Page 82 of Heir of Draga

Adelina was irked he addressed her husband instead of her, but they’d all known it would come down to this. She took a step to the side as Varan slowly got to his feet with that lazy smile she adored so much.

“I’m okay with it mate, because I love her. And she loves you though I’m having a hard time seeing why at the moment.”

Adelina rolled her eyes at those last words. Varan hadn’t needed to goad Nash into a fight.

It was no surprise when Nash charged. Varan was up and out of his chair in the blink of an eye. Adelina watched warily as Nash tried to get ahold of Varan, but her husband was quick. She took another step back to give them space and clasped her hands behind her back.

This needed to happen. Nash had to vent his frustration and Varan needed to prove his strength and dominance as first husband. But that didn’t mean Adelina had to like it. She especially didn’t like the way Nash grabbed Varan’s arm and twisted it behind his back hard enough she worried he would dislocate his shoulder.

The instincts to step in and protect Varan were nearly impossible to resist. Adelina felt her canines prick her bottom lip, and her sharp nails stung against her palm, but she was careful not to break the skin.

The males crashed into the low table in the center of the room, shattering the wood. The sounds of fists and grunts and general curses filled the room and still no one moved. Every female waited to see what would happen, even Kaita.

In Khara a male could challenge the husband and if he won, then he earned the right to the female if he killed said husband.

It was a fine line to tread. The two needed this, but Nash could not officially challenge Varan. Adelina would lose out either way if that were to happen which is why she watched closely as Nash smashed Varan into a wall, her weight on the balls of her feet.

Varan ducked out and punched Nash in the ribs a few times in rapid succession before spinning and punching his kidneys. Nash was slower and Varan was so quick on his feet. His new strength showed when Nash staggered back, shock on his face as actual pain registered.

Enraged, Nash charged again and Varan tripped him up. Before anyone could react there was a simple, sharp blade at Nash’s throat.

Adelina slowly let out the breath she’d been holding as everyone froze. Now it was her turn.

She stepped forward and walked around the two so she faced Nash. His eyes glittered up at her, the red blazing with his fury. Only when she had his full attention did Varan re-sheath his knife and step away.

“Varan is the more dominant,” she said softly. “You would be near equals, but he is the first husband and thus holds a higher rank.” Goddess, she wished he could understand. Perhaps this wasn’t meant to be after all.

Nash’s outraged yell didn’t surprise her. She’d felt him with that string that had always connected the two of them, bound them together in ways she didn’t understand. Her courtesan genes only made the move more obvious. When Nash tried to go around her and charge Varan yet again, she let him.

Then Adelina snagged the back of his collar and yanked – like she had with Hayden, like she’d trained to do over the last week. Adelina released all her Draga dominance and strength; she released her wolf and slammed Nash onto his ass.

She would never forget his look of shock.

“You’ve lost Nash. Now stop before you do something unforgivable.”

“Take your hands off him,” Kaita snarled, unsheathing one of her plasma blades.

The threat made the air thick and time seemed to slow as both Nadyah and Roxy reacted.

Before Kaita could take a step Nadyah had one of her curved blades pressed to the princess’s throat. “Keep out of it or it’s your neck. Did you think I make idle threats?”

Before the Corinthian princess could respond the door slid open to reveal Kaiden. He took in Adelina’s claws holding the back of Nash’s shirt, Varan’s disheveled look, the wooden splinters that were all that remained of the table, and Nadyah’s blade to Kaita’s throat. Then his eyes flicked to Kaita’s unsheathed plasma sword and the relaxed way Roxy had her hand on the tool she kept on her belt.

“Here’s the information you asked for, Princess,” he said, wisely not mentioning the current situation. “I’ll…be back…at some later point.” Then Kaiden set the shreve down and disappeared.

If the situation weren’t so tenuous Adelina might have laughed.

When the door slid closed once more Adelina released Nash. “Don’t challenge him, Nash. If you need to challenge someone, then challenge me. There are things you don’t know and couldn’t possibly understand. Now…can we talk about this like people instead of animals, or do I have to punish someone?”

Kaita was the first to sheath her weapon and the action made Nadyah and Roxy stand down. The courtesan slipped her curved blade back into its hiding place and then readjusted her skirts. Nadyah ignored Roxy’s look of concern and crossed to the dining table that was somehow still standing.

She selected a few items and then sniffed at the beverages.

Adelina shook out her hands, trying to ease the ache from her claws, concentrating until they were mostly human once more. The canines retreated ever so slightly, but not completely. It was all she could manage with the wolf so close while so deep in her dominance. She didn’t ease up on it either as she eyed Nash getting to his feet with as much dignity as he could muster.

Adelina wondered if he would indeed challenge her.

“Your explanation is welcome,” Nash said stiffly, flicking a piece of wood from his shoulder. He even kept his eyes down, recognizing her rank and dominance.

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