Mated: Reverse Harem Dragon Shifter Fairytale (Goldilocks and The Three Dragons Trilogy 2)

by Delia Castel

  “Be my guest!”

  Everything happened at once. The governor grabbed Marigold’s hand, and something pricked her finger, releasing a tingling sensation that spread through her body. Prince Indigo let go of her other hand, bowed, and stormed off into the crowd. Marigold tried to open her mouth to shriek, but her jaws wouldn’t move, and no sound came. Hertz placed his arms under hers in a semblance of a dance and waltzed her in the other direction through the crowds towards a side exit.

  Marigold couldn’t even rotate her eyes to send Matheson a pleading look.

  Chapter 18

  Queen Grimalda fluttered her eyelashes at Matheson, not giving him the chance to consider how Marigold had helped him through the King’s Blessing. “One would think you’d be honored to dance with the Queen of Igneous, yet you are peering over my shoulder, seeking a better option.”

  Matheson’s face drained. “I apologize, Your Majesty, I meant no offense.”

  Her brows rose. “A Queen who whines for adulation is unworthy of her position, don’t you think?”

  “Not being versed on matters of monarchy, it is not my position to comment, Your Majesty.” He could not help put glance over her shoulder again. Couples streamed onto the dance floor, obscuring his view of Marigold waltzing with King Vulcan. Exhaling, he focussed on the Queen. Marigold would be safe with the King. He would probably want more than one dance with her, giving Matheson enough time to retrieve her after he’d finished with Queen Grimalda.

  “We all thought Goldilocks would die.” Her pale eyes danced with mischief.

  He startled. “I beg your pardon?”

  “The magic of the King’s Blessing will immolate an impostor. We all thought she was a human girl.”

  “Your Majesty.” He tried to keep the bite out of his voice. “To whom are you referring?”

  The side of her mouth curved into a wicked smile. “The office of the High Sheriff. He promised me a show and failed to deliver.”

  “I see.” He twirled her around, as he was sick of her mocking leer.

  “He told me he’d solved the case of your parents’ murder.”

  “The High Sheriff was exaggerating. My brother apprehended the killers when they tried to maul my mate.”

  Her brows lowered. “Bear shifters?”

  “Yes, Your Majesty.”

  “Let’s hope this isn’t the beginning of political unrest in our country.” She continued speaking and expressed concerns about the bears getting ideas from the humans in Habilis and talked about the measures she had put into place to keep Igneous safe for shifters.

  Matheson suppressed a sigh and glanced around the dance floor. He couldn’t find Marigold anywhere. Lord Arctos and the brothel keeper waltzed past, followed by Uncle Hertz and Lady Brimstone. A relieved breath rushed out of his nostrils. As long as those villains were in sight, Marigold would be safe.

  “Excuse me.” The High Sheriff approached from behind the Queen. “May I cut in?”

  “Of course.” He let go of her hands, bowed and hurried to find Marigold.

  A green-haired dragon stepped in his path. “Matheson, my boy! I’m terribly sorry to hear about the murder of your parents. If there is anything I can do, please ask.”

  His stomach dropped. He was a friend of Father’s, and he had forgotten the dragon’s name. “Thank you, Sir.”

  The dragon placed a hand on Matheson’s shoulder. “Do not think of me as Judge Fervens. There has always been a deep friendship between our houses, and I intend to continue this with the new Lord Auburn. Please, call me Carbunculus.”

  Matheson sucked in a breath. This dragon might be the solution to Judge Embers, who he suspected was in league with Uncle Hertz. He wanted to explain the obstacles they’d faced with getting the case heard, but time was running out if he wanted to catch up with Marigold. “Thank you… Carbunculus. Will you excuse me. I must tend to my mate.”

  The older dragon winked and stepped aside. Matheson rushed to the edge of the dance floor, only to be stopped by another dragon who wanted to talk. He gave the briefest of answers, but the moment he took another few steps, a new dragon grabbed his arm. By the time the last dragon had congratulated Matheson on securing such a beautiful mate, he was ready to throw up. It had been days since he’d last relaxed in the smoky oblivion of papaver, and he longed for something to calm his nerves and dull the residual pain of his curse. Dr. Squamatus’s elixirs could only do so much. Being in the presence of those who would express their sympathy for Mother and Father’s murders and then extol the virtues of Uncle Hertz made him sick.

