“Besides,” Lu continued with a sigh, leaning his arm on the decrepit wooden table next to him. “Didn’t you get everything from this one already? We know the princess escaped to the drakes and we know they’re in the Grebe forest. What else could you possibly get from him?”

  Cal shrugged. “He could have something else of use in that head of his. Gods know his comrades didn’t.” The prince gestured to the discarded and mutilated bodies piled up on the dirty dungeon floor.

  “And what of the king?” Lu tapped his fingers on the table. “Don’t you think he will notice one of his soldiers is missing?”

  A wicked smile crawled up Cal’s face. “Not if he thinks they were killed by the drakes. It’s a good thing we intercepted them before they could reach the king. Or we’d have more of a problem on our hands.”

  “I’m honestly surprised the princess even went to the drakes.” Luis stroked his fingers up and down the surface of the table. “If she had run to anyone, I’d have imagined it would be her father first.”

  “One would think.” Cal leaned on the wall beside the soldier, pointing his knife an inch from his eye. “What do you think? Do you think the princess should have gone to the king first?”

  The soldier stayed still, his face too close to the knife to even nod.

  “I’m sorry, I can’t hear you? What was that?” Cal let his hand slip and cut a shallow wound across the soldier’s cheek. “Oops, my hand got shaky waiting for your response.”

  “No,” the soldier croaked out, licking his dry and cracked lips.

  “See,” Cal promptly removed the knife and turned to his brother. “He doesn’t think so either. Why would she run to daddy? That bitch is too proud to tell her father anything.” Cal paused and tapped the tip of the knife against his chin, not bothered by the blood staining him. “No, she would want to do everything herself, leaving her pathetic king to think he had chosen a good match for her.”

  Luis snorted. “Hardly. Anyone with half a brain could see through your pretenses long before they let them put their hands on their precious daughter.” Luis hummed and crossed one booted foot over the other. “No, the king is desperate. He knows it. We know it. I think he would have accepted just about anyone who wanted to take his daughter’s hand if only to help replenish the coffers and keep them out of war.”

  Cal smirked at that. “That was never going to happen. If Kinoko is so easily overtaken with just an offer of marriage then others will come as well. We’ll have to fight to keep it until we prove we are a force to reckon with...” Cal paused and licked his lips, the need for violence burning his veins. “After we take care of those pesky drakes.”

  Cal turned back to the soldier and flipped his knife over and over in his hand. “Now, let’s see if we can get something else of use out of you. Maybe I’ll even spare you.”

  The soldier groaned and blinked one swollen eye at Cal, hope filling them.

  “Spare you a boring life that is,” Cal corrected himself before plunging the knife into the soldier’s shoulder. His screams rang in Cal’s ears and he sighed happily. Now, if only it was higher pitched and accompanied with a pair of tits. Then it would be perfect.

  Chapter 6

  Aryn led me away from the female quarters and back toward the king’s room. My feet struggled to follow her, not wanting to face the drake king yet. Aryn didn’t care.

  “Do not be reluctant now, you’ve already gotten yourself planted right where you wanted,” Aryn signed a stern expression on her face. “The drakes will help, and then we can go home. So you have to continue to play the part of a willing whore.”

  I flinched, signing back. “It’s not that simple.”

  “Isn’t it?” Aryn shifted to the side of the corridor as a set of drakes walked past us. Their golden eyes slid over to us, watching our hand movements before continuing on their way.

  Aryn grabbed my arm to get my attention, gesturing with more fervor. “You bed the king, keep him happy, and we get our kingdom back. Callahan and his wretched brother will go to the underworld where they belong.”

  “And what about after?” I pulled my lower lip between my teeth and chewed on it. “The drakes...” I paused, not sure how to continue. “They’re going to want to remain allies.”

  Aryn’s brows furrowed, her shoulders shifting. “So? We could use them against any oncoming attacks.”

  She didn’t get it.

