The Dragon's Rebellious Sacrifice: a Dragon Shifter Romance (The Last Dragons Book 4)

by Ines Johnson

  “She’s mine,” growled Ilia, as his brothers tightened their hold. “I marked her. I claimed her.”

  To another woman, that declaration of a relationship out in public might be considered sweet, romantic even. To Rose, it reeked of betrayal. It was the second time a man had boasted of her private affairs with him. Only this time, it hurt way worse because Ilia mattered to her.

  “Fine,” growled Leona. “But the other one is fair game.”

  All male gazes shifted off Rose to Lily. The candied flowers fell from her sister’s hands. Lily’s eyes glazed over in that look she always got on casting calls.

  That looked that said she was nothing but a blank canvas. That look that said she’d allow others to paint on the mask of who she was. Because who she was didn’t matter.

  “Lil?”

  But Lily couldn’t hear her. Lily couldn’t see her. She’d already retreated inside herself.

  Ilia was standing before her, but Rose ignored him. There was nothing he could do. She peered over him until she found his brother.

  “Elek? Help us? Please, mark her or claim her or whatever.”

  Elek took in a deep breath. He let it out on a long, low sigh. “I’m sorry. I cannot.”

  Rose’s eyes stung as though his words had slapped her. But she couldn’t cry yet. There was still a chance. When Rose looked to the topaz blue dragon, Rhoyl wouldn’t meet her gaze.

  So much for family sticking together. The only person she could ever count on was her own blood. And right now, Lily needed Rose to be her hero.

  Rose knew what she had to do. She inhaled a full breath, pushing down the yes that had bubbled so close to the surface only moments ago. She opened her eyes and did what she had to do.

  “You want to be my hero?” she said to Ilia.

  “I am your hero,” he said.

  “Then claim my sister.”

  “I can’t do that. I’ve already claimed you.”

  “Take it back. Take it back and claim her. She needs your protection. I need you to protect her.”

  Ilia looked from Lily, who remained catatonic, and back to Rose. His once-over of Lily held only a spark of emotion. His gaze upon Rose was a blaze.

  “Rose…” He reached for her.

  She snatched her hand away. “No.”

  Ilia reached for her again.

  “No,” she said. “Vernon.”

  The color drained from Ilia’s face. Like a light going out, his eyes went dull and dim. His strong hands, which had given her so much pleasure and certainty, went limp at his sides.

  Rose took the opportunity to shove her sister at Ilia. He caught Lily like a ball he would take no joy in playing with. But he received it because it was his duty as Player One.

  “Some claiming,” said Leona. “She doesn’t even remember the whelp’s name.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  It had taken two of his brothers to hold him back when the shifters entered the castle. As Rose walked out the front door and into the new day’s sun, Ilia could barely hold himself up.

  She’d told him no—a real no. She’d left him. She didn't want him. And why would she?

  Some hero he was. He wasn’t a hero at all. Once again, he’d been tossed out of the game. Put on the sidelines. At least this time, he was inside the house and not fighting for scraps like when his father had discarded him as worthless.

  Ilia had fought tooth and claw to prove the male wrong. And he had. He’d survived then. Only now…? How was he to survive when his heart had stopped?

  He couldn’t fight right now if he’d tried. That single word—the word he’d given Rose to prove she was safe with him—she’d hurled it into his face. It had been a barrel thrown at Jump Man’s head by Donkey Kong. It had been a turtle shell that clipped his feet out from under him, like in Super Mario Brothers. Ilia sat on the ground, powered down as his mate walked out the door.

  If she had walked out with Leona and the lions, or the wolves, or the bears, Ilia’s beast would’ve torn off his skin and slaughtered each one of them, breaking the Accords his brothers had fought so hard to make. That would have destroyed the fragile peace in the Veil.

  Rose didn’t leave with a shifter. She left with Cardi, Poppy, and Beryl. They would take her to God’s Teet, to the apartment where Cardi stayed for a short time during her bout of independence. There Rose would stay until it was the time of the choosing. She’d made it clear she wouldn’t choose him. She demanded he choose her sister.

