by Meg Xuemei X
“It’s not what it looks like, Father,” Blaze protested.
“It’s exactly what it looks like!” the king spat out.
“Let me put it this way,” said Blaze. “It’s not because Daisy is so pretty that we want her. She is the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on. But it’s not because of that. She’s my true mate. My dragon recognized her as such at first sight.”
“And there was no time to ask your permission, Father,” Rai chimed in. “We were under attack on Pandemonium from hunters, monsters, and demons. There are even blood-drinking vampires on that planet.”
“If I asked your permission, Rai and Iokul would have taken my mate and left me in the cold.”
“And should I have asked your permission first,” Iokul said, “I’d have lost my mate forever. There was a point when Blaze and Rai worked together to force me out of the game.”
“So, this was a game?” the king asked.
“No!” my three mates shouted in unison.
“All our dragons, all three of us, knew she’s our mate,” Rai said, trying to be patient.
“This is utterly ridiculous! I’ve never heard of such a thing—my three sons bonded to one woman. This is unorthodox. The Oslan Dominion won’t accept this union. The unauthorized marriage is annulled, as I speak.”
The queens all nodded. I’d bet my life that they’d never agreed on anything before.
“Father, don’t forget you have three mates as well,” Iokul said. “How could you have such double standards?”
“Watch who you’re speaking to, son!” the king warned.
“The mating between us is sacred, and we’re bonded to Daisy for eternity,” Blaze said. “No one and nothing can sever our mating bond, not even our ancestral gods and goddesses.”
The queens gasped.
“How dare you defy your king?” King Oriel roared, and the queens cowered at his loudness.
“Think of it this way, Father,” Iokul said. “With all three of us bonded to one mate, you’ll never need to worry about a civil war breaking out between us. We brothers will never be divided, and no domestic or foreign forces could cut between us ever again. We’re now true brothers, like we should have been all these years, despite Blaze still being annoying and rude.”
Both Blaze and the redheaded queen glared at Iokul.
“That’s something to think about,” the king pondered. “I’ve been so fed up with you three constantly fighting each other. If being bonded to one female can make you grow up and stop killing each other, I might just let you enjoy the same woman.”
All the queens protested.
“Your Majesty, you can’t just let them be,” the blonde queen said, turning to her husband. “The girl must have bewitched Iokul and the other two idiots.”
The other queens hissed at her.
The pompous blonde queen ignored them but batted her golden eyelashes at the king, and he gave her a considering look. “Beloved husband, perhaps we should dispose of the girl, and then the lust spell she cast on my son will disappear. Iokul has never acted like he’s having a fever before. For her, he even bared his teeth at his own mother.”
I could feel my mates vibrating with fury around me, and low growls rumbled in their throats.
“Over my dead body will I let you lay a hand on my mate, Queen Cordelia!” Rai said, pulling his lips back in a full snarl.
“You shouldn’t have said such a vicious thing against my mate, Mother,” Iokul said. “I love her!”
“Calm down, boys!” the king’s gruff voice broke into their bickering.
“Princess Daisy Danaenyth is not some witch,” Blaze boomed. “She’s the rightful heir to the Danaenyth dynasty. We’re all proud to be her chosen mates to rule by her side. Anyone who speaks to her should do so with respect.”
“What?” The king blinked. “That cannot be. The heir to the Danaenyth Dragon Realm went missing nine centuries ago. Everyone thought she was dead. King Daghda lost hope a long time ago.” He turned to me with a deadly glare. “Who are you really, girl?”
“I am not a girl,” I hissed. “I’m close to ten centuries old. I’m Princess Daisy Danaenyth, the one and only heir to the Danaenyth dynasty. I’ve returned to my Dragon Realm.”
King Oriel narrowed his eyes. “You do look like the princess in the portrait. For centuries, many imposters came forward and claimed to be the lost princess. If you aren’t her, your punishment will be severe. Think of the inhuman torture, girl. If you’re smart, you will tell me the truth. I might be able to spare you from an unthinkable, horrific fate, for my sons’ sake. They all seem to be smitten with you.”
