Wren
Itookadeep,shaky breath before turning the knob and opening the door from Rowan’s bedroom to his office.
His eyes met mine, and he tilted his head. “What’re you doing up so early on a Saturday?”
“I could say the same to you, but I know the answer. You’re working,like always,” I teased and walked over to him before sitting on his lap. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed a kiss to his lips. “Always working, never relaxing.”
“Why do I feel like you’re distracting me?”
“Not distracting. Just holding off on telling you something.” I let out a nervous chuckle, and he frowned.
“And you were asleep by the time I came in last night, so we didn’t get to talk. Why do I have a feeling I’m not gonna like what you’re gonna say?”
“I’m going with Kian and Lachlan to Cursina,” I blurted and hid my face in the nape of his neck.
“You’re not going, fledgling,” he said carefully, his hands freezing their rubs on my back. “It was one thing to go to the Demon Capital with Rhett and Damien, because Damien and you have bonded.”
I shook my head. “That doesn’t matter. Kian and Lachlan are still my mates. I’m going with them.”
He let out a roar, and smoke billowed from his nostrils as he picked me up and pinned me against the wall behind his desk within a few seconds. Anger poured down the bond, and his body pressed against mine. My feet dangled a few inches off the floor, and his nose pressed against mine.
I could see the fire raging in his irises and swallowed hard. Fear blazed in his eyes. Red scales formed over his skin, and I gasped, reaching a hand up and gliding it over the rough scales on his cheek.
His entire body was covered in red scales, and his form had grown larger than usual. I let out a stuttered breath as I realized he was mid-shift. “Rowan,pleasecalm down. You’re about to shift, and if you shift,you are going to hurt me.” My voice cracked as fear settled into my gut like a toxin of terror.
I knew if he shifted, he wouldn’t just hurt me, it would kill me—but it would also kill the majority of the other supernaturals in the building.
He blinked a few times before hot tears slid down his face as his scales faded.“Fuck. I’m sorry, but Ican’t let you go. Do you have any idea how out of my mind I was when you were at the Demon Capital? I wassoafraid the entire time, and I wasn’t the only one.”
“Why are you so afraid? I’ll be with two of my other mates.”
“Do you really want to know?” His voice dropped into a grave tone, and I could see the despair flickering in his irises.
“Tell me.”
“The dragons in Blezen are tyrants.Sick monsters.” He let out a humorless chuckle, and I could see the hatred burning in the flames of his eyes. His muscles tensed as he held me against the wall. “They believe that any female mated to a dragon is not only that dragon’s, but all dragons in Blezen. They see it as a sign from the Dragon God that the female is to be bred by all the dragons and drakes inhabiting Blezen. They’re locked up, and their cycle is tracked. But even not on ovulation week, a female can still get pregnant, so they breed her every day by a different dragon. That sounds bad…” His voice cracked.
“Itisbad.” My stomach churned.
His eyes softened a little as he stared down at me. “But, fledgling, what they do to a drake’s mate isso much worse.Drakes fall utterly in love with their mate, but when they bond, they are supposed to come forward to the elders with that female or male. If they don’t, they are killed, and their mate is taken and bred at least five times a day until they are impregnated. When they give birth, that baby is taken from them, and the cycle repeats until they die. If the babies do not have any drake in them—” He paused and swallowed his emotion. “Youcannotget taken by them. I have to be with you to ensure that never happens.” Tears trail their way down his cheeks.
“Rowan… I didn’t—didn’t know it was that serious. But—I still can’t be trapped here the rest of my life. I was never allowed out of the village, and I don’t want to be forced to stay here either. Kian and Lachlan are my mates too, and they will be able to protect me. You have to trust themandme.”
“How can I trust them to keep you safe against a dragon?” He shook his head. “How can I trustyouagainst anyone with the strength of a dragon?”
I froze, blinking rapidly as tears started to slip down my cheeks. I couldn’t form any words to counter with. I was speechless.
I knew I lacked physical strength. Simmons had pointed that out rather quickly in Offense 101, but to hear my mate say that he couldn’t trust me to protect myself hurt. I didn’t know how to look him in the eye, so I squeezed mine shut. It was good Rowan had me pinned against the wall because I didn’t think I could hold myself up.
I trembled underneath him as the tears leaked down my face, and I could barely take a breath in and out. It really hurt. My chest ached with a pain I didn’t know how to ease.
“What the fuck did you do to her?” Damien’s voice cracked the tension in the room, and Rowan’s body left mine as my feet hit the ground, and I slumped against the wall before sliding down. I brought my knees to my chest, and Damien’s tongue ran up my cheek.
“I—I didn’t mean to say it like that, Wren. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings, but… the dragons aresoevil. You’re a shifter. I don’t knowanyshifter that could go against a dragon.”
Damien growled, and I could feel his shadows cradle against my body, cooling off the heat that had built inside me from all the emotion.
“I know I’m not physically strong enough to take on a dragon. You’re right…” I let out a forced laugh. “But to hear my mate say that he didn’t think I could take care of myself justhurt.”
