by Renee Carr
She turned on her heel and left before he could stop her. She was seeing red as she walked, and her breath was coming in gasps.
The tears started as soon as she hit the street.
Despite the fact that they weren’t a couple in her mind, Judd was her best friend and she hated leaving things like that. She didn’t want to stay and explain what was happening between her and John because she couldn’t explain it. Sarah was used to being logical and explaining things in simple, concise sentences. But this was unlike anything she had ever experienced.
“Sarah, is that you?” her mother called when she finally made it in the door. “Don’t you have another class tonight?”
“I don’t feel well,” Sarah said, heading straight for the stairs. Her mother immediately came to the stairway in alarm.
“Anything I can do, dear?” she asked. Sarah shook her head.
“No,” she said. “I’ll make up the class later. I think I’m just going to go upstairs and rest.”
“Alright,” she said. “Call if you need anything.” Given Sarah’s history, it worried both her parents when she was feeling unwell. Their youngest daughter was stubborn and unwilling to admit to any weakness unless it was particularly troublesome.
“Will do,” Sarah said, although she had no intention of calling for her. If she thought anyone could explain what was happening in her heart and in her mind, she would call for them at once. She fell onto her bed, closing her eyes and hugging her pillow. There was no one she could talk to, no one who would understand.
She felt completely alone as the sun set, her mind drifting back to memories of the carnival. She hoped that John would call soon so that she could at least distract herself with battle talk or an argument. As the hours ticked by, she realized that all she hoped for was to hear his voice—for always.
This wasn’t logical. This wasn’t rational. But, she realized with a shiver, this just might be love.
Chapter 7
John couldn’t focus on what he was reading. He had purposely come to his rooms in the royal palace early so that he could focus on the council meeting tomorrow. His father was feeling unwell, and John had promised to represent him. However, the only thing he could think of right now was what Lady Sarah was doing.
Since their drink in Skybar, they had remained in constant contact. However, it wasn’t as if they were falling in love and sending messages back and forth with hearts attached. John felt like more like he was fighting with the werewolves than talking to someone who made his heart rate rise. He couldn’t stop, though, not even if he tried.
Giving up on the paperwork in front of him, he reached out and pressed the video monitor, finding her contact in recent calls and then pressing the connect button.
“You know,” she said, as soon as she answered. His shoulders visibly relaxed, and he saw his expression change on the screen showing his image. His brow had been furrowed before, but now it was smooth. “There is a four-hour difference between the palace and the university. Could you think about that before you call?”
“I could,” he said. “But in case you haven’t noticed, free time is something that is at a premium. So I don’t always do mathematics first.”
“You’re excused,” she looked around as she spoke. She looked like she was walking, and he tried to make sense of her background. “Where are you?”
“In the tunnels,” she said. “I’m heading down to the simulator to test something.”
“Is it a battle simulation?” he asked. “Or a flight simulator?”
“I don’t think being a pilot is in my future,” she gave him a funny look.
“I’m just surprised a place that size has a battle simulator,” he answered.
“Sure,” she said. “We have three. The world is changing, you know. They aren’t as expensive or as high tech as you think they are.”
“How do you know what I think?” he asked her and she smiled.
“Because I can read your mind,” she replied and he acknowledged that was true. For the past few weeks, whenever they talked, they seemed to be finishing each other’s sentences. They didn't necessarily agree on much at all, but they could at least predict what the other one was thinking. It seemed to happen an alarming amount of times for people who didn’t agree on many things in life.
“I’m sorry to interrupt,” he said. “I was just thinking about you.”
“It’s fine,” she said as she stepped into another room. “I was thinking about you too.”
“Why?” he asked, secretly pleased.
“I was going to run a simulation of the third bear rebellion,” she said. “And I know your father was there.”
“He was,” John confirmed. “I remember it, although I was very small.”
“Right,” she said. “So I was going to run it once, and then put the Karian method into it and see if that changes the outcome.”
John bit his lip at that. He didn’t want to say anything rude, because he wasn’t interested in fighting with her tonight. However, the third bear shifter rebellion wasn’t exactly considered a massive victory for the dragons.
“Putting a new method into a simulator does not mean we could have won if we just...”
“Of course it doesn’t,” she answered. “There are a hundred variables that I don’t know. But I would like to be able to see the difference it would have made.”
“You can’t change history,” he reminded her.
“No,” she said. “Unless the simulator says I can no matter what variable I put in.”
“Sarah,” he groaned. “I’m going to hang up.”
“Don’t,” she blurted suddenly and he realized that he didn’t actually want to. This was a continuous pattern that they had. They would argue and want to stop talking to each other, but they couldn’t seem to hang up. No matter how snippy they got with each other, they didn’t want to stop staring at each other.
“Alright,” he said. “I won’t.”
