Page 47 of Court of Rivals
When male dragons are young, they enjoy their freedom and females find them to mate with. They enjoy each other’s company for a mating season, and then they continue their separate lives. But when a dragon male gets older, he seeks out mates. Females to be with him through every mating season. Females to raise young with. Ebron is now ready to take females to be by his side always, and I will be in his harem.
It’s weird. Every time I think I understand dragons, I learn something new.How will this affect things with us?
It is the natural order. Ebron will take his females as mates, and Harper will take her males as mates.
Every muscle in my body tenses.What do you mean Harper will choose her mates?
Sylvara laughs in my mind.If Ebron chooses me as his mate, then you will be Harper’s mate. And whoever else Ebron chooses, will bring more mates for Harper.
That’s not how humans work.
That’s how it always works. Ebron will have his harem of dragons as mates, and Harper will have his mates’ dragon riders as mates.
No, I tell her again.Humans are more complex than that. My… mate will be a woman from a noble family, being with her will strengthen our families allegiances. I will not simply end up with a commoner as a wife because you become the mate to some dragon.
She laughs again.I guess, we shall see if you can fight the powerful connection.
After a moment, she fades from my mind, and I lose awareness of her, but her words linger far after. If what she’s saying is true, I will inevitably have Harper as my mate…my wife, and have to share her with others. The thought brings a flood of complicated emotions. Matching with her makes no sense. And sharing her with others? That would never happen.
Never.
I think of her pretty face, of the curves of her body, of her breasts, bouncing and exploding out of her top, of feeling them against my back as I carried her, and of her sweet scent, like that of flowers. Rock hard again, I stand and do the only thing I can. I undo my pants, pull my length free, and wrap a hand around my erection.
Already I know it’s been too long. Too long since I was with a woman. Too long since I touched myself, because as my mind imagines Harper from head-to-toe, when it remembers gripping the ties of her shirt against her chest, pressed against her door, trying to come up with any reason not to fuck her brains out,I explode. Easily. Quickly. The power of it bringing me to my knees as I continue working myself frantically before slowing my stroking.
Taking in a harsh breath, my eyes flash open. I’m on the floor, on my knees, stroking myself as I think about an arrogant, foolish woman. One who claims the only male dragon. One who seems to see herself as my superior.
And I must be the fool she thinks I am, because I still want her.
19
Harper
The past few days of training have gone by in a blur. The princes continue to try to put me in my place, and I continue to try to ignore them. It’s strange though, as hard as the men are working to make me miserable, the female dragons are working to make Ebron happy. They’ve been bringing him meat, cows and other livestock they’ve found. They’ve been showing off for him in practice. And he? He’s loving every second of it, the bastard.
“I guess some of us just get lucky,” I mutter as I stare at my wardrobe.
Tonight, there’s some kind of big event at the palace that we’re all expected to be at. Roland warned me that it’ll be all the wealthiest people in the area, and that they like to be entertained by the dragon riders. He said some people consider these parties the best part of their job, and others the worst. He explained that often the men go home with beautiful women, but he’s not sure what the party will look like for me.
There’s a knock at my bedroom door.
Going to it, I open the door and see three servants, all women, waiting. “Hello,” I greet them.
They curtsey, then the oldest of the three says, “We’re here to dress you for the party.”
I’ve never had people dress me before, but I was in over my head, so I’m glad for their help. “That would be wonderful.”
“Do you know which dress you’d like to wear?” The older one asks, combing her hands through her short, dark hair.
I smile. “I have no idea which one would look best for tonight. I don’t even know which one is appropriate for the party.”
She smiles. “We can help.”
They seat me at my vanity, brush out my long hair, and braid it into a crown atop my head, with a single braid trailing down my back over the rest of my thick hair. I’m still trying to figure out how the hell they did that when they start applying make-up to cover up the bruising on my face, perfume, and a shimmering substance.
When they’re done, they’re all smiling. They help me out of my clothes, which isn’t as awkward as I imagined it’d be, and they help me into a dress. The dress itself is greenish-blue, much like the color of my hazel eyes, and is made of the softest material I’ve ever touched. A beautiful black corset goes over the dress, and then they place slippers that match my dress on my feet.
“What do you think?” I ask.