  “Rose?”

  Ilia turned to glance at Lily. She was finally coming out of her catatonic state. She looked lost and fragile, like a little girl. Nothing like the spirited woman that Ilia had fallen in love with. How had he ever thought to choose Lily over Rose?

  “Rose?” Lily began to shiver. It didn’t look like her trembling form would hold her weight.

  Ilia stood and wrapped an arm around her. She was less than skin and bones. Rose was right; Lily was far too frail to be claimed by any other shifter.

  “Where’s Rose?”

  Ilia looked into pale blue eyes, so much like Rose’s. But not quite as bright. Lily was a true damsel. She needed a man to save her.

  Ilia knew he was not that man.

  He didn’t want a damsel. He didn’t want a woman who could barely stand on her own two feet. Ilia wanted a hero—no. Ilia wanted a heroine.

  “Rose is going to be fine,” she said as he pulled Lily into the protection of his arms, just as his heroine had commanded him to do.

  Ilia squeezed her tight, trying to let Lily know that she was safe. Her sister had sent her the best protection this side of the Veil. Now Ilia would have to do what he must to protect them both.

  “Ilia?” Kimber approached his younger brother with hands raised in surrender.

  It was a pose dragons never took. They’d been taught at a young age to never show weakness.

  "I'm fine," Ilia said to his brother as he rubbed soothing circles with his palm into Lily’s back.

  “Did they take her away?” asked Lily, her voice slowly gaining strength. “Did those men take Rose away?”

  “No,” said Ilia, looking down at her. Her eyes were beginning to brighten, nearing the strength of her sister’s. “Rose left on her own. But we’re going to get her back.”

  “She has to choose, Ilia,” said Kimber, regret lacing his deep voice. “Those are the rules we all agreed to.”

  “She’ll choose me,” said Ilia, his gaze still on Lily. “She’ll choose me once she knows her sister is safe.”

  “How are we going to do that?” asked Corun.

  There was a part of Ilia that wanted to smirk. Corun fancied himself the smartest of the weyr. But here, Ilia, the runt, had figured out how to solve the problem.

  “Simple,” said Ilia.

  He looked to Elek and Rhoyl, who stood off to the side. Neither met his eyes. Both of their gazes were cast down in shame.

  “I’ve recently learned that no doesn’t always mean no.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Rose’s stomach was in turmoil. Her gut twisted into knots that tightened and squeezed until she doubled over. Arms came around her. The arms weren’t strong or muscular like Ilia’s. These arms were the same size and skin tone as hers, but there was a strength to them. There was also chemical soapy spray above the arms, like a can of hairspray had bloomed.

  “It’s going to be okay,” Cardi said as she tightened her hold around Rose.

  Rose knew a lie when she heard one. She’d just said the mother of all lies to the man she’d fallen in love with. Not the part about Ilia protecting her sister. Rose absolutely meant that. She would die for Lily.

  But that bit about Rose not needing Ilia to be her hero? Yeah, complete and utter bullshit. The proof was in her belly, which was roiling in protest as they went further and further away from the castle.

  All around them, flowers lifted their blooming heads as they walked by, just like in Rose’s dream. Trees bent their boughs to gaze do
wn at them. Slender males and females of every shade of the rainbow stopped and stared quizzically.

  Rose couldn’t appreciate the wondrous views that would’ve had casting directors falling over themselves and photographers clicking. She was too far in her head, worrying over the dilemma she’d gotten herself in.

  She’d be going on a casting call soon enough. One where she’d have lifetime employment depending on who chose her.

  At the end of the path, they came to what looked like a neighborhood bar. Rose had never been inside a bar. There was no point. Back in her world, she couldn’t hold a meal, much less her liquor. But one whiff of the sweet and spicy scent of alcohol, and she knew she wanted to be drunk.

  “Hey, Mari,” said Cardi. “Can I get three Apple Eves, please? Go hard on the snake venom, would you?”

  The bartender, Mari, didn’t move into action at Cardi’s order. Her slender indigo arms crossed over her chest. Her sky blue gaze fixed on Rose. Rose felt a decided chill in the air.

