Dragon Knight Of Khoth

by Brenda Trim

  Lorne suddenly ducked behind a stack of mats as Cambree got closer to his hiding spot. He didn’t want her to see him. She would accuse him of stalking her again. Her taunts at the restaurant were a slap in the face and made him see the reality of the situation. He was a creeper that hunted her down and watched her from the shadows.

  In his defense, he was genuinely worried about her. Her date with Damien didn’t sit well, and it wasn’t because he was jealous. Well, maybe a little, but Lorne was convinced Caleb left out important details, and he needed to be certain she was safe.

  The Máahes renovated a portion of the castle’s basement for the females’ training center. None of them wanted to be where the elders could interfere. It was bad enough the old bastards let everyone know how vehemently they disagreed with the king and his stance regarding females and battle.

  Lorne was hesitant about it, too, until he realized Keira was correct about the realm’s disservice to their females. He had the opportunity to fight next to Mack and witnessed firsthand how the Dark Warrior from the Tehrex Realm was more capable than ninety percent of the males on Khoth. The female killed beings ten times her size without hesitation and played a crucial role in saving her mate from captivity.

  Cambree passed his hiding spot, and the overhead lights illuminated her sweaty face. She was red from exertion, and out of breath, yet Lorne saw the determination on her face and was more attracted to her than ever. Blaine worked the females to the point of exhaustion, but Cambree refused to give up.

  That’s my girl he thought then quickly shoved the notion aside.

  When her position blocked his view, Lorne moved deeper into the shadows and used the mirrors lining the opposite walls to watch her.

  “Good job. You were ten seconds faster this week, Lys. And, Cambree, you didn’t finish last. Huge improvements,” Caleb praised after they completed their laps.

  By then, Cambree was covered in sweat and panting, and his hands itched to massage every sore muscle he knew she’d have in the morning. Cambree braced her hands on her knees, catching her breath. The movement made her oversized shirt gap, giving him a perfect glimpse of her cleavage. Lorne forced his gaze away and told himself he should leave. He had no reason to be there, and if someone saw him, he would have some explaining to do. Unfortunately, his feet refused to move.

  Caleb and Blaine called the females to the center of the room, and Lorne made his way to the other end of the mats so he could see better. The problem with that was it put him next to the free weights, and the sight of Cambree bending over to pick up a set of dumbbells. Her shorts rode up and showed the lower curve of her ass.

  Lorne’s initial instinct was to rush over and claim her from behind. It was wrong to think that way, but he was a grown-ass man with needs, and right now he needed to be inside Cambree. Luckily, Caleb called her over to be his demo buddy, and Lorne’s fantasy was short-lived.

  “I’m going to demonstrate what to do if you are attacked from behind,” Caleb announced to the group of females.

  “I could’ve used this several weeks ago,” Cambree muttered in a low voice, making Lorne wince at the reminder. Cambree would never get over what happened, and she’d never forgive him for failing her.

  “Yeah, but just think. After today, you’ll never say that again,” Blaine assured her.

  Cambree lowered her eyes and nodded in response. Her head snapped up when Caleb stood behind her. Lorne tensed, prepared to pounce if the male made one wrong move. He knew she was thinking about her attacker and was scared to death.

  “I’m going to wrap one arm around your chest and the other around your waist. I want you to break free,” Caleb instructed and caged her with his arms. He was all over her, and Lorne growled low in his throat. Thankfully, no one heard.

  “I’m trapped. I can’t break free,” Cambree confessed, and Lorne watched the color drain from her face. She was panicking, and he wanted to rush in and save her.

  “Relax, and listen to me, Cam. I want you to grab hold of my arm,” Caleb instructed. Cambree complied and waited for her next instructions. Her tiny nails dug into Caleb’s flesh, but the male never complained.

  “Okay, now I want you to bend your knees and move one foot a step back, so you are closer to me,” Caleb stated.

  “Like this?” Cambree asked after she positioned one leg between Caleb’s. Lorne couldn’t deny he wished it was his leg entangled with hers. Preferably, in his bed, after they’d made love.

