Page 30 of The Forbidden Dragon King
He strides around the shrine, skirting the bed to reach the table on the other side.
I furrow my brow in confusion.
Then I look around myself, as realization sinks in. “This is your bed.”
Aurelius doesn’t reply, ignoring me. Instead, he bends over and scrutinizes the battle plan that’s laid out on the table.
“I’ve taken aking’sbed for days,” I say to myself.
I pat the leather and smoke scented nest. No wonder it smells so strongly of Aurelius.
I blush, trying not to imagine Aurelius lying naked underneath this velvet bedding.
Of course, I don’t try very hard.
Aurelius glances over at me, as if surprised at my sudden silence.
I scramble for something to say before he figures out the reason for my sudden flood of pheromones and slick wet thighs.
“Where have you been sleeping?” I ask.
“This is a military campaign.” Aurelius sniffs like he’s chasing my scent, and I press my thighs together. “I can rough it with my soldiers. If I couldn’t, then I wouldn’t deserve to lead them.”
“And what happens to me once this campaign is over?”
A pause.
Too long.
I grip tightly onto the leather of my skirt.
Aurelius still doesn’t look up from the battle plans. “I’ll take you back to the capital with me. You’ll be killed if you set foot in Fang Kingdom again. I can offer you a new home. Let me. You can be my pet.”
Furious, I pick up a cushion and hurl it at his head. With lightning quick reflexes, he steps to the side, and it misses him. He didn’t even need to look up.
How does he do that?
“Ah, so you’re an assassin with cushions.” He sounds amused.
“I am not a pet,” I hiss. “I am a wild wolf, and if you try to leash me, I will bite off your fucking hand.”
Finally, he looks up at me. The first flicker of true emotion sparks to life across his face: savage joy.
“Bite anyone who leashes you, Wild Wolf,” he snarls. “I would never dream of it. I want to set you free. The non-shifter workers are calledpetsin Dracanian tradition. I’m offering you work and a roof over your head, a lavish one. You’d be paid well. It’s only a name.”
“Still,” I say through clenched teeth, “maybe think about changing that tradition, Your Majesty.”
“Think about not commanding kings.” His cold gaze meets mine.
Instantly, I remember just who I’m speaking to and how much power he has. It crackles in the air between us.
It’s easy to forget with Aurelius.
Dangerously easy.
I duck my head, playing with the hem of my dress.
“Stay inside the tent. I will have food and drink sent to you,” he instructs. “I’ve made arrangements for you to be cared for. The campaign shouldn’t take more than a couple of days. You’ll be safe here.”
