by Meg Xuemei X
In her flimsy nightgown, Tianna was all smiling and seductive as she encouraged the three dragon princes to continue fighting for her affection.
Evidently, they were engrossed with her. They had no need of me. But if that were true, why had my mating bond shown their desperate need for me and led me to them?
It didn’t do me any good. The sight of them with Tianna cleaved another slice from my tattered heart.
And then I saw Iokul raised his head, his icy silver eyes darkening to gun-metal grey. Blaze narrowed his tiger-golden eyes, and Rai flicked his sapphire gaze to the right, then left, the hand holding Tianna’s wineglass trembling before stabilizing.
As if they’d all sensed me.
Tianna sat up straight, closing her legs, her arms crossing over her bone-white breasts. The three dragon princes all seemed to snap out of their trance and returned attention to her.
I couldn’t bear to watch any longer, but I also couldn’t stop.
A blast of wind shoved into my face, icy and violent. The princes had shut the mating bond like slamming a door in my face.
My insides twisted, and a wave of nausea swarmed into me.
I rolled off Elvey and rushed to the bathroom, bile rushing up into my throat. I’d barely made it to the toilet before I expelled the contents of my stomach into the bowl.
Elvey rushed after me, pulling my hair back and patting my back.
I flushed the toilet, and Elvey pulled me onto his lap and rocked me in his arms.
“We’ll get them back,” he said, “at all cost.”
My three other mates had said the same thing about getting Elvey back, and look how that had turned out.
“I won’t get them back if it takes you away,” I said as unfamiliar cold dread invaded me.
“I don’t matter,” he said roughly. “You matter, and they matter.”
“Don’t you dare say something like that again! You matter just as much,” I exclaimed, angry tears spilling from my eyes.
If he hadn’t had that kind of idiotic belief, he wouldn’t have been tricked by the evil queen in the first place.
“We’ll get them back, my heart. I promise,” he said confidently.
“Don’t promise,” I said, sobbing into him. “Promises are meant to be broken.”
My three former mates had promised to love me and devote to only me forever. And how soon they’d forgotten all about it.
“Shush, love. I’ll make sure mine stands.”
“They’ve betrayed me, Elvey,” I said, clinging to him. He was all I had now. But with certainty, I knew Elvey would never abandon me. He had proved it for a millennium.
“Things might not be what they appear,” he said carefully.
“I saw them. Iokul was painting her toenails.”
“Yet in the middle of it, they still called you. They might not know, but their souls called out for you.”
“How do you know?”
“We all share the mating bond. We’re all bonded. But it seems I’m the only one who knows how this works.” He pushed my hair away from my face and brushed his lips over the tip of my nose. “Your mating bond to them is still whole. It hasn’t broken. If they’d truly betrayed you, it’d have been cleaved, and you’d have felt the pain as if a force tore your soul apart.”
I had been feeling the soul-tearing pain, but I wouldn’t tell Elvey of it and add it to his pain.
“What do you mean?” I asked pathetically.
He smiled. “It appears that the Challenge between you and Tianna has its own definition of betrayal and its own arbitrary rules. No matter, cheer up now, my queen. Leave tomorrow’s trouble for tomorrow. I’ve just claimed you, and I want you to sleep peacefully in my arms. I’m a free man for the first time. And we’ll come up with a plan to get them back.”
I studied him, and when I spoke, my voice was uneasy. “Why aren’t you jealous?”
My other three mates had been constantly jealous of him and of each other. Jealousy was normal in a romantic and sexual relationship, right? Unless Elvey didn’t want me that much.
“You’re the only thing I’ve ever wanted in the universe, Daisy Danaenyth,” he said, cupping my face. “For centuries, I never stopped longing for you. I learned to accept my fate of only being one of your mates—if you’d want me—a long time ago. I had centuries of practice to get rid of any jealousy I might feel. However, love, I did envy the dragons when they had you and I could only watch from afar.”
“I love you,” I said, and suddenly realized that I had never told other mates that I loved them, though I had loved them, and I still did, despite my bleeding heart.
