by J. K Harper
I only hoped I didn’t screw it up.
He guided me over to a group of men, each broad and strong in their own way, each with the identical swagger that screamed alpha.
I tuned out as he made introductions, nodding and murmuring when appropriate. My knees shook beneath my skirt, sweat beading on my spine. This had to work.
“Now,” I whispered to Bastian.
He blinked at me slowly. The plan had been to ease into the moment, to socialize and eat first. But I couldn’t wait, the uncertainty was killing me.
He clapped his hands, drawing everyone’s attention. “There’s been a change to the plans. Astrid would like to meet with the candidates before we sit down to eat.”
I avoided looking at Trent, not wanting to know what he was thinking, but I could feel his glower prickling the back of my neck.
There was a surprised murmur and the crowd parted. Those not participating took their place around the wall. Three men were left in the center of the room.
Bastian continued, warming up to his role as host. “The three clans represented by their alphas are Fireglen, Crestfall, and Skyblade. Each alpha may ask the Seer one question, and in return she may also ask one of her own.”
Showtime. Forcing myself to stroll as if I didn’t have a care in the world, I made my way up to the Fireglen alpha. He was tall and broad, classically handsome with a dark, brooding look to him that probably had girls sighing and clutching their chests. My eyes slid over the other candidates. Huh. Not a dud between them. The Crestfall alpha was blond, with golden skin and flashing blue eyes. Skyblade's alpha was a mixture of the two, his hair more of a honey brown.
And they all did absolutely nothing for me. Nada. Zilch. Diddlysquat.
The Fireglen alpha cleared his throat, bringing my attention back to him. He was scowling, obviously not used to fighting for a woman’s attention. He opened his mouth to speak and I held my hand up.
“Just so you know, I’m going to read each of you. If you don’t agree to this, then you can step down now. Your questions can come after.” I stated it firmly, leaving no room for misinterpretation. Then I folded my arms over my chest and waited.
All three men stood firm, eyeing each other with grim determination.
Grandstanding idiots. I quashed the grin, pleased that they’d submitted to my request. It would make things easier.
I concentrated on the first man, reading his surface thoughts with ease and almost burst into laughter. “Really? Madonna? I would have pegged you as more of a rock kind of guy.”
A smug smile curled his lips as he stared at me.
“How much does my brother owe you?” I fired off the question with a big smile.
His mental soundtrack faltered, and I swooped in, plucking out the information I needed from the surface of his mind. “Thank you,” I murmured, smiling sweetly at him before moving onto my next victim.
Alpha number two swallowed, his grin faltering under my stare.
“What? No singing?” This guy was reciting the alphabet in a monotone that made me want to bang my head against a wall in protest. At least the first guy had entertained me.
His grin widened, his mental voice dialing up to a shout.
“How much does Bastian owe you?”
F, G, H, I, J…
His grin was nearly splitting his face by now.
“What’s your favorite color?”
Pink.
Huh. Hadn’t seen that one coming, I’d pegged him for a greens and blues kind of guy. But I’d gotten what I needed.
Moving on.
“Bastian doesn’t owe me anything.”
I rocked back on my heels, eyeing the third alpha who was looking pretty pleased with himself. “Okay.” I replied. He wasn’t bothering to shield his thoughts, instead giving me a full view of exactly what he thought of me. I stumbled back a step, cutting off the connection, but not before he’d had the chance to give me a front row seat to how he was planning on breaking me in. His words.
I met Bastian’s eyes; I had what we needed.
“It’s my turn to ask a question—” the first alpha declared, taking a step forward.
“No.”
I spun around to see Trent striding toward us. No, go back. I’ve got this! I mentally begged him, but he didn’t stop until he was standing by my side.
“I offer myself instead. Indentured service to one of you for however long you see fit. And in return, that alpha will guarantee Astrid’s freedom by paying off Jewelcrest’s debt.”
What?
The blond alpha—Crestfall? I was getting confused—scowled at Trent. “Why would we consider such an idiotic idea?”
“Because I’m the alpha of the Greenwing clan.”
What? I spun to glare at my brother, but he just shrugged. And then it hit me, the other alphas looked to actually be considering the idea! What was I missing?
“Trent, no,” I hissed, grabbing his arm and attempting to drag him away. But it was like trying to move a mountain, a deliciously suited, stubborn mountain.
“I have to do this, Astrid.” His eyes pleaded with me to understand.
And I did. He was giving up his life for me, offering himself in my place. Whoever accepted his offer would utilize him as an enforcer for their clan, someone who was expendable to do the dirty work. The dangerous work. And he wouldn’t be allowed a life of his own, always at the beck and call of another.
“But … why are they even considering it?”
“Because the Greenwing clan are different from other dragon shifters. We are gifted with extra strength and power that makes us almost invincible in a fight. And our dragon fire can burn other dragons.” He added the last as almost an afterthought.
“What?” Geez, I was starting to sound like a broken record, but really? How did I not know this?
