Page 58 of Betrayed By Dragons

"Believe me." Rafe brushes my knuckles with his. "I'm not."

We end up in a big lounge, where the evidence of Rafe's sister's party is strewn about haphazardly. A couple of staff members are cleaning up, and they look almost as tired as I feel. Rafe takes one of them aside and inquires about getting some guest rooms set up. They scurry off, and I drop to sit on the least messy couch I can find. Jianyu joins me, and I might gray out for a couple of minutes.

However long I'm drifting, I'm jolted back to awareness when the rest of our crew arrives.

"This place is amazing," Amy whisper-yells, clearly having been informed about the fact that the whole palace is asleep but also clearly lacking the restraint to lower her voice. "I mean, it's bat-shit, but it's bat-shit amazing."

"Thanks," Rafe says. "I think."

Scrubbing at my eyes, I sit up more fully. Rafe's assistant Atina confers with the staff before snapping her fingers over her head to get everyone's attention. "I'm sure everyone could use some rest. If you could follow us, we'll show you to our guest wing. Amy, Grace and Jett, this way." She gestures at another staffer. "Li, Ben, Jianyu." She directs them to another person. "And Ember, if you could come with me."

Jianyu's hand clasps around mine, and he almost lets out a growl.

Rafe shakes his head. "Ember and Jianyu will be with me."

Atina must be used to working with temperamental princes, because she doesn't miss a beat. "I'm sure everyone is tired, and there are security issues to consider when it comes to our Stone Kingdom friends." Her pitch rises ever so slightly on the word "friends".

But Rafe's not having any of it. His voice darkens, and I swear there's a red tinge to his eyes. "Ember and Jianyu," he repeats, "are with me."

Jianyu tugs at my arm, and we both rise. Atina shoots me a sharp look that takes me by surprise for a second. In a blink of an eye, it's gone, though, replaced with her usual unflappability.

"Very well." She returns her gaze to Rafe. "But the king won't be happy."

"Is he ever?" Rafe mutters. He takes my hand and moves to lead me away. As we're walking, he glances at his watch, then calls over his shoulder to Cael, "Eleven hundred hours in my suite."

Cael nods, and I wonder what I missed of their conversation while I was resting my eyes.

I don't have time or energy to really worry about it right now. Rafe guides me and Jianyu down a series of corridors until we arrive at a set of double doors. He puts his thumb on a keypad, and the doors swing open. The instant we're inside, the agitation under my skin eases. I'm surrounded by my mate's scent. The wild, mismatched, gaudily expensive decor of the hallway disappears, replaced with bright wood and brushed chrome. There's a table and chairs, and a leather-upholstered sitting area with pillows in fiery colors. A few gorgeous, abstract paintings tastefully decorate the walls, and I want to take my time and really soak in my mate's aesthetic.

As it is, I'm dead on my feet. The stress of meeting with Bedrock, getting double-teamed by my mates in the back room of a club, and then fighting and running for our lives is catching up with me. I stumble, and both of my mates catch me.

"Come on, sleepyhead." Rafe's voice is warm with affection, and I lean into him.

The adjoining bedroom is done in the same rich but curated style. All I really care about is the bed, though--and the thick crimson curtains Rafe draws across the window to block out the early morning sun.

Without thinking too much about it, I peel myself out of my dress and kick off my heels. My bra and underwear hit the floor, too, leaving me gloriously naked, and I swear to the gods, I can breathe for the first time in hours.

I flop onto the bed. Around me, my mates are shucking their clothes, too, and that's important. I'm never not interested in their getting undressed.

Jianyu lies down beside me, dragging the covers over my skin. He curls an arm around me. On my other side, Rafe does likewise. As my eyes fall closed, I brush a hand over Jianyu's hip and then Rafe's.

"Give me, like, ten minutes, guys," I mumble, fully intending to let the sexy times commence.

But between that breath and the next, I'm out cold.

* * *

To say that I wake up disoriented is an understatement. I groan and roll over, trying to bury my head beneath the covers, but I can't block out the sound of voices in the next room. As far as I know, I could have been out for an hour or a week.

Also, I have absolutely no freaking clue where I am.

That realization provides the jolt of unease I need to force my eyes open. I blink them a half-dozen times, rubbing the grit from them.

A vaguely familiar room comes into focus slowly. Bright light leaks from behind the edges of thick, crimson drapes, illuminating the giant bed, where I'm currently curled up in a ball, naked and alone. My mates' scents linger in the sheets, though. Jianyu's earthy solidity is a faint note, drowned out by the overpowering presence of Rafe's fiery essence.

Right. That makes sense. I'm in Rafe's room, in the Fire King's palace overlooking The Crimson City. Deep in the heart of the Fire Kingdom.

And that's Rafe's voice, echoing more and more loudly from right outside the door.

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