Dragon King (The Bride Hunt Book 3)

by Charlene Hartnady

“So how does this whole hunt work? Do we just head out into the wilderness?”

  “Remind me of your name again?” Julie asked, her focus on the last of the group.

  “Susan.” She was really pretty with big brown eyes and curly chestnut hair. “My friends call me Sue. I work as a hostess at The Wombles restaurant in town.”

  Roxy thought she had seemed familiar. She and Lauren had gone out to dinner just the other night at The Wombles. It was probably the fanciest restaurant in town. Neither of them had been there in a long time because neither of them had dated much. They had finally decided to go as each other’s dates. It was a fun night.

  “Like I said, you guys will get a four-hour head-start. The idea is to get as far as you can in that time. You were told to bring outdoor gear and a comfortable pair of running or hiking shoes.”

  Oops! No one had mentioned that to Roxy. Good thing she’d packed an old pair of sneakers on a whim.

  “You can choose to stay in one big group or go your own separate way. It’s up to you. I would suggest maybe splitting into two groups. You don’t want them to find you too quickly. What you ideally want is for a group of males to break out ahead of the others. A smaller group means a smaller fight. Also, the royals are quicker and seem to have a lot more stamina. There are still three kings who have yet to find a mate, and quite a number of princes. Not that there’s anything wrong with the warriors but it would be nice to snag royalty, don’t you think, ladies?”

  “Hell yeah!” Sue yelled.

  “Queen Lily, Her Royal Highness… it has a certain ring to it.” The strawberry blonde was grinning from ear-to-ear.

  Funnily enough, titles didn’t matter to Roxy. All she hoped was that she would find a guy who appreciated her. Who cared for and loved her. It sounded clichéd but it was true.

  “You don’t want to make it easy on them. They need to work for you,” Julie went on.

  “Bring it on!” Darcy looked pumped.

  “Dragon shifters fight hard. They don’t take prisoners,” Julie looked at each one of them in turn. “They have all been briefed that they need to always put your safety first. They know that we humans are pretty frail and breakable, so they will do their best to keep you out of harm’s way but it’s important that you stay away from the action. Keep yourselves at a safe distance when the fighting breaks out. This is especially true for larger groups of males. These guys are desperate for mates. They might forget their training in the heat of battle. Dragon shifters are a strong species.” She gave a little chuckle. “Back when my mate was trying to impress me – this was before he became my mate – he picked up huge boulders with one hand and twirled a ginormous tree trunk like it was a small baton.” She rolled her eyes. “Males!” she huffed. “Make sure that you stay away from them while they are locked in hand-to-hand combat, it would be terrible if one of you got hurt or even worse...”

  They all nodded.

  “Do any of you have any more questions?”

  “What happens after?” Sue asked.

  “The dragon shifters are spread over four kingdoms. This is the fire castle. The others are air, earth and water. Depending on which dragon wins you, will depend on where you end up going. Once you arrive, you’ll get to know your dragon. You’ll spend time with him. Date a little. They don’t truly understand the concepts of dating so you might have to help them with that. Please remember that although they have interacted with humans, they still don’t really understand our ways in other aspects as well. You won’t be forced to do anything you’re not comfortable with though.”

  “What if we spend some time with, whoever it is who… wins…” Sue looked like she had trouble saying the word, “…um… wins us and we’re not happy? What if we just don’t like him?”

  “If that happens and you are truly unhappy even though you’ve given it a chance, other males within the kingdom would be permitted to fight for you. It would be the high-ranking males. Then you would get a chance to get to know the new guy and if you didn’t like him then they would fight for you again, and so on and so forth until you found the right person. Apparently, it’s very rare that a male and female are not compatible but then again, we haven’t had much experience with human dragon shifter matings, so anything is possible.”

  “If we find that we’re really unhappy here,” it was the lady with the curly hair. “Do we get to go home like we were promised?”

