Everywhere I turned, everything was coming up empty. I was plying all my contacts, those who worked the shady, darkened areas of the Ice Kingdom. I had bribes ready to go, rewards for any information that led to finding Milly or Ella.
But everything was coming up empty. I shouldn’t be surprised. It wasn’t like the hunters kept records of their activities. If they did, and Iever got my hands on them … I could change the kingdom overnight. Unfortunately for Anna and her friends, they weren’t that stupid.
I wasn’t going to give up. Not now, not ever. I would tear my kingdom apart piece by piece to find them if I had to. Four days was not a long time in a search like this. But being so close to Anna, and not having her, made each failure a heavier weight for my shoulders to bear.
Just thinking of Anna had my cock stirring once more. My dragon was riding me hard. It didn’t understand why we didn’t just claim her. We were mates. Her dragon knew it too, subtle as it was. So why fight it?
Human reasonings were antithetical to the beast nature. So I held back, keeping the monster inside me chained up. I wouldn’t do anything that Anna didn’t want me to.
Ever.
Which is why I had taken to showering so frequently and running myself ragged in the gym. It was the only way to keep sane without her presence.
Giving in to the growing notification between my legs that I wasn’t going to be leaving just yet, I wrapped my fingers around my cock.
“Anna …” I moaned into the shower wall.
Eighteen
Anna
“Thank you, Dirk.” I paused outside the door to Caz’s private wing.
My wing? No, it was his. I was just the temporary resident. There were multiple bedrooms within, but I was still staying in his. Which was weird. Maybe I should change rooms.
A sullen dislike of that idea bubbled up from deep inside me. My dragon liked going to sleep in his bed. It smelled of him, and she reveled in that. Wanted to nest in it, even. With him. Which I wasn’t going to let happen.
“My pleasure, Anna. Same time tomorrow?” Dirk asked as he and the other guard hung back, keeping one eye free to watch down the hallway.
Despite the Ice Citadel being Caz’s literal home, everyone who walked with me was always on alert. They were either fearful of Caz’s wrath if they slacked, which seemed possible, or they truly thought I might be in danger. I hadn’t been able to figure out which yet.
“That should be fine. I’ll make sure someone notifies you if Caz changes his mind.”
“I’ll tell Florian,” Dirk said. “He’s going to be on duty tomorrow.”
“Where are you going?”
Florian was nice, but Dirk was Caz’s brother, and while he had been tight-lipped so far, I was determined to wear him down. To learn more about the man behind the ice tyrant.
Dirk’s face grew serious. In that, he was a near mirror image of Caz—strong lines and hard as granite stares. “One of my contacts is reporting a possible hit on one of your friends. I’m going to go investigate, see if there’s anything to it.”
“Thank you.” It didn’t seem like enough, but what else could I say?
“My orders are to do whatever it takes to find your friends, and I intend to do just that,” Dirk said, his face never changing. His eyes, however, glittered with hardened shades of azure. They were just like Caz’s but in blue, and when he grew serious, they looked incredibly similar.
I hesitated. Was he mad over being forced to find some clippys for his brother? Perhaps he thought the assignment beneath him, as second in line to the throne. I could hardly get a read on any of the people in the citadel.
“Not all of us are happy about the way of things,” Dirk said, easing up on the grim-dark look. “We would change it if we could.”
“I see.” Just what did that mean? Was he referring to Caz’s orders? Or the way my friendsand I had been treated?
“Enjoy your walk tomorrow,” Dirk said, drawing up formally and looking past me at the door. “I’ll make sure Florian knows to let you stop by the kitchen backdoor.”
He broke out into a smile, the tension vanishing.
“You’re a good man, Dirk. Thank you.”
He winked.