  He grabbed two flutes from the tray of a passing waiter. “Wait here.”

  The servant, who he believed to be a wolf shifter, paused. Matheson downed the contents of the first glass in one swallow and finished the second in another. It was bland and full of air, compared to the thick, aniseed flavor of distilled wormwood, but better than nothing. He returned the empty glasses to the tray and turned back to find that the dance floor had cleared, leaving Marigold waltzing alone with a beaming King Vulcan.

  “I say, Matheson, what did a scoundrel like you do to attract such a stunner?” It was Prince Carmine, staring at Marigold with the foulest look of hunger in his eyes. “Why haven’t I seen her at any balls?”

  “How would I know?”

  “Father’s actively looking for our bride. With Snowdrop gone, he wants to see us all settled with a respectable she-dragon.”

  Matheson listened with half an ear, keeping his gaze on Marigold. He barely knew Indigo’s brother, and he didn’t know why the older Prince was speaking to him. Carmine was the boring, regimental type, like Polaris, who never failed to voice his disapproval of Matheson’s acquaintance with Indigo. When he thought Carmine had finished speaking, the prince cleared his throat. “I don’t suppose she has a sister?”

  He suppressed a smirk and folded his arms across his chest. It appeared that he had achieved something that the four Princes of Igneous desperately wanted. He had found a mate more beautiful than any she-dragon in Igneous and beyond. It didn’t matter that she couldn’t stand him at the moment. With King Vulcan’s blessing, they were now connected for life. He was about to gloat, when the Master of Ceremonies proclaimed, “Kennet and Kaida Auburn!”

  A rush of anger exploded in his chest. He turned away from the dance floor, looking for the traitorous pair. Standing at the triple height doors were his former betrothed and his cousin and former best friend. Kaida wore the powder blue gown Mother had purchased for her trousseau, along with a modest bracelet of garnets around her wrist. An excited flush colored her pale features, and she clasped her hands to her thin chest, marveling at the grandeur of the ballroom.

  His lip curled. “Who invited them?”

  “Isn’t that your cousin?” asked Prince Carmine.

  Fueled by righteous indignation, his legs carried him towards the doorway, leaving Carmine talking to himself. Kaida and Kennett sauntered toward the edge of the crowd. Kennet said something to her, but she didn’t acknowledge him, as she was preoccupied with looking around the opulent ballroom. Matheson wondered if she was regretting having settled for the poor relation.

  Matheson stood in front of them, and her face froze. He folded his arms. “You’ve got a nerve, showing your face in high society.”

  Kenneth furrowed his brow. “We heard about Uncle Cornelius and Aunt Hestia and wanted to know how you were—”

  “Is that what you told the palace to get yourself invited?”

  “We were worried.” Kaida’s mouth turned down. “You may not think it, but we both consider you a treasured friend.”

  Matheson shook his head. He could understand Kaida’s hypocrisy. She was a low-born she-dragon who knew the value of her beauty. Obviously, she was tired of being ostracized for having broken a high-profile betrothal. The announcement of his mating and implied moving on was an opportunity for her to regain her lost social standing. But Matheson had expected better from Kennett.

  He a
nd Kennet had been like brothers while growing up, more so after Polaris had joined the King’s Regiment and Berrin had left for St. Fafnir’s. As Kennett was a relative of the same age, Father had agreed to sponsor his education to provide Matheson with a playmate to help him ease the pain of his curse. But one day, after over seven years of friendship, Kennett announced that Kaida loved him, and they would elope.

  Kaida sighed. “I’m so sorry you had the wrong impression of our relationship. We were never anything but friends.”

  “Is that what you told Kennett?” asked Matheson.

  “Come on,” Kennet ran a hand over his mahogany hair. “It’s time to let go of grudges. You have your own mate now.”

  Anger seared his chest and burned the back of his throat. His nostrils flared at the irony of those words. He didn’t have a mate in the truest sense. Berrin did, and for reasons unknown to him, Polaris had squandered his opportunity in favor of a bland little Princess. It would take some time to win Marigold over, but he wouldn’t confide in these two wretches. Instead, he would give them the impression of being happily mated. “I do.”

