Dragon Lords Books 1 - 4 Box Set: Anniversary Edition

by Michelle M. Pillow

  “Princess Nadja?”

  Nadja froze, the title irritating her to no end. When she turned, she saw the queen and instinctively moved to curtsey.

  “No, no,” the queen insisted lightly. A pleasant smile spread over her features. “Do stand. We only save such things for public ceremonies. Our people like to watch our old customs, but it doesn’t mean we have to live with all of them every day.”

  * * *

  Queen Mede glanced over her shoulder to the hall she had just come from. Her oldest son’s wife had indentured herself as a slave and her other two sons’ wives were being just as stubborn. It was most distressing. At least Olek had some luck with his blessing. This morning, before her shock, Nadja had appeared quite taken with Olek and that gave the queen hope.

  Aside from Nadja, who knew the truth of what she had become and was hopefully accepting it, the other princesses had no clue they’d married royalty. It was just as well. Queen Mede understood that it was hard to see past the crown and her sons wanted to be sure their wives chose for themselves, without the added attraction of money and power.

  “Is Olek with you?” the queen asked when the woman didn’t readily speak.

  “No,” Nadja answered flatly, turning stiffly back to the painting.

  The queen realized she couldn’t have been more wrong. Nadja was as discontent as the others. What had the gods done?

  The princess’ tone hardened, as she said with a private laugh of irony, “He’s working.”

  “Working? Again?” The queen sighed. “I had hoped he would take a few days off now that he was married.”

  “It doesn’t matter to me,” Nadja answered. “I would rather he kept himself busy.” Her tone lowered and she mumbled something that sounded like, “and away from me.”

  “Away from…” the queen repeated in confusion. “Nadja, are you…?”

  “I am fine.” Giving another curtsey, the woman said, “If you would excuse me.”

  “Wait.” Queen Mede desperately wanted to get to know her daughters and Nadja was the only one her sons would allow her to see just yet, as she was the only one who knew the truth of her station. “What are you doing just now?”

  “Getting myself lost.”

  “May I keep you company?” The queen started to reach forward but hesitated. The woman’s posture did not welcome affection “I could take you shopping in the village. We could get whatever you needed. The Galaxy Brides porters didn’t deliver many bags. I’d imagine it must be difficult deciding what to pack when embarking for a new planet you have never seen. You will need to be fitted for new gowns and shoes.”

  Nadja took a deep breath. The queen eyed her silk blouse and slacks without malice. Slowly, she nodded, “All right. I wouldn’t mind some fresh air.”

  “Wonderful!” The queen gave a small press of her hands to the princess’ shoulders. “I cannot wait to show the people one of my new daughters.”

  Chapter 11

  Olek kept an eye on the time as he waited for Nadja to return. His mother had sent word that she’d taken his wife shopping. He would have to remember to thank the queen for the consideration. Though, Olek wasn’t sure if the news should make him happy or concerned since the queen was showing Nadja the way out of the palace. He supposed, if Nadja did try to run away, his mother would be able to catch her. He just hoped his wife didn’t say anything to make the queen angry.

  When Nadja finally arrived home from her shopping spree, Olek was still in his office. No work had been done. Instead, he’d absently drawn sketches of his wife’s naked body, her face, her smile on the corners of his documents. He ached for her in a way he could barely contain. Even when she was gone, her scent stayed with him, teasing his already overheated desire.

  “Just put the plants in the sun room,” Olek heard his wife say. “I’ll arrange them how I need to later.”

  Voices joined hers and footsteps came across the marble entryway.

  “Olek?”

  Olek flinched. That was the voice of his mother. Almost like a nervous greenknight, he began stacking his papers on his desk to hide the naughty sketches he had done of his wife. When they were put away, he stood to cross over to the office door. Quizzically, he watched a mass of servants follow Nadja’s directions.

  “Mother, Nadja,” he acknowledged with a smile.

  “Your wife is quite the bargainer,” the queen said with a grin.