  Aryn thought it was as simple as having sex with the king until Cal was gone. It wasn’t simple. It was far from it.

  The possessiveness of Ryu’s hold on me, the marking on my inner thigh, and now his brother’s interest in me. It made my stomach twist into knots. It knew they weren’t going to just let me go back to my life in the palace. Nor would I want them to be forced to hide out here in the mountains anymore after they helped us. Kinoko would owe them a debt too great to repay with simply my body.

  “But at what costs?” I sighed and walked away from her.

  With no particular destination in mind, I stalked down the hallway. Thankfully, Aryn didn’t follow. I needed a moment alone. A moment to think about the situation I’d gotten myself into.

  When I first had this idea, I thought it was the answer to all my problems. Now... I might have made things worse.

  Saving the kingdom was one thing. Finding my way out of the entanglement with the king and his brother... another.

  My mind wandered back to what Ira said to me.

  You’re broken just like I am. They don’t understand. They could never understand.

  Broken? Ha. I’d show him broken. Ira might think the loss of his eye meant he was broken. I sure as hell didn’t. And I definitely don’t want him to treat me like a broken toy.

  Before I knew it, my feet led me to the edge of the market. Drakes wandered around from booth to booth without a care in the world. The ground and very air vibrated with the amount of hustle and bustle coming from the area.

  I didn’t know how many of them knew about the imminent danger sitting on their doorstep. Since Beautine knew about it, I could only assume everyone did. Unless Ryu only told a select few. Either way, I envied their bliss.

  I stepped further into the marketplace and several drakes nearby at a booth selling the most beautiful fabric I’d ever seen stopped what they were doing to stare at me.

  Hesitant to cause another scene, like the last time I was there, I peered down at the fabrics with a longing in my chest before stepping back, turning to go. A female drake of cobalt scales waved her hand at me to stop. Her mouth moved, telling the other drakes to move on, before she gestured me forward.

  Part of me didn’t want to offend her. It also drew another part of me to the glimmering fabrics. Chewing on my lower lip, I inched forward, my eyes flicking to the different shades on the counter. Emerald greens, blacks so dark that it sucked the light in around it, and a sparkling bronze.

  The drake placed her hand on the bronze one and arched a brow. Her lips moved. “You like?”

  Licking my lips, I nodded and smoothed my hand over the material. It caressed my fingers in a way I’d never felt before, and I couldn’t wait to feel it against my skin.

  The female lifted the fabric and held it out to me with an eager smile.

  I glanced at it and then back to her, shaking my head, gesturing at myself. I had nothing to pay for it. All of my money was back at the palace and besides, I didn’t think the drakes would take gold coins in payment. A quick glance at the other booths showed none of them were using coins to pay.

  A hand on mine drew my attention back to the drake before me. She tapped the metal bracelet on my wrist. Something one of the other drakes had given me to wear. I frowned at her and then back at the bracelet. She tapped it again and then the fabric, flicking her finger between us as her lips formed one word.

  Trade.

  Blinking at her, I realized she wanted me to trade the bracelet for the fabric.

  Nodding eagerly, I unclipped the bracelet and handed it over to her. Grinning brightly, the female drake handed me the fabric, her eyes focusing on the sparkling gems in the bracelet.

  You should have asked for more.

  I spun around, searching for the growling voice in my head only to find the drake king’s other brother, Desmond, standing behind me, carving an apple with a sharp claw. He popped a slice into his mouth and jerked his chin at the female drake, who frowned at the prince, brows furrowed in irritation.

  What do you mean?

  The prince stepped to the booth and his lips moved too fast for me to keep up as he talked to the female drake. Her face scrunches up at the prince’s words, glancing from the fabric to the bracelet and back. Whatever the prince was saying made her unhappy. Then she inclined her head once and held up another bit of fabric to me of an emerald, green color.

  Desmond’s head twisted to me, and he tilted his chin toward it. Take it.

  Face scrunching in confusion, I took the fabric offered to me and thanked the female drake. Turning to Desmond, I cocked my head to the side. What was that about?

