Page 6 of The Dragon of her Dreams

“No!” The king’s voice boomed through the room.

We all stared at King Damon, who had frozen. “Apologies. All I meant was, my... son will have his own clothes. Isn’t that right Cass, dear?”

The queen nodded. “Yes, of course. We have three days. That’ll not be a problem.”

“But... No... I can’t...” I protested as they swept me away into their world.

Kayla walked over to me and put her hand on my shoulder. “Seriously,” she advised. “Don’t try and fight it. Just throw your hands up and enjoy the ride. It’ll be a good one, I promise.”

I stared at her, then back at the room full of now beaming royals.

Heaven help me. What have I gotten myself into?

Chapter 3

Jaegar

DESPITE ALL MY OBJECTIONS, Kayla had been right. The royal family were a whirlwind of power, and they wouldn’t be denied. Anselm and his small family left for their home, and I was told that I had to stay in the palace.

“I have my own home, Your Majesty,” I said as Queen Cass took me out of the main room and showed me to a guest room.

“I know you do,” the queen said, “and call me Cass or Cassandra, if you want. You’re my stepson, I suppose.”

Now that we were alone, I felt I needed to apologize to her. Regardless of how well off she was, I’d upset the apple cart by showing up unwanted and unannounced. “Queen Cassandra—”

“Cass.”

“Cass.”

Damn, that feels weird.

“I owe you an apology. I know out of everyone, you are the most upset by the news of my existence. Believe me, if I’d been able to hide myself for the rest of my days, I would have.”

The queen sighed and reached out a hand to touch my arm. “Jaegar, I never wanted to be a queen. I had plans to travel and see the world, much like Veronica, really.” A soft smile graced her lips as she spoke of her daughter. “I never imagined I’d fall in love with the King of the North, whose kingdom was in complete disarray and this weather...” She shivered dramatically, acknowledging the cold.

I couldn’t’ help but laugh. The queen was a lot more relatable than I’d given her credit for.

“So, what I mean to say is”—she reached out and softly touched my face—“we never know where the future may take us, but I’ve learned to embrace the journey. Please don’t think I am mad at you, or even your mother. I just... I was young and inexperienced when I met Damon, and I suppose I just ignored the fact that he was not. I always wanted another child. For some reason, I always saw us with four, but after losing several pregnancies after Veronica, we stopped trying.”

I shifted a little where I stood, trying not to show the queen how uncomfortable I was. She was sharing very deeply personal information, and I wasn’t quite sure how to respond, so newly welcomed into the royal fold.

She smiled. “I’m sorry, you didn’t need to know any of that. All I mean to say is that you were obviously meant to be, Jaegar. So, please don’t try to leave us now that you’ve finally found us. I’m not sure your father would allow you to get away, even if you wanted to.”

“You know I’m not here to fight your son for succession,” I said quickly when the thought occurred to me. “I don’t want the throne. I’m just fulfilling my mother’s dying wish, that’s all.”

Cass sighed. “I don’t know the precise rules regarding succession, Jaegar, but you have the tattoo, and you are the eldest son.”

“But—”

“Let’s not worry about it for now,” she said, pushing past me to open the doors to the largest, most opulently appointed room I’d ever seen. “I know it’s not the most masculine room,” she apologized, indicating the florals on the bedspread. “I’ll have everything changed over tomorrow. But for now, you should be comfortable at least.”

The fire in the grate was already burning, and the lights had all been lit. “You had this room prepared for me?” I asked, my heart twinging in my chest at the thought.

“Yes,” she said simply. “After you arrived, I made a phone call to my cousin, then had the servants arrange this for you. Despite my foolhardy jealousies, I could see that Damon would want you to stay close. And more than anything, I want him to be happy. He’s a good man and he deserves the chance to get to know you.”

I nodded once. I knew that. Everyone in the kingdom knew the story of how he’d saved us from the wolves and rebuilt the kingdom from the ashes of the past. But that didn’t mean I had to like him. Or forgive him for leaving my mother pregnant and alone. I wasn’t sure I wanted to get to know him. All I wanted to do was respect my mother’s memory and find my mate—the woman I’d be so feverishly dreaming of.

“Thank you, Cass,” I said, walking over to the fire to warm myself.

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