“How would you win me exactly?”
“I would need to go head-to-head with the highest-ranking unmated male.” Inferno didn’t look worried.
“I’m sorry, but I have to ask. Are you sure you can win?” Coal had referred to Inferno as a fledgling and it was clear to her that he looked younger than his two older brothers. He looked younger than many of the guys she had seen.
“I’m a prince,” Inferno grinned. “I’m getting stronger by the day.” He flexed his biceps and he did look really strong. “Besides, all of the top warriors have females. The only three I would normally have to worry about are Flame, Scorch and Lava. I can beat the others easily. Nothing will go wrong… trust me. I’ll beat Crimson, who’s the next highest ranking,” he quickly added. “Blaze will go nuclear, then you’ll know for sure that he’s in love with you. You can both declare your undying love for one another… the end.”
“You make it sound so easy.” It sounded harebrained and loose cannon.
“It will be easy. Worst case scenario, Blaze pretends to be indifferent ‒ in which case we’ll have two weeks to drive him crazy. I’ll sleep on the couch. I promise not to try anything.” He touched a hand to his chest. “What do you say?”
“Can I think about it?”
“Yeah, but you don’t have much time.” He looked her square in the eyes. “I know this will work. I want Blaze happy… I like you, Roxy. This will work, I know it will. I know dragon shifters, moreover, I know Blaze. Let me win you, nothing will go wrong.”
Chapter 19
The next day…
Roxy felt sick with nervous tension. Her stomach churned so badly that she hadn’t been able to eat breakfast that morning.
“Congratulations!” Roxy looked down at the most perfect egg she had ever seen. It was golden. So bright and shiny that it looked like it was made out of the actual metal. It was big considering Julie had to push the thing out of her body yet small considering it housed a baby. Julie had explained that the egg shell was soft during the birth, to make it easier to push out. That it hardened up within minutes of being expelled.
“We are very proud.” Coal pulled Julie closer to his side.
Julie was beaming; her smile was a mile wide but she also looked really tired and had yawned behind her hand numerous times since she and Inferno had arrived fifteen minutes earlier.
“I’m sure you’re relieved to see that it’s golden.” Inferno gave his brother a slap on the back.
“I’m just glad that my mate is well and that the egg is healthy. I don’t care about the rest,” Coal’s voice was rough and deep.
“Okay, okay.” Inferno held up his hand. “No need to be so touchy.”
Coal growled.
“We won’t keep you,” Roxy said. “We need to be somewhere.”
Coal narrowed his eyes. He looked from Roxy to Inferno and back again. “What’s going on here?”
“Nothing,” Roxy’s voice was a little high-pitched.
Coal’s eyes narrowed further. “You haven’t let him talk you into anything, have you? Because if you have, it would be a mistake.”
“Ye of such little faith.” Inferno grinned.
“Don’t agree to anything,” Coal shook his head. “Let’s hope Blaze comes to his senses before chaos ensues. Maybe you should go and have another talk with him today. He’s coming by this evening. I’ll talk to him if things aren’t resolved. We don’t have long before things get hairy.”
Roxy knew that Coal was referring to the fights that would break out. She felt her stomach clench. “I appreciate it. I will talk to him. You guys get some rest. Don’t worry about it.” She tried to sound light-hearted and upbeat.
“Good luck. Don’t let Blaze bully you. Stand up to him.”
She nodded.
“Thanks for coming by.” Coal gave them a tight smile. “My female needs to get some rest now.”
Julie nodded. “Six hours of labor… I only managed two hours of sleep.” She yawned. “I’m pooped.”
“Your egg is really… oval and beautiful and… congrats!” What the hell! She’d never had to congratulate someone on an egg before.
“Don’t worry,” Inferno said. “I’ve made it clear that no one is to visit today. You can rest up. I’m sure you’ll have a ton of guests tomorrow though.” He grinned. It was a plan Inferno had devised to make sure that Coal didn’t find out what was about to go down. Roxy swallowed hard, trying to calm her nerves. Everything would go as planned, it would all work out. It had to.
Both Julie and Coal smiled. They said their goodbyes and left.
