what the council said. Dragons don’t always end up with their mates. Besides, Mom and Dad always said that the only thing that really sealed the deal was the actual mating bond.”
The Blackstone She-Dragon: Blackstone Mountain Book 8 Page 5
