She shook her head as she turned on the machine. It didn’t really matter in the end, though, did it? The first guy she started flirting within months, the guy that she had let near her kids, was dangerous. Penny had always thought she had a good gut, but that had shaken her faith in herself. Sure, she’d realized that he was lying, but she thought that they were relatively minor lies.
Not that he was a rebel and traitor.
“Pen, you couldn’t have known,” Katrina said from where she was folding her own laundry. “It’s not like you can expect random men coming up to you to be dragons from another time and place. From what Thonis said, it wasn’t like he was going to hurt you, anyway.”
Penny shrugged. “That’s not the point. The point is, what if he had been wanting to hurt me? Or the kids? If I can just trust a man like that… I would have brought him into the house if you hadn’t made me promise not to. How am I supposed to protect my kids if I’m being an idiot like that?”
“You’re not an idiot. You’re just not used to that sort of thing.”
“I need to get used to it. This isn’t just our little house anymore. Hazel’s proof of that. I mean, if there is an ambassador from the US to Byrelmore living in our house, is it really our house anymore?” Penny shivered. So far, there hadn’t been anything dangerous that had happened, but the debate about dragons and their place on earth was getting more heated. It was only a matter of time before people started to act against the dragons being here. “Maybe I should just move. That way I won’t have to deal with people coming for me and my kids as a way to get at the dragons.”
Katrina hummed. “That would only work if you completely cut ties. And then there will be no more Dungeons and Dragons on Friday nights.”
Penny grumbled under her breath, but she couldn’t argue with that. The thought of cutting all ties and not being anywhere near her friends ever again was incredibly daunting. Even that wouldn’t be a guarantee that someone wouldn’t come after her. What was a girl to do when life was so complicated?
Her phone started to buzz. She finished putting away the detergents and pulled it out. “Hello?”
“Hi, Penny.” The smooth voice on the other side made her stiffen. She was barely able to stop herself from demanding why he was calling her right now.
“Hi,” she managed to squeak out and quickly left the room, to avoid any funny looks from Katrina. She’d handle this on her own. As soon as she was alone, she let out a hiss. “How did you get this number?”
“I know a guy.”
Penny wasn’t sure she wanted to know what that meant. “What do you want from me?”
“Right now? To talk.”
What did he mean by ‘right now’? Her heart skipped a beat as she imagined them in a passionate embrace in the dark, his eyes glittering as he thrust into her. The image was gone as suddenly as it appeared, and Penny let out a confused and upset growl. After what she had learned about him, she was still thinking sexy thoughts? What the hell was wrong with her? Yeah, he was hot, but he wasn’t that hot.
“Talk,” she repeated. “About what? About the fact that you tried to kill your father—who happens to be my friend? Or that your rebellion put Anna—a very dear friend—in danger? Or the fact that you came onto me with your bad flirting and all you wanted was… what? Access to the house? Are you trying to break the connection between our worlds so you never have to go to jail again?”
“That isn’t at all what I was wanting, Penny.” Warmund let out a sigh. “Listen, I know that you don’t have reason to trust me. But there’s more to me than what Thonis may have told you. This doesn’t have anything to do with my father. It’s my sister.”
Penny waited for that tingle to tell her that he was lying, but it didn’t come. Not to say that meant anything, not when she couldn’t trust her gut. It made her hesitate, though. She found herself thinking about those dark eyes and wished that she could know for certain what he was all about. If he was dangerous and hateful, then she needed to just hang up the phone. But there was pain in his voice, and she had never turned away a person whose pain she could ease.
“I’d like to meet,” Warmund continued. “Just you and me. So that I can explain.”
“Why?”
Warmund was silent.
“If you can’t tell me that, then the answer is no.”
He barked out a laugh. “I’m not sure why. I guess I just want someone to understand. Please?”
I’m going to regret this. “Fine. We can meet. But in a very public place and if I get the first hint of danger, it’s all over for you. Got it?”
“Got it.” Warmund sounded amused this time. “So where would you like to meet?”
***
The restaurant was packed full. Good. It meant that there was less likely a chance for Warmund to cause trouble. Penny sat at a table, tapping her fingers against the tabletop, watching for his arrival. When she saw him, something inside her squeezed. A flash of heat tightened her core, and she had to roll her eyes at her own reaction. This wasn’t a date!
Warmund settled down across from her. He wore a fitted suit sans jacket and smiled at her. “Thank you for seeing me.”
“Whatever,” she spat back, folding her arms over her chest. “Now, what did you want to tell me about?”
“Wildref. My little sister. You see, I was an illegitimate child. My mother wasn’t mated to my father. I was the only child for quite some time, not fully a prince, even though my father saw fit to give me the title.” Here he paused, and a flash of pain twisted his expression. “When he married and Wildref was born, people expected me to be jealous. And perhaps there was a part of me that wished I could be treated with as much respect as she was, even as an infant. But I loved her. I looked after her, cared for her, adored her. I made a vow the first time I saw her that I would always protect her.”
Penny fought against her softening heart. She understood where he was coming from, though. That’s how she felt for her babies.
