Rex (Dakota Kekoa Book 2)

by Rita Stradling

  “Yeah.” I looked away. “So if you weren’t part of it, how do you know all of this now?”

  “Sarah told us before she left. I didn’t know any of it until then. I had meant to confront her with what I saw on the ship, but I never had the chance. Then she attacked the Rex, and he was dying…”

  “What Sarah was doing was horrible, but she was being used.”

  “I know. I’m pretty sure she knows that now, too. I don’t know who was using her though.”

  “I know.”

  She stayed perfectly still, regarding me. “Wyvern told me that I could fulfill my sentence by keeping you alive through the next year. He said that a big part of that would be training you in dracon politics.”

  “It probably would. I did something that I hoped would buy my family some time, but one of the most powerful dragons in the Dragon Kingdoms wants me, and probably all of my sisters, dead. He thinks our magic is an abomination, that we’re a risk to the power structure.”

  “You are.”

  I took a step back.

  She raised her hands in placation. “Technically, you are. That’s why they called a conference of countries, because the Europan Union was threatened with your breeding potential.”

  “Ugh, Sophie, you say it in such a disgusting way. But yeah, I know. So, basically a lot of dracons think I’d be better off dead. And now Wyvern is not in a contract with me anymore, so he can’t send soldiers to protect me.”

  “And we are no longer soldiers.” She exhaled, sadness written across her face.

  “You don’t have to do it, Sophie. You could serve your sentence and have a higher chance of survival.”

  “Except that we do have to do it. Despite all reason, the Rex is giving us a chance to regain our honor after we aided in what was tantamount to an assassination attempt on him.”

  “Yeah, he is. Though he didn’t tell me any sort of reward to dangle over you.”

  “And there is no reward needed.”

  “You know I’m in a contract with Harrison now. Can you figure out why?”

  “An alliance?”

  I nodded. “An alliance we needed.”

  She looked away. “I understand your meaning.”

  “And you’re still down to help me?”

  “I will.” She straightened, her chin again rising.

  “I just want to be very sure. I’m figuring that we probably have a common enemy here, so I’m hoping that you won’t betray me to him. But I don’t trust you, and I probably never will, okay?”

  “Okay,” she said.

  “And I seriously doubt Glacier wants you to live here, so you are going to have to stay at Wyvern’s. Annie or Brian can stay, but not you.”

  “That’s fine.”

  “All right then, can you take Brian and Annie far from here and lay it out for them? I don’t want them to be here unless they chose to. And don’t sugarcoat it, okay?”

  “I can do that.”

  “How long did Wyvern give you to come to an understanding with me?”

  “Three hours.”

  “I expect your decision by then.”

  Chapter Thirty-seven

  We walked back into the house, not saying a word. After we entered the house, Sophie walked toward the kitchen without saying goodbye.

  The rest of the day went by quickly. Sophie, Annie and Brian returned an hour later, accepting the assignment. They all elected to live at Wyvern’s house, but said that even though I wouldn’t necessarily see them, one of them would circle wherever I was in eagle-form, basically at all times. And starting immediately, I would have lessons everyday on dracon etiquette and politics, which I negotiated to being weekdays only.

  The next morning, Glacier took Lorelei, Harrison and me to the Mabi High School so that we could, once again, sign paperwork. Without my bodyguards there, no one looked twice at me as I waited in the office. Several girls looked twice at Harrison, but that might have been because he was so tall and brooding-looking.

  Harrison’s eyes constantly scanned our surroundings, but he didn’t say a word to anyone. He filled out his paperwork to enter the school as a senior, pushed the papers back over the desk, and then just walked over to lean against a wall.

  Mele had met us in the office to give both Lorelei and me a hug. Then she’d turned to Harrison who was still leaning against the office wall.

  “Who are you?” she’s asked him, point blank.

  “Harrison,” he’d said, then he just looked away.

  “Okay…” Mele had pivoted to give me a ‘give me an explanation or die’ look.

  “Later,” I’d said.

  “Well, since you’re back at school, I’m assuming you’re going to be calling off my escort… like immediately,” she’d said.

  “Shoot, I’ll call Ailani.”

  “Uh-huh…get your phone out now.” She nodded to my pocket.

  “I will, as soon as we leave.”

  She pointed at me, and I raised my hands in surrender.

  “Dakota and I are going to your restaurant the next time you work.” Lorelei grinned wide.

  “Awesome! That would be Sunday.”