  “Is this her?” asked Mari. “Is this Ilia’s new mate?”

  Cardi opened her mouth to respond but then winced and pressed her lips together. Poppy leaned back into Beryl’s embrace. Their dubious expressions matched each other.

  The word no refused to pass Rose’s lips. That same yes that had been rising up inside her for Ilia didn’t want to present itself to this woman. It was for Ilia. Though now she wouldn’t be able to give it to him.

  “Are you Elek’s then?” asked Mari. “Did that monk finally decide to play his V-card?”

  There was a chorus of tinkling giggles from behind her. Rose glanced over her shoulder to see a few other women. Though to call them women didn’t seem right. They looked like they were walking Photoshopped caricatures of models. They were absolute perfection. Not a single blemish on their pastel skin. Their bodies had achieved a thinness that New York and Paris runways would’ve killed for.

  “You’ve been marked,” Mari was saying. “I can see the bite from here. If you’re not Ilia’s or Elek’s… you can’t be Rhoyl’s. He wouldn’t…”

  Rose turned back to the bar. Her hand went to the mark on her collarbone under Mari’s ice gold glare. Mari backed away, her hand going to the exact same place on her neck, which was covered by her dull-looking sack.

  “I’ll get someone else to serve you. I’m taking my break.” Mari turned on her heel, dashing into a back room of the bar.

  Through the front door came another crash. The lion shifters from before strode into the bar. Their golden manes illuminated the room, but not as brightly as their sharp-toothed smirks lit up the room. They were followed by the thick bear of a man and the other one with the wolfish grin.

  The lioness Leona wasn’t with them, which is probably the reason why Rose relaxed. Despite the beasts that lived in them, they were just men. Men all wanted the same thing; sex.

  She’d been prepared to have meaningless sex with Ilia. Except his touches came to mean the world to her. She couldn’t imagine having another man’s hands on her body. But pretty soon, one of them would claim the right to.

  Her gut roiled some more, threatening to give up everything Rose had consumed the day before. She took a deep breath to hold it down. She had to do this. Lily would’ve never survived it. Ilia would take care of her sister. He’d keep her safe and care for her. That would have to sustain Rose for the rest of her life.

  “Tell me about the others,” Rose said, looking between Cardi on her right and Poppy on her left. “Who don’t I want to be chosen for.”

  “You misunderstand,” said Beryl. “They do not get to choose. You are the prize. You make the choice.”

  “They’ll put themselves on display,” Cardi said. “Showing off their best assets in hopes that you’ll choose them.”

  Well, that was novel. Rose would be the casting director in this situation. Already she could see causes to reject the men.

  That lion had a mane of hair that went down his back, reminding her of Fabio. Too 80s for her. The other sported a mohawk reminding her of a blond Mr. T, complete with a gold chain around his neck. Thank you, next.

  The dark bear of a man was the size of Andre the Giant. He’d likely crush her with just his thumb. The man with the wolfish grin looked too confident. Like a used car salesman. Like he knew he had the job in the bag.

  He was wrong. They were all wrong. She wanted to reject each of them and send them home. Because she’d already cast this role.

  She’d chosen Ilia. How could she not choose Ilia? He was the true hero of her dreams. He was the villain to her doubts and nightmares.

  She didn’t need this job. She didn’t want this job. If they were going to fight over her and her sister, then that was their problem. Not hers. She would fight back.

  Rose pushed away from the bar. She only got two steps before the shifters were in front of her, crowding her space.

  “Allow me to introduce myself,” said the mohawk’d lion. “I’m—”

  “I don’t care,” said Rose, sidestepping him.

  There was a chorus of deep belly laughs. Then the guy with the wolfish grin was beside her.

  “Not interested,” Rose said as she stepped away from him as well.

  A low growl sounded behind her, but it didn’t deter her. She balled her fist the way Ilia had taught her. She’d strike out if she needed to.

  But no one grabbed her as she went out the doors. The fresh air hit her square in the chest once she was outside. Her stomach settled, her mind cleared. She knew exactly what she had to do.

