Roses and Emeralds: A High School NA Reverse Harem Dark Fantasy Bully Romance (Cruel Princes of Wyvern All-Boys Academy Book 2)

by Rachel Angel

  King Drago swallowed and said, “Ally, no other female has affected me the way you have in such a short time. I’m offering you my kingdom if you’d remain and become my consort.”

  Ally shook her head. “I don’t believe it.”

  King Drago placed his hand on Ally’s small shoulders, and said, “Let the others go fight the battle, but stay. I don’t want your beautiful face or body injured or hurt. Stay with me in comfort and luxury.”

  “Give it up,” Tar said overhearing Drago. “She’s one of us. She’s a part of us.”

  Flint, Razor and Jasper, while silent, fidgeted and Ally sensed they weren’t happy with the attention the king was bestowing upon her.

  “I want to hear it from her,” Drago insisted. “Are you sure you want to run around killing whatever it is you’re going out to kill instead of enjoying everything I can give you. You would lack for nothing.”

  “What are you really up to?” Tar said.

  “What say you, my lovely?” Drago said to Ally, ignoring his little brother.

  Ally mounted her horse in response. “I know where I belong, and it’s not here.” She pulled the reins to guide her horse out through the waiting crowd.

  The crowd was larger than at any other kingdom. The king had gone out of his way to ensure every available citizen was present.

  “Don’t let him fool you,” Tar said, as they rode through the crowds. “He’d do anything to bug the hell out of me.”

  Ally grinned and looked at him. “And my staying here with him would bug the hell out of you?”

  Tar smiled. “What do you think?”

  Ally looked sideways at him. “Drago did go through a lot of trouble to put this together, and…”

  Tar pulled her to him and kissed her passionately in front of everyone, especially Drago. “You staying with Drago and not coming with us will be the end of me, Ally,” Tar said savagely.

  Chapter 14

  Ally’s stomach tightened as they approached The Borders. It’d been so long and she’d missed her hometown more than she would have thought. Riding through the quiet street she looked at the small modest homes with the tiny gated gardens out front.

  Mrs. Harper was picking tomatoes from her garden, while Mr. Yul was repairing his fence. The Langley children were running around screaming with delight, while Mr. Langley watched over them.

  “Looks like a nice place to grow up,” Tar said.

  “It is,” Ally said with pride. “I know it must seem like nothing to you guys, but it was all I ever needed. I was never hungry, I was never cold, but most of all, I always, always felt loved.”

  They passed homes that were small, but tidy and Ally knew how every homeowner was proud of their humble abode, but she had never taken the time to notice how pleasant and cooperative everyone was. She couldn’t really remember a conflict or dispute between neighbors.

  If one had no milk, their neighbor would supply some, and if a tree fell and damaged a roof, everyone banded together to repair it as quickly as possible.

  As they arrived in the center of town and passed before the baker, she smiled as she remembered, however, the one time when a small conflict erupted. Mrs. Langley had gotten upset when the baker ran out of her favorite rye loaf.

  Riding with her fine princes, it didn’t take long before the townspeople took notice.

  “Hey,” one older man called out. “That’s Ally.”

  Ally waved at him. “Hello, Mr. Nelson.”

  “You’re back.”

  She nodded and smiled as they rode on slowly. More and more people came out to greet them, but it’s when William came out of the forge that her heart swelled.

  “William,” she cried out. She reined her horse to a halt and jumped down, running to her foster brother’s arms. “Oh, I’m so happy to see you. I thought you’d be off somewhere, and I wouldn’t be able to find you.”

  “No,” William said, hugging her and spinning her around as he laughed. “Still hanging out at the forge.” He squeezed her tight and kissed her cheeks, very close to her lips. “My, how I’ve missed you.” He grabbed her hand. “Look at you. You look like a true warrior. Come on. Kate and Bilbo will be thrilled to see you.”

  Ally glanced back to the princes. “I’m not alone.”

  “Oh,” William said, suddenly solemn as a frown furrowed his brow. He quickly recovered and forced a tight grin.