  “We’ll be there… and he probably will be too,” I nodded to Harrison who looked like he was pointedly ignoring us.

  “Okay.” Mele spun as the bell rang. “And I’m late.” She ran off out of the office.

  After all the paperwork was in, the office lady said that as it was Friday, it would be better for everyone if we just started the following week and turned in all our independent studies then. Lorelei and I had made immediate eye-contact with shared ‘oh crap,’ looks.

  Harrison followed when we walked out of the office, got in the backseat beside me in Glacier’s van, climbed out, and walked ahead into the house, all without making a sound.

  Lorelei turned to me as we walked up to the open door of the house. “Wow, I’m going to have to say that I prefer Wyvern.”

  “Shut up, he can hear you,” I whispered.

  She grimaced and mouthed, “Sorry.” Which was so dumb as she’d just said the insult part in a normal voice.

  I kept my voice low, “He’s doing me a huge favor here, and I’m pretty sure he hates me now.”

  “Have you talked about the feeding thing?” She nodded in the direction that Harrison had just disappeared.

  I raised my eyebrows and shook my head furiously.

  “Don’t you have to… you know?”

  I exhaled shakily. “The contract says I do.”

  Her eyes widened at me. “You probably should talk about it.”

  “I’m… I don’t know—”

  “It doesn’t hurt,” she whispered.

  “What do you know about it?” I hissed at her.

  “That’s what everyone says. I’ve never done it—but that’s what everyone says.”

  I pointed into her face. “You better not.”

  “Oh, come on.” She smacked my hand away, rolling her eyes. “Well, Glacier and I are going to train tonight, so you’ll have the house to yourself…”

  “I am this close to freaking out on you.” I held up my fingers an inch apart.

  “You’re going to have to make some sort of peace with him, or this is going to be a very long year.” She shrugged.

  After my conversation with Lorelei, I was the one who fell silent for the rest of the day.

  When Lorelei knocked on my door to tell me that she and Glacier were going out, I opened my mouth to say, ‘no, please stay’, but I didn’t, I just nodded.

  I stayed in my room, staring at the low light coming through my window. When I heard the sound of Lorelei’s voice outside the house, I almost jumped. Then there was the hum of the engine starting, and the whistling of the van driving away.

  I walked down the staircase quietly, even though I was sure Harrison could hear me. He probably even heard Lorelei and my conversation earlier and knew what I was coming to talk about.

  Standing at his door, I hesitated before kno
cking. I stood there, hand raised in a fist, inches from the door.

  The door opened and Harrison was standing right before me.

  I turned my fisted hand into a wave. “Hi.”

  Though he wore jeans and a red t-shirt, both looked high quality and expensive. His finger was between the pages of a book, keeping his place. “Hi, Dakota.”

  “Um, is this a bad time?” I glanced down at his book.

  “No,” he stepped out of the guest room.

  “Um, here,” I gestured over to the couch in the living room.

  I sat down in the middle of my soft couch, sitting directly on a throw blanket. Harrison took the seat as far away from me as he could without straddling the armrest. It was like I stunk or something.

  “What do you want to talk about?” he asked when I didn’t say anything.

  “In the contract arrangements, your sister said… I have to feed you blood?” I squeezed my hands together as I talked.

  He didn’t say anything for a minute. “It’s standard in my family. As I’m supposed to only be alone with you—”

  “What?”

  His lips pursed as he regarded me. “During a contract, a guy is only supposed to be alone with his intended, and vice versa—as there could be questions of their fidelity. We have the feeding clause to ensure that we will always have a willing food source and not be in breach of contract.”

  “Oh, okay.”

  “But you don’t have to do it, Dakota.”

  I looked up at him.

  He scooted in a little closer so he could fully turn to me. “I would never force you to feed me.”

  “But—how are you going to eat?”

  “I can find someone.”

  For some reason, my stomach clenched at that idea.

  “Since it’s standard in contracts with your family, if I don’t have puncture marks on my neck… won’t people suspect something?”

  “Tell them you have a good healer that makes you regular tonics, or you could puncture your neck once in a while.”

  “So you’re going around finding feeders on the sly, and I’m going around puncturing my own neck?” I shook my head.

  “I will not feed on someone unwilling.”

  I looked up into Harrison’s bright blue eyes and intriguing face. I was barely able to find my voice. “It’s okay. I’m willing.”

