I barely manage to breathe calmly as I look at the glass. There are a mix of tiny shards and large ones, and I know every step is going to make a thousand cuts into my feet. I look at the other side where the dragons were when I first arrived, seeing a raised stage and a single glass of water on it.
Water is payment for this game, but I’ll bleed out before I get to it. Fuckers.
I look up at the dragons and keep my eyes narrowed before facing forward. Hunter won this game and he survived — I can do it too. I want to scream at them that the dragons my parents rode were righteous, lovely creatures, not vicious, nasty things like them. But I don’t. Instead, I trust the man who kidnapped me and take a step onto the glass. The crunching noise echoes through the silent air, and it hurts on the first step. Not like a cut, just a sting, and I wince. I quickly realise something is covering my foot from inside my boots, and I look down once, seeing a wisp of purple shadows from the top of my boot. I have to pretend, or they will know Hunter is helping me. I cry out, pretending to be in maddening pain, and I walk slowly, one stepat a time. It still cuts me in places, small enough that I’m leaving a trail of blood, but not bad enough that it’s a thousand cuts like it should be. I make sure to really act, putting on every acting skill I’ve ever used growing up to get out of dance classes, to get out of anything to do with classes in general.
As I hobble across the glass, getting closer and closer to the other side, the dragons roar. The loud, sudden sound makes me slip, and I wince as I fall, glass slamming into my arm and side. I cry out for real this time. Hunter’s shadows can’t protect me from a fall, not where they could see. I wince, climbing to my feet as blood pours down my arm and hip, from my hands too.
I carry on walking, feeling my blood dripping, the metallic tang of it filling the air as I walk, step by step, until I’m finally there and I collapse onto the platform, looking back at the trail of blood across the glass. Shakily, I pick up the glass of water and drink it down before lying back on the platform and looking up as the four dragons take to the sky, roaring and blasting fire into the cloudless sky.
They aren’t happy, but I don’t have it in me to care. The bastard dragons are going to watch me win their games, go home and raise an army to destroy them. Hunter and his people will be free, and I will not stop until these cruel dragons are gone.
“Are you sure it’s okay to wear this to some kind of celebration?” I look down at my clothes. My arm is completely bandaged up, all the way down to the wrist, and my hands too. So are my feet, but they’re not sore at all thanks to Hunter helping me, risking everything from his life to his people to help me. I said thank you a dozen times, but he has brushed off every attempt I have made. Hunter came and picked me up off the platform with his purple shadows covering us, and he took me back to my room and began bandaging me. Thankfully, only a few pieces cut deep, and my fae healing will sort them out soon enough.
“Yes.” Hunter answers. “You look beautiful in anything, Wrenley.”
My cheeks burn under his intense stare. “I’m definitely going to have scars from the game. I kind of like them.”
“Fae healing will soon kick in.” He murmurs. “And you shouldn’t have any injuries at all.” He sighs, offering me his hand. “Let’s go.”
I walk slowly with Hunter because my feet are a little sore. We walk out the door and enter the courtyard, walk towards the double doors and out into the fields of vegetation. I stare at the strange fruit, seeing it’s pink with spikes coming out of it. “It’s called dragon fruit. It’s one of the few things that grow here well.” He moves us closer so I can see them. “I would offer you one, but none of them are ripe yet.”
“They look peculiar. Are they pink inside too?” I question. My cousin would love these — she adores anything pink.
“White actually,” he smiles at me. “With many seeds.”
We slowly walk through the vegetation when I hear it. Music. Joyful, upbeat songs and someone singing sweetly. Eventually we find the people, and my eyes widen. There’s a massive circle of dancers in the middle. Some people are playing guitars, and a woman is singing in a language I do not know. They’re laughing together in corners, sharing drinks, and they look so happy. Everyone seems quite happy, in fact. Hunter leads me through them, and I just watch how they react. Hunter is loved by them — even if he doesn’t see it. I can. People smile and wave, others immediately nod their heads, bowing almost. I arch my eyebrow at Hunter when I find him looking at me. “You can speak freely here tonight. The dragons don’t monitor us tonight. They leave on this night only.”
“All right, why are they all bowing?” I wave around.
“Because people remember.” He rubs the back of his neck, his cheeks brightening.
“Shall I start calling you my king now?” I tease.
He looks down at me, tracing his eyes over my face. My breath hitches. “You’re a queen, Wrenley, and unless you have a partner I don’t know about, calling me your king is interesting.”
“No partner or anything.” I murmur with burning hot cheeks.
“Good. Saves me hunting them down for touching you.” He says the threat so casually, even when I can tell he isn’t joking.
I step away from him when I look around. “Everyone is staring at you — at us — Hunter.”
He takes my hand, drags me right into the middle of the dancers, and spins me around, pulling me to him. I gasp as he gently places his hand on my back, careful not to touch my ribs or my arm, as he pulls our bodies flush. He takes my other hand in his, linking our fingers and swirling me around with the music. “Now there is just us.”
And there is. With Hunter, the world fades and I don’t care about anyone else. Just him. I know we’re in a group of a lot of people, but I only see him. I realise I’ve only seen him since he took me, since he kidnapped me. “Why did you ask me that question about mate bonds, Hunter? I can’t stop thinking...”
He cups my cheek, and I lean into his touch. “You’re my mate, Wrenley. I knew for certain when we stood in front of the dragons and you were in danger. I have waited a long time to find you and whatever fate wishes, I am yours.”
The world pauses as he says those words, as they click perfectly into my chest like it’s obvious. How did I not know before? Of course he is. How could I not have known?
We stare at each other for long moments as we dance.
“When I came to your world, I was searching for the dragon egg when I felt this pull. I can’t explain it — the feeling — just that something in my chest yanked my heart, and I followed it. I found your castle with so many celebrations happening that it made it so easy to slip inside with my shadows. I picked up yourscent. The vanilla and the hazelnut with a taste of salt. Things that just are you, Wren. I followed it to your room, and I was surprised to see the egg there. That was not what I was looking for at that point. I was annoyed because I’d got what the dragons wanted and if I left it there to search for the scent, the person I was following, they would search my memories and punish me by killing someone here.”
I feel my eyes watering and my heart is slamming a beat in my chest. He was looking for me. His mate.
“I stood in that room and decided what to do. Then I felt you coming closer. When you opened that door and stepped in, I thought — finally, I found my queen. I’ve looked for you for such a long time. Begged, pleaded, done everything to survive just on the off chance I would find you. You were the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen in my life. It was like getting hit by a storm when I first saw you, and I didn’t want the storm to end. When you started talking, I had to play a part so that when the dragons looked in my mind, they saw nothing of any concern. They didn’t know what you were to me, so I avoided even thinking or accepting what you were. I bit you, not for power, but just to taste you for myself. I brought you here, and I risked you, and I shouldn’t have, but it was worth it because I just wanted you close. I will take you back to your family no matter what happens in the final game because that’s what you deserve, but part of me wishes you’d stay here. I just want to know you.”
I lean up and press my lips against his. It’s the first time I’ve kissed someone like this, and he hesitates for a second, I think, just in pure shock, before the two of us collide. His lips devour mine. His hands dig into my hair, and he pulls me tight against him. I loop my hands around the back of his neck, pulling myself as close as I possibly can to him because he tastes like home. Like something I’ve been searching for a very long time, and I do not want to be apart from him ever again. I barely registerHunter walking us back to my room, not until he shuts the door and we both stare at each other. His eyes slowly run down my body. “If you want to wait, I’ll leave. It is up to you.”
