“I would kill them.”
I gaped at him.
Kas winked at me.
I let out my held breath and laughed. “Shit, Kas! You had me going.”
He cocked his head at me. “It wasn't a joke.”
“Then why did you wink?!”
“I thought you'd find it adorable.”
“Sure, I'd find you winking at me adorable if you hadn't just said you'd murder anyone who spoke out against you.”
“It wouldn't be murder, Demetrius.” Kas hardened his stare. “That's what I'm trying to make you understand. This world is run by Dragons. We rule by divine right, magic, and power. If I let anyone speak out against me—not just disagree but openly oppose me—it would undermine my power. I will not allow that. But everyone knows this. So, no one would oppose me. Not without knowing the risk.”
I looked at the strange people outside my window, then back at Kaspian. “I guess there's a lot for me to learn.”
“Indeed. But I will help you, Mate.” He took my hand again. “I will keep you safe.”
I started laughing.
Kaspian glared at me. “Why is that humorous?”
“Because I'm supposed to be the hero. I'm a firefighter. I protect people. I don't need you to keep me safe. But that's sweet, thanks.”
Kaspian's knight, the one standing near the door and closest to us, swiveled to gape at me while I spoke. I ignored him. I had probably said something improper or improperly. Plus, I didn't like the way Kas was looking at me. That concerned me more than his knight.
“What?” I demanded. “Did I threaten your alphaness or something?”
“I don't require you to be weak so that I can feel strong. I am strong. That is a proven fact.” Kaspian waved that aside. “Met, this world has dangers you don't understand. We don't fight fire here. We embrace it.”
“Yeah, I know. You control the element. What I'm saying is that I can handle myself.”
“Not here, you can't,” he said gently, as if breaking bad news.
I sat back and lifted a brow. “I'm not just a human anymore. I feel it now. I'm stronger.”
Kas nodded. “That's true. You share my strength and my immortality. You may even have an immunity to fire. You are harder to kill and more powerful than you were. But you are still partly human, Mate. Any Dragon—and I mean, any of them, even our weakest—could best you. Many warriors of other races could as well, simply because you don't know our world or the people in it. Not enough to—what did you say?—handle yourself.”
“So, even with all the stuff you've given me, whatever that may be, you think I need protecting?”
“Yes. I'm sorry if that threatens your alpha-nonsense.”
I snorted a laugh despite my irritation. “Alphaness. But that works. And maybe it does threaten me because I'm really fucking pissed right now.”
The same knight who had been staring at me made a strangled sound.
“Is there something you wish to say, Sir Fenvo?” Kaspian slid his stare to the side but not entirely to the knight—as if he wasn't important enough for Kas to turn around and face him.
The knight cleared his throat. “My apologies, Your Majesty. I didn't mean to listen to your conversation.”
“My mate has retained some of his original way of speaking. It doesn't translate into our language well. Or maybe it does but it doesn't mean the same thing to us as it does to him. You will discount things he says that seem inappropriate.”
“Yes, Sire. Um . . .”
“Yes?”