  “Then what’s the problem? Don’t tell me you still have a crush on Kaida?”

  “You are laboring under the misapprehension that my feelings for her were a one-sided infatuation.” He stared Kaida in her bland, little face. “Is that the fiction you have devised to sleep better at night?”

  She blinked several times before giving him a pitying look. “Matheson, there wasn’t anything between us. I only realized when it was too late that you had fallen for me, and it was partially my fault for sustaining our friendship, but you have to understand things from my point of view.”

  He jerked his head to the side, not wanting to look at their treacherous faces for fear of starting a fight in the ballroom and getting thrown out, leaving Marigold alone with Uncle Hertz. He balled his fists and calmed himself down by focussing on Marigold dancing with the King through the gaps in the crowd. Because of these two, he’d spent nearly three years wallowing in grief and anger and self recrimination. He had lost friends, acquaintances, and even Mother and Father’s respect. He shook off the guilt gripping his heart. The time for self-destruction was over. He would face his demons, break his addictions, and attempt to be the best possible mate, brother and Lord.

  Turning back to Kaida, he sneered. “How interesting that you held onto your bride price and all the financial support we gave your family over the years.”

  Her tongue darted out to wet those treacherous lips. “But those were gifts, nothing more.”

  Shaking his head, he exhaled his anger in one gust. Had he really been in love with such a transparent liar? “Either I imagined our courtship, or you’ve rewritten history.”

  Kenneth furrowed his brow. “Now, look here—”

  “I still have your love letters. They read like something from an erotic scroll.” She turned to a frowning Kennett and shook her head. “I see that she told you a fiction. Tell me, if we were just friends, how would I know about the birthmark at the top of her inner thigh?”

  Kennet stiffened, but his face did not betray any emotion. Kaida grabbed her mate’s arm and murmured something in his ear. He did not react.

  “Tell me something… I recall she was a squirter. Does she still release a spray when you go down on her? How about that fellatio technique we developed together that makes the experience last twice as long?”

  Kennett paled, and his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down.

  Matheson smirked. “I will take that response as a yes.”

  Matheson turned to Kaida. “I now realize that it was the illusion that I fell in love with, not you.”

  Her face twisted. “You have to understand that Papa didn’t want me marrying into—”

  “So your Father is at fault?” He advanced on her, lip curled. “You just told me I had imagined our relationship. Or did I imagine you telling me a pack of lies moments ago?”

  Kennet ran his hand through his hair. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry.”

  “So am I.” He turned back towards the dance floor.

  “Matheson, will you ever forgive me?” he asked.

  Matheson raised a shoulder. “I can no longer hold a grudge. Kaida’s betrayal crushed my spirit, but it led to my being mated to the kindest and most beautiful she-dragon in Igneous. You, on the other hand, must contend with being mated to the most duplicitous.”

  Having said that, a weight lifted off his chest, and he turned back to the dance floor. Now that he had the King’s Blessing, it was time to leave. He strolled past a servant holding a tray of champagne flutes and pushed his way through the crowd. Only the royal family was waltzing on the dance floor. King Vulcan danced with a masked blonde wearing pink, and Prince Indigo danced with Queen Grimalda. None of the other Princes were dancing with Marigold.

  Heart pounding like a snare drum, he strode around the crowd. She wasn’t there, and he found was no trace of Uncle Hertz, Lady Brimstone or their bear shifter companions. He breathed hard, forcing himself to stay calm, and strode to the Master of Ceremonies.

  “Did you see my mate?”

  “The last time I got a glimpse of the dance floor, she was waltzing with Prince Indigo. Is anything the matter, sir?”

  “I can’t find her or Governor Hertz.”

  A couple approached from the hallway with their invitation in hand. The male cleared his throat, and the Master of Ceremonies said in a lower voice, “Perhaps one of the King’s Regiment officers saw them.”

  With a muttered thanks, Matheson rushed towards a Captain stationed close to the punch bowl. “Have you seen my mate?”

  “Try the Sergeant at the opposite end. It’s his job to monitor the guests.”

