As much as he desired her, she remained human. Dragons and humans did not mix. Yet he’d dreamed of her. Wanted her.
Until she remembered more about herself, there could be no claiming her as his mate. If he pushed too hard now, he risked losing her.
Unacceptable, his dragon growled, vibrating at the back of his neck. Kord rubbed his free hand over the spot, soothing and reassuring his beast.
Leading Lily over to a table in the far corner furthest away from the dragons, he seated her adjacent the wall so he could keep an eye on the door. Something told him she was in danger. If necessary, he’d protect her with his own life. As would his entire family.
That was the way of the dragon.
That was the way of the clan.
Lily leaned in and mumbled, “I don’t eat raw meat.”
Catching her wary gaze, he couldn’t contain his smile as his heart filled with affection. She was so cute. He fought against the urge to gather her in, until she rested securely in his embrace and freely gifted him her trust.
Slow and easy, he reminded himself. Trust had to be earned. “We don’t always eat our meals raw. Battle Draconian has some of the finest cooks you’ll ever find.”
Her pretty face pinked, and she chewed on that lush bottom lip again, the same one he wanted to suck into his mouth. “Is your realm at war?”
“No. Why?”
She shook her head, obviously perplexed. “Why aren’t you just called Draconian?”
Kord considered her words before he spoke. “In our realm, there are three kingdoms. The Draconians are very old, a battle kingdom. What you would call enforcers. Police. Protectors. The Diablians are also battle. Warriors. A bit rough around the edges, but very important to our realm.”
Before he could say more, they were interrupted. “Who’s this little lovely, Kordlith?” VonsDoulle, the owner of the establishment, asked as he approached their table.
Although the dragon was one of Kord’s oldest and dearest friends, Von eyed Lily as if measuring her for a romp. Anger rushed through Kord’s system, and his dragon snarled. Von was known for his prowess with the dragonesses and he’d already worked his way through most of the unmated females dwelling in Battle Draconian.
Kord’s gaze narrowed. “This one’s not for you, Von,” he murmured darkly.
One thick brow arched, VonsDoulle turned a knowing eye on him. “Ah. It’s that way.”
Kord gave a curt nod.
His friend chuckled. This time when he regarded Lily, he was merely courteous as he bowed low. “Welcome to my establishment, miss.”
The rosy hue in her cheeks deepened. “Please call me Lily.”
Only slightly appeased, Kord grumbled their orders; fresh greens and wine for Lily, and a juicy, rare haunch for him. Wiggling his eyebrows, Von flashed him a thumbs-up behind Lily’s back before heading into the kitchen.
Above the clatter of dishes and silverware, dragons gnawed on gristled marrow, and bones thudded into the collection pits. Kord touched Lily’s arm to gain her attention as their drinks were set on the table.
Time to get some answers.
“Lily,” he began, “I don’t mean to push you. But earlier when you met my father, you said ‘he’ll come for me.’ Is there anything more you can remember?” When she frowned and rubbed at her forehead, he urged, “Please, Lily.”
“It hurts to think about it. I don’t know why.” Shakily, she picked up her wineglass, and Kord cupped her elbow to steady it.
Lily managed a paltry mouthful before indicating she was finished. Kord set the glass on the table and waited, trying not to show impatience.
Finally her eyes met his, confusion plain to see in their lovely depths. “I—I remember running away from someone, when this—”
“Running away from whom?” Anger sizzled hot inside him at the thought of a predator of any kind targeting her.
She shot him an annoyed look.
His mouth tightened. Given the expression on her face, it wasn’t the best idea to push her. She’d tell him everything in her own time. He nodded.
“All right then. I was trying to escape through the woods, maybe find a hiding place, when I heard this strange voice. Almost like the wind was talking to me.”
Kord frowned. “What did it say?”
“It was so odd. It talked about treasures and souls.”
He lifted a brow. “You’re sure those were the exact words?”
“Yes.”