  Ally noticed how he pulled back his shoulders and straightened his back. He raked his hand through his blond hair while his gaze swept from one prince to the other and back again.

  The four princes sat atop their horses, each eyeing William with suspicion. They clearly didn’t appreciate the way the handsome, fair haired man greeted Ally.

  “William, these are some of the students I’ve been studying with. That’s Razor, Tar, Flint and Jasper.”

  The princes nodded while William offered a tight nod in greeting. “Well, then. Perhaps you can all come in. Kate and Bilbo will no doubt be surprised.”

  The princes got off their respective horses, tethered them to the fence post and followed Ally and William.

  “Hang on,” William said when they reached the door. “I’ll go get them. They’ll be so surprised.”

  Ally nodded and stopped while William went inside.

  “You guys sure look cozy,” Razor said with a grimace.

  “We grew up together,” Ally said.

  “Obviously,” Razor grunted. “I mean all that hugging and kissing. You’d think you guys were engaged.”

  Ally laughed. “You guys are so cute when you’re jealous. Need I remind you that William is my brother.”

  “Your foster brother, right?” Jasper said.

  “Well, yes, but still…”

  “So he’s not your blood brother,” Tar said.

  “Oh, stop it.”

  “Are you trying to tell me that you kids never hid in a closet and explored each other?” Flint said.

  “No!”

  “You’ve never tickled each other until…” Tar threw in.

  “No!”

  “You’ve never had any romantic notions?” Razor said.

  Ally looked at Razor. “You’re being ridiculous.”

  “What?” Razor said. “He’s a good-looking guy, if you’re into all that pale hair and pale skin and big teeth.”

  “William has a beautiful smile,” Ally argued. “He does not have big teeth.”

  “I’m guessing you weren’t brought up as a typical girl,” Flint shot in. “No dreams of being rescued by a knight in shining armor.”

  “No, we were both raised to be self-sufficient and independent. William and I were brought up side by side. No differences at all. If I was reading poetry, so was he. And if he was riding bareback, so was I.”

  The door creaked open and Kate squealed with delight. “My little Ally. Oh, my God. Is it really you?”

  The older woman pulled her into her arms and kissed her. “You can’t begin to imagine how I’ve worried about you.”

  “I told you I’d be back, Kate.” Still in Kate’s clutches, Ally reached out behind Kate to grab Bilbo’s hand. “Hi, Bilbo.”

  “It’s great to have you home.”

  William stood quietly behind them, his eyes gleaming as he took in the sight of Ally.

  “She may not have had any romantic ideas about him,” Tar whispered to Razor. “But he clearly has romantic ideas about her.”

  Ally heard him and wanted to slap the silly notion of her with William out of his head.

  “Kate,” Ally said, peeling Kate’s arms off. “I’ve brought a few of my classmates. I would have given you advanced notice, but…”

  “Not to worry. Not to worry. Bilbo,” she called over her shoulder. “Go get another chicken, and make it quick.” She turned to the princes. “Come in. Come in.”

  Once inside, Ally showed the guys around the small home. She became acutely aware of just how small her childhood home really was.

  “And this was my ro
om,” she said quietly, remembering so many good times reading with Bilbo, chatting with Kate and playing with William.

  There was just enough room for a small narrow bed that was pushed up against the wall, and a tiny dresser with only two drawers.

  “I know it mustn’t seem like much to you guys, but this was my whole world. Growing up, I thought my house was the best house in the world. It was warm and full of love. I loved sitting down to dinner in front of the fireplace and talking with William, Kate and Bilbo about the day. And William and I would play checkers, and later on, when we were a bit older, chess on the floor in front of a roaring fire almost every day once the winter cold set in. In the summer a cool breeze always blew in through the kitchen window. It was simply lovely.”

  “You know,” Tar said, “I think you really did have the best house in the world.”

  Ally smiled, warmed by his understanding of her humble beginnings.

  They returned to the kitchen where Kate had brought in additional chairs and set them around the table. “It’s going to be a tight squeeze, but we’ll be real cozy,” she said.

