Page 214 of The Forbidden Dragon King
Aurelius is towering over us both, silently. His hair is tousled and damp. Sweat trails down his forehead.
Fine tremors run down his arms, but he’s trying to hold himself together from falling fully into rut.
Daire meets his gaze with half-hooded eyes, before stretching out his elegant neck, teasingly baring it. Between Alphas, this should be a gesture of submission. With Daire, however, this is a game to provoke Aurelius into rut.
Is Daire ever not playing a game?
Aurelius’ lips pull back, revealing his sharp canines; his swirling eyes focus on Daire’s throat like he can’t decide whether to scent it or savage it.
Then he gestures with his hand, and his shadows weave out, ripping my robes and Daire’s down the middle in a single, startling move.
I hiss out a shocked breath at the sensation of the fabric being torn away, exposing my naked skin to thecool air, and the loudrippingsound that echoes around the cavern.
I’ve been freed.
Finally, I can breathe.
Daire’s eyes are wide. His cock is already hard against his stomach.
We both stare up at our King who is still fully dressed and armed above us, and this…?
Between enemies…?
It’s trust.
My heart speeds up. “Aurelius?”
He balls his fists, and slowly, his eyes return to normal. Then his knees buckle and he falls into a crouch. He hangs his head.
His breathing speeds up, becoming ragged.
I move to touch him, but Daire catches my hand and shakes his head.
I watch Aurelius, as he pulls off his mask and hurls it skidding across the cave.
Daire moves to pull off his mask as well, but Aurelius stops him.
“Don’t,” Aurelius commands. “Keep yours on. It marks you as my masked fae, remember? In this nest, you’re mine.”
“Aren’t you ours?” Daire traces over his wooden mask.
I’m shocked by the devastation on Aurelius’ face, when he raises his head. “I’m not even my own. By the Shadow Gods, what just happened… We left them to die. They sacrificed themselves for me. I just lost my family. I just lost the people who…”
My hazy mind clears enough for me to push up and clasp his hand. “We don’t know that.”
Except, could the Golden Family have survived?
Lucius, my only Omega friend? War who protected me, showing me the prophecy?
Wraith?Vicious under all those rats…?
I shake at the memory of the beetles crawling on my legs, the hot rolling shadows, and the red-eyed bats caught in my hair.
Could anyone have survived what we left behind? Were they all wiped out as happened at Orm?
My eyes burn with tears.
I never wanted anyone to experience the same grief as I did. Except, I was too young to know my parents. I could only mourn invented shades.