  You should be more careful out here on your own. The female was trying to cheat you. Your bracelet is far more valuable than the fabric she was offering. I simply made her give you what it was worth.

  I frowned down at the fabric and then back at the female, who had turned to another customer. Then lifted my head to Desmond with a small smile. “Thank you.”

  Desmond shook his head, the auburn color of his hair a deeper shade than his brothers, though they could almost be twins if not for the way Desmond’s lips twisted up into a mischievous grin, flashing a set of fangs at me. Don’t mention it. Let me walk with you.

  I hesitated to accept.

  I’ve had few interactions with the brother and none of them were pleasant. Why was he being nice to me now? However, I wanted to know what was in the drake’s mind and the only way to do it was to let him accompany me.

  Come now, princess. Desmond teased my mind. I won’t bite unless you ask me to.

  That’s what I was afraid of.

  Chapter 7

  Desmond walked along beside me as I skimmed over each stall in the market. Every once in a while he’d point something out and explain it in my mind before I could ask. It was both helpful and extremely irritating.

  Then there was the way the other drakes reacted with him around. Each time I stopped to look at something the drake behind the stall brightened to see me and then took one look at Desmond and became a little less enthused.

  I paused in front of a food vendor with what smelled of honey glazed duck, my mouth watering with hunger. The drake behind the stall saw me looking, my tongue tucked between my cheek and my teeth. Before I could tell him I didn’t have anything to trade, the shimmery chestnut colored drake shoved a cloth wrapped duck in my hands.

  Shaking my head, I held it back out to him unsure how to explain my lack of funds.

  Desmond’s claw curled around my shoulder, his voice whispering in my mind. Take it.

  Scowling at him, I made myself speak out loud so as not to be rude to the drake watching us with interest. “Just like that? You say I can have it so I should? I will not steal from him. I have nothing to pay him for it.”

  Desmond’s lips ticked up at my snarled words. Not the reaction I wanted. Instead of answering me, he pointed at the owner of the stall.

  The drake smiled politely and moved his lips slowly. “It’s a gift.”

  My lips pursed.

  See. Desmond’s voice smugly filtered through my head. Do not insult him by refusing.

  Still not convinced that I should, I clasped the duck closer and inclined my head in thanks. I waited until we walked away from the stall before stalking at a quickened pace away from the drake prince.

  I ducked into a side tunnel, not sure which way I was really going, just wanting to get away from Desmond before I throttled him. I came to a fork in the tunnel and struggled to read the markings on the wall.

  Was it left to go back to the women’s quarters or right?

  I felt the heat of his body before I saw him over my shoulder. Desmond stood close behind me, a curious and yet playful look in his eyes. At my attention, he cocked his head to the side almost like the dog the cook had in the kitchen whenever he wanted to be petted.

  Go away. I shoved the thought at him with enough force there was no way he didn’t receive it.

  Desmond’s smile widened until the tips of his fangs peaked out. And leave you to get lost in the tunnels? Ryu would punish me severely for such carelessness.

  My eyes narrowed into slits. I’m not your concern and if you’d left well enough alone, I wouldn’t feel like I just stole something for the first time in my life.

  One brow curled up and then Desmond’s head tipped back, his mouth opening wide as his chest shook with his laugh. A snarl built up into my chest and before I knew it, my arm jerked back and I threw the duck at the drake prince’s head.

  Desmond pulled back, more surprised than hurt by my attack. Blinking at me, Desmond glanced down at the duck on the ground. Did you just... throw that duck at me?

  Yes. I snapped, closing the distance between us. I shoved a finger at his chest, wincing at the hard muscle beneath it. You can’t just bully anyone you want into giving you free things. People have the right to make a living. Even drakes.

  Snatching finger away from his chest, I gasped and stumbled back from him. Desmond jerked me forward until my front was pressed against his firm chest, the spines of his armor poking me.

