Page 69 of Crown of Draga

Nash sat up and pulled the book towards him. He growled when he saw the Ancient handwriting. “Could you copy this down for me? I can get my scientists working on it immediately. As soon as we have the data I can share it with the Draga Army.”

She nodded and made notes in her shreve. “Our tech and scientists aren’t as advanced as yours, but I’ll get them started on it as well. I wish I’d known this before Giselle left.”

A large, warm hand stroked her back and Nash leaned against her. He gave comfort so easily despite his aggressive nature. Adelina adored the soft, gentle side of him.

“I’m going to capture one of these beasts and take it apart,” Nash said. “Then I will find where their home is and eradicate them completely.”

Adelina shivered. She could never forget his violent nature no matter how sweet and gentle he was with her. His eyes were fierce as he stared at nothing and she didn’t doubt he’d do exactly as he said. It should have frightened her, but Adelina knew from all those lessons she took to help Raena rule – sometimes you needed a monster to fight a monster.

“Once I have some of their DNA I can track them with our tech,” Nash told her. “That too will be shared. I promise.” He kissed her bare shoulder.

Something about erasing an entire race of Humans bothered her. “What if they’re not all like the ones who killed your family?”

Nash pulled away from her, frowning. The muscles in his shoulders and neck tensed. “How can we possibly tell one from the other, Adelina? They were pushed back centuries ago and now here they are, feasting on us for revenge. Does your book state why they left the rest of us? Does it say why they chose their genetic alterations? Why they disappeared without a trace? The rest of us settled near each other even if we went our separate ways. What did they want that was so different from us, and how is that not a threat to all Humans now?”

Adelina was frozen as she listened to Nash rant. She knew losing his family had devastated him and he still carried guilt for not being able to save them. That didn’t excuse genocide. “There has to be a way, Nash. Or we are no better than they are.”

He grunted and got to his feet with unerring grace and speed. Nash paced in front of her bed and she watched him warily.

“The Neprijat who have invaded need to die, but tracking them back to their homeworld and murdering innocents is not the answer,” Adelina told him. “Yes, we need to find their source, but we have to negotiate and create a peace treaty. Children will be on that planet, Nash. I forbid you to present that as the solution to the dragons.”

He whirled around, nostrils flaring in outrage. “You dare order me?”

Adelina set the book on the bed next to her. Her instincts told her to run, an apex predator had her in his sights, but she had to stand up for those who couldn’t themselves. “Yes,” she said, eyes narrowing. “I dare order you. The alliance between our people is at stake.”

There was mostly red in his eyes and Adelina made sure she was ready to slash her nails across his face if she needed to. She’d avoid his eyes and the important veins, but it would warn him off. Never would she have thought she’d have a dominance fight with a Corinthian warrior prince.

“The alliance?” he hissed. “You’re threatening the alliance?”

“No, Nash. You are threatening the alliance if you disobey.”

He breathed hard, but Adelina could see he tried to reign in his anger rather than lash out at her. She buried that twinge of fear deep so he couldn’t smell it on the air.

“Fine,” he snapped. “I won’t kill them all.”

“Good,” she said, crossing her arms.

Suddenly his shoulders slumped and Nash ran a hand through his hair as the red in his eyes lessened. “You drive a hard bargain.”

“I may not be as powerful as Raena,” Adelina said, pulling the book back onto her lap. “But I do advise her. Presenting solutions is my job. How I present them is how she decides to agree. Don’t forget – I’m not powerless, Nash.”

He studied her from head to toe. “No, you aren’t.”

Then he chuckled.

Adelina’s muscles felt weak after all the strength it took not to flee from him when he was angry. She was still not used to standing up for herself, or for anything. It was in her nature to agree and avoid conflict. Or it had been, and now she had to learn the other side of her as well. She just wished her dominance hadn’t been tested with Nash, of all people.

She shuddered and set the book down. It was too difficult to focus. This was why she had chosen not to tell Nash about her true genetic history. He may have feelings for her, and they were currently on the same side, but one day he might not be. One day he would have to rule his people and their best interests might not coincide with her people and their best interests.

Nash pulled her to his chest. “I’m sorry,” he murmured against her hair. “I didn’t mean to challenge you like that. It’s just my nature.”

Adelina knew they were different. Their people had completely different cultures and expectations. She opened her eyes and studied his face. There had been marriages between their people before, but would it work with her varying dominance and position?

It didn’t really matter, she supposed. They had a few days together and until things were different, it wouldn’t do to worry about it. Adelina had to prepare for her reality, even if she did not particularly like it at the moment.

She wrapped her hands around Nash’s neck and kissed his forehead. “It is the nature of our positions. I am a princess of Draga. You are a prince of Khara. A normal relationship between us is not likely unless the requirements on me or you happen to change.”

“I wish we could be normal citizens,” he sighed. “But here I am planning how to convince a bunch of cantankerous Drakesthai to agree to help us. So the plan is to share our tech with them, our solution to eradicate the conquering roaches, and then find their homeworld to make lasting peace.”

Adelina nodded and ran her fingers through his dark hair. “We will have to free the dragons from Neprijat rule first, however tenuous it is at the moment.”

Nash pushed her until she lay on her side and he set the box of discs before them. “Well, I suppose we should see what your thief has found.” He rested his head on her waist and pulled out his device, so much sleeker and faster than her own.

Adelina stroked his hair as he read to her and she closed her eyes. She didn’t care that they had opposing cultures or issues of dominance between them still. It didn’t matter to her that Nash had a violent temperament, not when he had so much control. He was gentle with her and managed his aggression well. He’d never hurt her. With him by her side she felt protected and safe.

Adelina kissed his forehead. When they finished their work she planned to spend the rest of the night enjoying the male that would be hers – for just a single breath in the long expanse of time.

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