“And a Greenwing alpha…” one of the alphas—I’d given up trying to remember which—murmured, his voice low and sounding a little too interested for my liking.
I yanked on Trent’s arm, dragging his attention back to me. “So, fight for me! If you’re so strong and powerful—”
“And disgraced,” someone called out.
I would have spun around, but this time Trent held me still.
“What do they mean?” I whispered. Disgraced?
Pain pooled in his eyes. “My great-grandfather dishonored our clan, he took another man’s mate.”
“What?”
“It was a Jewelcrest woman.”
That explained why he felt he owed Bastian a debt, but… “That’s archaic bullshit! Every generation should pay for what one man did?” I poked him in the chest, not angry at him, I was angry for him. I knew exactly how it would have gone; Trent would have risen to alpha, accepted the responsibility of his great-grandfather’s dishonor, carrying it until he could find a way to discharge the debt and clear his clan’s name. And my brother hadn’t batted an eyelid at using him. I didn’t have the words to describe what I thought of the people gathered here. Idiots? Imbeciles? Morons? Cavemen? But what cut the deepest… “You gave up on us because of—”
He cut me off, his voice a low murmur, “I came to my senses when I got to know you. I realized pretty damn fast that you wouldn’t care. But then all this happened.” He gestured at the crowd of people around us, including the men who my brother owed more money to than I could ever hope to see in this lifetime. “Let me ask you this, do you really want me to fight everyone? Jewelcrest would still owe the money … and where is the honor in killing? The debt has to be paid. There’s nothing written to say you have to be the one to pay it.” He glanced over my shoulder.
I whirled on my brother. “You knew about this?” It came out a shriek, but dammit, I was mad!
“I’m sorry, Astrid. Trent offered, and you’re my sister, and the Seer…” His voice trailed off as he saw the look on my face.
“I’ll accept, not for indenture though. I want his imprisonment.” I heard through the ringing in my ears.
“No!” I screamed, past caring what it looked like. “You—” I pointed at the first alpha, “—you cheated. Bastian doesn’t owe you any money. And, you—” I rounded on the second alpha, “—I have enough money to pay you off.” Maybe. If I sold my beloved store … and everything I owned.
“What about me?”
I turned to face the last man standing.
He looked smug, like he’d already won.
“You want to use my powers to gain advantage over other clans, and that’s against our laws.” I hadn’t meant to shout, but I couldn’t help crowing over his imminent defeat. So long, sucker. Better luck next time!
“But I’m not bartering for your powers anymore, and there’s no law saying I can’t use his.”
The world crashed down around me. “But—?”
“Not only do I have plans already in place to buy the Jewelcrest debt, I’m willing to argue the old law, dispute your certainty that I would use your powers to allow my clan to prosper above all others. Can you be sure that I wouldn’t win? That I wouldn’t be allowed to take you as my mate? To do with as I please, over and over … and over again.”
I couldn’t stop the shudder of revulsion.
But he wasn’t talking to me anymore. No, his words were for Trent.
“I accept.”
Trent’s voice rang in my ears, washing away all thoughts of hope.
It wasn’t meant to end like this!
Chapter 18
Trent
Astrid’s plan had been a good one, but I’d seen the fatal flaw the second Bastian had explained it to me.
Astrid was too valuable for Colin to give up without a fight, and I wasn’t willing to risk her.
I’d known it would come down to Colin, had never doubted my mate’s ability to eliminate the competition.
So, I figured I had to offer Colin something more valuable, something he wanted more.
Me.
He’d hated me since childhood. Growing up in neighboring clans we’d done what all young boys do: fight and test each other. And I’d beaten him every time, not that I could help it, it was just the way I was. How I’d been born; like Astrid, different from the other dragon shifters.
I’d already resigned myself to offering myself in her place, and her plan had just made it easier.
But I hadn’t expected to be facing a sentence with no parole.
I turned to her, taking her shaking hands in mine. Regret shimmered in the air between us, for what could have been. Surely she had to see the risk was too great? Bastian had started this by offering her as payment for his debt. And Colin stood a good chance at winning the right to mate her if he could convince the shifter council that the law didn’t apply.
“What if I say no?”
“To which part?” I murmured, savoring the feel of her hands in mine.
“That I don’t agree to pay for Bastian’s debt. The debt that isn’t even an issue anymore!”
I could see her grasping at straws, heard it in the way her voice rose as she clung to hope. I hated to crush it, but I couldn’t see any other way. “Even if Colin doesn’t take over the debt, there were originally three clans owed. You’ve eliminated one, but two still have to be paid.”
“Maybe the other guy cheated too?”
“Astrid…” I chided.
“But—”
“And if you remove yourself from the equation, Jewelcrest will fall into ruin, remember? Take it from me, Colin will make sure of it.” He was an evil, conniving son-of-a-bitch and I had no doubt in my mind that he would take her refusal as a personal slight and make it his vendetta to cause as much destruction and misery as possible. He was also a rich bastard, with friends in high places.
“I don’t care.” She stuck her jaw out, blinking up at me, her eyes misty with unshed tears.