His eyes burned with the star fire, and he kissed me again.
He fondled my breasts, and I moaned against him, needing him more than anything.
Elvey rolled me to my stomach. My heart pounded at the thrill anticipation as he moved on top of my back. With a swift, hungry, and powerful thrust, he drove into my wet heat again.
13
The next morning, when Elvey and I arrived at the throne room, my court was waiting outside for me.
The Challenge was between Tianna and me. We were forbidden to murder each other during the truce. She wasn’t allowed to order a direct hit on my court, and neither could I. However, our subjects still had the free will of forgoing the rules, discarding the consequences, and slaughtering each other.
The dark Fae who belonged to my court trailed after me along with part of my army.
I didn’t know what to expect today, but I was certain it wouldn’t be pleasant. I actually dreaded seeing Tianna. It was extremely stressful to face my enemy every day and restrain myself from ending her.
I craved to see my former mates, but I dreaded facing them as well, especially after what I’d seen through our mating bond last night.
Gathering my courage, I advanced toward the dais and sucked in a sharp breath at the sight of what had become of my throne.
It was completely shredded.
Rosalinda hissed in rage, and Zembyr snarled. “Who dared?”
My court behind me roared in disbelief and anger.
The rule stated that bloodshed was prohibited during the Challenge, but it didn’t say vandalism wasn’t allowed.
Tianna perched on her throne of gold and diamonds and regarded us with a sadistic smile. Blaze, Rai, and Iokul stood behind her throne, guarding her as if she was their shiniest treasure.
My chest tightened as I held their stoic gazes.
Did I mean so little to them?
I turned to look at Elvey, but he only smiled lazily and tauntingly, which wasn’t meant for me.
“Leave it to me, my queen,” he said, planting a soft kiss on my lips.
Elvey had never cared what situation we were in. If he wanted to show me affection or flirt with me, he would even do it at the entrance of hell or in the heat of it.
My breath shortened when his sensual lips left mine. The bright light in my eyes dimmed when I met the princes’ glares across the space. A flash of rage and disgust dominated Blaze’s golden eyes. Bitterness flitted by Rai’s. And Iokul’s eyes were all ice and cold marble.
I averted my gaze. I could barely take the hatred in them, but my anger also sizzled as last night’s memory of them pampering my enemy rushed back.
Elvey clasped his hands, and my throne became whole again.
Tianna pulled her red lips into a thin line, looking surprised and incensed at the same time. A sudden realization hit me. For centuries, Elvey had hidden his powers and talent from her while he had been blood bonded to her. He’d been smart enough not to let her see his tricks, so she couldn’t use him much.
Tianna was a great manipulator, but Elvey also managed to deceive her.
Elvey didn’t even spare her a glance. All his attention was on me, but I knew he was paying attention to everything, particularly the threat.
“Your throne, my beloved queen,” he said, leading me to my throne, then standing beside me.
O
ne day, I’d make him a throne beside me. My heart skipped a beat at the idea. I’d thought of only one throne instead of four. Did I subconsciously believe I’d already lost my other three mates?
Rosalinda, Zembyr, and my guards stood with the rest of my court. I waved for them to come near me. If it was an open court, we’d better get it started, so I could hear the issues that needed to be solved.
“Your throne won’t last long, niece,” Tianna said.
“Oh, it’s going to last longer than yours,” Elvey said with a whistle.
She looked at him with all the venom she could gather, yet she couldn’t strike him. And when he trained his merciless gaze on her, she actually flinched. She forgot that he couldn’t have countered her before because of their blood bond. Despite that Elvey hadn’t had the chance to assail her, as a demigod, his power was formidable.
“You think you have her, Elvey?” Tianna said. “Wait till the end.”
“You bore me a great deal, Tianna, as usual,” Elvey said.
The court was completely quiet. I was glad Elvey could finally ridicule the evil queen and lash out at her after centuries, and I was happy to leave him to rile her up. I’d never had his talent for doing that. I was too straightforward and never good at playing games.
