He stares me down, but it’s unnerving, unlike when Theo does it. There’s a look in his eyes saying he thinks I’m an insolent brat he wouldn’t mind teaching a lesson, and considering he protects the king, I’m not convinced he’s the most trustworthy dragon.
“The conversation led to vampires, and you returned to the previous topic.”
“My uncle always said if I had nothing nice to say, to not say anything at all, and I figured if the conversation was heading in that direction, likely I’d end up saying something to piss you off.” I’m upfront about my feelings on the subject, but take a small step back toward the ballroom doors.
Sir Oliver is between the doors and me in a heartbeat, causing two immediate revelations on my part. I do not care for supernatural speed. And I now trust him even less than I did seconds ago.
“Have no fear, Lady Hayden. I simply wish to speak with you.”
“Do you know generally, in movies and stuff, bad things follow statements like ‘have no fear,’ ‘I mean no harm,’ or ‘you can trust me’? Those aren’t exactly reassuring words right after you blocked my escape, you psycho dragon.”
“That was quite uncalled for and rather impertinent,” he states sternly, and I’m not at all surprised he uses the word ‘impertinent’.
“Hey, I just call ‘em like I see ‘em… a spade’s a spade, and whatever,” I blurt out in response. If he wants me dead, I’ll be dead before anyone can reach me, so it’s not as though anything I say will make a flying rat’s ass bit of difference.
“If you’re always this insufferable, I am unsure why Corrin feels so desperately drawn to you; however, he does. Given he does, you may well be the only hope I have of saving my ward.” I sigh and close my eyes before rolling them at him. “You have known him for such a short time, and do not know him the way I do, Lady Hayden. There is far more to Corrin than he shows to most people, a side only his family sees that is the reason they love him, and the reason they do not wish to lose him.”
This conversation is too reminiscent of Cedric’s visit earlier today, the plea of a father for his son’s life, and I imagine after the time this dragon has spent with Corrin as his ward, the vampire must feel like a son to him in some way. “I believe you are the key, and I beg of you, give him another chance, an honest chance. He will let you in. He wants to let you in. Lady Hayden, I believe you can break down the barriers, the walls he builds around himself, saving his life and saving him from himself before it’s too late for either.”
I’d be heartless to say I don’t feel pity for him, for the position he’s in, but I can’t tell him I can do this for him… or for anyone.
“It seems everyone asks me to do what might be the impossible, Sir Oliver. I’m not refusing, but I’m not agreeing to do it either. Just like I told Cedric, I don’t have unlimited patience.”
He nods and gestures to the doors. “May I escort you back inside? You should not remain outside the realm of your protectors for long.”
“I know. Big, bad dragons might eat me.”
He shakes his head, tilting it and appraising me with those marbled green eyes. “For an innocent such as you, there are no ‘big, bad dragons’. Never would any of us harm you. Those who rightly fear dragons deserve our justifiable wrath, milady.” He holds his arm out to me, the courtliest gesture possible, exactly what I’d expect from this debonair dragon. I wrap my arm around his, and he smiles pleasantly down at me. “Do not fear me, Lady Hayden.”
Wanting to reassure him I’ll try, I place my hand on his, and I am surprised by his reaction: a pained crying out, his head lolling forward, eyes scrunching closed, but instead of pulling away, he grasps my hand in his, refusing to let go, yet holding me as if my hand is made of glass. The proud, respected dragon turns, facing me, head bowed, unwilling to look at me, like an ashamed child, and drops on one knee, my hand clasped between his, resting his forehead against them.
I glance up and down the hallway to see if anyone else is witnessing this, hoping no one sees this insane display because there is no way I can pull well over six foot of broad, muscular human-form dragon to a standing position if he’s not willing. “What in Hades’s name are you doing?” Through clenched teeth, I demand an answer, about ready to kill him.
“Milady, I offer my deepest apologies for any harm I have allowed come to you.” His tone is soft, reverent, and it annoys me these dragons do this without explanation. “I beg of your forgiveness.”
