“I thought it…prudent not to send another messenger.”
“Because I have sent them all away?” Dragan asked.
“Precisely.”
“Your father thought the same thing once,” Dragan said, and he watched as William’s face softened. He was glad to see that because the comment had been designed to gauge the king’s reaction to the man who had sired him.
“Father came to see you?”
Dragan nodded. “On three occasions.”
“To ask for your aid?”
“Yes.”
William shifted on his seat and Dragan waited, because there was no avoiding the reason behind this visit, and to Dragan’s mind the sooner they got to it the better.
“You did not give it,” William finally said.
“I did not,” Dragan replied.
William frowned. “And may I ask why?”
“The war you fight…” Dragan paused. “I made a choice many years past not to become involved in it.”
“The war we fight is not by choice.”
“Wars very rarely are.”
“Maylor chose to fight it.”
“Maylor is…” Dragan shook his head as he thought about the man who despite being from his own species was just about as different as could be.
“What?” the king demanded. “What is he?”
“Foolish,” Dragan said. “He bites the hand that feeds him.”
“But you do not.”
Dragan answered honestly. “I ignore it. Here, on these islands my people are safe, more than that I keep some of yours safe too. They came here, to answer your advisor’s earlier question, because they had no choice. They are all refugees who fled from the north.”
“They should have come to me.”
“You misunderstand me,” Dragan said. “They could not make it to the capital. By sea was there only option and their ships led them here. To my mind these are as much their lands as mine. They are welcome.”
“You treat them equal to your own people?” William asked. “The same rights? The same privileges?”
Dragan started, shocked by that question. “Of course. All who live on these islands are equal. Myself included.”
“And the northern rebels?” William asked. “Are they too equal?”
Dragan sighed at those words. “There is much I could tell you about them,” he said. “Much, but now is not the time.”
The king shifted again, leaning forward now so that there was scant space between them. As he did so, and perhaps because he had now removed his winter furs, Dragan became aware of the king’s scent. It was light, slightly woody, and it intrigued Dragan. He found himself wondering if all of the king’s body would smell that way, and as soon as those thoughts blossomed others did…
“When is the time, Lord Dragan?” he asked. “When?”
“It is not now.”
William frowned before taking a deep breath. “It is, because I need your help, and as your king I have come to request it.”
His words were so earnest, the expression on his face so serious… “Request?”
“Yes.”
“Not demand?” Dragan asked.
William sighed. “And how would I enforce that demand?”
Dragan did not answer that because there was no need. Both males knew that there was nothing William could do to enforce anything. His bravest, most loyal generals were already engaged with the northern rebels. The rest were…cowering…
“But ask yourself this,” William added. “What will happen when Maylor sweeps through my lands? As he undoubtedly will. There is no question of that now. It is just a matter of time. But after that? Once he controls the entire continent? Will he be satisfied? No. He will come for yours.”
“He will not succeed,” Dragan said. “My islands are protected.”
The king narrowed his eyes at those words and for the first time Dragan saw anger flash through his features. “They are my islands.”
“No,” Dragan said. “Not anymore.”
“You are lord of them, not king.”
“A title I never wished to take,” Dragan said. “Your father insisted only because he thought it placed me below him. I am below no one. All are equal here.”
Anger flashed again. “He never meant it in that way! My father also believed that all are equal.”
“And do you believe that, William?”
“Of course.”
“And yet you remain as king. A role that puts you above all.”
“As your role of leader puts you above all here!”
“No,” Dragan said. “It does not. I work for my people, not the other way around.”
“And I do the same!” William said, his voice rising with each word. “I have no choice about that. Do you think I wanted this? To be responsible for everyone? I have no choice. None!”
He paused and shook his head, almost as though he regretted his outburst. Dragan did not regret it though. In that moment, and that moment alone, he realized exactly what had brought the king to his door. Oh, he knew it was because of Maylor, knew that the rebels were fast approaching, but he hadn’t realized, perhaps because he had never really considered it, what the situation must be like from William’s position. His father had been killed by the very rebels that William was trying to beat back. That death had thrust him onto a throne he clearly did not want, and yet he was not walking away. He was trying to do what he could to control, to fix, the situation. In that moment Dragan found himself admiring the king, and his admiration equaled his attraction.
“The war leaves me no choice either,” William said after a moment. “The stories coming from the north…” He shook his head. “Maylor does not treat all as equal. He is enslaving my people. Just last month he held a market where he sold a number of females to his generals. Sold them. Do you have any idea how that feels, Lord Dragan? To know that they were being treated in this way, but that there was nothing I could do about it. Nothing.”
“He cannot help himself,” Dragan said even as his gut clenched in disgust at the thought of such behavior, and it was not the worst that he had heard. “It seems he has always been that way.”
“And his people follow him.”