  “That’s fine, Kate. Don’t give yourself too much trouble. You know, it was really rude of me to bring them all here. Why don’t the guys go have dinner at the inn and we can meet up later.”

  “Don’t be silly, Ally. There’s plenty of food, and I want to get to know your friends.”

  “Good,” Ally said with a smile. “I was hoping you’d say that.”

  “So,” Kate said as she deftly split a log in two and tossed the pieces into the fire. “Who exactly are these friends of yours?”

  “Oh, how rude of me. I didn’t even introduce them. So sorry. This is Prince Razor from Rose Cliff, Prince Flint from the Metal Kingdom, Prince Jasper from the Emerald Kingdom and Prince Tar from… ah, from…”

  Tar grinned. “The Dark Forest.”

  “Right,” Ally said with a teasing smile. “The Dark Forest.”

  “Royalty,” Kate whispered, suddenly self-conscious. “Oh, Ally. You should have told me you’d be bringing royalty.”

  “That doesn’t change anything, Kate, really. Don’t fuss,” Ally said. “They’re just guys.”

  “Oh,” Kate said with uncertainty. “I’m sorry.” She bowed and curtsied. “Greetings, your majesty.”

  “Kate,” Ally said, nudging her as she laughed.

  “I didn’t realize we were…” She pressed the pleats of her skirt out with her hand. “Bilbo,” she called to her husband who came back in. “Did you realize that we were in the company of royalty? These boys are princes. Actual princes.”

  Not one to get flustered very easily, Bilbo simply waved non-chalantly at the guys and plopped his newly killed and feathered chicken on the table.

  “We’ve a humble home, your majesties,” Kate said.

  With a polite chuckle, Jasper stepped forward. “No need for formalities. Truly. We are honored to meet Ally’s family and privileged to spend time in your home. Ally is very special to us. We’d love to know everything about her.”

  Kate let a relieved breath out. “Oh, isn’t he sweet,” she said, looking at Ally. “Is he always this sweet?”

  “Not always,” Ally said, smiling her appreciation of Jasper’s kind words.

  It seemed to be all Kate needed to calm down and return to her easy-going and confident self.

  They sat at the table and while Bilbo prepared a fantastic yet simple feast, Ally, Kate and the guys sat back to enjoy a few glasses of red wine. They relaxed and laughed, and soon, even Tar and William, who had joined them, were exchanging stories and laughing together.

  The drinking and laughing continued as they sat at the table to eat a fabulous meal.

  “What kind of brat was Ally when she was younger,” Flint asked with his usual lack of tact.

  “The worst kind,” William said, looking at Ally fondly.

  “Not really,” Kate countered. “She was always a wonderful child.”

  “I think you’re suffering from selective memory, mother,” Bilbo said to his wife. “I remember a few times when you were ready to lock her up in her room.”

  Tar laughed. “What did she do?”

  “Well, there was the time she’d promised to clean up the house in exchange for a few coins. But the moment we gave her those coins, she ran out and spent the afternoon daydreaming out in the fields.”

  “That certainly taught us to demand the promised service before offering compensation,” Bilbo said.

  “Don’t forget the time she took your horse to go racing with the Johnson children,” William said.

  “Well,” Ally said in defense. “I didn’t have a horse of my own and…”

  “You were only six,” Kate added.

  “Come on,” Ally said. “I wasn’t that bad. I just wanted to enjoy the time I had off from studying and working.”

  At the end of dinner, Kate pulled Ally aside while the guys cleared the table and washed the dishes. They strolled back and forth between the shed and the house, looking at the various plants and commenting on the various blooms that grew scattered along the fence that surrounded the small yard.

  “What a lovely band of boys,” Kate said after a while. “They all seem to be nice boys.”

  “They are.”

  “Is there one that is particularly special?”

  “They’re all special.”

  Kate turned to Ally and pointed to her heart. “I mean really special.”

  Ally smiled. “They really are all special, and they all think that I’m pretty special as well.”