Both of them fell into silence, and she seemed to actually be keying things into the battle simulator, setting her phone up to look down on her.
“So,” she said. “What are we doing?”
“At the moment?” he asked. “Pretending to work.”
‘No,” she brushed her hair out of her eyes. “What are we doing, you and I?”
“I...” He knew he had to answer carefully. There were many people who could take advantage of the honesty he seemed to be developing with Lady Sarah, and while he didn’t think she was one of those people, his instinct was to guard himself nonetheless.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I don’t know what...”
“I’ve done some reading,” she cut in. “And I’ve asked some people, hypothetically.”
“Asked them what?”
“Why we can’t stop talking,” she said. “I haven’t said who you are... but... I’ve described what I feel. And I’m going to assume that it’s the exact same thing you feel, given the fact that you haven’t stop calling me. And if you did, I’d have to call you.”
“I...” he said.
“And,” she continued, “we haven’t slept together, so I doubt you are after that, given how many people are in the palace and available to your bed.”
He couldn’t resist chuckling at that.
“Is that what you think?” he asked.
“Please,” she said. “You’re a prince. You’re THE prince. It makes a difference.”
“Does it?” he teased.
“John, don’t play games with me,” she said. “I think you should come here again. Or I should come there and we can clear this up.”
“Whatever you like,” he said, as he watched her work. She was intoxicating—fascinating and brilliant all at the same time.
“I would like to come there,” she said. “You’ve already been here, and while I don’t need to see the palace, I would like to see the capital.”
“You’ve never seen it?” he asked and she shook her head.
&nbs
p; “No,” she said.
“I just thought...”
“I study a lot,” she explained. “I read a lot. That’s all. I haven’t actually been anywhere.”
“I can send transport,” he offered. “If your family will approve.”
“I don’t want them knowing that it’s you,” she said and he cocked an eyebrow.
“Oh?”
“Don’t take it personally,” she said. “But knowing I was going to visit the crown prince would make my family act like lunatics. They would be planning our marriage before the night was out.”
“I see,” he said. “I can arrange somewhere private where we can explore why we want to repeatedly argue with each other until our last breath.”
“That sounds fine,” she said. “Send me the details.”
“When can you come?” he asked. “I assume there are classes you have to attend?”
“Next week, there’s a break,” she said. “However long you want is fine. However long you can get away, I should say.”
“Alright, “Good. I really should get back to things,” he added, and she sighed.
“Yes,” she said. “Me too.”
Both of them resisted hanging up until they absolutely had to. When her image had disappeared from the screen, he sighed, putting his head in his hands.
This girl was impossible and yet he knew he was in deep with her. Whatever was happening, he knew she was right and they had to see it through to the end, whatever that end was.
“John?” He looked up to see his mother standing in the doorway. Out of respect, he got up and waited until she waved her hand and indicated that he should sit. He didn’t always do it, but he felt like his mother had just caught him doing something wrong.
“Yes, Mother?” he asked. “How can I be of assistance?”
“Next week, the Duchess of Moon is coming with her father,” she said. “Hailey is now a young woman, and I think you two would benefit from an introduction.”
“What? Why?” he asked.
She looked at him like he was mad.
“Your father and I feel that the introduction, now that you are both adults, would create a good potential future for you.”
“A future?” he echoed.
“John, have you been drinking?” his mother asked.
“No,” he said, shaking his head. “I’m sorry, you want me to marry her?”
“It is on my mind,” his mother said. “As a duchess, she...”
“Hailey is a child,” he said flatly. “And don’t you think we should deal with the wolf shifters first and not the...”
“I am not suggesting an introduction,” she said. “I am telling you that it will happen.”
John growled, low in his throat.
“Our attention should be on the wolves right now,” he stated.
“I’m sure that you and your father have that under control.”
“Not if I am not able to focus on the relations between us,” he said. “And if I am thinking about marriage...”
He felt guilty speaking in such a way to his mother because it wasn’t her fault at all that he wasn’t focusing. However, the last thing he wanted to think about at the moment was an arranged marriage.
“The wolves are not at our door, John,” she pointed out. “And if they are, the throne is not secure when you do not have an heir.”
“I will have an heir,” he said. “And the throne will be secure. It has been my life’s mission to make it so.”
“Then you will meet with the duchess next week,” she said.
“When?” he asked at last.
“Mid-week, “ she said. “Does it matter, given that you are so opposed to it?”
“No,” he said. “Given that I am so opposed. But I would like perhaps a ball thrown in her honor, and I would like to be able to choose the guest list.”
His mother raised her eyebrows in surprise.
“Really?”
“If I am to sit on the throne one day, Mother,” he said, “then I should be well versed in all areas of it. We are currently at a difficult time in our rule, and choosing the guest list for a luxury ball is as much a political move as a council meeting.”
“I’ll ask your father,” she answered and then her expression softened. “But I’m sure that he will agree. Thank you for coming around.”