  Olek didn’t care. He could well afford anything she wanted and was pleased to see she was making herself comfortable in his home. She was welcome to rearrange things exactly as she would have them.

  “I needed some items,” Nadja said a bit defensively. “This house is decorated for a man, not a woman.”

  Olek crossed over to where some plants lay on a table, their dirty roots spread out beneath them as if they had been dug out of the forest. He looked at Nadja, lifting his brow.

  “You can’t eat these,” Olek said. They were ugly little plants so she couldn’t have picked them for beauty.

  “That’s what I told her,” his mother said. “But, she insisted.”

  “Wait,” Nadja said, pointing at a man with a long box. “That one goes over there in the bathroom.”

  Olek shared a grin with his mother. Quietly, he moved to sit before the fireplace as Nadja continued to give instructions. She handled herself with politeness and knew exactly what she wanted. The men showed her respect, their eyes smiling at her in instant adoration. He watched carefully, as she charmed each and every man in the room with her reserved nature—every man including him. She was truly a princess.

  An older man, wearing the worn tunic of a craftsman, came to the door. He looked around. Then, seeing the princess, he smiled and came forward. Olek watched as Nadja pointed to the sun room and motioned with her hands. The carpenter nodded his wrinkled face, bit his lip, calculated his thoughts, and then answered her. Nadja smiled, motioning him to go ahead with whatever it was she was planning. The man began measuring the entryway into the atrium.

  “I should get going,” the queen said, turning to her new daughter. “Nadja, I’ll see you tomorrow for those dress fittings. The seamstress said she would be here by nine.”

  “Fine,” Nadja answered, smiling at the woman. Olek wished the smile was for him. “Don’t forget you also promised to show me the family library tomorrow.”

  “Maybe Olek could take you,” Queen Mede suggested, meaningfully eyeing her son.

  “I would love to,” he said. Nadja’s back stiffened. He could envision the frown darkening her features.

  The queen waved goodbye to her son, who motioned lazily in return. He shot her a disobedient grin as his eyes once again strayed to Nadja’s back.

  Olek waited for the delivery men to finish dropping off their loads. They left packages spread about in their wake. Nadja still refused to look at him directly. He stared at her.

  “My lady, I can start tomorrow morning if you like,” the carpenter said in a stilted accent, putting his measuring device away.

  “That would be wonderful.” Nadja walked the older man to the door. Not rushing his slower pace. “Come whenever you’re ready.”

  “Yes, my lady,” the man agreed. Then turning to Olek, he bowed, “My lord.”

  Olek waved his hand at the man and smiled, vastly amazed by the whole scene.

  When the door shut on his command, Nadja turned. The pleasant light faded from her features as she studied him. Without saying a word, she picked up her uprooted plants and began moving toward the atrium.

  “Did you buy out the entire village?” he teased.

  Nadja frowned and studied him. Her lips tightly pressed, she said, “I needed a few things.” With that she walked to the atrium.

  Olek wasn’t willing to let the conversation die, even if he was the one who had to carry all of it. Trying to keep his tone light, he asked, “What is the carpenter for?”

  Her expression became defensive, and again he was surprised when her voice didn’t, but
stayed low and even. She looked mad enough to scream. “I need a door. I am making this sun room my office. You get your private space, I get mine.”

  Olek followed her into the atrium. Boxes blocked the pathways and he stepped around them. Nadja held the plants in her hand with a light grip, and looked around.

  “What is all this stuff?” he asked, bending over to pick through the boxes.

  All he saw was a glass container before she demanded, “Leave my belongings alone. I’m not going to search through your personal effects. The least you could do is stay out of mine.”

  Olek lifted his hands and retreated from his curious exploration. “So, you’re planning a bigger garden?”

  “Don’t you have some work you could be doing, prince?” She ignored him as she drew a rectangular pot from the box already filled with dirt. Setting it down, she crouched, repotting the plants from the forest.

  “Those really aren’t used for anything,” Olek said, still doing his best to ignore her annoyance. “They won’t bud with flowers.”