Kicking him in the shin of his bent leg, I growl threats, furious. “Get up, you psycho freak dragon.” But pulling Sir Oliver up by his hand proves impossible. He neither flinches nor budges in the slightest. “What are you talking about? Why are you doing this? Are you simply insane?”
“Soon enough, you will understand everything, milady.” Gently, he kisses my hand, bowing his head again. “I hold mere hope you have the true depth of compassion believed in you, may find it within your heart to forgive me any errors in judgment you may see I have made in this matter, and that kindness will prevail in your consideration of me.”
The door flies open, Theo bursting into the hallway, stopping dead in his tracks at the sight. “Oliver.” He says this, as if speaking an entire one-sided conversation in a single word.
“Brother.”
Apparently, one-word conversations are common among dragons.
“Theo, he’s a lunatic. I mean, worse than you. Certifiable, crazy-train dragon.”
With a smirk, my dragon shakes his head. “No, Cait. Did you touch him unexpectedly, or did he somehow make accidental contact with you?” I nod, knowing he went ballistic when I touched his hand without his permission. “Oliver saw your destiny. He has a particular sensitivity to ward-touching and an over-developed tendency toward judgmental self-evaluation.”
“How do I get him off me?”
He shrugs. “Tell him he’s not the worst dragon in the world, unworthy to even fetch your groceries.”
I scowl. “You’re just mean. No wonder you call each other ‘brother.’ You act like immature siblings.” Turning back to Sir Oliver, I lean down to whisper in his ear, and he raises his head at the gesture, not quite meeting my eyes yet. “You remind me of my uncle, and I loved him dearly. I miss him and have no one else like him, Oliver. I couldn’t possibly not forgive you.” Placing a soft kiss on his cheek, I stand, waiting for his reaction, though he is the one who crossed the physical boundaries of propriety first.
His head rises, and beautiful green eyes, the same unusual coloration of Theo’s, meet mine. “Thank you, most gracious Lady Hayden. When my times comes, I swear to serve you with the utmost devout honor.”
“You?”
The dragon nods, giving a light squeeze to my hand still clasped within his. “Yes. I see it to come.”
Chapter 14
*Corrin*
Dante glares daggers at me as I wait for her return, hoping to catch her reentering the ballroom, wanting at least one dance with Cait. I need this, some small opportunity to prove her assumptions incorrect. I am sincere in everything I wrote. I need her to see I can and will love her. Right now, I do not care in the least if my actions displease Dante. It’s just dancing… and if I’m fortunate, also a little planting of the seeds of doubt in her mind. Cait questioning her judgment of me could give all the opportunity necessary to sway her heart.
Hearing the doors opening, seeing both Oliver and Theo escorting the lovely Lady Hayden’s return, I step toward Cait, extending a hand. “Would you graciously accept this invitation to dance with your king, Lady Hayden?”
Surely, not even Dante would cause a public scene, interrupting an innocuous formal request by the king. Evan already spent the greater part of the day cleaning up last night’s disaster. There is no burden in controlling the media, so long as they wish to continue operating within the sovereignty, but quieting private sources and ensuring a hasty rebuilding of The Black Rose cost a hefty sum. However, to be seen with Cait would serve to my advantage.
&nb
sp; She assesses me rather dubiously then places her hand in mine, allowing me the pleasure of her touch. “Thank you for the honor, Your Majesty.” A biting hint of sarcasm taints her tone, yet I find her reference to me by title and not name leaves a bitter taste of rejection I do not care for.
Pulling her closer, I search her face, wanting to know why she pushes me away, eyes dropping to her full lips. “Corrin,” I offer in soft correction before folding her arm around mine, and escort her to the center of the room in time for a new song to begin. Leading her into a quick twirl the second her feet step onto the dance floor, she returns square against my chest, and I smile down at her, her face merely inches from mine, taking a moment to inhale her intoxicating scent.