“Daisy broke our curse,” Rai said. “After she kissed us, we could all shift to dragons. I bet all the dragons in our dominion can shift now, can’t they?”
King Oriel nodded, his blue eyes widening. “How?”
“Daisy’s curse was tied to ours,” Iokul said. “Love’s true kisses conquered all and lifted both our curses. Our mate freed us, Father. Only the rightful dragon heir can do that. And you still have doubts about who she is? Every dragon owes her a life debt.”
“Don’t you dare raise your voice at me, Iokul. I can easily put you in your place.”
“Your Majesty, please,” the blonde queen whimpered. “Our son is only too eager to please you.”
“But if she’s truly Princess Danaenyth…” the king said, a devious, delighted light dancing in his blue eyes. “Bring her to my kingdom and we’ll plan the next move. We need to secure her first, my sons.”
“Adeola and Cordelia have accused the lovely princess of bewitching the princes,” the redheaded queen said. “Why don’t we assign her as Blaze’s only mate?”
I eyed her. She wanted to manhandle me as well. But I wouldn’t make an enemy out of any of them, not because they were queens, but because they were my mates’ mothers.
I turned my head and regarded each of my mates. Iokul and Rai stared at the redheaded queen with open hostility. Blaze scratched his head with an agreeable grin. I frowned. I sensed he would go along with it if that was the arrangement all parties agreed on, even though he had insisted that we were all in this together.
“Always the conniving one, Octavia,” the dark-haired queen said in a biting tone.
King Oriel sighed. “Don’t mind your mothers. But if the girl truly is the heir to the Danaenyth dynasty, I won’t tear any of you away from her. Just bring her home. Set the ship on the course to the Oslan Dominion. We’re ready to receive you all.”
“No,” I said.
The king narrowed his eyes at me again. “What do you mean, ‘no’? There’ll be feasts to welcome you.”
I arched an eyebrow at him. “Do I look like I’m starving?” And shouldn’t he extend the same courtesy of one sovereign to the other, even though I hadn’t taken my crown?
“The situation in the Danaenyth Dragon Realm is a bit complicated right now,” Iokul said. “Maybe you should check the news, Father? We need to help our mate get the realm back.”
“If we’ll have to fight the war to reclaim our mate’s dynasty, Father,” Rai said, “we’ll need your army.”
“Wait a second!” the king called.
“We need to go and protect our mate,” Blaze chimed in. “Sorry, Father, Your Majesty. Nice chatting to you. And good to see you, Mother.” He inclined his head at the other two queens. “We’ll call you when we need you to ship the army here.”
“Shut down communication.” Rai punched a device on his chest armor, and the hologram whirled off, while the king and queens inside shouted their protests.
Iokul nodded at Rai. “Good move.”
They turned to me. “How are you feeling, Daisy?”
CHAPTER 5
Jarrod brought me proper clothing for the current era in the human cities. Iokul wore a gray shirt with leather loafers, trousers, and shiny leather shoes. I wore a deep-blue silk shirt, dress pants, and a pair of patent-leather flats.
Rai, Blaze, and
Iokul stared at me with desire. They’d never seen me in modern attire. There was so much about the era that I needed to learn and try to catch up with.
My face flushed under their gazes. Through our mating bond, I sensed how badly they wanted to have their hands all over me. They flashed images in my mind of their hands all over me, tearing the clothing from my body and ravaging me with their mouths, their hands, and their cocks.
I was thankful that Jarrod wasn’t privy to the silent messages between me and my mates, and that he ignored the sexual tension crackling in the air between the four of us.
The feverish mating call wouldn’t give us a break just because we were in public. I tried not to gaze back at my mates. Nothing good would come from lighting a match in a room full of fuel.
Jarrod furrowed his brows as he inspected us.
“You two still look too dazzling even with the simplest clothes I brought you,” he complained.
“What’s wrong with that?” Blaze retorted. “My mate is the most stunning woman in the universe.”