  She gave him the you’re still here? look and quickly finished what she was doing. When she tried to leave, Olek blocked the door.

  “Do you mind?” Nadja tried to shuffle past him, but he moved to block her way. He took a step forward, forcing her to retreat.

  “I need to get water for the plants,” she said weakly. Nadja again tried to move past him. He blocked her.

  His body stirred, as he smelled the fragrance of her desire for him. The atrium dome was on a timer and Nadja jumped as the curtains clicked and began to close overhead.

  “What are you doing, Olek?”

  He dipped forward, as if to kiss her, and whispered, “I’m going to tend to my little solarflower.”

  * * *

  Nadja swallowed in apprehension, not sure how to respond to Olek’s comment. All day the queen had done nothing but list the prince’s good qualities for her. He was such a brave fighter, a good man, an expert negotiator, a hard worker, would make a good father—wink, wink.

  When she gazed up at him, she thought about none of those things. His eyes searched her with a charged electrical need she felt down to her toes. No matter how hard she tried to pretend she hated him, she knew it wasn’t entirely true. She hated her situation, she hated her fear, but she could never hate him. Nadja trembled with longing, eager to pick up where they had left off the night before.

  As he leaned his face toward hers, she stepped back. Her legs hit a low shelf and she realized her escape route was blocked by plants and flowers.

  Olek didn’t stop his pursuit. He came forward until his body pressed next to hers, trapping her with his solid heat. She felt every hard inch of him burning into her, sending needles of pleasure over her traitorous nerves. Her eyes dipped at the contact and she took a deep, steadying breath. The scent of nature filled her nose.

  Nadja didn’t think to pull away as his lips touched hers. She moaned softly and her knees weakened. His mouth boldly laid claim to hers in a scorchingly hot kiss, searing her senses with liquid desire. She grabbed a ledge and clutched it for support.

  “Olek,” she tried to say against his mouth, though she didn’t draw her parted lips away from his. “I don’t want—”

  He deepened the kiss to cut off her words while stealing her breath. Nadja moaned, panted, whimpered, tried to struggle with reason while leaning into him for more. The prince ignited a primal need deep inside her. He pressed the solid mass of his arousal into her hips and rocked so she could feel all of him.

  “Take off your clothes, Nadja,” he urged against her mouth. “Strip for me again. Let me see your exquisite body.”

  Nadja shivered. When she didn’t comply, his hands were at her slacks, unbuttoning them.

  “Tell me you want me to take you right here,” he demanded confidently.

  Olek held so much power in his tone that Nadja shuddered to hear it. She could never be that bold, could she? She held still, letting him do what he wanted to, unable to fight or deny him.

  “Tell me you’re hot for me. Tell me you want me to turn you around and ride you right here and now.”

  Nadja panted into his mouth. She couldn’t speak for he was stealing her breath with his wicked words and head-spinning kisses. Without the fog of liquor and crystal radiation, such statements were not in her catalog of phrases. She would never ask something so vulgar as to be ridden.

  “Tell me you want me inside of you.” Olek broke the kiss. She moved to resume it, but he clearly was not giving her anymore of his mouth until he had her plea. His hand slipped into her underwear, moving to touch her. “Tell me you want me thrusting myself right here.”

  Nadja was moist with desire and his finger took full advantage as he lightly stroked her. Shockwaves of pleasure shot through her from his touch. A whimper left her lips, light and pleading. Her mouth opened, staying back from his. She did want him. It was treacherous agony. How could she fight her own body as well as his?

  “Say it solarflower,” he commanded. His searching hand grew urgent, touching deeper, rubbing against her center nub, stroking a dangerously hot fire. “Say you want to be my princess. Say you’re happy here with me. Say you want me to take you here and now. Say you want me to end your torment as well as mine. I’ll make you happy, I promise. Please, solarflower, let me make you happy.”