His mother had spoken to him once during his youth, about a tale of a magical tree that connected soulmates. He’d never really believed it, although in the dragon realm magick was real. Every dragon alive possessed some form of magick. He’d ask his parents. Right now he wanted to hear about whatever asshole was chasing her.
“Tell me who—” He didn’t get a chance to complete the sentence, because Aventasha, golden dragoness of the Anglican’s Marshollaze family, appeared at their table. Her silvery eyes lit on him, ignoring Lily completely.
Oh, shit.
She ran her pointed nails through his hair, murmuring, “Prince of Battle Draconian, where have you been? My bed grows cold.”
Untangling her possessive claws, Kord frowned at her question. He hadn’t missed Lily’s gasp. “Tasha, I’d like you to meet my mate, Lily.”
Tasha’s eyes narrowed, indicating her outrage. “What do you want with this little mouse, Kordlith?” She spoke in their ancient tongue. Running her hands over her generous curves, she turned to shoot daggers at Lily. “When you can have me?”
Lily’s mouth tightened. She might not understand their language, but Kord would wager she comprehended Tasha’s tone and actions.
“Enough.” At the steel behind the single word, Tasha visibly fumed, holding back the words he knew she wanted to say. Fire flashed from her eyes, and her form shimmered, preparing to shift to dragon.
Kord stood, towering over her. “Don’t.” He intensified his tone to a hard pulse.
The brusque command and his body language was meant to suppress Tasha’s ability to shift. He’d seldom needed to exert such power. It pained him now to think he had to subdue someone he’d considered a friend.
With an audible snarl, Tasha flung Lily another nasty glare, then spun and strode away in a dramatic swirl of her elaborate gown.
Kord sat back down, meeting Lily’s hurt-filled eyes. She quickly glanced away. “I’m really not hungry any longer. Can we leave, please?”
His jaw tightened in frustration. So much for earning her trust today. He wasn’t going to extract any further information from her, not until he could get her home and calmed down.
“All right.” With a quick wave, he caught Von’s attention from across the room. His friend nodded and hustled through the massive triple-doors leading into the kitchens. He would wrap up their dinners and have them ready as they exited the eatery. Lily might have lost her appetite, but Kord was starving. Perhaps he could encourage his mate to nibble a bit on her dinner, once he brought her back to their quieter—and friendlier—home.
From the edge of the quarry, Tasha clenched a fist in her hair and yanked hard enough to dislodge a chunk of spun-gold strands. With a vicious oath, she flung it at the ground. The silken clump floated on the breeze before snagging on a boulder near her feet.
Infuriated, she stomped on the offending stone and crushed it into pebbles, then threw her head back and screamed with fury. Clenching her teeth, she breathed deeply through her nose to restore her balance. Smoothing a palm over the sore spot on her scalp, she smirked as new growth immediately sprang forth. In a few hours it’d be as if she’d never destroyed her crowning glory.
She glowered at the retreating figures of Kordlith, and the little bitch at his side. He held the twit’s hand so carefully, as if she might topple
over in the next bit of stiff wind. I’d like nothing better than to topple the insipid mouse permanently.
Leaning against the front wall of the tower, Tasha plotted her next move.
Living with an elderly guardian unable to control her, she’d been free to sneak away anytime she pleased. Meeting Kordlith at the festivals, she’d decided he would be hers someday, and boldly pursued him. She discovered that her dragon made her irresistible to males, and Prince Kordlith was no different.
His raw sexuality thrilled her to her very bones. From the moment their bodies first intertwined, he belonged to her. But she wasn’t stupid. Intimacy aside, Kord was virile and subservient to no female. It drove her mad. To tame that beast . . . Tasha shuddered deliciously.
Because of her delay in reaching majority, she’d held no lawful right to the Prince of Battle Draconian. Second best had been her current lot, pre-ordained, and nothing she could change, much as it galled her.
Alter, adjust, influence . . . that was a different story. It should be me. Mate to Kordlith, and Queen of Battle Draconian.