“Are you sure about this?” Roxy asked.
“I can’t think of a better plan, can you?”
Just then, Heat rounded the corner, he was one of the higher-ranking warriors she had met at a couple of functions. His eyes roamed her body and heated as they did. The big shifter approached them. He sniffed at her.
Julie grabbed Inferno’s arm and stepped in closer to him.
Heat sniffed at her again and Inferno growled. “That’s fucking rude,” he said.
“Sorry!” He had the good grace to look sheepish. “I can’t help it, you have a delectable scent. I heard that you were available since Blaze renounced you.”
A sharp pain sliced through her somewhere in the vicinity of her heart.
Inferno stepped forward. “We are headed to the great hall. Move out of the way.”
Heat grinned. “I am on my way there as well. I think that all of the Pinnacle warriors will attend.” He glanced back at Roxy. “I am hoping that Crimson doesn’t pitch. I am next in line and would love a chance to fight for you.” His eyes narrowed in on hers.
“I wouldn’t hold my breath.” Inferno pushed past him and they continued to walk. Roxy kept her arm looped through Inferno’s. As they continued on, more and more big shifter types seemed to enter the hallway, moving in the same direction. They all smiled at her and winked. Some of them openly ogled her. The sniffing noises were ridiculous.
Oh god! This was a mistake.
“I’m not so sure about this anymore,” she whispered.
“It will be fine. The highest ranking male will challenge me ‒ that’s Crimson. If not Crimson, then Heat. I’m not worried.” He did look completely relaxed.
“If you say so.” Roxy prayed for the hundredth time that Blaze would be there, that he would swoop in and put a stop to the whole thing. In her mind’s eye he would take her into his arms and that would be that. No fighting. No chaos. No heartbreak.
There was a fat chance of that happening though, this was real life. A girl could live in hope though.
Inferno had set it up so that Coal wouldn’t find out ‒ hopefully ‒ because he would try to put a stop to what he would consider a harebrained scheme. He also made sure that Blaze would hear all about it. This all hinged on how he would react though. Please come and save me.
“You need to stay far away from the fighting. Stand on the dais.” They entered the hall. Roxy gasped at how many big, burly shifters were in attendance. They all turned to look at her. In that moment, she wanted to run far away.
Inferno pointed to the raised dais. “Go up there. It shouldn’t take more than five minutes for me to whip Crimson’s ass.” He gave her a cocky grin.
“Inferno,” someone growled. “It looks like you and I are going head-to-head.” The deep voice sounded from somewhere in the crowd of shifter dragons.
Inferno stiffened. He clenched his fists, his eyes going to her. She registered shock and something else, something that looked very much like panic. “Oh shit!” Inferno whispered.
“Oh shit indeed.” A huge shifter shoved his way between all the warriors. “Let’s get to it. Every second we stand here and chit chat is a second wasted. I can’t wait to get to know my female.”
“Fuck you, asshole!” Inferno growled. “Roxy will never be yours.”
The shifter, who she recognized, threw his head back and laughed. “I beg to differ.” Despite havi
ng just laughed, he looked angry, he also looked really upset. She could guess what, or who, had put him in this mood.
“Go wait on the dais,” Inferno instructed. “I’ve got this.” She could see the doubt in his eyes. He gave her a casual wink but he wasn’t fooling anyone. Inferno was afraid. What the hell had she just agreed to?
* * *
Blaze crumpled up the piece of paper. A note from Roxy. Pretty words that meant nothing. He snarled as he threw the paper in the garbage. Fuck it!
Inferno was going to fight for his female. He was going to try and win and claim her. There was only one way this was possible, Roxy had to have agreed. Screw it though! Screw her! He didn’t give a fuck.
The female would’ve been perfect as a queen. Fucking perfect, but she couldn’t agree to some simple terms. No! She’d agreed knowing full well that she couldn’t keep them. Roxy had no honor. She was just as dishonest as the rest of them. Not to be trusted.
Next, he picked up the diamond earrings. She’d probably thought that he bought them as a symbol of his feelings or maybe as a warning to others that she was his. Well, it couldn’t be further from the truth. He’d wanted to show her off. She needed to look decent as the future queen. Needed to look the part. That was all.