  Matheson raced around the perimeter of the room, trying not to choke on his panic. If Uncle Hertz had taken Marigold, or worse, that bear shifter… He shook his head, pushing away images of her tied to a bed in a brothel. Berrin and Polaris would think he had handed her over in exchange for the Auburn fortune. Nothing could be more further than the truth. Even when he had resented Marigold, he had still wanted to keep her out of his uncle’s hands.

  By the time he reached the Sergeant, he was about to throw up. “Have you seen my mate?”

  “She was dancing with the blue haired gentlemen, Sir.”

  “Prince Indigo?”

  He paused. “At first, but then another cut in… The older gentleman wearing a jacket that matched his hair.”

  Matheson gritted his teeth and snarled, “Uncle Hertz!”

  Chapter 19

  Marigold stared into the gloating, violet eyes of Governor Hertz, a scream catching in her paralyzed throat. His arm clamped around her back, pressing her body into his thin torso. She would have shuddered with disgust, but whatever he had injected into her hand now kept her immobile.

  His lips brushed her ear. “I apologize for these drastic measures, my dear, but I simply cannot wait for my incompetent minions to take action.”

  She could only stare straight ahead, wondering where in Igneous Matheson had gone. He was supposed to be watching out for Governor Hertz! Her mind raced back to something Matheson had said after Polaris had whisked her away from the Florus dance hall. His uncle had offered to relinquish his claim on the family fortune in exchange for handing her over. Matheson had always resented her, and his latest change of heart now made sense. The apology, the manners, the kind words… All designed to put her off her guard.

  “Excuse me, ladies, gentlemen! My niece feels a little faint.” The crowd parted, and Hertz carried her towards a side exit.

  Marigold’s feet hovered an inch off the ground as they moved through the throng. She made a sound, but it was too feeble, and the orchestra drowned out her voice. A wolf shifter clad in the uniform of a waiter stepped out from behind a pillar. “This is her?”

  “I wouldn’t be dragging her out if it wasn’t,” snapped the governor.

  “A path has been cleared. You have five minu
tes to rush her out of the palace before anyone sees you.”

  Hertz strode towards the door, muttering, “If anyone catches me, the wrath of the Assassin’s Guild will be the least of my problems.”

  Marigold’s stomach lurched. Why would the Assassin’s Guild want to capture someone whose biggest crime was stealing a purse of gold?

  Another wolf shifter opened the door, which led to a darkened hallway. As soon as it shut behind them, Hertz slung her over his shoulder like a bag of laundry and sprinted down the hallway. “I apologize for the crude means of transportation, my dear,” he murmured. “Take heart, though. For as unpleasant as things are now, they are about to become worse.”

  She tried to scream again, but only a whimper escaped her throat.

  “I know, I know,” he crooned. “Torpentes Aqua is a terrible elixir. Please, do not try to fight it, as its effects will spread to your lungs.”

  Terror gripped her heart and clenched tight. For a moment, Marigold stopped breathing, and tears gathered in her eyes. She had to wait until Governor Hertz jostled her enough for them to fall, because she couldn’t even blink them away. It dawned on her that this was how the brothers’ parents had died. It would only take one pin prick of that awful elixir to render them helpless, just as she was now.

  Another door clicked open. Marigold couldn’t see what was happening, as her vision comprised of the sky-blue silk of the Governor’s jacket. However, from the downward, circular movements she could tell he was bolting down a spiral staircase. Her abdomen bounced with every step, making her stomach roil. She would have thrown up all over his back, but her stomach couldn’t even form the necessary spasms. As soon as he stopped descending, he broke into a run. The screeching of hinges echoed throughout the hallway from somewhere up ahead.

  “Hurry,” snapped a sharp voice.

  “Yes, yes,” Hertz wheezed.

  From his careful, downward movements, she guessed he was lowering himself down a ladder. The air became cold and humid and filled with the scent of wet stone and stagnant water. Voices echoed in the distance, as did the creak of the Governor’s footsteps against what she guessed was a rung. Everything she could sense about her new location reminded her of the solitary confinement pit of the House of Corrections. Her heart burst into another round of panicked thrashing. They could only be underground.