  There was desperation in his tone. Nadja couldn’t say it. She knew she was his wife and she took her obligations and her word seriously. Besides, where else could she go? Galaxy Brides would try to fine her for breach of contract. Olek would look for his runaway bride and her father would be sure to get wind of it all the faster. Her position here was as much her doing as his. She chose to take off the mask, knowing full well what she was doing, knowing she was marrying a complete stranger. But, to say the words out loud? She couldn’t do it. It would make them too real.

  “No,” Nadja said to his obvious amazement and to hers as well. She would never understand how she managed to shove that one word past her tightened throat. Her body stiffened, trying to rebel against the logic of her mind.

  Olek visibly shivered as she denied him.

  To her everlasting torment, he pulled his hand from her eager sex and stepped back.

  “Ah!” The sound came weakly from Nadja’s throat as he withdrew. His shoulders rose and fell as he tried to catch his breath. She wished he hadn’t stopped. Her hands trembled, ready to demand him back.

  “Go tend your garden, wife,” Olek whispered, stepping away. His eyes pierced into her as he disappeared through the door. His footsteps stormed across the front hall and Nadja heard him leaving the house. Her knees weakened and she dropped to the floor.

  Nadja groaned. Her pussy throbbed and ached with what he did to her. Nadja had no practice with how to end the torment herself and was too afraid to try. Forcing herself to stand, she went to the kitchen for a glass of water. But, instead of watering the plants, she poured the glass on her white silk shirt to cool her flaming skin. Olek’s denial was definitely worse than any punishment her father had put her through.

  * * *

  Olek stalked through the passageways. He didn’t care where he went as long as it wasn’t back home. His eyes flashed a dangerous gold, threatening a full shift into the beast he could become. His teeth gnashed angrily. His fists needed a good fight.

  The temptingly soft feel of her was still against his fingers. He was hard, ready for her, ready to claim her completely. Never had lust bit him so wretched and hard. However, he wouldn’t prove her words true and act the barbarian for her. He didn’t need her holding that against him as well.

  Taking a deep breath, he knew his aching body needed to cool. He saw his oldest brother Ualan, covered in mud from a day of mock battle out in the swamps. He growled darkly. Ualan’s eyes flashed as he returned the sentiment with one of his own. The brothers passed each other, not stopping to speak.

  Chapter 12

  Olek didn’t come home that night. Nadja hated to adm
it she waited up, listening for him from their bed. Judging by the state he left her in, she wondered if he sought out someone more agreeable to tend to his masculine needs. That is what men of power did, after all. The idea tore bitterly at her, filling her chest with anger to hide the pain.

  Nadja dozed lightly, but didn’t get much rest. She considered sleeping on the couch, but wouldn’t give up the satisfaction of snubbing him if he tried to touch her. Though, for that plan to work, he’d have to actually come to bed.

  By the time morning arrived and she dragged herself out of bed, her mood was a mixture of outrage and worry—worry that something had happened to him, and angry that someone else might have happened to him. Regardless of her mood, she didn’t try to leave the house. Not that she could if she wanted to. The door had yet to be programmed to her voice.

  The queen arrived promptly at nine as promised and was able to open the door with her command. The dressmaker was right behind her followed by a half-dozen dutiful helpers—all men. They carried swatches of material for her to choose from. The woman appeared kind, speaking to the queen in the Qurilixian tongue. Queen Mede would in turn translate for Nadja.

  Lifting her arms up, Nadja held still as the dressmaker measured her chest. She asked the queen, “So, you just have the four sons?”

  “Just?” The queen laughed, looking up from where she had moved a high-backed chair to better watch the dressmaker’s progress. “There is nothing just about being plagued with four sons.”

  Nadja smiled despite herself. “All the women on the trip over were abuzz with the idea of marrying royalty. The princes were all they could talk about.”

  She glanced at the workers, very aware they weren’t alone.

  “Don’t worry, they can’t understand the Old Star language. Bara can’t speak it so only hires those who can’t as well, so no one can talk about her,” the queen reassured Nadja. The dressmaker glanced up at her name. The queen smiled and nodded at her while saying to the princess, “Speak freely.”