Page 44 of Dragon's Honor

Twenty minutes later they were in the hospital being forced to sit in the waiting room while a dragon shifter’s mate worked on Finley.

Gavin leaned against the wall. “Who’s the human?” he asked quietly.

“She’s…a friend,” Ash answered. He didn’t have a better answer. No matter how fierce she was, how brave, or how much she knew, he wasn’t ready to claim her as his mate. He’d told her a lot of stuff today, but he wasn’t any closer to figuring out stuff. He needed to keep his focus on Tristian.

“A friend?” Gavin glanced over at Henrik who was shaking his head.

Henrik spoke up. “He got his hearstone back.”

Gavin’s gaze flickered to his wrist. It took everything he had not to cover it up. The raw wound of having a mate, a human mate, who didn’t seem as intrigued by him and more intrigued by his status was frustrating. Finding a mate was supposed to be one of the greatest experiences of a dragon’s life, but everything about Finley was wrong. Her timing, her humanity, her fucking fascination with the supernatural.

He needed a female dragon who would stand by him while he found justice for his family and protected them at the same time. He was young. Female dragons could come back into the world before he died.

Then again, if his heartstone found Finley, only to find him, would his heartstone even light up for another mate?

“There’s someone you need to call,” Gavin said.

Ash’s phone buzzed a few seconds later. He didn’t pull out his phone. He wasn’t in mood to call whoever Gavin wanted him to call. He had a feeling he knew exactly who it was.

Gavin was an old friend of the family. He was a former prince himself. He’d grown up being trained to be the heir to the throne just like Ash. Gavin had given it all up for a human mate. He’d gone out into the world and met her. He returned, hung up his crown, and left the throne to his brothers and sister.

Ash stood up. Pacing was more productive than sitting still waiting for news of Finley. How could he have been so stupid to let her go with them? It was dangerous. He knew it would be. The only way any of this was going to end, was in blood.

She’d seen everything. She’d seen him. His dragon. He wanted to know if she feared him now. How would she feel when she woke up?

She needed to wake up.

She needed to be all right.

She needed to be….

MINE, his dragon filled in.

Not helping.

Gavin chuckled.

Ash whipped around and glowered at him. “This is so fucking funny to you?”

Gavin sobered, but his smile remained. “It is actually.” He turned to face Ash. “You been sitting in your tower far away from the world most of the time, even when you’re in it, you’re not really a part of it. You look down upon humans, but why? Because they were born human? You’re not a moron, but you act like one much of the time.”

Ash let out a hot breath. “It’s my duty to spit in the face of tradition and dragon law?”

“I should’ve fought it a hundred years ago.” Gavin’s voice was so quiet, Ash wondered if he’d heard it wrong. Then he spoke louder. “I was a coward. I found my mate, and I didn’t want to lose her. We can keep pretending we can keep our secrets from the humans and look down upon them like they’re nothing, but can we not evolve?”

Ash never took Gavin as a man who had regrets. He always seemed so confident in his decisions.

“What are you saying to me, Gavin? You want me to lead a revolution in the middle of my own clan’s war?”

Gavin’s grey eyes flashed red. “Yes.”

“Why don’t you do it if it’s so important to you?”

Henrik stood up and stood next to Ash. He glanced over at his brother. Why was his attention so intense suddenly?

“Who am I? A long-forgotten prince? I’m a bar owner in Miami, Florida. My family doesn’t speak to me. I have friends, all of them rogues from their own kingdoms. You’re relevant. Your father was respected among most of the clans. People would listen to you now.”

Ash stared at his friend. “You’re serious.” He shook his head back and forth in frustration and outrage. “I haven’t even decided to claim her,” he snapped.

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