Chapter 4
Blaze rushed over to Arena to assess her injuries. She had a few bruises and cuts, but she would be fine. He averted his gaze from her enticing parts the best he could. “Are you all right, my queen?”
Arena stood up and pulled her long dark hair to the front to give her coverage. “I’m more pissed off than anything. They had this planned. They put clothes behind those trees.”
So that was where the blade had come from. “How did they get past your security?” He walked over to look for the clothes she mentioned. He tugged on a pair of the pants. He knew the other set would be too big for her and wouldn’t stay up, so he grabbed a shirt and tossed it her way.
“They didn’t. I come here sometimes by myself to think. I guess they had been watching me and waited.”
“Why would you place yourself in danger like that?” Blaze was angry with her. It would devastate his father if anything happened to her.
“I needed to think.”
“About what? What could be so important that you had to leave the safety of the castle to come out here and get abducted?”
“I need to decide…”
“What? Decide what?”
“Whether or not I will stay mated to Zocor.”
That left him speechless for a moment. What was she saying? “Why would you even consider that? It’s not possible. Drakonians mate for life.”
“I love Zocor. He is a good mate and a great king, but I’m not his true lifemate. My father arranged our union. The king needed someone who might bear him an heir, and I had royal blood lines.”
“I thought you fell in love and mated.” Blaze knew he saw love in her eyes when she looked at his father. Could she have faked that?
“I grew to love him but I’ve never been in love with anyone. My dragon accepted him but does not long for him. I tried to give him a child but... for whatever reason the gods have not blessed us with one. If I break our mate bond, he would be free to claim the one heir he already has.”
“No,” Blaze shook his head in denial. “You can’t mean that. I’m not legitimate and the people will not accept me as the heir. I don’t even want that.”
Arena approached him and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Sometimes our destiny chooses us. Both you and I know that Zocor believes in you. He has told me many times when we are alone that he wishes he had known about you. He would have claimed you years ago.”
“If he had an heir, he might not have sought you out as a mate,” Blaze commented.
A sad smile appeared on her face. “I might have met my true mate. Zocor might have been able to meet his. Anyway, we can’t change the past, but there is something I can do about the future.”
“Mating bonds cannot be broken unless through death.”
“The Council of Kings could declare a union nullified if it has produced no heir.”
He felt shocked yet again. It sounded as if she had researched this. He looked into her eyes, which were sparkling like jewels. His heart raced as it always did when she was near. Needing space, he stepped back and her hand fell away.
“Does Zocor know what you plan to do?”
“I’ve tried to talk to him about allowing him to claim you but he doesn’t want to hurt me. No matter what I say, he still feels it would cause strife and would push me aside. He’s a stubborn male.”
Blaze smiled a small smile. His mother used to say that about him. Maybe that’s where he got it from. “He’s an honorable male who will uphold his promises.”
“Yes, even when those promises hurt him.” Arena walked toward the beach.
He followed her, trying not to notice the sway of her hips beneath the shirt. She had been in his fantasies over the years. No matter how many females he bedded, it was always her face, her body he imagined. Why did he have these unwanted feelings for her? His dragon even stirred whenever she came near. It was a constant battle to keep himself under control.
“You can’t leave Zocor. It would break his heart.”
Arena sighed. “I don’t want to do that. Have you noticed how his conversations have turned to…”
“His impending death? Yeah, I’ve noticed.”
“Zocor wants me to promise to seek my true mate after he takes his last flight.”
“He made me promise to always keep you safe,” Blaze admitted.
“The kingdom needs a king. Help me convince him to end our mating bond.”
Her pleading eyes turned to him. Blaze wanted to give her anything she asked of him, but he couldn’t help her do this to his father. “No.”
She turned away angrily. What a spitfire. Arena ripped off the shirt and shifted. He stood there helpless, watching as her dragon took to the sky. He would follow at a distance to ensure she returned to the castle. Why did she affect him like this? He couldn’t let her hurt Zocor. As soon as he returned, he would speak to him and let him know what Arena planned.
That didn’t happen.