“I failed her,” he said bluntly. “Assassins attacked the palace and killed my stepmother. They took Wildref… and she never knew who she was. She was brought to this world, where she didn’t even know magic. Can you imagine that? Centuries of her life have been stolen from her because she was denied her dragon. My rebellion was my attempt to get into this world, to find her and bring her home.”
Was he telling the truth? It did dovetail with what Thonis had said. She narrowed her eyes, studying him. “And why did you come to the house, then?”
“I don’t have my dragon anymore. I want to go back to Byrelmore.”
Penny leaned forward. “You mean you want to go home and talk this out with your father?”
Warmund’s eyes narrowed. “What?”
“If what you’re saying is true, then you need to talk to your father. Explain to him why you did what you did… did you find her?” Her brow furrowed. “Is that why you want to go back now?”
Warmund flinched. “I… know who she is.”
“Did you tell her?”
He shook his head and met her eyes. “Why would she believe the traitor son over the man who has been coming to your house for… what, three years now?”
Penny snorted. “What are you driving at?”
“Wildref lives in your house. I believe she goes by the name Katrina.”
Penny’s jaw dropped. Katrina was Indulf’s daughter? How? That wasn’t possible. He’d have told her… maybe he had? Maybe it was Katrina who wanted to keep this under wraps? She shook her head, trying to wrap her mind around what Warmund was saying.
“You don’t believe me, either.”
“I never said that.”
Warmund’s face twisted, and anger blazed in his eyes. “My father hasn’t told her who she is. He’s had every chance, but he’s keeping it a secret from her. If I told her, then he’d just deny it. She’d believe him over me; he’d probably just say I’m trying to cause trouble and banish me again.”
Penny rolled her
eyes. “Oh, geez. Seriously? You’re going to sit there assuming and being all angsty because you refuse to talk to your dad? Lack of communication is so old.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about the fact that you need to sit down with Indulf and have a good talk with him.”
“He banished me!”
Penny threw her hands into the air. “You rebelled against him. What was he supposed to do, throw you a party and give you pointers on how to be successful the next time? Honestly. Go home and talk to him, then we can talk again.”
For a moment, she wondered if that was, in fact, the best way to go about this. After all, she had cut her own parents out of her life pretty strongly. But that was because they’d hurt her, not because she’d been an idiot and they needed to let her know it wouldn’t be tolerated. She knew Indulf well enough to know that if there was any chance for reconciliation, he’d take it. He might not have mentioned Warmund often, but he did talk about him, and there was always pain in his voice when he did.
Warmund sagged in the chair. “Do you really think that talking to my father would do any good?”
“Yes,” Penny said firmly. “I really do.”
“Fine. Fine, I’ll go. Just let me pick up some stuff from my place first?” Warmund sighed and shook his head like he was already regretting his decision. “You should phone Thonis and tell him you’re bringing me in.”
Penny nodded. She pulled out her phone, but even as she did, there was a slight tingle in the back of her mind. He was hiding something. What was it? She didn’t know… but she’d warn Thonis about it. Hopefully, it wasn’t something big. Hopefully, he’d just go home, and they’d have this all straightened out in no time.
At which point, she could start thinking about how good he’d feel between her legs once again.
Chapter Five
Warmund
The device weighed against the small of his back, hidden with a loose plaid shirt. If it was discovered, this was all over. Luckily for him, Thonis wasn’t as diligent as he had been trained to be, (If I was still at the palace, he wouldn’t be so sloppy with the enemy.), and didn’t even pat him down. The guard seemed quite pleased that he was coming in willingly. Warmund had to wonder what rewards Indulf had promised for the return of his wayward son.
Does he plan to send me back into the Exiled Lands, for another of his estranged kin to come after me?
Warmund shook his head as Thonis loosely bound his hands before him. That hardly mattered. After all, he wasn’t going back to his father. The device would work, and he’d end up in a time when nobody was looking for him.
“It’s just a precaution,” Thonis rumbled.
“Hmm?”
Thonis narrowed his eyes, and then gestured at the rope on his wrists. “Restraining you. I know that you’ve been here long enough that your dragon is repressed, but I can’t just let you walk into the palace without any restraints at all.”
Not much of a precaution. The ropes were so loosely bound that Warmund would easily be able to get out of them if he so chose. He didn’t mention that, though. Once he was where he wanted to go, the last thing he’d need would be a struggle to free himself. Thonis stared at him with hard eyes, and he stared right back, not bothering to hide the scorn in his own gaze.
“I know the king will be pleased to see you,” Thonis said in a low voice. “He’s missed you.”
Warmund turned his face away. Hope, that traitorous emotion, started to rise up in him. He gritted his teeth and forced it down. He wasn’t going to see his father, so there was no point in hoping that perhaps Indulf could forgive him. Besides that, Indulf wouldn’t. Maybe there was a time when he could have, but with everything that had happened…
A prince rebelling against the king had to be dealt with. This wasn’t just a matter between father and son. This had to do with the entire kingdom. Indulf had to act as his king, not his father.
And he had betrayed his king, something that Warmund would never have forgiven had it been anybody else.