  Kate’s brow rose, impressed. “You’re a lucky girl, surrounded by so many people who love you.”

  “I know.”

  “But at some point you’ll have to make a decision about those boys. You can’t just string them all along.”

  Ally laughed. “I’m not stringing them along. They’re the ones who are coming after me. They know that I…” She trailed off. They know that I’m not thinking of romance in a serious way, don’t they, she wondered. At least not now. Am I stringing them along?

  “Ally?”

  “Yeah. I know. Some day I’ll have to choose.”

  I don’t know how, but I’ll have to decide.

  Chapter 15

  Razor

  Razor stood with his hands on his hips, unhappy as he looked at what was to be their headquarters. He’d given specific orders as to what they would need. He’d even drawn a plan to make sure the humans were ready for their arrival. But the vacant, sandy lot that Bilbo had pointed them to had only a few stalls for a few horses set up, and nothing more. “The humans are not as prepared as I would have thought.”

  “Yeah,” Flint said. “I’ve noticed.” He kicked up the dirt at his feet. “It’s as if they don’t really realize what’s about to hit them.”

  “It’s as if they weren’t even expecting us,” Tar added. “Just getting the headquarters set up is going to set us back a few days. Damn, and there’s so much to do.”

  “Clearly they didn’t expect us so soon,” Ally said. “They didn’t get that much warning.”

  They’d had plenty of warning, Razor thought, but didn’t argue with her.

  “What do you think of these humans?” Jasper said.

  “I don’t know, really, but we’ll need to assess their talents,” Razor went on. “What are these humans capable of? How strong are they? How fast can they run? How far can they throw? We already know they can’t fly. What else can’t they do?”

  He looked at the townspeople strolling through the streets, seemingly going about their business as if all was well.

  “Tar,” he said. “Can you round up some of the townspeople and see how they are armed, if at all. Then take a minute with each to see what they’re capable of doing with a whatever weapon they happen to have.”

  “Sure thing.”

  “Ally, who would be the best person to supply us with topographical maps of the area? I want to know where our weak spots might be.
I need to know about the mountains and rivers and lakes. We need to find the best places to set up lookout towers. Also, a road map, if there are any.”

  “That would be Mrs. Hoffman,” Ally said. “I’ll go see her and bring back what you need.”

  “Flint and Jasper. I know the human military wants to know what we’re up to,” Razor said. “Can you guys take the time to sit with them? See what strategy they propose and let them know where we stand.”

  “How much do you want us to tell them?” Jasper said. “I mean…” He glanced over his shoulder at where his wings would usually be.

  “As far as they know,” Razor said sharply, “we don’t shift. Dragons tend to scare humans, so we’ll deal with that part of our strategy when the time comes.”

  Flint and Jasper nodded and headed off.

  “What about me?”

  Razor turned to see William standing by the pile of discarded wood.

  “What about you?” Razor muttered under his breath.

  “How can I help?”

  “Stay out of my way,” Razor mumbled as he made his way to the sandy-haired man. He didn’t like him. Didn’t trust him. His way with Ally wasn’t brotherly. It was romantic. Anyone could see that.

  A band of young women passed by, all gazing adoringly at the tall, handsome man.

  “Hi, Will,” one of them called out.

  William barely glanced at the girl. What was wrong with the guy?

  “What are you good at?” Razor finally said to William in a clear, but blunt voice.

  “Anything you need.”

  Razor smiled. “A lot of people are going to be coming and going here. Many of them will be spending hours here, going over maps, developing strategies.”

  “Yes.” William waited for his orders.

  “And with all that,” he said as he looked straight at him. “We’re going to need latrines.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Yeah.” Smirking, he patted William’s shoulder. “I’m counting on you to set up at least two, but four would be better.” And he walked away and met up with Bilbo who was leading a group of tooled men and women.

  “We’ll have that headquarters set up in no time,” Bilbo said. “The old inn just there has agreed to let you use their dining hall. We’ll clear out the unnecessary clutter and extend that outer wall to make more space.”