by Rinelle Grey
Ostrian spun around and glared at her. “What are you suggesting then? We just wait around and hope Ultrima agrees with his life dragon’s truce? What if he doesn’t? Or worse, what if he pretends to, waits until we relax, then betrays us at the first opportunity?
Lyrian opened her mouth, no doubt to voice an immediate denial, but Taurian put up a hand.
“Ostrian has voiced valid concerns,” he said calmly.
Lisa, Verrian’s mate, started forwards, “He’s full of sh…”
Taurian held up a hand towards her too, before she could finish her eloquent statement.
“While I may not agree with him, I’m sure there are some here who do,” Taurian said softly.
As Brad looked around the room, he could see it too. The shifting of feet, the uncertain looks exchanged.
Prince Taurian knew his clan well. He would make a skilled manager, able to see both sides of an argument, allowing both to be heard before making his decision.
“While it is tempting to take this chance to wake my brothers and sister, I don’t believe it is in our best interests at this point. While it is possible that Latrima is tricking us, or Ultrima will not uphold the bargain she made, I believe it is worth the risk.”
“Sure, it’s easy for you to say that,” Ostrian said flatly. “You haven’t been hiding and starving for generations while Ultrima killed any of us he could find. I don’t trust that dragon, or any of his clan, and I never will. There is nothing he can do that will make up for the damage he’s caused to our clan.”
“So you’d rather see that hiding and starving continue?” Lyrian said flatly. “You’re so set on revenge you won’t consider what is best for the clan?”
“What makes you think this is what’s best?” Ostrian demanded.
Brad felt a little like an outsider, peeking through the window of a meeting he shouldn’t be part of. He agreed with everything Lyrian had said, but who was he to express that? As soon as Nate’s mating ceremony was over, he’d be going home.
So he stayed silent, and watched the dragons continue to argue.
“What makes you think you know what’s best?” Verrian demanded.
Ostrian turned on him. “You’ve been asleep for three hundred years, you know nothing.”
“We may not be completely conversant with what is happening in the human world, or everything that has happened in the clan while we were asleep, but we do know one thing,” Lyrian said firmly. She paused, and looked around the room, her eyes alighting on Brad for just a moment, before flashing on by. “Rian dragons believe in honour. In love. And in family. Those three values help us make our choices, not fear.”
“You think I’m doing this because I’m afraid?” Ostrian demanded.
“What other reason do you have?” Lyrian demanded. “Where is the love? Where is the honour in what you are suggesting?”
“How can we be honourable when we’re dead?” Ostrian demanded. He stared at Taurian and Verrian, his expression beseeching. “I know neither of you agree with me about the risks of mating with humans, so I haven’t even mentioned that, or the fact that we now have a half human princess.” He glanced over at Brad, the disdain on his face obvious. “But surely you can’t be so far gone as to not see that we need to do whatever it takes to make our clan strong again, before Trima wipes us out.”
“You’re forgetting something,” Taurian’s mate said, stepping forwards and speaking for the first time. “Rian clan is already strong. We’ve proved that Trima clan cannot beat us, that they are no longer a threat to us, on more than one occasion. We have no need to act dishonourably to prove something we’ve already demonstrated.”
“No, you’ve proved that humans can defeat dragons. That’s something we already knew. Hiding behind humans doesn’t earn us any honour at all.”
Lisa stepped forwards, her hands in fists. “Are you saying that we’re not part of the clan? Just because we’re humans? Well, I’m mated to a dragon, and I’m just as ready to defend Rian clan as you are.”
Ostrian turned and glared at her. “You are the one who brought this trouble to us,” the old dragon bellowed. “You were the one who led Latrima into our clan, and then,” he pointed at Lyrian and Brad, “they invited a Trima dragon to be part of our clan.”
Brad’s jaw dropped.
He’d been looking in from the outside, then suddenly the ornery old dragon had pulled him right into the middle of the fight.
He had no idea what to do or say. Karla and Lisa were both mated to dragon princes. They had a part to play in this situation. They had a right to speak for the dragons.
He wasn’t even mated to Lyrian.
But he was the father of a dragon princess.
That thought filled his heart with determination. He would not let this man jeopardise his daughter’s future, and the peace and happiness she deserved.
He stepped forwards into the ring without hesitation. “Kyrian intends to mate my brother. That will make her my daughter’s aunt. A princess’s aunt. Are you saying that she isn’t worthy of the same respect as anyone else in this clan?”
Taurian nodded approvingly.
“You have no part in this argument, human,” Ostrian spat. “Stay out of what you cannot possibly understand.”
“I can understand that you think you know more than anyone else here, and that for some reason, you think that fighting is better than the possibility of peace. Maybe because that’s all you’ve ever known.”
Brad stared around the room, at many dragon faces he didn’t know.
He might not know them, but he’d known many humans like them. “I’ve seen the results of fighting. I’ve healed the wounded and informed the families of the dead. Fighting is never the right choice while peace is an option. Dragons may be able to heal physical wounds, but the mental wounds are not so easily healed.”
Verrian nodded, and Lisa reached for his hand. Brad wondered what their story was.
