“Tell me why it must be me,” Leo said, his voice cold and unfriendly. “You and Mother never pay me any mind unless you want something. Why must I align myself with Nan? Does her clan have something over you?” He pinned his parents with a determined gaze.
Gwenyth felt the exact moment when something clicked for him. Every muscle in his body tensed, and he seemed to go on alert.
“What have my brothers done? Which one has created trouble? You can’t expect me to clean up the mess.”
“The reasons are none of your concern,” his father declared with regal hauteur. “You will follow our orders. Nan is a reasonable female. You can keep your human pet, although how you can bear to sully yourself with her. A weakling, she brings no advantages to your connection.”
Indignation rose in Gwenyth. She might be human, but she was not weak. She was decent and hardworking and never shirked her responsibilities. A protestation struggled for release, but she bit her bottom lip to keep her words restrained. It was best to remain silent since she had no knowledge of castle life. The customs and hierarchy of dragons were beyond her. Although Leo had shared a little, there hadn’t been enough time for in-depth explanations.
“Come, Gwenyth,” Leo murmured.
“Nan arrives on the morrow,” his mother called after them. “You will attend the welcoming ball.”
Leo ignored his mother and kept walking. His arm was a heavy band around Gwenyth’s waist, his inner tension communicating his anger at his parents. He hustled her from the room and down another passage she hadn’t noticed earlier before he opened a door and urged her inside.
“Leo, this isn’t—”
“Shush.” Leo strode to a double door that led to a balcony. “We’ll talk once we get outside and are among friends. I don’t trust anyone here.”
She nodded her compliance.
Leo disrobed and handed her his clothes. “Hold these. It’s a quick hop to the battlefield.”
She watched in fascination while Leo shifted. The transformation happened so fast she didn’t get to appreciate his strong physique. His muscles. A shiver swept her and this time it had nothing to do with fear. She adored Leo. And after their wonderful time at the beach, she lusted after his powerful body.
Leo turned to face her, and a grin—no, a smirk—settled into place on his dragon features.
Gwenyth wrinkled her nose. “You promise it’s a brief flight time. Right?”
“We’ll arrive at our destination in mere minutes.”
“Well, in that case, I can deal. I might even try to keep my eyes open this time.” Then she shuddered. “Not my mouth though. I prefer to enjoy my protein.”
* * * * *
“Our mate shows bravery,”Leo’s dragon said.“Our parents were worse than usual.”
“Yes.”Leo placed his talon around Gwenyth and flapped his wings to lift them into the air. They flew straight to the battlegrounds. When he landed, his old friend hailed him. Leo shifted to human form and accepted his clothes from Gwenyth.
“The castle is huge,” she said, and awe shimmered in her eyes. “I can’t imagine growing up here.”
Leo scanned the sprawling honey-gold monstrosity with its towers and fortifications. “The best thing about the castle was the sheer number of places to hide from my three brothers.”
Another of his friends, Jakab, strolled over to join them. A big dragon, he stood half a head taller than Leo. With his flowing jet-black hair, bulky body, and scarred face, the dragon intimidated some. Leo was curious how Gwenyth would react to his friend and in his friend’s response to Gwenyth.
“Gwenyth, this is my friend, Jakab. We trained together, and now he trains younger dragons to battle.”
“I’m glad to meet a friend of Leo’s,” Gwenyth said and extended her hand.
Leo grinned inwardly and wondered what his friend would do at the human action.
Jakab stared for an instant before taking her delicate hand in his enormous paw. “Great to meet you.” His gaze caught on the ring Leo had given Gwenyth. “You’re wed?”
Leo grinned, awe and pleasure winding through him. His dragon’s hearty sigh echoed his satisfaction. “We are.”
“Felix told me you went to see your parents. How did the meeting go?” Jakab asked. “You saw them?”
“We did, and our meeting went as I expected. They ordered me to set aside Gwenyth and treat her as my bit on the side.”
