Page 12 of Dragon Awakened

The taste of smoke hits the back of my throat. My dragon is ready to rise to the surface and find the man who's put her through so much pain and rain down fire and stone on his head.

But my vengeance isn't what my mate needs right now.

She curls in on herself, pulling her hand back from Malik to twist her fingers together in her lap. "I might have neglected to mention that he was Prince Storm of the Air Dragon Kingdom."

"Motherfucker," Rafe seethes.

And I knew there was more to the story. She was hiding something...

But this? To find out that she was in a relationship with yet another prince of yet another of the great kingdoms?

"Why didn't you tell us?" I ask, a heaviness lodging itself in my chest.

"I wanted to." She looks up at me with guileless eyes. "But everything was so overwhelming, and I knew--I mean, obviously, it was suspicious as hell."

Is she wrong? The way she bonded with me and Rafe at the same time set off alarm bells in my head. It was bizarre. But I trusted in the gods. I trusted in my mate. Her soul was open to me, and it was nothing but pure.

"It might have helped us understand what was going on sooner."

"I know." She exhales heavily. She glances between me and Rafe again. "I'm sorry." She looks to Malik, too. "For all of this."

"It is all right, beloved," Malik assures her.

Shaking her head, she brushes her hair back from her face. "It's the farthest thing possible from all right."

"It is complicated," I concede.

"When has it ever not been?" Rafe asks.

I chuckle. "You can say that again."

But it's always been complicated. Ember had two mates, and now she has three. She needs a fourth, and once upon a time, she had a history with one of the men who is a leading contender for that position.

The white of her teeth shows as she worries at her bottom lip. "You're not mad?"

"I'm not sure I'd go that far," Rafe grumbles, off the cuff.

I glare at him, but try to give the question the thought it deserves.

"I'm not thrilled," I allow. "But I'm angrier at the situation than I am at you." I try to smile, but it's strained. "I understand your reasons for keeping this to yourself."

"I was going to tell you."

"But there was no time," Malik says.

I appreciate that he's reassuring her; I'm trying my best to accept him into the fold. But he's been part of this relationship for all of a day, and he spent most of that day keeping me and Rafe locked up behind bars.

Swallowing my annoyance with him, I try to focus on practical matters. "You think Prince Storm could be your mate, then?"

"I don't see how. We...more than locked eyes, if you know what I mean." Ember squirms, and that adorable pink cast returns to her cheeks.

I definitely know what she means. I hate to imagine her with yet another man, but I've seen her make love to Rafe and I've felt her in the throes of passion with Malik.

My blood warms, need stirring within me.

Rafe clears his throat, his eyes darkening as well. "What about his brother?"

Ember's jaw clenches. "Fury. He's even worse than Storm. Storm was at least tolerable, until he--you know." Her mouth wavers before setting into a grim line. "Broke my heart and watched me get thrown out of his kingdom."

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