  Julie nodded. “Yes, you do. All we ask is that you stay for two weeks. Get to know the dragon shifters. See it as a vacation. If at the end of two weeks you are not convinced that this is the life for you, then by all means, you can go back home but you can never breathe a word of this to anyone.”

  “That wouldn’t be easy,” Roxy blurted. Her mouth flapping before she had a chance to stop it.

  “No it wouldn’t, but it’s very necessary that we respect the dragon shifters and their need for secrecy.” Julie’s eyes widened for a few seconds. “I forgot to tell you a couple of important things.”

  “Once a dragon shifter male wins you, he will need to claim you. This means getting his scent on you so that the others know that you’re taken.”

  “How will he get his scent on us?” Lily asked. Within seconds her face was a bright red. “Oh never mind, I can guess.”

  “It’s nothing too hectic.” Julie smiled. “Maybe a hug, definitely a kiss.”

  “I’m game,” Darcy chuckled.

  “Why the hell not? There are worse things.” Sue was grinning broadly.

  “Something else to note, you won’t be able to just wander around the castle when you get back. Not without your dragon shifter. Other potential suitors would be able to claim you at least until you’ve been officially and fully claimed by your dragon shifter.”

  “Okay.” Sue lifted her brows. “Fully claimed as in…” She let the sentence die.

  “Sex,” Julie’s lip twitched like she was trying to hold back a smile. She really did look far too happy. “Once you’re having sex, it’s essentially like staking a real claim. No other guy can run off with you unless you publicly renounce your ties to your dragon shifter. Be really careful about doing that in the heat of the moment because it might come back to bite you.” She sounded like she had experience in the matter.

  “The good news is that they’re really good in bed. They have experience with human women since they make a run into one of the neighboring towns twice a year. When I say experience, I mean they pick them up for hook-ups, not that they know how to interact well with us. At least they have some experience,” Julie went on. “They’re pretty free about sex and talking about it. Don’t let that alarm you.”

  “If we have sex, are we then mated to them and stuck with them? What if it still doesn’t work out?” The girl with the dark complexion tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

  “No, Emma. You can have sex and if it doesn’t work out you can still leave or have the males fight for you again. Be very sure about going that route because once someone else has claimed you, you can’t just change your mind and go back. The male who claims you would need to be willing to give you up and that’s not going to happen easily. These guys are desperate for women. All they want is someone to love and to have a family with. They will do everything in their power to convince you to stay. To make you fall in love with them.”

  It sounded perfect. Too perfect. They were desperate for women; did that mean that they would settle for just anyone though? Roxy wanted a partner who was attracted to her. Not just her body but also her mind. She wanted to be that person’s world and have them be her world right back. A desperate guy willing to do anything for a girl, any girl? That didn’t work for her.

  “Any more questions?” Julie asked.

  “The hunt is tomorrow, right?” Sue folded her arms.

  Julie nodded. “You’ll be dropped off at eight and the guys will set off from here at twelve o’clock, so essentially you will be given a double head-start. Don’t be too worried about it, you’
re all fit and healthy; you’ll be given everything you need for a day trip. We’ll talk about it more in the morning before we head out, that way if you have any more questions for me then I can answer them for you. We can also talk later at dinner.”

  “I’m quite excited,” said Darcy, clapping her hands together.

  Lily swallowed thickly, her freckles were more pronounced because she seemed to have paled. Sue gave a little jump and a yell, clearly excited about the prospects of nabbing a dragon shifter. Emma looked like she hadn’t made up her mind either way.

  “You guys are sharing rooms,” Julie said. “We thought that you might not want to spend your first night alone. Putting the three of you in one room,” she gestured towards Lily, Darcy and Sue. “And you two in another room,” she looked Roxy in the eye before turning towards Emma.

  Julie huffed out a breath and moved to a standing position before she smoothed her dress, once again, allowing her hand to linger over her belly. A strange expression came over her face. A softening of her eyes. “Let’s get you guys settled and ready for dinner. There will be someone posted at the end of the hallway, a guard, but please do remember no mingling with any of the males. It’s part of their traditions and rules. Stay in your room until I come and collect you. You’ve got just over an hour, which should be more than enough time.”