“Our mate,” Iokul corrected him.
“You’re not supposed to draw any attention,” Jarrod said exasperatedly. “How am I going to make you two look as plain as possible?” Then his brown eyes seemed to brighten on his scarred face. “Your Highness, I have an idea.”
All four of us snapped our heads toward him since we all carried that title.
“Princess Daisy,” Jarrod said with a sigh. “You’re taller than most human men and women.”
“I’m wearing flats,” I said, trying to be helpful. “I’m not complaining.” I hoped that he wasn’t going to criticize my curvy figure next. If he did, my mates would probably attack him to defend my honor.
“We need to do something about your flaming hair,” Jarrod said.
“She looks perfect as she is,” Iokul said. “I won’t have my mate change a thing.”
Jarrod put his thumb under his chin. “Maybe a hat? I should bring Your Highness a hat.”
“I can make us inconspicuous,” Iokul said. “Her lovely hair and my mask won’t be a concern.”
Upon Jarrod’s insistence for a demonstration, Iokul let his ice magic flow out. I didn’t feel any difference, except that the air grew a bit cooler and Iokul’s hand offered me a sensational touch, but Jarrod widened his eyes.
I eyed Iokul. He looked as stunning as ever. Silver hair flowed to his elegant chin. His pale gray eyes shone like glaciers. His mask—the symbol of ice dragon—glittered, hinting at a man of masculine beauty beneath.
My breath hitched, and my lips parted, and the ice prince winked at me.
Blaze looked like he wanted to get between Iokul and me, and Rai seemed to want to kiss me right now and bring my attention to him.
“Maybe I should leave the room and come back later,” Jarrod said.
“We don’t have time for this,” I said, my voice chiding. It was not aimed at Jarrod, but at my mates. “We’ll need to leave soon.” I turned to Jarrod. “What do you see when you look at us?”
“You two look just like anyone else now. You will blend in,” Jarrod said with satisfaction. “I can’t remember how you exactly look even as I stare at you.”
“That’s good, right?” I asked.
“That’s what we want,” Iokul smiled at me. “But you still look striking to me.”
“Business first, flirting later,” Rai admonished.
~
Iokul and I flew to the location as a pair of dragons and shifted in an empty dark alley. No one spotted us. It helped that Iokul’s ice magic shielded us. My mates told me that their powers had become stronger after mating with me.
We emerged just as how Jarrod had seen us. One of the benefits to being a dragon shifter was that when we changed to our other forms, we remained dressed. Unlike when I’d been the Furies.
We trotted toward an upscale hotel in the city’s popular district. Its façade was sophisticated and refined, lit by subtle blue light inside.
We filed in after an older couple, my hand on Iokul’s forearm. He’d been very happy to spend some alone time with me.
We followed the sign, glided through the floral walkways, and stopped outside an admission hall. Iokul gave our names to the guard and the receptionist outside the door, and they checked the list on a flashy interface.
They smiled at us in a fake, polished manner, oblivious to Iokul’s white, metal mask, and pressed a button that emitted a faint buzz.
A second later, an escort, dressed in a dark business suit, came out of the room. “Mr. and Mrs. Johnson, welcome,” she said.
We nodded our acknowledgement and followed the woman. We didn’t strike a conversation as she led us to a table at the back corner. We weren’t at the front—those seats were reserved for VIPs.
The corner table suited us just fine.
Jarrod’s contact had done a good job. I took a mental note to remember that. In this new age, we would need as many friends, supporters, and allies as we could get.
We took our seats and thanked the escort before she went away. The room was mostly filled, only the VIP table at the front near the podium was still vacant.
The hall had modern comforts and luxuries. While I’d lived in the jungle as three beasts, serving a volatile elemental and terrorizing the aliens in the post-apocalyptic planet, my own dynasty had evolved, and the human cities had prospered.
The City of Amethyst, like the other five cities, didn’t need the dragons to rule them. The people no longer needed fire or magic. They had electricity, science, and technology that could probably make magic seem like child’s play.