  The only problem was, she didn’t know which way to go. She’d need the girls and Beryl to lead her back to the castle, back to Ilia.

  Rose turned to head back inside. She was only able to turn partway around to the door. A cloud of dark smoke plumed in her face. With one inhale, she lost control of her limbs. Arms came around her, and she was being lifted, carried… kidnapped. Again.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Ilia flew hard to reach God’s Teet. He knew Rose was in no danger with Beryl on one side and Cardi on the other. Most in the Veil feared Cardi more than her mate Kimber. Ilia pushed his wings so hard because he couldn’t stand to be another moment without his mate.

  Rose had asked him to keep her sister safe. He’d done that. With his actions now, no shifter would dare sniff around Lily. But he knew they were all sniffing around his own mate.

  With that thought, his wings picked up enough power to break the sound barrier. He landed at the door of Cardi’s old apartment with a loud thud. The floorboards creaked under his weight as he shifted from beast to man.

  He was naked, but he didn’t care. He didn’t need clothes for what he had planned for Rose. He was itching to get her back into bed and tie her up like a damsel. It would be pure role play because his Rose was the farthest thing from a helpless woman.

  She was a true hero, coming to her sister’s rescue. Only now, Ilia insisted on coming to her rescue. He would be her hero, her villain, her sidekick. Anything she wanted or needed. But he would be hers, and she would be his.

  He smelled the shifters below. But he felt no need to fight. He’d already won, and now he would reclaim his prize.

  Except the apartment was dark. Silent. Empty.

  Rose wasn’t there. But he could smell her scent. She was near. Maybe she was at the bar?

  Ilia grabbed a pair of Kimber’s pants. His brother and Cardi liked to escape to the apartment from time to time to be alone. With his lower half covered, he entered the bar.

  The first thing he spotted were two redheads. There were Cardi’s curls that were teased high to the ceiling. There was Poppy’s soft whisps of hair that rested on her shoulders. Where were Rose’s soft waves of red?

  Ilia sniffed the air again. She was here. Somewhere. Having his mate in such close proximity while not in his arms was pushing his dragon too far.

  “Beryl,” Ilia growled loud enough to be heard over the music. “Where is she?”

  His brother
didn’t need to ask who Ilia was talking about. “She’s right…”

  Beryl looked around. His features growing dimmer with each corner he looked in to find that Rose wasn’t there.

  “She was just standing next to me,” said Cardi. “Maybe she went into the bathroom.”

  Cardi came out of the girl’s restroom a moment later without Rose. Ilia’s attention turned to the shifters in the room. He stormed up to Ari, giving the lion’s long mane a nasty tug.

  “Where’s my mate?”

  Ari turned a golden glare on Ilia. “Do I look like I have your mate?”

  Ari held out his hands. He opened his massive palms, revealing nothing inside. Nothing except ink marks. Likely from writing his awful poetry.

  Ilia turned to Ari’s brother Kefir, who also didn’t appear to be harboring a svelte redhead in his paws.

  Neither were the wolf or bear red-handed. But she was nearby. He could smell her. Could she be hiding? That wasn’t the character of the woman he knew. She wouldn’t cower for any of these men.

  “What do you care,” said Kefir. “She denied your claim. Your supposed mate tossed you aside.”

  He was wrong. Rose hadn’t tossed him aside. She’d trusted him with what she held most dear. Not one of these males understood that, which meant that not one of them was worthy to breathe her air.

  But they were all sharing the same air. She was here. And she needed him. She needed him just as much as he needed her.

  For most of his life, Ilia swore he never needed anyone. He swore he would be his own hero. He never cried out for help. Even though his brothers were always there at hand. Beryl stood at his side, along with Cardi and Poppy. He could ask for their help. Instead, Ilia threw his head back and cried out.

  “Rose! Rose, where are you?”

  The bar went silent under his bellow. There were whispers and a few giggles at his outburst. Ilia didn’t care if he looked like a weakling calling out for his love. What he did care about was that Rose didn’t so much as make a peep.