  You of all people should not assume you know what is going on. His lips moved while his words tickled my mind, his breath hot on my face.

  I know you and your brothers use your status to do whatever you want. Your people are afraid of you. I can see it whenever you’re around. I shot back, glaring into his face.

  Desmond’s lips twisted to the side in a smirk. He used one claw to brush my hair away from my face. The fear you see is laced with respect. You can rule with fear as well as love and still be respected. Drakes are not like humans. The strongest survive. Any weakness will be exploited. We cannot afford to let ourselves be loved by the drakes when they are always plotting to take our places.

  My lips turned down in confusion. That sounds like a lonely way to live.

  Shrugging a shoulder, Desmond released me but didn’t step back. We may have human ancestors but do not mistake us for having human morals.

  I shook my head. That still doesn’t give you the right to just steal from your people.

  Desmond rolled his eyes and tipped my chin up with a clawed finger. If you’d been patient and not stomped away, you’d have seen I paid the drake myself.

  I started to retort and then frowned, pressing my lips firmly together. Oh.

  Yes. Oh. He stroked along the line of my jaw, his fingers leaving a hot trail in its wake. I shuddered, the desire to pull back almost as big as the one to let him touch me further. What was with the drake royalty? It was like I let one of them defile me and now my traitorous body wanted the rest of them to join in.

  The thought of Ryu was enough to make me lick my dry lips and step back from Desmond. I inclined my head and signed thank you before darting away and down the hall. Not even thinking that he didn’t know what I’d signed until I was standing back in front of the female’s quarters.

  Chapter 8

  Ira

  His one good eye watched the human princess run down the tunnels, leaving his brother standing alone a dumbfounded expression on his face.

  Ira stepped out of the shadows of the adjacent tunnel, a brow arched in his brother’s direction. “Do I even want to ask what that was about?”

  Desmond’s gaze flicked over to his brother before he bent at the waist and picked up the discarded duck. He unwrapped it from its cloth wrapper and took a large bite of it.

  Ira grimaced, saying nothing of his brother’s disgusting habits.

  “We just had a disagreement.” Desmond chewed the duck in contemplation before adding on, “She doesn’t think much of us does she?”

  Shrugging one shoulder, Ira leaned against the tunnel wall. “We haven’t given her much reason to think we are anything other than vicious brutes. After all, that is what the rest of the world sees. Why should she be any different?”

  Desmond snorted. “If you’d stop playing with her, then maybe she’d see us differently.”

  Ira’s lips curved up in a vicious smile. “What’s the fun in that? Besides, I’m hardly the one playing with her. Ryu is far more enamored by her than I am. I swear if he growls at me one more time for even looking her way, I’m going to roast him.”

  Shaking his head with a laugh, Desmond used the cloth of the duck to wipe his mouth. “Like that’d do anything other than piss him off.”

  They set out down the corridor, easily navigating the tunnels to where they needed to be. Living underground had its disadvantages. No sunlight. The air became stale after a while. Ryu had done much to give new life to the mountain including having the brightest minds of the drakes build an air filtration system. No one, not even dragons, wanted to smell dirt and decay all the time.

  Passing by the entrance to the royal hot springs, Ira grunted. “By the way, if he hasn’t already. We need the water cleaned. Ryu fucked her in there again.”

  Desmond grimaced. “Why can’t he use something that we don’t all use?”

  “I believe he is.” Ira arched his brow with a knowing look. “Gods forbid one of us touch the princess or he’ll bite our heads off.”

  Huffing a laugh, Desmond smacked his brother on the shoulder. “I have never seen that stop you before. If I remember correctly, you specifically went out of your way to seduce Wellern when you knew that Ryu was thinking of adding her to his rotation.”

  “He’s already got a big head. It’s good for him to struggle for what he wants every once in a while.” Ira paused and smiled in memory. “Besides, Wellern wouldn’t have been happy with Ryu’s way of rutting. She’s liked it when I wrapped my hands around her —”

 

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