Page 17 of Marked Dragon

The king took a bite of bacon, chewed methodically, and swallowed. “Where are Vlad and Cassidy now?”

“Free. Getting Everly back was all that mattered,” Drake said stonily as he turned and brushed a fingertip down my arm. “I want all of her, and when she returned to me as a dragon, I realized I could have her as my bride.”

Needing to eat something to keep up my strength, I snatched a piece of bacon from my plate. I took a bite, and my stomach gurgled in protest. This wasn’t happening.

The king swallowed and placed his hands on the table. “You did all of this without talking to me?”

“You thought he was dead. I was protecting you from making another hard decision.” Drake’s nostrils flared, but he kept his expression neutral beyond that. “I hoped not to bother you with anything since you both struggled with the decision you made twenty-one years ago, but with Everly now a dragon, it had to come out. If anything, this situation should reaffirm the wisdom of what you tried to do—kill him. He kidnapped her, locked her up, and changed her without her permission.”

The queen flinched and hung her head. She reached over and patted my arm. “I’m so sorry you had to experience that, Everly. I… I don’t know what else to say.”

A scream strangled me, but I prevented the noise from escaping. This guy was more than an asshole—he was sick. I cleared my throat to ease the discomfort. “He really did change me to save me.” I had to keep her hope alive. “I escaped and ran when it was dark and rainy. I fell and cracked my skull… I would’ve died.”

Her lips quivered, but she exhaled. “He wouldn’t have had to change you if he hadn’t kidnapped you. There’s more to this story, but it’s best if the world doesn’t know he’s alive. He’s a danger.” Her eyes glistened.

Despite her remorse, I couldn’t help getting angry. Blood running hot, I wanted to scream at them.Thorn is your child too, and he’s a great man.But I’d learned from my stepdad that people wouldn’t listen if they didn’t want to.

Drake cut his eyes to me, giving me a clear message:Keep your mouth shut.

I snatched the white linen napkin from beside my plate and wiped my hands. They weren’t greasy, but I needed to do something with my excess energy.

What’s going on?Thorn linked, and our bond warmed.

I hated to tell him, but we’d promised we wouldn’t hold back anymore, so I gave him the rundown.

Disgust charged through our bond. Thorn connected,So, the king is acting like he didn’t know about Drake’s plans?

He is.Though I’d just become a dragon and wasn’t used to searching for clues that could reveal a lie, I hadn’t heard any changes in the king’s heartbeat or breathing.I think he’s telling the truth.

Do not believe him,Thorn replied urgently.The royals are skilled in covering things up, and that’s what Drake is doing.

I had no reason not to trust Thorn, but something didn’t feel right about the situation.

“Enough of this conversation.” The king waved a hand. “This is the first time I’ve formally met Everly, and Mira has never met her before. This isn’t what we should be discussing when we have just learned that my son—the heir—has chosen his bride.”

I’d rather talk about Thorn thanthis.

“Let’s not forget hisbreeder,” Queen Mira murmured. “How do you feel about that choice, Arman?”

Drake tensed,and his jaw twitched. “Well,Mother, I get to choose my breeder like I get to choose my wife.”

The tension was so thick it nearly smothered me. I refused to play along and act okay about my sister being thrown into this mess.

“I don’t understand why you think trying to impregnate a human will work.” Her nose wrinkled, and her mouth twisted like she’d tasted something bad. “Shouldn’t you try having a child with your new wife first, before bringing a third person into your relationship?”

The couple of bites of bacon I’d swallowed made me gag. Here they were talking about Drake having sex with both his wife and a breeder. I’d puked enough in the last twenty-four hours that I didn’t want another round, but the sensation persisted because… Drake.

“Get her in line,Father,” Drake snapped and sneered. “If I wanted her opinion, I would’ve asked for it. I’m the future leader of the dragons, and I will do what I think is best.”

Queen Mira grimaced and licked her lips. “I’m sorry, honey. I’m not trying to upset you. It’s just…if Arman—”

“I amnotmy father.” Drake lifted his chin and stuck out his chest. “I am my own man, so don’t compare me to him.”

She nodded and averted her gaze, and my blood boiled.

Not only was Drake an arrogant douche, but he also treated his mother like garbage. I’d doanythingfor my mom to be alive, and to see him acting so entitled and ungrateful made me want to hurt him. He had no regard for anyone but himself.

“Let’s talk about this wedding.” King Arman rubbed his hands together and smiled, but a vein bulged between his eyes. “It’s May, so are we thinking of a fall wedding? That would give us ample time to organize everything and give our guests time to book travel and hotels.”

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