I want to erase any fear she holds of me, any recollection of my detestable actions and replace it all with this moment, a memory of the same playful and mischievous Corrin my family loves. I want her to know the man my brother believes she can love.
“Just follow my lead. This one is a bit of a rumba/cha-cha combination.” Whoever thought to play this particular song, at least fifteen decades old by now, must get a rather significant tip for such a sensual yet fast-paced choice.
“Don’t worry, Corrin. I’m good with any ballroom dance, but anything Latin is my specialty.” There’s a glint in her eyes making my gums tingle and my upper lip twitch. She’s so sexy in this moment, the way she feels moving in my arms, responsive to even the slightest lead I provide. “I started dance classes when I was three,” she adds with a grin, driving me mad with the desire to kiss those lips.
I remain focused on Cait and how her curvaceous body sways in time to the music, how she executes each move with perfection, more than able to keep up with me on a dance floor. I memorize every minute brush of her body against mine, the scent of her hair each time I twirl her, causing it to graze across my face. She does not refuse my gentle guidance leading her nearer, allowing the sensual rhythm of the music to take over, pulling us together.
Thoroughly enjoying Cait in my arms, if I push everything out of my mind there is nothing else, no one in the room with us, nothing in the world outside the embrace of our dance. The feeling as though she belongs here comes naturally to me, our bodies growing closer as we become accustomed to each other’s movements. I spin her, watching the way the skirt of her dress flares out, baring her shapely legs as it does, and she returns, giving in to me holding her so close, chest pressed against me, my hand sliding down the satin sheathing her body, grasping her hip as I continue leading each step. Her eyes stay on mine, warm breath intimately caressing my neck in her nearness.
The song comes to an end, but I do not release her, and she does not struggle from my hold, our eyes remaining locked. “You’re an excellent dancer, Corrin.”
“As are you, milady.” I wrap my hand around hers, holding it against my shoulder, still grasping her hip, wishing her arms were around my neck, fingers in my hair the way they were the other morning. Each moment I think of it, I can still feel her. “I do mean what I wrote, Cait. I can change for you. Ask anything of me. Tell me what you require to feel satisfied of my sincerity.”
She shakes her head, eyes filled with sadness. “Dante says you’ve never changed before, not when he’s tried, not for your own father or brother, not with Sir Oliver’s help. If none of them could make a difference, why should I believe I would? Why should I trust what you say?”
“Never have I seen myself the way they do, always believing their judgment fell far too critical due to the destiny foreseen of me,” I admit. “In the disapproval of me I see in your eyes, Cait, there is a reflection of myself I do not like, of a man I do not wish to be.”
Gently, she places her hand on my face, and I want to close my eyes, stop the world, freeze this moment, and capture Cait’s touch forever. “Then don’t be that man, Corrin. Change because you want to be better, not because you want me.” She moves to pull away, but I can’t let go of her yet. I have so much to say. “Corrin, don’t do this.” Her voice drops low, and I know she means to warn me, but I cannot let her leave me, not yet.
“If you would simply give me the opportunity, Cait.… Allow me more time, and you would see.” I must explain what she clearly does not understand. Cait is the reason I must change, the reason I care if I continue on living. “What does it matter who I am if I do not have you?”
“Corrin, if you don’t let go of me, the least of your problems is going to be what kind of man, vampire, king, or husband you might be,” she states firmly. “I doubt Theo will leave anything recoverable this time.”
But it isn’t a dragon’s hand taking hold of my arm the moment the words leave her mouth, forcing me to release her as the surge of pain nearly drops me to my knees, and I wince, clenching my teeth, fangs dropping in response, trying to retain the appearance of calm. “Did I not warn you, Corrin?” Dante steps around to face me, loosening his grasp, yet keeping a threatening hand out. There are far too many abilities he could use against me with the simplest gesture, lending credence to the consideration that it be best if I remain motionless. “Have you no wits about you, no sense of self-preservation?”
Knowing Dante, this could well be a rhetorical question, but I venture the best answer I have anyway. “I wanted to speak with her.”
