Page 32 of Claimed By the Dragon King

“A Dragon female will only accept a male as their mate who is strong enough to defeat them, proving he can protect and defend the nest and their fledglings at least as well as she can.”

I stare up at him dumbfounded.

“Do humans not do something similar?” He cocks his head to the side to regard me. “I’ve heard of jousting, and I thought perhaps it was—”

“Notthe same thing,” I cut him off.

Aurdyn arches a brow. “Then… how do humans choose their mates?”

“Well, sometimes, as in the case of a political marriage, it’s arranged for them,” I explain. “Like an agreement.” He frowns, and I continue. “But sometimes it’s through courting by spending time together… getting to know one another, and giving each other little gifts.”

“Gifts?” he asks, curious.

“Jewelry or flowers, or something you know that person may like. Sometimes people even give little notes to the person they’re courting, letting them know that they are thinking of them.”

His brow furrows deeply. “I shouldhopethey are thinking of the person they are courting. If not, I would assume they are either unworthy or completely confused about what they are even doing in the first place.” He shakes his head. “Your people are very odd.”

“Mypeople are odd?” I ask incredulously. “How can you say that when you literally just told me that Dragons fight each other? Courtship is supposed to be about wooing and romance. Since when is a battle romantic?”

“Why do you believe it is not?” he counters. “Romance is passion. And fighting is a rather passionate affair, do you not agree?”

“You’re impossible,” I murmur and roll my eyes a moment before my foot catches on another root buried beneath the snow. A startle cry escapes me as I start to fall forward.

Aurdyn scoops me up into his arms and tucks me into his chest. “And you, my T’kara, are stubborn.”

“What are you—”

“The snow is thick here.” He meets my gaze evenly. “And your human legs—”

“Work just fine,” I protest.

“Yes, but if you want them to remain that way, perhaps it would be best to reach Arganth and find shelter before that storm catches up to us.” He jerks his chin over his shoulder, and I lift my gaze to the sky and the dark clouds roiling behind us. “You are not dressed for the kind of cold that that storm will bring.”

It’s almost instinct to want to argue with him at this point, because I hate when he’s right. But, in this case, he is.

“We will find you some warmer clothing when we reach the village,” he says. “You will need more layers as we climb higher up the mountains.”

A small shiver runs through me, not so much from the thought of the cold, but from the knowledge that I’ll soon be surrounded by an entire kingdom of Dragons. From what Aurdyn has shared, his people seem to respect strength above all else.

What will they think when their king shows up with a human? Especially if they believe humans are weak.

For all his arrogance and grumpy manner, Idotrust Aurdyn. After all, he has made it very clear that he is committed to keeping me safe. But I grew up in a royal court and I know all rulers have enemies.

I worry that his bond to me—an ‘inferior human,’ in the eyes of other Dragons—can be used as a weapon against him. And if enough of his people decide to turn against their own king… that leaves both of us in a very dangerous position.

I glance up at him. His face set in his typical stern expression. Right now, he is the only person who actually cares about my well-being, and being labeled a witch by the Order of Mages has left me with few choices of places to go.

But it’s more than this. The truth is, despite his gruff manner, I like Aurdyn... more than I want to admit. I sigh heavily. If I am being entirely honest with myself, I think I may be starting to fall for my Dragon protector.

I know I’m safe with him, but I’m concerned that his bond to me could cost him everything. And that is something I do not want. Surely there must be a way to dissolve our bond. If there is, then he can be free and I can hopefully convince my cousin, King Edmynd of Florin, to help me rescue my uncle from Luria’s clutches.

I need to ask Aurdyn if there is a way to sever this connection between us, but as I glance over his shoulder at the approaching storm, I know now is not the time. We need to reach Arganth and find shelter. Everything else can wait until then.

CHAPTER16

FREYJA

When we finally reach the outskirts of Arganth, I’m exhausted and half-frozen. The last of the sun’s rays disappeared over an hour ago and I’ve been miserable ever since. Carefully, I force myself to peel away from Aurdyn’s back and step down onto the ground. I wrap my arms around my torso, already missing his warmth as the blistering cold wind envelopes me, whipping through my hair and stinging my exposed skin.

---