Page 4 of Marked Dragon

He stepped toward me, moving into my bubble. His scent of leather and brimstone hit my nose, causing my head to twinge.

Great. I hadn’t gotten a migraine in forever, but his presence was making one rear its ugly head.

“Let me make this crystal clear,” he breathed, a hard glint in his eyes. “You may become mywife, but that doesn’t give you any power in our relationship. I will do whatIwant. If your sister moves too slowly, she’ll get stomped on. I don’t give ashitif you have a problem with it.”

I laughed bitterly. “You’re delusional if you think I’ll be yourwife.”

He held my gaze, challenging me. He said cruelly, “Oh, you will be.” He brushed his fingers across my cheek.

I forced myself to remain still, hiding the disgusted chill coursing through my body. I swallowed the vomit and lifted my chin. “I willneversay, ‘I do.’ There’s nothing in this world that could coerce me now that I know you can’t be trusted.”

He gripped my jaw, digging his fingers into my skin. His pupils slitted as he murmured softly, “Who said anything aboutyouneeding to say, ‘I do?’”

My heart dropped into my stomach as Eva whimpered beside me.

Laughing, he dropped his hand and studied me. Whatever he saw made him giddy, but I couldn’t stop the horror from sawing through my lungs. I’d thought I knew what being powerless felt like. Now I understood how devastating having your power stripped away was. At least, my stepdad hadn’t physically hurt me. He was just indifferent and lashed out when I came around to see my siblings. Yes, I’d bitten my tongue and been submissive, but I’d made decisions for myself: my major, which college I went to, and whether I dated. I had a nagging suspicion that if I breathed too loudly, Drake would get on me. Hell, he likely would if I breathed at all.

How am I supposed to remain rational when I feel the terror swirling from you?Thorn connected, his concern slamming into me and warming my cold heart.

I didn’t know how to answer that. I barely knew anything about being a dragon, and this fated-mate bond was newer than that.I need you to. Several lives depend on it.I wanted to tell him what Drake had said, but I feared that would tip him over the edge.

I had to get my shit together and be strong. Otherwise, Thorn would come here and save me before they had a good plan.

Inhaling slowly, I schooled my expression and shoved the cold tendrils of fear deep down inside me. I had experience with this, or I’d fake it until I made it. “Marriage vows requirebothparties to make the promise.”

“Human marriage.” He tapped his chin. “By dragon law, only the man is required to say it. After all, we are thestrongergender. Women are needed to birth children.”

“Then why have a human mistress?” If dragons relegated women to their roles as child bearers, then he shouldn’t need Eva. If I could get her out of here, the situation would be slightly more bearable, and I’d have kept my promise to Mom.

Falkor growled from behind Drake and said, “Theprincedoesn’t answer toyou.”

If I’d been hoping to find an ally, Falkor was a sure pass on that front. He was shoved so far up Drake’s ass that I wondered if he could breathe up there.

Snarling, Drake glanced over his shoulder at the guard. “Even though what you say istrue, she will be yourqueen,and you will not talk to her like that. Do you understand?”

“Uh…yes, sire.” Falkor averted his gaze, but his neck corded as he glanced at me.

Lovely. Now the guard resented me. Who would’ve thought that Drake would care if the warrior talked to me that way?Hesure didn’t mind doing it.

Drake turned back to me and grabbed the ends of my hair. “I will have children withbothof you. The son, if not sons, I have with you will be the future heir, and the sons I have with yoursisterwill help keep our race alive.”

Sons. He seemed pretty certain. “How do you know you’ll have boys?” I couldn’t bring myself to saywe. That was inconceivable.

He frowned and yanked on the ends of my hair. “Because I’mstrong. You should know better than to ask such an idiotic question.”

My dragon roared at the way he talked to me and the sharp pain in my skull, but I didn’t flinch. I’d already let him feel too much in control as it was. “You know that has nothing

to do—”

He bared his teeth. “When I want your opinion, I’ll ask for it. Until then, keep your mouthshut.”

I wanted to tell him that science wasn’t an opinion, it was facts, but I lodged the words in my throat. He wouldn’t listen to me, even if I pulled out a science book and showed him that strength didn’t influence which sex was born. Many kings in history had had this mentality, but in their defense, they hadn’t had the knowledge at their fingertips that we did now. Drake was either too stubborn or too stupid to believe it.

Silence descended, and after a long moment, he smiled. “Good girl.”

My hands clenched. He was a condescending, arrogant jerk, and someone needed to teach him a lesson.

Footsteps outside the terrace headed our way, causing my vision to blur.Thorn, please tell me you aren’t here.

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