  A pang of guilt hit me because I realized, yes, technically I was planning to do it to keep up the pretense of the contract, but also, I wanted Harrison to bite me. I had wanted it from that first time on the ship’s deck. He had a girlfriend and I had Wyvern, but technically, having him drink my blood wasn’t going against either of them. Actually, Wyvern already knew that this would be part of our contract and likely, so did Victoria.

  Nevertheless, the guilt still squirmed in my stomach as he scooted toward me. But more than the guilt, excitement and anticipation built in me.

  He leaned in toward me. “Are you sure?”

  I couldn’t find my voice so I just nodded.

  He reached up and wrapped one of his hands around the side of my neck.

  “Right now?” I whispered.

  “If you’re sure.”

  I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “I’m sure.” I closed my eyes as his head lowered to my neck. There was the now-familiar soft prick of pain, and then soft tingly warmth filled my body from head to toe. I laid back into the couch, smiling, as Harrison pulled my body toward him and drank three long drinks.

  I closed my eyes, my head resting on his shoulder. He didn’t get up or move, but a piece of cloth pressed to my neck.

  “I don’t have to drink very often,” he said.

  I made a sort of ‘mm-hmm’ sound. Harrison sat with me tucked up against him for a minute, then leaned forward to grab something, but sat back down. I heard the quiet slip sound of pages turning above me, and I slowly closed my eyes and fell asleep.

  I woke in the dark, tucked into my own room alone. A knock sounded on my door, and I realized what must have woken me.

  “What?” I called out, my voice croaky.

  “It’s me!” Lorelei yelled from outside the door.

  I touched my neck, feeling the small double puncture wound there. As I pressed my fingers against the ridges, chills ran down my body, though the room was hot.

  I sat up. Even though Lorelei had been the one to tell me to do it, I brushed my hair over the small wound on my neck. “Um, come in.”

  Lorelei opened the door. She wore workout clothes and looked like she just got in a wrestling match with a mud monster and lost.

  I covered my nose. “Go shower! You stink.”

  “Shut up,” she said before throwing a letter at me like a Frisbee. “That came for you.”

  I caught the letter out of the air and looked down at the thick blue envelope. “Thanks,” I said.

  Lorelei stood over me, not leaving. “Aren’t you going to open it?”

  “Aren’t you going to shower?”

  She crossed her arms.

  “Uh, fine.” I stuck my finger in the fold of the envelope and broke it open.

  “It’s a beautiful love…” the voice came singing out of the envelope.

  “Oh my gods, why is it singing?” Lorelei said, coming up to look down at the envelope.

  “It’s a day full of joy…” the envelope continued to sing.

  “Make it stop!” Lorelei said, grabbing the letter from me. She pulled what looked like fifteen cards from the envelope. “It’s this one!” She held up a small, pink card.

  “A lifetime of happiness…”

  Opening my window, Lorelei chucked the singing card out and shut the window.

  I laughed. “Wow Lorelei, thanks for saving me from that horrendous foe.”

  She shivered. “Terrifying.” Then she turned back to the bed, grinning.

  I lifted up the biggest card in the bunch. “Dakota Kekoa, you are formally invited to be the personal guest of Wyvern Manderson, Rex of New Anglo, in the engagement party of Petro Manderson and Vera Helenos.”

  “Wow, here’s a list of charities you can donate to on the party’s behalf. They’re all, like, horse places?”

  “I have no idea. Oh my gods—this is in two weeks?” I looked up at Lorelei.

  She grinned at me. “Looks like someone needs a dress. Thank goodness Mom has bought you like ten million…”

  I exhaled heavily. “Are you going?”

  “Hells no!” Then she laughed and walked out of my room still laughing.

  “Buttface!” I called after her.

  She shut my door, still laughing.

  The moment she was gone my fingers came back up to the punctures on my neck. I told myself that it was necessary, that I needed to do the feedings for this assignment, that it wasn’t personal. But I also knew, whether I wanted it to be true or not, that I would be counting down the hours until Harrison fed from me again.

  Thank you for reading Rex, Dakota Kekoa book two. If you enjoyed this book, please consider reviewing on Amazon.

  Acknowledgements

  First, I want to thank my amazing editor, Monique Fischer. Thank you so much for your hard work and patience!

  I would also like to thank Kathryn Patterson, Anne Loshuk and my sister, Anna Walsh-Palencia for beta reading. Each gave me such a wealth of feedback, and the ideas of each beta reader helped sculpt this novel.