He looked around the room, seeing nearly as many dragon children as adults. That was the way to convince them.
“As a parent,” he said softly, “I know many of you will understand. You want the best for your children, as I do for mine. And right now, your best chance of giving your children the future they deserve is if we can make peace with Trima clan.”
This time, there were murmurs of agreement. A parent hugged a child against her, another nodded approvingly.
“Our sister’s chosen mate is wise,” Taurian said firmly. “He and his brother and brother’s mate will be an asset to our clan.”
Any satisfaction Brad had felt in his victory was eroded by Taurian’s words. His stomach churned and his face heated. Taurian thought he and Lyrian were together. That they intended to mate. Probably all the dragons did. Was that why they listened to him?
He felt like a fraud. He was not Lyrian’s chosen mate. He had no place in this argument. Someone should correct Taurian before this got out of hand. He glanced over at Lyrian, but she avoided looking at him. She obviously wasn’t going to deny it.
And Brad didn’t feel like putting her on the spot or derailing the conversation. He’d just helped them win the argument. Now wasn’t the time to add further confusion. The outcome was too important for that.
Taurian turned back to Ostrian. “Do you have anything further to add?”
The old man knew when he was beaten. He stared around at the crowd, then without a word he pushed his way through it and out of sight.
Brad bit back a sigh of relief. Somehow, he suspected that wasn’t the last of the old dragon they’d see.
“Come, we must discuss this more,” Taurian said, looking at his brother and Lyrian.
In private. His meaning was clear, even though he didn’t say it. Brad was excluded, along with all the other dragons. It didn’t matter that he’d helped them out. Then again, it seemed like the other humans, those actually mated to dragons, weren’t invited either, so he probably shouldn’t be too upset. They didn’t look bothered.<
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“I’ll be there in a minute,” Lyrian said softly. This time she glanced at Brad, her eyes haunted.
He must not have been the only one who saw her glance, because the dragon princes inclined their heads and departed immediately, and somehow, everyone else melted away at the same time.
Leaving Brad and Lyrian alone.
Once everyone else had gone, Lyrian looked up at him. “I’m sorry, Brad.”
Her words confused him. They weren’t the ones he’d expected at all. “Sorry for what?”
She shrugged one shoulder, trying not to disturb Anarian, who was sleeping in her arms. “Sorry that you’ll be here longer than you expected. I hadn’t even thought about your brother wanting you to stay for the mating. I know… you want to get back to the hospital.”
It wasn’t that he wanted to get back to the hospital, and she knew it.
He still had at least a week before they expected him.
What he needed to do was get away from her. To get some distance, before the way he felt about her consumed him.
When they had been hunting for Lisa, expecting an enemy dragon to interrupt them at any moment, back when the most difficult thing he had to process was that if he slept with her again, they’d be mated for life, he’d wanted to tell her that walking away and just forgetting about her was impossible. That she was now as much a part of his life as his twin brother. Maybe more.
And not just because they shared Anarian’s parenting.
However, that had been before she’d told him she’d hadn’t chosen to sleep with him because she’d wanted to. That she’d only done it to heal herself. Before he’d realised that everything they’d shared together had been based on a lie.
Now the whole mess was jumbled up in his head, and he didn’t know what to think about any of it.
There was only one thing he was certain of.
Brad took a step towards Lyrian, and cupped her cheek, the touch sending a chill over his skin, as though he’d just touched his future.
Lyrian’s sharp, indrawn breath and sudden expression of hope twisted his heart.
He shouldn’t be doing this. It would only hurt both of them more. That was why he needed to get away. The longer he stayed, the more tempted he would be to do this again. And again. Until he couldn’t remember what was holding him back.
But first, he needed to tell her.
“I wanted to tell you something a couple of days ago, when we were sitting outside Lisa’s house.” His voice softened involuntarily at that memory. “You said you didn’t want me to be tied to you, but the truth is, I already am.”
He glanced down at the baby, sleeping in her arms, and that tie pulled tight at his heartstrings.
“Because of Anarian?” Lyrian sounded sad.
Why was she sad about that? Surely she realised that he didn’t regret their baby daughter for one second. He’d only known Anarian for a few days, and already she’d brought a meaning to his life that had been severely lacking.
Yet, when he glanced up and met her eyes, saw the heat and longing in them, he knew this wasn’t about Anarian. The raw need on her face pulled at him, igniting an answering need in him. Instinctively, he took a step closer, his body brushing up against hers, her heat flooding through him.
He wanted to reassure her. To tell her that he was tied to her as surely as he was to their daughter.
He wanted to bend down and plunder her lips, looking for a reassurance only her closeness could give. To tell her that he couldn’t imagine his life without her any more than he could without Anarian.
Except she’d lied to him. She’d used him. She’d only slept with him to heal herself, not because she loved him. Not because she wanted him.
Sure, it was obvious she wanted him now, and just as obvious that her present longing had nothing to do with healing, but the past tied Brad’s thoughts in knots. It was all tangled up in a bundle of pain, and he couldn’t figure out how to separate it.
He stumbled back, burned.
This was why he needed to get some distance. To let this longing and need settle back down to a manageable level, where he could cope with it.