  Roxy felt her stomach clench as a whole horde of butterflies took flight. At least that’s how it felt. Her hands were clammy so she opened and closed them. She was happy that she was getting a chance to see these dragon shifters before tomorrow. They were bigger than the vampires. She couldn’t imagine that. Vampires were huge, muscled, tall and imposing. A frisson of excitement rushed through her, followed by another clench of her stomach. You’ve got this, Roxy.

  Chapter 6

  Blaze didn’t like the idea of the females being paraded around in the great hall. It was certain to rile the males. To fire their blood. There hadn’t been many hunts over the last century or so, with females being so scarce. With competition being so fierce, many males had been seriously injured in the past and there had even been a few deaths. There were rules in place to prevent fatalities, but rules were easily forgotten in the heat of battle, especially when the prize was so revered.

  Human females. Beautiful and lush. A prize indeed. Though he felt his own blood run cold at the prospect. He looked about his chamber. It was a place of solace, his sanctuary. It wouldn’t be his for much longer, not really. He was going to have to share it with another. Tomorrow he would win a female and take her as his mate. He would do it for the good of his people. It was on him to produce fire-breathing, royal heirs and not only for the fire kingdom but for all four kingdoms. Bile rose up, tasting bitter in his mouth. Blaze would do this for his people but he would hate every minute of it. He was duty-bound, oath-bound, blood-bound.

  Even now, duty called. Blaze sighed as he pulled on a pair of pants. Then he ran a hand through his damp, hair which was overgrown, before scrubbing his fingers over the week-old growth on his jaw. For a second he contemplated shaving. Fuck it! This wasn’t a beauty contest. He might need a mate but he wasn’t out to win anyone’s heart.

  He was going to the great hall to ensure that everything went according to plan; most of all, to ensure that everyone followed the rules. Unlike every other red-blooded male dragon shifter within the four kingdoms, he wasn’t going to appraise the humans. He definitely wasn’t going to earmark a mate.

  There was a knock at the door. “Yeah,” he growled.

  Coal walked in. There was a smirk on his face. This wasn’t what he needed right now.

  “Don’t look so happy,” his brother grinned.

  “You’re loving every minute of this, aren’t you?”

  “You’d better believe it,” Coal chuckled. Not so long ago, the male had been in his shoes. Coal had dreaded taking a human mate and now he couldn’t be happier. Julie was carrying his brother’s child. The two of them were so in love that it was sickening to be around them.

  “It’s not going to be as bad as you think,” Coal rubbed his chin and made a mocking humming noise. “I’m sure, if memory serves, those were the exact words you used on me a couple of weeks before my hunt.”

  “But there’s a very big difference between you and me,” Blaze narrowed his eyes at his brother. “You had never mingled with human females before. I knew that once you got a taste for one, you’d be sold. I know all about humans, especially the females of their kind. I’ve been there and done that. I’m not interested.”

  “Who knows, you might find the female of your dreams. Someone who will change your negative perspective.”

  Blaze snorted. “Like hell that’s going to happen.”

  “You never know, brother,” Coal slapped him on the back.” You need to have a little bit of faith and keep an open mind.”

  “Whatever. Let’s get this over with.” Blaze walked towards the door. This was a conversation he and Coal had had before. It was old and he was sick of hearing how he just needed to meet the right female. That wasn’t about to happen.

  He and Coal navigated the various hallways in silence. Thank God the male seemed to have dropped their earlier conversation. He could already hear the whole chorus of voices coming from the great hall. Hundreds of males would be assembled within its walls, all hoping to catch a glimpse and a noseful of the human females.

  The noise grew louder and louder until eventually they reached the large, double doors.

  Coal turned to face him. He was grinning wildly. “You ready?”