“You fucked her, didn’t you, Elvey?” Tianna asked.
Elvey didn’t even bother answering her but taunted the dragon princes with a grin. “Hey buddies.”
The princes tightened their jaws.
I wanted to stop Elvey from goading them, but I was afraid it would only make things worse. Currently, I wasn’t my former mates’ favorite person, especially since they’d always been extremely jealous of Elvey. Even though they didn’t care for me now—judging from the cold expressions on their masked faces—whatever I said or did would only irk them more.
Tianna, however, wouldn’t let the opportunity to stir up more trouble pass by. She glanced over her shoulder at the dragon princes. “Oh, did you know he screwed the former whore you shared?”
“Stop it!” Blaze snapped, his eyes burning.
Iokul squeezed his shoulder but Blaze shrugged him off.
Tianna frowned in great displeasure.
“How was your night last night, princelings?” Elvey wouldn’t let it go, either. He winked at them. “Mine was fabulous, to be honest.”
“Shut your fucking hole, Elvey,” Rai said. “Shove your fucking gloating where the sun doesn’t shine.”
What a jerk he turned to be.
How could one’s personality shift overnight? Had their tenderness and adoration toward me all been lies? They were colder than the cursed masks on their perfect marble faces.
Were all lovers so fickle?
But as long as they hadn’t slept with that viper, I might still be able to fight for them.
“I used to have higher hopes for you three, princelings,” Elvey said. “I thought at least you’d try to act like gentlemen when you were around Her Majesty Queen Daisy. Only one day with the fraudulent queen, and you’re already being corrupted.” He clicked his tongue. “What a shame. But it’s not too late to repent and beg the forgiveness of the true queen. Stay on the wrong side like those idiots and cowards,” he gestured toward the Fae on Tianna’s side in disdain, “and you’ll suffer the same demise.”
“Careful, Elvey,” Tianna said. “After I deal with my arrogant niece, I’ll deal with you.”
“I dare you to try, Tianna,” Elvey said coldly. “For centuries, you shackled me, but you never truly owned me for even a single day. You’re a failure and a fraud.”
Tianna’s nostrils flared with smoke. “When I come after you again,” she promised venomously, “you won’t have a bone left. I’ll peel your flesh off and feed them to the wild dogs.”
“Touch a hair on my mate’s head, you’ll suffer a worse fate, aunt,” I snarled. “Even death will be too good for you. You’ll beg for it, but filth like you won’t get it.”
“That was a very good and effective promise, my beloved queen,” Elvey said, and then grinned at my former consorts again. “So, did you boys have fun last night? You haven’t really answered me. What did you do anyway?”
“It’s none of your business,” Blaze said. “Just fuck off.”
Elvey tilted his head. “And if I don’t?”
“Then we’ll teach you some manners,” Iokul said. “You and your whore should not talk to us. Don’t even look at us.”
Tianna snickered.
Before we’d come to rescue Elvey, the ice dragon had been Elvey’s strongest sponsor. He’d accepted Elvey first and easiest among his brothers.
And he’d just called me a whore.
“You three are deplorable dicks,” Elvey hissed. “You don’t deserve her. Daisy is better off without you.”
Rai moved like a flash and punched Elvey in the face. Not expecting that, Elvey staggered back.
“No!” I called in horror and rose from the throne.
I didn’t want any of them hurt, even though all of my former mates deserved it.
“Stop it!” I shouted. “Whoever sheds the blood will be punished by the force of the Challenge.”
“Oh, don’t worry about them, little niece.” Tianna laughed merrily. She wanted them to fight. She wanted the dragon princes to kill Elvey. “We can’t brawl like them, but the four of them are the variation in the Challenge, a loophole and a catalyst. My princes can kill Elvey and suffer no consequences.”
I didn’t trust her.
Elvey hit Rai back, and then in the next instant, they tangled together on the floor. Blaze and Iokul jumped in and the four of them rolled off the dais, wrestling with each other on the floor, throwing kicks and punches at each other.