“I…” he looked down at the sleeping baby. “I’ll take Anarian while you go talk to your brothers,” he said, his voice rough.
She stared at him, her eyes haunted, then down at Anarian. Then she straightened her shoulders. “Thank you, Brad. This won’t take long, I promise.”
He wasn’t sure if she meant the talk with her brothers, or his time here. Either way it didn’t matter.
He reached out and took the sleeping baby gently, trying not to wake her.
Then he turned around, not wanting to see her walk away.
Chapter 27
Lyrian tried to focus her mind, tried to stop herself replaying the scene with Brad in her mind, wondering where she went wrong. It was pointless anyway. Her mistake had been a year ago, when she hadn’t told Brad who she was, and what she’d needed, before she’d slept with him.
If only she had, then maybe their love could have grown slowly, with a strong foundation, as her brother’s relationship with their mates obviously had.
Her brothers stared at her, curiosity in their eyes.
Lyrian didn’t want to explain. Not now. They had bigger problems to deal with, surely?
“Right, what’s the plan,” she said firmly.
Her brothers were not so quick to move on.
“He will be an asset to our clan, and a worthy mate,” Taurian said.
His words twisted her heart. If only it could be so. She was sure Brad would be a worthy mate. If only she hadn’t stuffed up.
“Brad and I will not be mated,” Lyrian said stiffly.
Both Taurian and Verrian stared at her in confusion.
“Do you not love him?” Verrian asked.
Lyrian bit back a sigh. “I do,” she admitted.
“Then what is the problem?” Taurian demanded. “Surely it is not because he’s a human? We have come to realise that the humans are a valuable asset to our clan. Not to mention the fact that they make wonderful mates.”
Verrian gave a laugh at that. “They do indeed.”
This time Lyrian didn’t even try to suppress her sigh. “He has a job and responsibilities in America,” she said softly. That was the easy explanation, only part of the truth. But it would have to do. She didn’t really feel like telling her brothers how badly she’d messed up.
Taurian and Verrian exchanged glances.
“He has a responsibility here too,” Taurian said gravely. “He’s the father of a dragon princess. Surely no other responsibilities can be equal to that?”
“We’ll talk to him,” Verrian added. “I’m sure he’ll get it once it’s explained to him.”
“No,” Lyrian said firmly.
Didn’t they get it? Did they not understand that sometimes, things just didn’t work out? Oh, she was sure that if they both made their case to Brad, and kept telling him about his responsibilities, then they could convince him to stay.
But there was nothing they could do to convince Brad to love her. To forgive her for the mistake she’d made. And without that, the rest didn’t matter.
She stared at Taurian and Verrian, at the determined expressions on their faces, and couldn’t help a small smile. They only wanted what was best for her and Anarian. They wanted to do whatever they could to help her, as she’d known they would.
Even once Brad left, they would look after her and Anarian, no matter what.
And they’d support her choice. She just had to make them understand that she meant this.
Without telling them the truth. She couldn’t tell them how badly she’d messed up. If she did, she just might start crying, and they didn’t have time for that right now.
Maybe later, when all her brothers and sisters were awake and safe, and Brad was back home in America, maybe then she could explain, and have a cry on their shoulders. But right now, she needed to stay strong, which meant not d
iscussing this.
“I’m sure he would give it all up if you both hound him,” she said, hoping her smile would take the sting out of her words. “But I don’t want that. He has a life back in America. He’s a doctor, he heals humans. His work is important to him. If I take him away from that, he will always regret it, and I don’t want that for him.”
Taurian and Verrian exchanged a glance.
“Don’t you want him to be here with you and Anarian?” Taurian asked.
“Of course I do,” Lyrian said. “But it’s not just about what I want.”
“Surely he wants to be with his family?” Verrian tried.
Her brothers were nothing if not persistent, apparently great believers in the power of love. But Lyrian was realising, for the first time, that maybe love couldn’t overcome everything.
This was between her and Brad. They didn’t need to have their decision questioned. Certainly not by her brothers.
And she couldn’t explain why.
“Brad and I have already discussed it, and our decision is final,” Lyrian said flatly. “I expect both of you to respect my choice, and not say anything about this to Brad.”
She looked at them both sternly.
Lucky it was just Verrian and Taurian. She was older than both of them. They’d listen to her.
Still, they stared at her for a long time, their faces mutinous. Taurian was the one who sighed first. “Of course we will respect your choice.”
“That doesn’t mean we agree with it,” Verrian insisted. “But we will let it go, for now.”
Lyrian hid a sigh of relief. At least that was one issue dealt with. Now on to the next.
She looked from Taurian to Verrian. “A lot has happened while I wasn’t here. Tell me what our plan is now?”
Taurian sighed. “A lot has happened. But at least we are in agreement on working with the Trima clan. If we can find a way to reunite our two clans…”
He let the sentence hang. There was no need to finish it. Lyrian could see as easily as they could that it was the ideal solution.
From the little she’d heard, it seemed like with the human’s help, they stood a chance of beating the Trima clan, or at least holding their own. They weren’t choosing peace because they couldn’t win, but because winning would be a hollow victory.