“Through fear,” Dragan said. “Not loyalty. Make no mistake, with Maylor and his generals gone they will fall behind whoever defeats him.”
“Then that has to be me.” A pause and then, “And to do that I need your help.”
Dragan sighed, his heart thudding uncomfortably in his chest, both because of the king’s proximity, and because of the decision he had already made. And it had not been an easy decision.
Not at all.
Dragan had resisted involving himself in this war for many years. When it had first started, when the stories had come out about what Maylor was doing, Dragan had told himself that it was no concern of his, that his first duty was to his people. He had told the old king the same thing and stood by it. But in the past months, as more stories emerged, as Maylor’s behavior sunk to levels that Dragan could scarcely believe, he had come to realize the truth.
He was the king’s last hope.
No one else was able to stop Maylor.
In the end, the duty was his.
And so, the decision had been made. And so, the preparations had begun. Because fact of the matter was, the king did not need to be here today. He had not needed to come to see Dragan at all. Dragan had already decided to finish this war once and for all. He did not need the king for that.
And yet…
The king shifted opposite him now, and as he did so Dragan could not find it in himself to wish that the king had not come. Because, war aside, he wanted this male with an intensity that was making him ache. He was so attractive, and his fidgety movements, the way his eyes kept skipping away from Dragan’s…those actions only fanned the flames of desire.
Fanned them hard.
As did the fact that the king was asking for his help. Asking, not demanding. Completely
oblivious to the fact that the help he so desired was already going to be given and in a way that he would be unable to imagine. How to explain that?
“I promised myself I would have no involvement in this,” Dragan said after a moment. “For five years I have stood by that promise. Despite the tales I have heard…despite my own personal disappointment in Maylor’s behavior, I promised myself.”
“And now I am asking you to break that promise,” the king said. “And I will give you whatever you require in return for that. Whatever you require.” He paused and then, for the first time, and Dragan was not sure why he was only now realizing that it was the first time, he locked eyes with Dragan.
That contact hit the alien lord hard. He opened his mouth to reply, but closed it a moment later. At first he didn’t know why he had done so, but a moment later and he understood. No, not understood, realized.
Did the king realize also? Dragan doubted it, because although he was sat on the edge of the chair, cock throbbing, heart pounding, the king was not. And yet…he should have been, because it was obvious to Dragan then. Obvious in a way that it should have been from the very first handshake. From the look in the king’s very, blue eyes.
This abrupt, overwhelming attraction was not one sided.
Not at all.
Whether he realized it or not, the king felt it too. It was clear in his slight, hesitant movements. Clear in the way that he would not hold Dragan’s gaze for more than a few seconds. And in that moment Dragan realized something else, and the realization hit with the same force as the last one had. There was a way to get exactly what he wanted, whilst giving the king exactly what he wanted.
The fact that his plan was already in motion?
The fact that he was about to ask for something completely outrageous?
None of that mattered in that moment. It hadn’t since he had caught the flash of desire in the king’s very blue eyes.
And so, Dragan took a deep breath, held the king’s gaze and spoke, “Whatever I require?”
The king visibly swallowed. “Yes,” he said softly. “For the safety of my people? To put an end to this once and for all? I will do whatever it takes.”
And with those words the king sealed his fate.
Because Lord Dragan wanted King William.
And through this, through doing what he had already resolved to do, he was going to have him.
There was no other option now.
Chapter Five
Lord Dragan was plotting something, and William knew that it was something he was not going to like. He could see it in the way the alien lord stared at him. His eyes slightly narrowed, a questioning look there, and then too the way he seemed to pause every so often and take deep breaths…almost as if he was readying himself to pounce.
Oh, William was not expecting violence of any kind. Fact of the matter was if Dragan wanted him dead that would already have happened. But William suspected he was about to be asked for something that was going to be very hard to give. More lands for Dragan’s people perhaps? A place on his court?
Whatever it was William knew he had little choice but to acquiesce. He had been totally honest with Dragan. Too honest perhaps. But then, and oddly, the alien lord was very easy to talk to. William couldn’t quite explain it, but as he sat opposite the other male he had felt at ease in a way that didn’t really make much sense. Maybe it was the commanding air to him? Because Dragan certainly had that. When William had envisioned him as his general this was just the sort of male he had imagined, and so for the reality to match the fantasy, well, it was a relief. For once William felt like something might actually be going his way, and maybe that was why he was more verbose than he should have been.
Either way William guessed it didn’t much matter in the end. Dragan knew the situation as well as he did. He knew William had no bargaining chips and that he would do whatever it took. Pretending otherwise would be an insult to them both.
As those thoughts raced through William’s mind, Dragan stood and moved across to the table to the far side of the room. Once there he poured two drinks, walked back across to the chairs, and passed one across to William. The mug was hot and the berry tea inside smelled amazing. William didn’t pause before taking a long swallow.