And yet, my prince’s ice magic still shielded us and none of the humans recognized who we really were.
The escort came back again and brought a middle-aged business man and his wife—or mistress—to our table. Their clothing informed me that they were wealthy. I’d bet they had more money than political power. That was why they were seated with us.
Two women, possibly a mother and a daughter, who looked like they came from old money, also joined us. The mother took a look at Iokul and fanned her cheeks. She thought Iokul was attractive. I contained an amused smile. My ice dragon burned hotter than fire.
“I’m so thrilled.” The woman picked the seat next to Iokul, pulled it closer to him, and leaned toward him in a whisper. She looked like she wanted to climb onto his lap. I didn’t need to stop her. He wouldn’t allow her.
“Did you know Queen Lysandra will make an appearance tonight?” she asked Iokul with a flirty smile. “It’s supposed to be a secret.”
My heart skipped a beat.
But Iokul didn’t miss a beat. He frowned and narrowed his eyes in displeasure. “Why haven’t I heard about it?”
“Oh, sweetie,” she purred. Still, she didn’t see his mask. “Only the queen’s inner circle knows about it. The queen decided to grace us with her divine presence at the last minute. I’m Daphne, by the way.”
“Lady Lysandra isn’t queen yet, is she?” I whispered like an experienced gossiper. “She’s the consort, last I checked. The Dragon King wouldn’t establish any of his concubines as the queen, unless she’s also a dragon. Then she might have a chance to share his throne. It’s the dragons’ ancient law.”
Daphne looked at me with disdain. “You seem too young to understand politics.”
“Intelligence has nothing to do with age, Mother,” the younger woman said, and Daphne gave her daughter an annoyed look, but her daughter only smirked at spoiling her mother’s plan to ogle my mate.
“Our beloved queen is young, but she shattered the dragons’ chains on us,” the daughter said, intending to educate me. “Queen Lysandra is the force of revolution. She doesn’t need an old man to put a crown on her head. She’ll soon sit on her new throne of enlightenment in her Empire Tower. Queen Lysandra ushers in a brand-new era and a brave new world.”
Jarrod had informed us that Lysandra dwelled in the skyscraper of glass and steel, which seemed to be part of
the enlightenment in this new age.
I blinked at the young woman. “Lady Lysandra seems like a role model.”
“That’s why we’re here to support her,” the young woman said. “This is all about Humans Superior and First.” She glared at me. “Aren’t you in this, too?”
“Of course, we are,” Iokul said coolly. “Otherwise, why would we even be here?”
The young woman gave him a long look. My pulse spiked until I realized she couldn’t see his mask, either. She smirked sweetly at him, confident that she’d have a better chance with him than her mother. “Hi, I’m Toni.”
Iokul had shielded his mask but not his attractiveness. Hadn’t Jarrod said we shouldn’t draw any attention? But then, I couldn’t really blame him.
One had to be dead not to notice how hot my mate was. I shoved aside the urge to grab him to show all the women to whom he really belonged.
I had an important mission today.
Daphne sank back to her seat, sulking, as her daughter became the center of the party in our small circle, but she obviously wasn’t the type who would stand being ignored. She leaned toward the businessman and whispered something in his ear.
“It’s our humans’ right to rule this planet.” The businessman nodded firmly. “This is our land, our cities, and our laws. The dragons are no longer the ruling class. Thanks to our queen, she told them to fuck off, including the old Dragon King.”
A chuckle rose around the table.
“What about the other Dragon Realm?” Iokul smiled like a shark, flashing his gorgeous even teeth. The women blinked and flushed, completely under his spell. Had he always flirted like that? Blaze had said Iokul didn’t do flirting. If anyone loved to flirt, it was Blaze. My thoughts went to my fire-dragon mate for a second. He was the first one among my mates to pick a fight with me. We weren’t mad at each other anymore, but there was still tension between us.
I understood that Iokul had to use his charm to make people talk, especially the women, but it didn’t mean I was happy with the women wanting to put their hands on him, thinking they could take him from me.
