Page 47 of Crown of Draga

Chapter Fourteen

Veri

Draga Royal Palace

Planet Draga Terra

The ridewith Asher had been a glorious distraction. The way he’d taken her in the forest, wild and free – the rumors of the Dragas were true. They said the wolf inside each of them was bigger in the royals. Hiding right under the surface and it made them wilder; more fiercely protective and stronger than an average citizen.

It had been utterly exquisite.

Sex with Asher was nothing like sex with Hayden, and her former lover paled in comparison. How she’d ever thought Hayden was the one for her was beyond Veri.

Now though she was left to her own devices and the council meeting kept coming back to mind. It didn’t sit well with her at all.

Veri walked down the hall, no particular destination in mind. She simply needed to walk off her frustration. The council meeting had been difficult to attend. Not because of the matters addressed. No, Veri wanted to rip her father’s throat out for daring to sit in her mother’s place.

There had been so many times on Priea when her mother ranted and raved about their father. Alock and Veri had hidden while they watched her on a vid-call with him. It wasn’t until cycles later she knew why her father had left them to live on the capitol – on Draga Terra.

Lord Greyson had said he would get them the help they needed to fight the creatures in the waters of Priea, but Veri knew it was because they frightened him. He’d run away right after Alock had been born and ‘represented’ the Marquess and Priea’s interests on Draga Terra. He was not the true ruler of Priea, her mother was.

How he dared to sit in her place, pretend as though he cared about them when he’d left as soon as he possibly could. Lord Greyson was a minor noble from the poor planet of Deytis. He was weak. Her father could not handle what life required on Priea and it disgusted her.

“Lady Veri?”

That familiar voice stopped her dead in her tracks. Veri glanced over her shoulder to see Hayden. She looked around and noticed she was in a part of the palace she didn’t recognize. There were sounds of metal on metal, but it wasn’t the same sound as the sparring she was used to. If she had to guess she was probably near the forge, the barracks, and the wing where the military was housed.

“What do you want Hayden?” she snapped, sick of his pretenses.

Hayden had always used his title against her. He’d used Avvis’s position and favor with the royal family like a weapon, convincing her she should be so lucky to have him consider her as a wife. But when it came down to it, Hayden had been spineless and worthless. He was the worst kind of male; just like her father.

“I wanted to see if you were okay,” he said, frowning at her tone. “I know we’ve had our differences, but I miss you. Maybe if you told me what was wrong I could repair the damage?”

Veri stiffened. Hayden was still under the assumption she gave a damn what he thought. Did he really think he could dangle a possible relationship on forever while he groveled for the scraps of affection Princess Raena threw at him like the dog he was?

“There is nothing to repair, Hayden. We are through. It would be best if you left me alone.” She turned to leave but she’d forgotten how fast he could be.

Hayden gripped her arm hard enough to bruise and yanked her back. Veri whipped around and slapped him across the face, hard enough his head whipped to the side and there would most definitely be a bruise.

Good.

“Don’t you dare manhandle me,” she hissed.

A fire burned in Hayden’s eyes and he glared at her. He gripped both of her arms and shoved her back against the wall. Veri gasped at the pain and struggled to get free. She had been stupid, dumb enough to forget his temper when slighted.

He kissed her viciously, all teeth and possession. She felt his canines as he bit down and her lip bled. Veri brought up a knee hard, and Hayden grunted in pain. It was enough for his grip to loosen and she ducked under his arms; hand on the hidden knife strapped to her thigh.

“We both knew it never would have worked out,” Veri said, ignoring the blood that dripped from her lip. The smell of the copper tang filled the hallway and she snarled. “You had no intention of ever marrying me and I was a fool for believing you. You threw away everything for Raena,” Veri said. “And you aren’t even favored. Alock is.” She felt satisfaction in knowing her brother was the one to beat Hayden.

Hayden snarled and reached for her. Veri brought out her knife, but there was no need when an answering snarl rattled the stone walls. Instantly she stepped back at that sound, laced with so much dominance and power she dropped to her knees. Veri glanced up through her eyelashes and saw Asher with his hand around Hayden’s throat, holding him against the wall. Hayden’s feet didn’t touch the ground, but it didn’t look like Asher even strained with his weight. Goddess, he was strong.

“I believe the lady said she wasn’t interested,” Asher whispered. “You know what the punishment for rape is.”

Dismemberment.

It was difficult not to grin at the thought of Hayden without his favorite toy.

Asher let Hayden go and he dropped to the floor in a pitiful heap. Without a second glance Asher turned and held out a hand for her, the other behind his back in the perfect image of a gentleman. She took it with trembling fingers.

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