“You do.”
“It’s not fair.”
“I know.” And I did. I wanted nothing more than to pick her up and carry her out of here, but we would be destroying lives—the families that depended on her clan. Earl for one. Was our happiness really worth more than theirs? Yes! A voice inside me screamed. “It’s your choice,” was what I eventually said. “I trust you.” I felt like the biggest asshole alive right then, because I knew what I was doing. I was making her face what I’d already accepted.
A moment passed, time dragging as she wrestled with the decision.
She threw herself into my arms, her head nestling against my chest. “I will always love you, I promise there will never be anyone else,” she whispered.
My heart twisted in my chest as I committed the feel of her to memory. “And I love you, my true mate. Promise me you’ll find happiness.” I gently unhooked her arms from around me. Wordlessly, I plucked the watch from my wrist, setting it in her hand. “You left it in the grass, I’ve been meaning to give it back to you, but…” I shrugged, knowing she understood. I’d wanted to keep a part of her close, but now it was time to let go.
Giving her a little push toward her brother, I steeled my spine and turned to Colin. “Shall we go?”
Crowing with smug delight, he indicated the door, the men from his clan coming up to flank me as we made our way through the crowd.
“I hope you scored with that feisty number while you had the chance, because where you’re going, there’ll be none of that coming your way,” he murmured from behind me.
Gritting my teeth, I willed myself to stay silent. He was taunting me, fishing for a reaction, and anything I gave him would only make things worse. I had a pretty good idea of what awaited me back at his clan, and it wasn’t a cooked dinner and a soft bed.
She was worth it.
But I had to know. “You’ll make sure the debt is paid? And that Astrid has her freedom?”
“Of course, what kind of man do you take me for?”
Resisting the urge to reply, I fell silent again. We were almost at the front door. I glanced over my shoulder, wanting one last glimpse of her.
“Keep moving,” one of the impromptu guards warned, but he didn’t touch me. From the look of the sweat beading on his top lip, he was too scared.
At least there was that. I might have agreed to be Colin’s prisoner, but there had been no talk about me being a compliant one. I could fight back.
But I can’t escape.
“I’ve changed my mind.” Astrid’s voice rang clear and loud behind us.
“Astrid—”
“Trent, you need to shut up for a minute.” With that sharp retort, she glided forward, coming to stand in front of Colin. Sparks flashed in her eyes, the green swirling with flecks of silver and gold. Strands of her hair floated around her face, crackling and dancing with power.
Colin took a step back, catching himself at the last moment. Squaring his shoulders, he glared at her. “Woman, you need to—”
“Don’t you mean, Seer?” she shot back.
He flushed beet red. “Seer,” he mumbled, starting again. “You need to—”
Bastian pushed through the crowd. “Astrid, what do you—”
“Quiet.” She didn’t shout, her voice barely rose above a whisper, but conversation ground to an abrupt halt. “I see it, you know,” she murmured, a cruel smirk dancing on her lips.
Colin’s mouth moved, but nothing came out.
Grimacing, she scrunched up her face, closing her eyes for a brief moment.
“See what?” Colin’s voice shattered the silence, and this time it was filled with fear.
“Everything. Every possible future, how every action causes a reaction. I didn’t see it before—couldn’t bring myself to look—but it’s funny how losing everything kinda changes a girl’s perspective, you know? Gets her to embrace her future rather than hide her head in the sand.”
“I don’t know what you think you’re doing, but threatening me isn’t going to work.”
She threw her head back and laughed, the sound joyous and strong.
And I fell in love all over again. She was s
punky and crazy and amazing, all rolled into one delicious package.
“Oh, it’s going to work. You see—” she leaned forward, lowering her voice to a conspiratorial whisper, “I don’t just see the future, turns out I can see the events that lead us to where we are now, too. Especially important life changing events, like becoming the alpha of a clan.” Tapping the side of her head, she winked.
Colin blanched, turning a funny shade of gray under his tan. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Really? You want me to blurt it out here?” She looked around at all the people who had crammed into the hallway, a gleeful expression on her face. “Okay, then—”
“No!” Colin roared, then closed his mouth with a snap.
“Good. Here’s the deal. You let Trent go, you pay off my brother’s debt—as you so kindly offered—and you stay the hell away from everyone I care about. Are we clear?”
What the hell was going on?
Chapter 19
Astrid
This had to work, this had to work, this had to—
“Agreed.”
Colin’s acceptance rang in my ears and I fought back the urge to crow.
Okay, a little fist pump might have escaped. I couldn’t help it; the good guys had won!
“I want your word that this … situation won’t go any further,” Colin demanded, though really, he didn’t have a leg to stand on, let alone demand anything.
But I had what I wanted, so I decided to let it slide. “Agreed. You keep up your end of the bargain and I’ll keep mine.”
Without another word he turned and marched out of the house, his entourage quick stepping to keep up.
I caught my brother’s eye, giving him a meaningful look. He looked shocked, but underneath I could see the beginnings of relief. And also a little fear.