He tossed the earrings into the bin along with her stupid fucking note. Good riddance. Good fucking riddance. He wished his little brother luck! Blaze punched the wall. A chunk of rock came loose and clattered at his feet.
His fledgling, piece of shit excuse for a brother could have her. He punched again and another piece of rock crashed down, smaller bits went flying.
Fuck them both. They deserved each other. Conniving and scheming behind his back. In fact, he was going to exile them. They could live in the far corner of the fire kingdom. That way he wouldn’t have to see them ever again.
The thought of seeing Inferno with Roxy had bile rising in his throat. Of course it did, they were traitors. The thought of Roxy ripe with Inferno’s egg had adrenaline coursing through his veins. Blaze hit down with both fists on a nearby table. It splintered into several pieces. He forced himself to calm down by breathing deeply. He would exile them. Out of sight, out of fucking mind.
There was a stag run coming up. He would go and slake his needs with another female. Hell, he might even find himself a couple of females. The only reason sex had been so good with Roxy was because he hadn’t been with a female for so long. It was a mistake and one he wouldn’t make again.
In a couple of weeks, there was another hunt. He’d take a female then. He’d be sure to select the right kind of female. In hindsight, Lily would have been perfect. So what if she wanted prestige and material things. Those were items he could easily give. No emotional crap. His future female would keep his dick warm and give him heirs. That’s all he fucking needed.
Blaze growled as he pictured Inferno fighting with Crimson, he almost hoped that the other male would win. That would foil their plans. Fuck! He lashed out at the wall, the hole growing bigger as rubble fell to the floor.
A knock sounded at the door. His heart rate sped up. Maybe it was Roxy. Maybe she was here to… it didn’t matter, he would send her away. Fuck her!
Blaze yanked the door open and one of the hinges ripped out of the wall. “If you—” he stopped short. It was a human female, but it wasn’t Roxy. What did she want?
* * *
Roxy gasped as Lava hit Inferno in the face. Even from where she was standing, she heard a crack as his nose broke. Blood gushed down his face and chest. He punched back but Lava deflected the blow. They’d been fighting for a couple of minutes. It was amazing how slowly time could go.
Lava feigned a right hook and as Inferno stepped to the left, to avoid the punch, he gave a left jab into Inferno’s ribs. Roxy couldn’t be sure but she thought she heard another crack. Inferno staggered back a step or two before regaining his balance. The next few blows were superficial. Both shifters looked evenly matched.
“Thank you.”
Roxy nearly jumped out of her skin. She clasped her chest for a second before realizing that it was Sue who had spoken.
“Don’t sneak up on a person like that.” Roxy felt irritated. She was watching Inferno fight for what looked like his life and all because of this woman. Okay, that wasn’t entirely true. She’d known deep down that there were risks going into this but still, Sue was a piece of work. She couldn’t help but dislike the woman even more. Then she realized what the woman had said and that she had a shit-eating grin on her face. “Thank you for what?”
“For whatever you did to cause Blaze to kick your ass to the curb.”
Roxy decided to ignore Sue’s bitchy comments. She was clearly here to wipe Roxy’s nose in it. She was probably one of those women who enjoyed watching others suffer. Well, she wouldn’t give her the satisfaction. She turned her attention back to the fight.
Inferno snarled, he pulled Lava into a chokehold and kneed the male in the stomach, one, two, three times before Lava managed to break free. Go Inferno! She couldn’t help notice that Inferno was more bloodied up. One of his eyes was swollen shut and his nose looked horrible.
Lava had a split lip. Other than that, he was in good shape.
“I went to go and speak with Blaze.” Sue sounded like she was on top of the world.
Roxy continued to watch the fight, trying hard to ignore the other woman. It didn’t matter that her blood felt like it had iced up in her veins. That the air in her lungs had frozen.
“Yup.” From the corner of Roxy’s vision, she could see how Sue rocked back on her heels. “I asked him to give us a chance. I really think I would look damn fine on his arm. We are perfect for one another.”
