Page 95 of The Forbidden Dragon King
He looks at me with glassy eyes. Then his wings flap weakly.
“Thank the Shadow Gods.” I push a strand of his hair behind his ear, distractedly. “I was worried.”
“You were worried…?” He says, dazed.
I’m still leaning close to him, and he takes a deep breath in and then another.
At each breath, Aurelius shudders, appearing to rise out of his hazy state, until he is able to focus more clearly.
He raises his hand, as if he’s desperate to run it down my scent gland but is holding himself back.
My eyes widen.
It’s my pheromones that pulled him back to consciousness.
His own pheromones lie thickly in a fog over the room.
Missing Aurelius’ ruts has truly been damaging him. Is this why he’s always collapsing?
No matter how self-controlled he is, repressing his dragon’s needs will kill him one day.
Maybe soon.
Maybe that’s what Maximinus wants…?
My throat is thick at the thought. I can’t speak.
Should it be whatIwant?
Aurelius is the oppressor of the Fang Kingdom. Destroyer of the Unseelie. The King who took Daire’s crown and paraded him through the streets as a trophy.
Except, now that I know Aurelius, he is so much more than that both to Daire and to me.
He’s also the man who built me my first ever nest, gave me one of his own scale bracelets because I was uncomfortable with the broken bond scar, and carved a shrine for my parents.
He hasn’t executed Daire, no matter how hard my fool fae has pushed him. He has held to his deal to treat the featherglass well.
And now, he has been willing to burn his own world down for the sake of my life.
No one apart from Daire has acted like my life is worth anything before, let alone an entire kingdom.
Aurelius has seen himself as my Alpha from the start.
I can’t deny it any longer.
I shift around to help Aurelius to sit up with his back against the desk, before cradling him against my neck.
Baring my neck to a predator, especially while that predator is close to turning feral, is breaking every Omega survival rule.
Fuck it.
I’ve been wrong about a lot in the last month. What if I’m also wrong aboutsurvivingbeing the most important thing?
“Breathe,” I say, softly. “Nuzzle. Lick. Take in my pheromones.”
Aurelius makes a questioning sound, looking up at me with confused but hopeful eyes.
“It’s scary to see a mighty king like you fainting.” I smirk. “You need my pheromones. It seems the Omega is the one with the power here. So, this is me giving you permission.”