“These berries are from our home world,” Dragan said as he too took a long swallow. “They are very difficult to grow here but we have managed it. I imagine Maylor has not. Keeping things alive from the old world never held much interest to him.” He paused. “Are you familiar with how we came to make home on your planet?”
William started, surprised by this turn in the conversation. “I have heard stories,” he said.
“But have you heard the right ones?” Dragan asked. “Our home planet is a long way from here. It was dying and we with it. A generation ago the decision was made for two groups of the remaining survivors to set out for the stars to find a new home. But places like this, places where homes can be made, are few and far between. We were looking for a very, very long time before we found you.”
“On your star ships?” William asked referring to the two ships that had caused the great storm when they had entered the sky five years ago.
“Precisely,” Dragan said with a nod. “By the time we came here I was in command in one and Maylor was in command of another. I had no say in the decision that put Maylor in that position. The people on his ship voted and so he gained command.”
“Do you believe it was a fair vote?”
Dragan shrugged one brawny shoulder. “I find that doubtful. And yet, what could I do? There was very little interaction between the two ships. That was a purposeful decision because if one failed the other must be able to continue on. It was possible by that point that we were all that was left of our people.”
“And then you came here.”
He took another swallow of the berry tea. Dragan did the same.
“When we found your home we were pleased. It was doubtful another would be found in our lifetimes. Likely we would have simply journeyed through the stars until the next generation took charge. Maylor and I met to agree a plan. Suffice as to say we did not agree on how we should approach your people. It was always my intention to find a space that was free of natives and settle there in peace. It seemed that Maylor never intended that.”
“He intended to war with us,” William said.
Dragan shook his head. “I was not sure of that. He came in peace at first, did he not?”
“But it was only a matter of time.”
“It seems so.”
“He wants this world for himself,” William said. “And as things stand that may well happen. But then what?” he asked. “There is only so much space on this world. The Shadows cannot be settled on, and this is the only land left. If he wins, what of my people? Where would they go?”
“I do not know the answer to that,” Dragan said. “And back when the war started I refused to consider it. It was no concern of mine. I wanted only to get my people to safety. I promised them, you see. When we found this world I promised they would live on land. That they could raise families. That they would be safe. To my mind the best way to achieve that was to settle somewhere that your people did not wish to settle on, and show ourselves to be neutral. That we would not bother you if you did not bother us.”
“And you did that,” William said. “But Maylor did not. He will not.”
Silence settled between them for a moment. William looked down at his tea, painfully aware how hard his heart was beating. Much of what Dragan had just told him he had known, but some he had not, and it only intensified his desire to finish this once and for all.
To bring peace.
How he longed for that.
“My advisors tell me that Maylor will breach the capital this winter,” Dragan finally said. “Do yours say the same?”
“Yes,” William answered honestly.
“And when they do…”
“We will not be able to stop them,” Will
iam said. “The energy barrier is our greatest protection, but continual assaults will weaken it. Maylor know this. His most trusted advisor, Chauce, has already demanded our surrender. Suffice as to say we refused her demand.” He paused and then continued with the honesty that had been there between them from the first moment. “When it comes to the final fight our weapons are no match for yours. I will not ask my people to fight once that happens. They will die for nothing. Once the capital is breached, I will have no choice but to surrender.”
“Maylor will kill you,” Dragan said. “He will have to.”
“I know,” William said with a sigh. “I expect that.”
“But not if I help.”
“Not if you help.”
Silence again. William’s heart continued to pound. So much rested on what was next to come. So very much.
“There is something you can give me,” Dragan said softly, and the tone of his voice was such that William could not help but look up and lock eyes with him, and that was strange because up until now, despite being at ease, William had avoided the lord’s gaze. He wasn’t even sure why.
“Something that will ensure my help,” Dragan added.
“Then you can have it,” William said.
Dragan smiled then and his smile made something shiver along the back of William’s spine. “Do not be so quick to agree until I tell you what it is.”
Lands? Riches? Titles? Whatever it was William knew that he would say yes. He would do whatever it took. “Then tell me,” he said.
“I want you.”
William started, his eyes widening, sure he had misheard Dragan’s words. “Me?”
“Yes, my king,” Dragan said. “You.”
William shook his head, his hands clenching around the mug of berry tea. “I don’t understand…”
Dragan stood up in one quick move, and the look on his face now was such that William found himself inhaling a quick, sharp breath.
“I have been hard for you from the moment I laid eyes on you.”
“Hard…” William gasped as the meaning of Dragan’s words, the look on his face, the heat in his eyes, it all became clear. He looked down, unable to help himself, and saw exactly what Dragan meant. His cock, thick and long, was perfectly outlined against the fabric of his pants.
The Claiming of a Virgin King Page 4