One sharp nail tapped thoughtfully. Change was good. She’d always thought so.
A soft, anticipatory growl escaped Tasha’s throat.
Chapter 5
A short distance outside, Lily perched on a rock the dragons called flattops. Sensing Kord’s need to grill her about events she couldn’t recall, she’d told him she needed some air. Besides, she was still struggling against the bout of jealousy that had overtaken her at the restaurant.
Why was she attracted to someone who wasn’t even human? Thinking about what he was made her brain hurt. Lily rubbed her temples as a light breeze ruffled her hair.
To the other side of the entrance, Rosamunde rooted around in her garden, knee-deep in mounds of what resembled snap beans and hills of squash. Since Kord knew she was upset, he’d probably asked his mother to keep an eye on her, afraid she’d run off or something. Where in the hell did he think she’d go?
Rosamunde exited the garden, coming over to stand at her side. “May I join you, Lily?” she asked, dusting her palms off on her skirt.
“Sure.” Lily slid over to make room for the Draconian queen, who despite her warmth and caring ways, absolutely intimidated her.
“The dress suits you. And we are of a size as well. We can share.” Rosamunde raised a finger to Lily’s cheek, hot with a flush she couldn’t seem to eradicate. “I make you anxious. Please, think of me as a friend.”
The feel of Rosamunde’s caring touch against her cheek sent a whisper of reassurance clear to Lily’s toes. These dragons were ridiculously powerful, in spite of their gentle nature. “I have so many questions.”
“Then ask them. I will never lie to you.”
“Can we keep this between us? My questions, I mean.”
The queen smiled warmly, putting her at ease. “Of course.”
“Why does Kord think I’m his mate?” Nothing like jumping right in, Lily. Sheesh.
“Because he’s of age to choose. In your world I suppose it would be akin to visiting a singles’ bar.” At Lily’s gape, Rosamunde laughed. “Don’t seem so surprised. Dragons cannot fully live in your realm. That doesn’t mean we ignore what happens there, or neglect to understand your mores and traditions.” She paused for a moment, her eyes searching. “We observe, Lily. We protect. The human realm is precious to us, and we have allies there. One of our duties as royals is to ensure balance.”
Lily fidgeted, trying to sort through her confusion. “Can I ask about the realm?”
“How much has Kordlith shared with you?”
“Not much. A little about your kingdom and the Diablians.”
Rosamunde hesitated, as if choosing her words carefully. “There’s a third kingdom. Anglican. Nurturers and neutral in policy, they are our succor, our peace. In many ways our salvation. The kingdom produces the mates our royal families require. A Draconian or Diablian may mate within their kingdom. Many do. However, the royal heir of each battle kingdom only mates with Anglican females. This is a tradition dating back thousands of years.”
“I’m not sure I understand.” And trying to get everything straight in her mind was turning Lily’s headache into a full-blown migraine.
“Once every hundred years, a new royal heir comes of age,” Rosamunde stated. “Close to the same time, an Anglican female is of an age to claim.”
“Claim?”
“Yes. It is a given the two shall mate.”
“What about love?”
“Oh, my dear, love is there. Believe me, love is never a difficulty. It is pre-destined.” She turned more fully toward Lily. “On rare occasions, more than one heir comes of age at the same time. You could say the realm gets off-balance. In many hundreds of years it hasn’t happened.” She frowned. “But a year ago, it did.”
“How? What happened?”
The queen’s voice dropped to a confiding murmur. “A little over a year ago the House of Diablian’s heir came of age. And Draconian, well . . . Kordlith was heir here. Two strong princes of their kingdoms. Both would look toward the kingdom of Anglican for a mate. But there can be only one ruling House per hundred years. We are Battle kingdoms, you see. There is no choice.”
“Are you talking about war?” Lily’s heart beat so fast, she thought it might pound out of her chest.