  “Yes,” Caled confirmed. “Now, pull down on my arm at the same time you bend forward and push your backside into my stomach. If you pull hard enough, you’ll be able to toss me over your shoulder.”

  “No offense, but you weigh a ton. I can’t throw you,” Cambree denied, but complied with the request.

  She attempted the move several times and fell on top of Caleb each time. But she didn’t give up. The determined female picked herself up, listened to his corrections, and tried again. On the fifth attempt, she finally tossed him to his back and shouted her triumph as she jumped up and down.

  The group of females cheered her on, and Cambree’s wide grin lit the room. And Lorne was smiling right along with her. He wanted to grab Cambree in his arms and tell her how proud he was. She was gaining confidence and self-esteem, and she was doing it on her own. His beautiful flower was blossoming, just like he knew she would if given the chance.

  “I want a turn,” Elysia blurted next.

  “You’ll each get a turn then we’ll go over a few more methods, like stomping feet and punching groins,” Blaine announced.

  “If you wanted me to touch your junk all you had to do was ask,” Elysia countered with a wink.

  “You caught me, love, and you’re my next victim.” Blaine and Elysia practiced while Caleb and another female did the same exercise a few feet away.

  Lorne had no idea what was happening, but no matter how many times he told his brain to forget about Cambree, it refused to listen. He needed to stop torturing himself. They could never happen. There was too much history, and it wasn’t the good kind. He colossally fucked up, and she would never forgive him.

  He forced his feet to take him out of the room. Cambree deserved a male that loved her for her brilliant mind and every tiny freckle that graced her small nose and cheeks. And, she was far too intelligent to accept anything less than a male that worshipped her from head to toe.

  As Lorne walked away, his dragon whispered, “You are the only male worthy of Cambree.”

  * * *

  Chapter 13

  “These assholes have gone too far,” Legette cursed as he wiped sweat from his brow and glanced down the dark path.

  Lorne agreed wholeheartedly. Cyril was a devious motherfucker who’d surprised them one too many times in the past week. Thank the Gods Lorne stumbled across the Unseelie bastards on his property. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have found the underground tunnels.

  It took hours of combing through the forest to locate the opening. Caleb, the Máahes’ best tracker, almost walked right by it. The intense training every Máahes endured honed their senses beyond that of the average Cuelebre, which only proved Cyril’s power over Dark magic. Alora, the first female to go through the knight training program, showed incredible promise in her tracking ability, and Lorne had no doubt she’d be a knight they called upon in the future.

  The entrance to the underground tunnel was carefully hidden by a combination of natural vegetation and multiple spells. The bastard went to a lot of trouble to hide what he was doing. Luckily, the Unseelie King didn’t eradicate the remnants of his casting. Catching the remnants was what drove Caleb and the Máahes to dig further in the area.

  “Aye,” Angus snarled. “I’m going to kill the arsehole when I find him. Once again, he’s messing with my people, and I canna allow him to succeed. I admit he was brilliant in diverting our attention to the destruction near Heqet. I didna give credence to Cyril taking our Tuya. Lesson learned.”

  “Aye, my friend. We
willna allow him to take anything. You stopped him once before, and will do it again,” Zander added as he gripped Angus’s shoulder.

  Angus’s grim face softened, and he nodded when he met the Vampire King’s gaze. Lorne was still shocked over the bond between his king and a vampire from another realm, but it was evident that the Gods always had a plan. Only divine intervention could have brought such powerful allies to the Cuelebre during their time of need. More than once in recent years, beings from the Tehrex Realm assisted the dragons in battle. It might’ve been Zander’s desperation to protect his daughter that drove him to Khoth, but the Gods foresight directed everything.

  Legette kicked a rock down the path, and it ricocheted off the walls then disappeared into the darkness. “What do we do about the spells infecting the grounds above? The next Civappu is days away, and we will need to stop them and repair the damage,” the male inquired.

  Lorne’s skin suddenly prickled with awareness, but he couldn’t see a damn thing through the blackness. He immediately focused on his other senses and searched for the irregular thread of magic. He barely detected the faintest hint of the spell poisoning the land above them. Cyril masked his incantation so well it was practically undetectable.

