Page 6 of Owned By Four Alphas

She didn’t wait for an answer before pushing past him and leaving him with the weight of her words crushing into his chest.

After a few moments, Elian gave a low whistle, “Wonderfully handled, Kaelen. Truly a masterclass in negotiation.”

Kaelen launched at him, but the Fae was too quick, slipping out of the path of Kaelen’s swinging fist towards the door.

“Don’t take it out on me! Now if you don’t mind, I’m going to find our mate, and make sure she’s ready for the feast tonight. She’s been working on her speech for days!”

“Speech?” Kaelen growled. “What speech? I thought we agreed she shouldn’t do a—”

But it was too late. Elian was gone.

Kaelen released a great huff of air, his muscles still trembling with the urge to fight. His dragon was practically writhing beneath his skin, screaming to be freed. He eyedthe great expanse of sky beyond the balcony, the encroaching thunderclouds rumbling over the mountains.

Just as he took a step, arms flexing, ready to let the transformation take over, Malek stopped him.

“What’s your answer?”

“What?” Kaelen snapped, half an eye on the sky.

“To Selena’s question. Whether controlling her to guarantee her safety is worth losing her respect. What’s your answer?”

Kaelen eyed him, jaw clenching. He knew exactly what Malek’s answer would be. The monster king made no secret that his loyalty to Selena was absolute. But he had also never had someone he loved taken from him. Had to mourn, certain in the knowledge that had he been there, he might have been able to prevent it. He had never had to carry that burden.

“I will do anything if it means keeping her safe,” Kaelen replied, finally allowing the dragon to break free. “Even if she ends up hating me for it.”

He took to the skies, his roars mingling with the heavy drums of thunder.

Chapter 3 - Selena

“How can he be so bloody arrogant all of the time?” she fumed, pacing back and forth, throwing various dresses and robes about the place. “I mean, does he not hear himself?”

“He’s a dragon.” Elian leaned against the wall by the fireplace, an easy smile on his inhumanly beautiful face, the light from the fire dancing in the curls of golden hair tumbling by his pointed ears. “Pride and arrogance are inevitable. Hoarding treasure is an instinct. And you, my dear, are his treasure.”

She scoffed, tossing yet another impossibly gorgeous gown over her shoulder. “Don’t make excuses for him, I know you think he’s right.”

Elian shrugged, lithe muscles of his chest rippling beneath his pale skin, visible due to the gaping silk shirt designed to show them off. “I think you’re trying to do an incredibly difficult thing.” He pushed off from the wall and stalked towards her, his face full of mischief. “I think learning to control your magic would be an almost insurmountable task to anyone, let alone a human. I think until you manage it, paltry issues such as your security are better handled by us, freeing up your time and energy to focus on the task at hand.”

She collapsed into the pile of silks, satins, and furs with a groan, batting Elian’s wandering hands away as he curled himself around her from behind. “How come when you say it, it makes sense?”

“Because unlike the dragon, I have some measure of intelligence.”

“More like manipulation,” she grumbled, leaning back into him. “Do you have an issue with me roaming the city alone this morning?”

“Impossible to say, darling, as you weren’t ever alone. I had guards trailing you from the moment you left our chambers.”

Her jaw fell open as she twisted around to glare at him, “Excuse me?”

He chuckled, his arms a steel trap around her middle even as she tried to pull away from him, “The fact you haven’t yet noticed them means they’re doing their job. Perhaps I’ll give them a pay increase!”

“Elian! That’s not funny!”

“Oh I don’t disagree with you at all, my sweet little mate.” He flipped her onto her back with practiced ease, trapping her legs beneath his and pinning both her wrists in one hand. “It’s not funny at all. In fact, it’s deadly serious. I won’t compromise anything at all when it comes to your safety.”

She growled at him, struggling helplessly in his grip as his free hand roamed over her torso, tickling her side and grinning wickedly as she wriggled underneath him.

“Didn’t it occur to you,” she narrowed her eyes, “to tell Kaelen about the guards before he felt the need to cause a scene in the middle of the square?”

Elian rolled his eyes and released her, huffing his displeasure at her lack of desire to let him have his wicked way with her. “Is it my responsibility to try and control Kaelen? He does as he pleases.”

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