“Caitriona made it quite clear she finished speaking with you and wished to take leave of your company.” He reaches an arm behind him, hand outstretched to Cait, and she accepts it, intertwining her fingers with his. “I suggest you find your brother. See if you can make yourself useful and schmooze money out of these fine people for his charity work. At least one of you contributes to society.” Without another word, Dante walks away with Cait on his arm, taking two glasses of champagne off the tray of the nearest server passing by.
Leaving the dance floor, no idea what to do next, I haven’t any need to find Evan as he finds me. “Corrin, you must have a death wish if you insist on crossing Grandfather.”
“And so must you if you continue to call him that,” I retort, in no mood for this now.
My brother huffs, shaking his head, ever perplexed at Dante’s refusal to accept familial references and connections in the same manner we do. “Regardless, attempting to force Miss Hayden to see things your way will accomplish nothing. Runa and I were discussing the matter…” Of course they were. They talk about everything, most recently, my potential wife. “… and what you need to do is simply tell her how you feel. Tell her you’re falling in love with her. Stop dancing around the truth for fear it will make you look weak, brother. If you wish to have any hope of winning her heart, you must accept your own feelings and act upon them directly.”
“Directly?”
“Yes. You continue to be frustrated because you do not open your heart to Miss Hayden. Rather you choose to confront her in various ways leading to disaster, or at the very least managing to infuriate her.” Patting me on the back, Evan smiles in his easy manner. “And I’m afraid it is far less trouble for me to control a PR disaster of catastrophic proportions than it is for me to assist you in digging out of a hole you create for yourself by infuriating a woman.”
*Theo*
“Yes. Well, if you do nothing, she will. I have no doubt. Just look at her.”
“I am, Claaron.” Looking at Cait, watching Cait, noticing everything about Cait is all I’ve done this entire Goddess-forsaken charity gala, and it cannot possibly end soon enough to please me. As my brother incessantly points out, she and Dante seem increasingly at ease with one another the longer the night wears on, and any doubt she will choose him diminishes with every touch shared between them.
“Of course, given her destiny, I suppose you can argue how appropriate it is that she would marry a demigod, to claim some logical validity to your skulking about, pretending you care not what she feels for you.” His comments hold great truth. “In every reasonable sense, they are a good match.”
“I know.” I also know I want him to shut up.
�
�And yet you do nothing, Theo. You stand here on the sidelines, unwilling to get in the game, forcing her to choose him, not even making yourself an option anymore. Coward.”
Standing rightfully accused on some level, I still believe I am doing what is best for Cait. However, that does not prevent me from swiftly punching him in the back too fast for anyone to see, causing Claaron to choke and stumble forward a few steps as Oliver makes an unexpected appearance, joining us.
“What are you two doing over here?”
“Minding my own business, unlike you.”
Ignoring the comment, Oliver stands beside me, monitoring the crowd. “I came to discuss matters of business.”
“If by ‘matters of business’, you mean you came to discuss Cait, then I suggest we discuss something else, anything else. How’s the weather?”
“I do not find it amusing you failed to share vital information regarding her destiny, Theo. Did you not consider how this would impact me?” he questions, frustration lacing his every word.
“Truly, Oliver, I find it quite entertaining how you fail to recall my multiple attempts to warn you of what was to come, how my new ward would bring change, saying you best consider which side you wish to stand on lest you find yourself against your own kindred brothers.” My tone drops icily, lacking any measure of respect for him, his blind willingness to follow a contemptuous child, or his blatant refusal to heed the foresight I offered. “How did it feel to touch her and see, Oliver? Did you see the new era to come?”
He will not look at me, keeping his eyes on the many people in the ballroom, but I can sense where his eyes fall. My brother watches Cait. “You, Claaron, Liam, Clifford… eventually I am to join her, too. How many more do you see?”
“Jaiteru is on his way. He called earlier after speaking with Clifford. I have no doubt Jai will fall loyal the moment he lays eyes on her.”
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