  The structure told Lorne a creature made the tunnels that they weren’t natural formations. For a second Lorne had a crazy thought that the Bugganes’ tusks dug through the substrate but quickly dismissed the idea. The tusks would’ve left uneven burrows, and these markings were too uniform. Without a doubt, Cyril used Dark magic to form the tunnels.

  “How long do you think it took him to do this? I know he used magic, but this had to have taken a while,” Lorne asked as he turned back to their group.

  Angus cocked his head and a deep crease formed between his light green eyes. “Aye, you are correct. This was no easy project. I have no doubt he started this two years ago. I never would have imagined the arsehole was digging beneath us. I should have felt something through my connection to Gaia, dammit.”

  Legette gasped at the same time Lorne felt a vile sensation. In a flash, Legette was in front of the two kings, guarding against anything that might be further down the tunnels. Lorne was beside Legette in the next instant, holding two weapons as he widened his stance. Shoulders bladed, Lorne prepared for an attack.

  “Shite,” Zander cursed behind Lorne’s back. The slide of weapons unsheathing echoed throughout the area. “Why is he here? Doesna he have his own realm?” the Vampire King muttered low.

  “Cyril is here because he wants what is mine. He’s a jealous jackwagon, out for vengeance because Keira chose me,” Angus spat through clenched teeth. Lorne’s dragon trumpeted, wanting to protect its king and queen.

  “He has a corner of the Fae realm for his kind, but the Queen cut his holdings and finally banned him when he began creating Unseelie. They are imperfect replicas of the Seelie, and destructive at their core,” Angus explained.

  “Och, some would argue that Zanahia and her Fae are just as destructive,” Zander interjected.

  “They are devious and vicious creatures. When you add their attractiveness to the equation, I see them as far more deceptive than the Unseelie,” Legette informed and shifted next to Lorne.

  “I believe Cyril came looking for a place that he and his evil spawn can call home,” Angus explained. “I canna believe I once considered him an ally. Granted, I was a young dragon, but still. I should’ve listened to my father when he warned me aboot Cyril. I was bullheaded, and subsequently, Cyril sucked me into his web. Looking back, I can see the warning signs as he poisoned me against my parents. We know of his involvement in Keira’s disappearance, but I’ve questioned if he played a role in the death of my father, as well.”

  Lorne’s mouth fell open at the king’s admission, and he turned toward his leader. His eyes had adjusted to the dim lighting, and he saw Angus’s anguished expression as he gripped his knife. Could that be possible? Lorne was still in the Máahes training program when Angus and the realm lost his father. The king sensed an injury to Gaia and went to heal it. The surviving knight indicated ogre-like creatures blindsided them and attacked. They killed King Indulf before the Máahes knew what happened.

  Sensing her mate’s death, Queen Charlotte passed before anyone returned from the mission. The death of the king and queen was the beginning of the war against the Unseelie.

  “I didna realize the Buggane were Cyril’s creation until just before Keira’s disappearance. Over time, I realized Cyril befriended me with the intent of discovering our weaknesses. He wanted to emasculate our kind, and eventually eliminate us so he could take over our realm. It was that knowledge that tormented me while I was on earth. I was insane with rage,” Angus continued absently.

  Lorne had heard bits and pieces of Angus’s story, but it was all coming together as he spoke. Lorne couldn’t imagine what that was like for the formidable male. He recalled when he saw his king after so many years apart. Lorne acknowledged that despite how much the king suffered while he was away, Angus never lost his power.

  Angus and Blaze were the only land dragons connected to Gaia. There was a loop between the celestial realm and the king and son that nourished them, as well as, all of Khoth. At first, the Cuelebre were appalled when Angus announced his desire to select Keira as his queen because she wasn’t Tuya. If he couldn’t procreate, their realm would perish. Again, the Gods had a plan, Lorne amended. As soon as Angus returned to his throne, and held the Civapu, Keira was chosen as Tuya. It was a miracle and proved to Lorne that he should never lose hope. Everything worked out in the end.