“Not a problem,” he said, waiting until she left before he sat back down.
If he was simply in a political state of mind, then the duchess was a good match for him. He knew how matchmaking went in the Dragon Kingdom. If it wasn’t the duchess, it would be someone else, and soon. And he didn’t want there to be someone else—at least, not at the moment.
I’m going to throw a ball mid-week, he wrote to Lady Sarah. And I want you to attend. I’ll fly you in at the start of the week and we can spend a night or two away, and then you can attend the ball with the other guests. You may leave whenever you like.
Her answer did not come for quite a while, and he was worried that she would dislike the idea. However, just before he fell asleep for the night, the familiar bleep of a message alerted him.
Sure, she replied. I’ve attended enough balls in my life to know what to do. I’d like to see your battle simulator, though.
I’m sure you would, he responded, before laying his head on the pillow. He didn’t know what next week would bring, but at the very least, she would be by his side and this empty feeling in his chest would disappear. The wolves could break down the door for all he cared, as long as he didn’t feel like he was missing half his soul any longer.
Chapter 8
Lady Sarah tried to contain her excitement as the ship landed in the capital. She had been dying to visit, and this was the perfect opportunity. But more than the perfect opportunity was the fact that she was going to spend the next two nights in a country cottage, with only John’s attention. He had promised her no servants, no distractions, no work. For the next forty-eight hours, they were going to focus on what exactly was forcing them together, despite the fact that they shared nothing in common.
She knew that he wasn’t going to be able to meet her at the airfield, and so she took the small shuttle he had arranged to one of the country cottages on the outskirts of the palace grounds. Sarah had never really been one to fuss over her looks, but today she had made sure that every detail of her appearance was perfect. Her hair flowed down her back, and her dress was form-fitting, making use of what small curves she did have.
One of the things that she was trying not to think about was Judd’s constant texts. He hadn’t stopped trying to talk to her since she left. It wasn’t that she was particularly mad at him, or even upset. It was simply that she didn’t want to focus on her old life. John was her new life and she was excited about that.
I just can’t believe you, Judd texted her. Everything about him was what you hated. Everything he did was what you were against. And now you are going to spend time with him?
I told you that we couldn’t talk about the fact that I’m here, she texted back. And I also told you I’m just exploring my options. I need you to calm down.
I’m sorry that I’m not as exciting as a prince, Judd said. I’m sorry I’m just a modern-day warrior.
Please do not do this again, Sarah said. I’m just trying to have a good day.
Whatever, Judd said and finally stopped texting her. Sarah then turned to the driver, trying to smile. She wanted to tell Judd so much because he was her best friend as well as her casual lover. However, he clearly wasn’t in a place to understand anything right now. She wished she could explain to him what it felt like to be pulled towards someone who she was sure was her mate.
She was reasonably sure that their friendship couldn’t be repaired, which made her upset, especially because she wasn’t sure what was going to happen with her and John. For all she knew, he could be bringing her here to make her some harem girl.
“This is your key,” her driver said, handing her a small card. “It has
been set to access all the rooms for the next 48 hours.”
“Thank you,” Sarah replied, pocketing it. “And do you know when my... guest will be arriving?”
She wasn’t sure how much the driver knew, although she was sure John sent only his most trusted staff. If it was her inviting someone to the palace, she would have been sure to give them a full briefing about what to expect, and who was safe and who was not. She made a mental note to mention it to John, as well as several other ideas she had already written down.
“I don’t know for sure, my Lady,” he said. “But I think he is scheduled to arrive at...”
Just as he was about to finish his sentence, there was a noise from the distance. Sarah turned her head, expecting John’s motorcade to be there. Instead, it was a sight she had never expected. There was a pack of wolves, fully shifted into their animal forms, running toward her and the driver. They had no escorts, and no weapons on hand. Sarah quickly calculated that there were about 35 seconds before the pack of six were fully upon them.
She pushed a transformation quickly. It had been a while since she was in full dragon form, and she didn’t like the feeling it gave her when she did. She knew some dragons that preferred their animal form to their human one, but she preferred her human form, especially over a quick transformation. Beside her, her driver seemed to be able to push a bit faster than her. It was about twenty seconds before her armor of scales came out, and her eyes turned yellow as her wings spread.
Sarah sucked air into her lungs and then blasted fire just as the wolves jumped on her.
They clearly had not expected her to transform so fast. Their teeth bounced off her scales rather than sinking into her human flesh. There was a collective howl of pain as the fire singed their skin.
Sarah immediately flapped her wings, so that she was hovering several feet above them. There was no fight at that moment because wolves had no power over the sky. The driver, however, was more intent on battle than she was. Sarah thought that were was no point in senseless killing when the battle was clearly won. If these wolves died, she knew it would further complicate things for the palace.