Do not cry! Hold it together. This woman is full of bullshit. She was probably lying. No, she was definitely lying.
Lava punched Inferno and he went flying backwards. Roxy gasped and stepped forward. He sprang to his feet but staggered badly before shaking his head. His stance was weaker.
“He gave me this list of terms,” Sue gave a laugh.
No! Please let this not be happening. Her whole body went cold. Her heart seemed to stop beating for a second or two. It hurt so much that she struggled to breathe.
“No romance, no love, just fucking and I have to produce heirs for him.” She laughed again, sounding so full of it. “I told him that it was the perfect set-up. It’s what I want too… so…” She paused. “It looks like I’m staying. It looks like I’m getting not just a royal but the royal. The king of all the dragon shifters. It doesn’t hurt that he’s ridiculously hot. That he can kiss like nobody’s business.” Sue gave Roxy a shoulder bump. “You would know though wouldn’t you?” Then she made a groaning noise. Roxy tried to block out Sue’s voice but it didn’t work. “He can fuck like a mad man possessed. You know that as well, I guess.” This time she didn’t even feel the shoulder bump.
The other woman continued to talk but Roxy couldn’t hear her anymore. She didn’t want to. She felt numb, yet at the same time, her heart beat out of her chest. Roxy stepped forward. “Stop!” she shouted. She couldn’t stand to see Inferno being beaten any longer because at this point, he was being beaten. The tables had turned, Lava had taken over the fight and seemed to be toying with the young prince.
It was a lost cause. This whole thing was a lost cause. Inferno was getting hurt for nothing. “Stop it!” she screamed louder as Lava punched Inferno in the mouth.
Streaks of blood and saliva went flying. No! God! Some teeth went flying as well. Roxy jumped off the platform and ran towards the fighting shifters. She screamed for them to stop but no one listened. Lava pummeled Inferno until he fell to his knees. Then he gripped Inferno around the throat. His face and chest were covered in blood.
“Stop!” She clouted Lava on the back. “Let him go, you big bully. What the hell is wrong with you?” She clouted him a second time.
“Do you concede?” Lava snarled. Roxy watched in horror as his hand gripped Inferno’s neck tighter.
Inferno made choking noises. One eye was swollen shut but the other widened.
“Leave him alone.” She tried to pull him away from Inferno but Lava wouldn’t budge. “He gives up, you asshole dickhead.”
“Do you concede?” Lava asked again, his eyes on Inferno.
“Yes, he does!” Roxy screamed. “Just do it, Inferno. Concede. It’s over. Please just do as I say.” It felt like forever but eventually, Inferno gave a small nod of the head.
Lava released him and Inferno slumped forward. Roxy dropped down on her knees next to Inferno. The shifter was lying on his side, he was badly messed up. She should never have agreed to this. Blaze was the biggest asshole alive. He deserved someone like Sue. “I’m so sorry.” Shit, she was crying again. Roxy wiped away the tears. “We need to call someone. A paramedic… a healer…”
“I would’ve had him,” Inferno croaked. He tried to smile but his cracked lip started to bleed. She noticed that a couple of his teeth were missing.
“Oh god!” she whispered. “You need help.” She glanced at Lava. “Get him help!” She was starting to sound a bit panicked but who could blame her? Everyone just stood around like nothing had happened. “He’s hurt.”
She turned to Lava who grinned. “He will be fine, female. Inferno is a shifter; in a few hours you won’t even be able to tell that he’s been injured.”
“I don’t care about how he will be in a few hours, I care about how he is now and he’s not great. He’s even got teeth missing.”
“I’m fine.” Inferno’s voice was already much stronger. He moved to a sitting position and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “My teeth will grow back and my bones will knit. I’m sorry I let you down.”
“Thank you for trying.” She sucked in a deep breath, waiting for her eyes to fill with tears. Thankfully, it didn’t happen. She glanced at the dais. Sue was smiling broadly, she looked so smug.
“Come, female. I want to show you my chamber… our chamber.” Lava gripped her by the upper arm and drew her into a standing position. He tried to put his arm around her but she stepped away.
The Bride Hunt Box Set Books 1 - 3 Page 66