  Blaze gave a nod. “I won’t be sitting at the royal table.”

  “Why not?” Coal frowned.

  “I’m not interested in parading around. I’m here to ensure that nothing goes wrong. I will be winning one of those females tomorrow but I don’t particularly care which one. I’ll be at the back of the hall if you need me.”

  Coal shook his head, still frowning. “Suit yourself. You enjoy your evening, brother. Whatever you do, make sure that you hit the sack early.” That shit-eating grin was back. “We want you at your best tomorrow.” His chuckle was overrun by the loud noises of the hall as Coal opened the door and headed inside.

  Blaze sucked in a deep breath before moving through the doors himself. Instead of heading further into the crowd, he walked to the side, taking up a position where he could observe. There were many tables arranged around the bustling hall. There were also large groups of males standing between the tables. On the raised dais in the far corner, away from the crowds, was the table where the females sat. Despite the scent of testosterone, musk and foods of all kinds, there was the distinct scent of human female.

  It was a delectable scent. One that had his mouth watering, his blood rushing to his loins. It happened completely against his will. It was a purely instinctual reaction, one he was helpless to control.

  Blaze gritted his teeth and tried to breathe through his mouth. The scent also brought back some memories, memories he preferred to keep buried. Despite his best efforts, his gaze was drawn to the females.

  They were talking amongst themselves. Every so often one of the females would look up and scan the busy hall.

  “Wow!” one of the females giggled, she was very tall for a human female. She had her back to him, making it impossible for him to see her facial features. Not that he was interested. “These dragon shifters sure are something.” she chuckled, eliciting laughter from one or two of the others.

  “I can’t wait to have one of them get his paws on me.” This female had curly hair; she also sat with her back to Blaze.

  “There are a ton of them with golden chests,” the tall one said.

  “Yeah, it’s really exciting!” the curly-haired one piped up.

  “Royalty,” a very pale female with light colored hair spoke next. “I really want to nab myself one of those. What do you say, Roxy?”

  Four females turned towards a dark-haired beauty. He immediately regretted thinking of her in those term
s. She was a human. The female was of average height which made her very small by dragon standards. She shrugged. “It doesn’t really matter to me either way.”

  The curly-haired female gasped. “You can’t be serious. Don’t you want a king? Or at the least, a prince?”

  “This is going to sound really corny but all I want is a really nice guy. One who cares for me. That and…” She lifted her eyes in thought for a moment before shrugging again. “Nope, that’s it. The royalty thing doesn’t matter to me.”

  “What about you?” The curly-haired one asked the fifth female.

  Once again all eyes turned to this female. “I guess royalty would be nice, but I’m with Roxy, I don’t really mind as long as there’s a spark there between us.”

  “A spark is important.” It was the beauty. Fuck! He needed to stop thinking of that one in those terms. It didn’t matter that she was beautiful. All that mattered was that it irritated the fuck out of him. One thing was for sure, he would stay away from her during the hunt. He wished once again that he could stay away from all of them but it was not to be.

  Thankfully, Roxy was used to being on her feet all day. She was also used to running up and down and making plenty of trips to the back. She lived on the first floor of an apartment with no elevator, so having to run up and down a flight of stairs and sometimes with bags of groceries was all too common as well. Having said that, they were four hours into the hunt and her back was killing her. All she wanted to do was to take a break. Her brow was sweaty and her T-shirt clung to her body.

  They had followed Julie’s advice and had broken into two groups. It was difficult to decide who would go with who, so in the end, they had drawn sticks. The people who drew the two short sticks would go off in one direction while the remaining three would go off in another. Darcy and Emma had drawn the short sticks and headed northeast and the rest of them had headed northwest. Her roommate’s name was Emma and she’d turned out to be extremely sweet. She was a little concerned that this wasn’t for her while the rest of the ladies couldn’t wait to meet their future shifter. They’d gushed about how sexy the dragon shifters were and ogled them non-stop.