Tianna leaned forward, giggling as she watched the fight.
I rushed toward them.
“Will you all stop?” I screamed.
None of them listened to me.
Blaze, Rai, and Iokul pinned Elvey down. For a second, I thought I saw a bond connect the four of them. But it couldn’t be. I must have imagined it, because the next second, the dragon princes’ fists rammed into Elvey from all directions, blow after blow landing on his face and his ribs.
They could use their magic to hurt each other worse, but for some reason, they seemed to prefer to brawl like barbarians.
I threw myself at Rai, trying to get him off Elvey, and he drove his elbow back and slammed into my face. I let out a painful yelp at the unexpected force, which threw me a few yards across the floor.
Suddenly, their fighting ceased. All four of them turned to me, silent shock on their faces. Rai, Blaze, and Iokul seemed to want to rush to me, but they just rose and stood there, watching me instead of coming toward me.
I swallowed back my tears as I felt a part of me die inside. The burning love they had once showed me had dissipated in a mere two days. All they had left for me was coldness and cruelty.
My court snarled in rage. They clutched their swords, ready to fight, ready to cut down my dragon princes.
I raised a hand at them while I was still on the floor. “No! Do not fight them,” I ordered. “Only the four of them can draw blood from each other.”
I rose to my feet just as Elvey delivered a blow to Rai’s jaw. “Touch my mate again, I’ll gut you, you fucker!”
Blood dripped from Rai’s nose, and that sight hurt me. Elvey had broken the lightning dragon’s nose. I clenched my fists to my sides to prevent myself from running to Rai to comfort him. Maybe he hadn’t meant to hurt me. Maybe it’d been an accident.
Rai, for once, didn’t punch back but snarled at Elvey.
“Elvey,” I called.
He reached me in no time, quickly inspected me, and pulled me into his arms. “I’m sorry, my queen.” It hurt him more than anything to see me in pain.
My shaking receded, and I touched the bruises under his eyes.
The dragon princes turned their faces away from us.
Rosalinda spat at them. “Motherfucke
rs! Traitors!”
“You’re dead, dragon assholes.” Zembyr pointed the tip of his sword at them. “Once the Challenge is over, you’re all dead. No one who harms Her Majesty deserves to breathe!”
It seemed the Fae on my side wanted to throw something at my former mates.
“Don’t,” I said, not looking at the three of them.
“Yeah? Come and get us then,” Blaze barked back.
“Ignore them,” I said coldly. “They aren’t worth it.” I turned around in Elvey’s arms and faced my people. “The court is adjourned for today.”
I couldn’t stand being in the same space with my former mates anymore.
“Princes,” Tianna purred as the three of them jogged toward her throne to guard her again. “I thought the three of you would bleed the demigod like a pig.”
“The bastard cheated,” Iokul said. “He blocked us with his foul magic.”
I knew Iokul was lying. If Elvey had used magic, I would have sensed it. Why was he lying? Maybe he wanted to look good in front of the evil queen he was so smitten with?
I shrugged and led my court toward the exit, leaving Tianna’s victorious giggles behind.
I didn’t look back.
“Don’t act like you’re a saint, Daisy Danaenyth,” Blaze shouted behind me. “You’re not. When we were with you, you constantly thought of him. You wanted to fuck him from the moment you saw him. You’re the one who has never been truthful.”
“Is he a good fuck?” Iokul called after me, his voice as icy as his cold heart. “I hope he’s worth it.”
Rai chuckled. I had never thought he was capable of cruelty. He’d once been the gentlest soul. And now he’d turned into a number one asshole. They had all become more than assholes.
My heart hardened.
When they crossed me and Elvey again, I would show them that my fangs and claws could also leave trails of blood.
“I’ll run my blade through their fucking guts when the game is over,” Rosalinda said.
“Add my sword,” Zembyr said.
“And ours,” the rest of my court echoed as one, following us out of the throne hall.
Elvey hadn’t said anything, his strong arm sliding around my waist, offering whatever comfort, strength, and warmth I needed.