Page 35 of Brutal Dragon King

I will not be defeated like this.

The repetition of the thought brings a newfound determination to complete my mission. It might not be much, but it gives me the will to keep going, to keep my survival spirit alive and thriving in the throes of the king’s punishment with his mating ritual.

If he thought he could hurt me with his rejection of me right after he’d taken my body and possessed it with the ritual, he was wrong. I will not let anything stand in the way of my desire for revenge, not even this foolish sexual attraction.

He might have pleased me in unimaginable ways, but when I touch my neck to find that my mother’s necklace is still intact, I’m renewed with determination to exact my revenge.

Now more than ever.

He’d just used me and left me alone out here in the worst way possible. When I hiked up this mountain earlier tonight, I thought I might use this chance to escape. But getting revenge is more tempting than escaping, even if I have the perfect opportunity to do just that.

Besides, where will I go? Even if these woods are safe for me to escape through, I’ll only end up in the one place I know beyond the walls that keep the kingdom hidden—the village.

The chances of finding respite there are slim. I’ll only be subjected to more abuse, and after tonight, I will not stand for any kind of mistreatment that comes my way, not even from the dragon king.

With no hope other than fulfilling the purpose that kept me driven in the kingdom all along, I decided to lift my chin with determination again. There’s a dull ache between my thighs that lingers long after the numbness has taken over, but I push through it, pulling myself to my feet and stretching my arms over my head.

The sheer, flimsy robe lies in a heap on the ground, soiled and torn and as despondent as these circumstances are. Pulling it over my arms, it’s missing a sleeve, but at least it covers most of my body.

It will suffice to get back to the palace, even if I have no idea how to get there. The guards led me here before, and I’m guessing the dragon king was meant to take me back.

I glance up at the sky, wondering where the king flew off to, and if he’s coming back. When there’s nothing in the sky, not even a bird flying past, I know he’s not coming back.

It’s not like I want to see him again.

“Pfft!” I blow a frustrated breath through puckered lips, pulling my fingers through my damp hair to tie it into a bun at my nape. Crossing my arms over my chest, I begin trudging through the eerie forest. By some stroke of luck—which is highly unusual for someone like me, I see the lights of the palace building glowing up ahead.

My only wish is that I do not encounter King Haidën tonight.

***

I gaze at the rising sun through the window in the guest bedroom, frowning at it with one question skittering through my mind. Had my luck turned after the mating ritual was completed?

I got my wish when I returned to the palace without any dragon shifter badgering me or treating me like the slave I am. I’d made it to the king’s chambers without being seen, and without stumbling into the king himself.

Curiosity might have killed the cat, but not the slave, and that’s why I decided to make my way to the door. I peeked out at either side of the hallway and found that it was still as empty as when I arrived. Taking a deep breath, I enter the hallway barefoot and pad my way toward the king’s bedroom.

I need to find something… anything to make his life a misery. Surely, in his private quarters is where I’ll find that thing, even if I’m not sure what it is. A secret? An advantage over him?

To ensure that the king hasn't returned to his bedroom, I gently rap three times on the door, matching the beat the servants use to knock on their king's door before entering when they find it empty. When the absence of a grunt or bellow to chase me away signals that he hasn't returned to his chambers in almost three hours, I try the handle.

To my relief, I find the door unlocked. Steadying my breathing so it isn't too loud, I push the door in gently, peeping through the crack for double measure. What I see inside isbreathtaking instead, and my feet move of their own accord into the king's suite.

The luxurious, oversized bed is spread out with silk sheets in a shade of cream that almost appears like freshly churned vanilla ice cream. Draped from the ceiling is a sheer gold organza that matches the curtains. The creamy walls are neatly adorned with golden ornaments on floating shelves of solid gold, along with a bookshelf near the balcony window. The door leading to my bedroom is sealed, and through the arched wall on the far left lies two more doors cast in gold as if they're just ornate pieces.

This is a bedroom fit for a king, I think bemusedly as I narrow my eyes, inspecting the room now with less admiration and more speculatively.

I tiptoe inside, heading for the shelves, inspecting each item as if I'll find a treasure that keeps secrets, like the ancient lamp on the last shelf. Rubbing it like they do in the tales we've been told as children, a magical genie doesn't appear like it did for Aladdin.

Moving to the bookshelves, I trace my fingers over the spines, but the titles aren't anything out of the ordinary. They're all books I've read myself, and I start to wonder if we share similar interests.

“No!” I chastise myself, shaking my head to dismiss the thought as quickly as it entered my mind.

It's not like I care what his interests are!

I plant my hands on my hips when I'm done skimming the spines of the books, becoming frustrated by my lack of clues toward something that might be useful in my quest to get revenge on the king. There's nothing on these shelves, so I turn my attention to the two doors and march that way. A quickinspection shows that behind the first one is the suite bathroom, which is equally extravagant and luxurious as the bedroom.

But there's no time for appreciation of the finer things the palace has to offer. I'm on a mission, so I head to the second door, where I find that it's a dummy.

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