  “You aren’t to blame for any of this, Sire,” Legette reassured Angus. “Do you sense his presence here? You’re the only one among us that was close to Cyril. I can’t make sense of anything to pick out his signature in this mess.”

  “I’m no’ certain of much down here, either,” Angus admitted and stepped behind Lorne and Legette, “but something is in these tunnels. The problem is I doona know if it is Cyril or one of his abominations. There’s a reason the Fae Queen banned him from her realm. His beasts are worse than most demons.”

  “How does Cyril create life? He is no’ a God,” Zander stated.

  Angus scrubbed his jawline and met Zander’s gaze. “Nay, he is no’. Cyril stole spell books from the Fae Queen and used them to create life. He was tired of being under her thumb, so he built an army to overthrow her. He wanted to rule the entire Fae realm.”

  Zander shook his head. “No wonder Zanahia doesna trust males. It also explains why she’s so fascinated with the bond I share with Elsie. She canna understand affection and loyalty at all. The one person who should’ve had her back stuck a knife in it.”

  “That’s fucking harsh, even for that piece of shit Cyril,” Lorne blurted.

  “You have no idea,” Legette mumbled and shook his head. “When you choose your mate, you will understand how deep betrayal cuts. I hope I never experience it. Now, we need to clear these tunnels, and you two need to return to the castle,” Legette explained and pinned Angus with a stare.

  “I’m no’ going anywhere,” Angus denied. “You will need us at your back if Cyril is here. I am the only one that can stop his power.”

  Lorne wanted to object and force his king to leave, but Angus was right. If he and Legette encountered Cyril, they wouldn’t survive the encounter. Lorne wasn’t ready to die. He had too much shit to figure out regarding Cambree.

  For the first time in his life, he had more than duty driving him. He wasn’t sure where things were going between them, if anywhere, but he couldn’t rest until he knew. He might end up alone, but he wasn’t going anywhere until it was resolved.

  “Fuck,” Legette blurted and punched the wall next to him. “You stay behind us. Do you hear me, Sire? And, you leave if shit goes sideways. This isn’t about going down with your ship. We’re not fucking pirates. You must survive. Without you, there is no Khoth. Blaze isn’t ready to take the reins. Don’t put him in the position of los
ing his father.”

  Angus gave his second in command a seething glare but nodded. “I doona like it, but you have a point. I willna abandon my son or the Cuelebre.”

  “I can’t believe I didn’t sense this shit from my house,” Lorne interjected. “He’s been right under my fucking nose. If he’s down here, do you think he snuck into the city and opened the portal from there?”

  Angus stopped in his tracks and was cursing under his breath. “Of course he did. The shaman said he couldna do it remotely.”

  “Then why didna we find evidence of his presence?” Zander asked as they began slowly moving forward.

  “Because the fucking coward took off before we arrived,” Legette hissed with a snarl.

  “Stay sharp,” Angus chastised, making Lorne’s heart race in response.

  Lorne could see the tunnel ahead was drenched in total darkness. Legette touched his arm and gestured for Lorne to go right while he went left.

  “Go in low. He will aim high if he’s here,” Angus advised mentally.

  Lorne nodded his understanding and hugged the wall on his right. With his back plastered to the dirt, he inched his way forward. An odd sensation emanated from the darkness, and adrenaline pumped into his system. Something was about to go down.

  Ducking low, Lorne paused and reached his hand around the corner, feeling for the wall. His hand met nothing, and he stumbled in his crouch. The wall was further back than he expected. A drip echoed from the space, making him think of a leaky faucet.

  He met Legette’s gaze before he stepped over the threshold. Bracing for an attack, Lorne moved deeper into the black abyss. He was surprised when nothing happened. Releasing his trapped breath, Lorne motioned Legette forward. A tingle suddenly raced through his veins, reminding Lorne of the sensation he felt when he was searching for Cambree.

  He couldn’t see his hand in front of his face, so he exhaled his dragon smoke then traced a rune for light in the middle of the smoky enchantment. The area was immediately illuminated, revealing a spacious cavern.