“Yes, if the heirs come of age at the same time, and the battle kingdoms cannot come to an agreement. In all fairness, Kordlith reached majority first, a matter of days before Diablian’s heir. There should have been no question of who would rule.”
Rosamunde released a heavy sigh. “The Diablian prince isn’t . . . stable. His parents are honest, strong royals, but Zanralth of Diablian is wild and headstrong. His intentions are not honorable.”
At the name ‘Zanralth,’ blood pounded harder through Lily’s head. On the very edge of that throbbing pressure, a voice, oily with dark intent—
You’ll never get away from me . . .
Flinching at the sudden, sharp pain, Lily doubled over and clutched her head. “Stop it.”
Seconds—or minutes—passed. She wasn’t sure. Slowly she became aware of Rosamunde stroking her forehead, her cool palm soothing against Lily's flushed skin.
“Such tension.” She rubbed circles above Lily’s eyes with a gentle thumb.
“I’m all right.” Lily struggled to straighten, and the queen curved a supporting arm around her waist.
“What did you remember?”
“That name. Well, part of it.” Lily shuddered. “It’s all twisted up in my head. Dark and ugly, mean. Dangerous. If I hadn’t run . . . I-I don’t know what he wanted.”
The more she tried to remember, the more the pain in her head increased. She faced Kord’s mother pleadingly. “I need to understand everything. Just not today.”
“For pity’s sake, stop pacing.” Bakkailin of Draconian shook back his snarled hair. “I am trying to study.” He brandished a thick leather tome. “If you want to know what they’re saying, go and eavesdrop. It’s how I find out what goes on around here.”
Kord cuffed his brother upside the head. “It’s not polite to eavesdrop, doofus.”
Bakka rubbed his ear. “I think you broke off my tip. Is it bleeding? I might have a scar.”
“You’re not bleeding. Get real.” Kord frowned. “And stop talking so loud.” He couldn’t hear a thing from outside. Blast it.
“You know Father doesn’t approve of us using human euphemisms. Which means you can’t call me doofus. And if you really want to hear, go stand at the arch.” Bakka flapped a hand toward the wide opening of the main chamber.
“Mother will no doubt murder me if I do.” Kord slumped against the far wall, crossing his arms over his chest. “I’ll speak to Lily myself, later.”
Bakka straightened, dropping his book on the low shelf in front of him. “Is she going to be your mate?”
“I feel it in my heart. You’ll meet her soon.” Kord gestured to encompass their enclosure. “She’s human, and a little skittish.”
“Kordlith.” Their mother’s voice sounded almost in his ear, making him jump and whirl around to face her. Concern etched her features as she laid a cool palm on his arm. “While I deal with supper, see to Lily. And”—she leaned in a bit—“she is beginning to remember things, though it frightened her badly. Perhaps the attention of a loving and patient future mate could assist.”
“I—”
She offered a considering frown. “You are thinking of her as a mate, are you not? Yet she might prove to be nothing more than human. And what of the Anglican Tasha? She was the next available female of mating age—”
“No.” Kord held tightly to his flaring temper. “She isn’t the right . . . fit. It would be like mating one of those deadly vipers from the human realm. Is that truly what you want for Battle Draconian? Is it what Father would accept?”
“Of course not. I’m not blind to Tasha’s faults. However, tradition comes with a price. I want what you want, my son. I only hope the kingdom allows you the same freedom.”
She tapped his cheek. “Lily has things to tell you, so speak to her. Patiently.”
His jaw clenched. “I’m not a complete fool.”
Kord found himself fighting against uncharacteristic anxiety as he strode outside and searched for Lily. He spotted her standing near the garden, staring off toward the open pasture that delineated the rocks from the endless tree line. Her gown rustled in the breeze and her hair swirled around her shoulders in a riot of burnished curls.
So lovely.
The sight of a petite fist curled tight at her side sent his heart knocking. He hated that she was upset. Such a treasure should never have a moment’s worry.
Realm of the Dragon (The Soul Mate Tree Book 1) Page 4