There was still hope, though. Once his mission was complete, then he would have no reason to rebel, which meant his father would have no reason to banish him. Everything would work out the way it should have been.
He peeked over his shoulder to where Penny sat on the sofa. She held a three-month-old infant in her arms while the twins snuggled to either side of her. He would have liked to have shared her warm bed before leaving, but it hadn’t happened and that was all there was to it. With three small children, though, she might not have the energy for lovemaking. He remembered how tired his stepmother had been after giving birth to Wildref…
Katrina was in the kitchen, visible near the microwave. She kept shooting him curious glances; what did she know about him? He wanted to tell her that he’d held her in his arms as a baby and that everything he did, he did to fulfill the oath he had made to her then.
She wouldn’t understand, though. She wouldn’t understand any of it, and it would only cause her emotional distress. If his mission failed, then he would find a way to come back and tell her everything.
If he failed. Which he wasn’t going to.
The sound of rushing water brought his attention back to the space before him. A small rent in the air appeared, the start of a portal. Thonis turned to the two women and stepped away. Warmund almost laughed. Did he think that just because Warmund no longer had his dragon that he was completely helpless?
No matter. It was better for him this way.
With a few quick yanks, Warmund got his hands free. Penny let out a strangled sound, but Warmund blocked it out. He withdrew the device from where it was hidden. Thonis shouted and leapt forward. His hand caught around Warmund’s wrist just as he flung the device into the opening portal. It ripped open, a rush of sound and light pouring from the other side. Thonis’ grip tightened on Warmund’s wrist, but with a sharp yank, Warmund came free.
“No,” Thonis grunted, fury building in his eyes.
He slammed his fist into Warmund’s face. Warmund stumbled, then dropped and caught him around the waist. With a roar, he lifted Thonis from the floor and hurled him across the room. Wildref let out a shout, and Warmund leapt forward as Thonis collided with her. They crashed into the wall and rolled several times before they came to a stop.
Warmund was frozen for a moment, heart hammering as he stared at his sister as she lay there groaning. Then he spun on his heel and charged into the portal. It seemed to flow outward to grab him. A confusing myriad of sight and sound crowded over him, stealing his breath away. A feeling like he was being torn inside out made him cry out.
Suddenly, it was over. He lay face down in the dirt, breathing in its mineral scent. He shook, then lifted his head. The sky was a deep shade of blue, unseen on Earth, trees taller and thicker than anything seen there surrounding him. A startled and pleased laugh burst from him as a spark of warmth lit in his chest.
And then he became aware of the sounds of babies crying.
Warmund scrambled to his feet and whipped around. His jaw dropped when he saw Penny kneeling in the dirt, her arms still clutched around her infant, whose fists flailed and whose face was bright red. On either side of her, the twins clutched to their mother, the boy in a half-crouch and the girl standing on trembling legs. Penny’s face was as white as a sheet as she stared at him.
“What did you do?” she gasped out, the words difficult to make out as she seemed incapable of opening her mouth all the way. “What… what…”
Shit. Warmund stared at her, then looked around as though he could find a signpost showing him to the next portal. If this was one of those Earth cartoons, there would be a record scratch right about here, and he’d turn to the camera and explain how this wasn’t part of his plan. What the hell had happened? She shouldn’t have been brought here. She wasn’t anywhere near the portal!
His heart sank when he remembered how the portal seemed to be reaching out for him. It must have expanded someho
w and swallowed Penny and the children. It was only because he’d hurled Thonis into Wildref that neither of them had been taken, too.
“What did you do?” Penny shouted, causing her children to scream even louder. She absently pulled at the twins, crowding her lap but there wasn’t any way that she could comfort all three of them, especially not in her current state.
“Shouting isn’t going to help,” Warmund said, holding out his hands. “Just calm down.”
“Calm down? CALM DOWN?” Penny clutched the twins in one arm, making them fight against her grip while she pressed the baby to her shoulder. “How the hell am I supposed to calm down? I’ve been abducted by some rebel prince and now my children are in a forest, and what did you do?”
Warmund growled between his teeth. “It’s not like I brought you here on purpose, Penny. You’re only going to slow me down and cause trouble for me! So just stop your screaming before you frighten the children any further, and let me explain!”
Penny opened her mouth furiously, but as the girl thunked her head into Penny’s shoulder, she turned her attention back to the three children. Warmund watched for a moment, knowing that his intervention was not going to be wanted, but after a few seconds of seeing her struggle, he couldn’t take it anymore. He approached and, as Penny glared at him but didn’t protest, took the baby from her arms. The twins were older and would be more wanting her specific comfort.
The baby flailed and screamed but slowly quieted as Warmund rocked him, humming softly. The twins both climbed into Penny’s lap and buried their faces in her shoulders. After some time, their sobs turned to sniffles as well, and Warmund crouched beside them. The sun was high in the sky, but he was uncertain where they were.
“For today, we’ll find a source of water, and then build a shelter,” he told her, keeping his gaze on hers. “Tomorrow I’ll figure out where we are and decide where to go from there, okay?”
The Dragon Prince's Second Chance: A Paranormal Romance (Separated by Time Book 4) Page 3
