Dragon Chains by Grace Goodwin

12

Royal Ball:

Ryker could not bear to see his mate in tears and lifted a hand to gently wipe her cheek. “I know exactly who you are, Katy. I have known from the moment we met.”

Katy stilled, certain she’d misheard. “What did you just say?”

Ryker tensed. The sorrow he’d seen in her eyes flashed to anger faster than a lightning strike. “I know you came here pretending to be Emily. I have always known. We belong together. There is no one for me but you. Of course I knew. I could never mistake you for another. Not even an identical twin.”

Katy shook with suppressed rage. Hurt. “I’ve been worried this entire time, feeling like the very worst person on the planet, and you knew?”

The fire in her eyes made him ache to shove her against the wall, lift her dress, and take her here. Now. His cock swelled with eagerness. Unfortunately the Draquonir had excellent hearing and her cries of pleasure were for no one’s ears but his own. “I waited for you to trust me enough to tell me.”

“I don’t trust you!” she yelled, her heart broken. Aching.

“Do you not?” His dragon raged at her denial, clawing to break free and prove himself worthy of their female.

“No. Well, if I did, I don’t anymore. You lied to me!”

Moving slowly, giving her every chance to escape him, he stepped forward, slowly backed her against the wall. When she had nowhere else to go, he lowered his head until his lips hovered over hers, the lightest of touches, his breath synced to hers. “You do not run from me, even now. You come apart in my arms. You gave me your body and your heart. You are mine, Katy, and I will not give you up.”

Lips tingling, Katy’s shoulders loosened just a little. She wanted to sink into him. Wanted to trust him. Wanted to believe they could be together forever. She was so confused. “What about Emily? And your contract?”

“Null and void.”

She moaned. “I’ve ruined everything then.”

“You saved me, Katy. Gave our people hope. How is this a bad thing?”

“My mom. You don’t understand.” She turned her head to the side, breaking the contact between them.

He took advantage by lowering his lips to her bare shoulder. The side of her neck. Seeing her in his colors, the black gown sparkling around her like black fire, the royal jewels wrapped around her throat brought him more pleasure than he’d ever imagined. He’d expected to find a mate and make his claim. Have children. Continue the family line.

He had not expected to be obsessed with every expression and sound she made. To crave her presence like a drug. To need her touch, her happiness more than he needed his own.

He had not expected to fall in love.

A single tear full of pent-up emotion, of heartache, tracked down her cheek. “Ryker. Stop. I can’t. I can’t do this. It will ruin everything.”

“Tell me,” he whispered soothingly as he wrapped his arms protectively around her, grateful she didn’t resist the comfort he offered. He needed to comfort her. Protect her. He did not understand why she was so upset, had expected her to be happy that she didn’t have to pretend anymore. Had they really expected to fool him? Fool his people? He had completed extensive background checks on Katy and Emily both. He knew where they worked. How they lived. He did not see a problem.

“My mother needs this really expensive rehab facility, and we used the money you gave Emily to pay for half of it. If the deal doesn’t go through, my mom will be kicked out, and I can’t take care of her in my little apartment. Emily is always gone, flying here and there, and I never know when she’s going to be around to help. And my boss is a serious bitch—I mean, she’s horrible. I’m already working two jobs, and I just can’t do this. You have to take Emily back.”

Ryker wanted to throw back his head and laugh at his mate’s groundless fears, but he didn’t dare. She did not trust him. Not yet. Had no idea the lengths he would go to ensure her happiness. She was clearly upset and very worried about her family. One more reason he had fallen for her. She would make an excellent queen for his people. For him. And she would learn what it meant to be his. To be cared for and protected.

Rocking her gently in his arms, he held her until she relaxed against him, her cheek pressed above his heart. “You are mine, Katy. My mate. My queen. You do not need to worry about such things. I am wealthy beyond what you could possibly imagine. And what I have, Mia Regina, is yours. I would never leave you to deal with such troubles on your own. I will take care of you and your family. Do you understand?”

“No.” She pulled back to look up at him but did not resist his embrace. Thank all that was holy, because he could not let her go when she so clearly needed him. “I don’t understand this at all. You’ve only known me for a few days. And now I’m in this dress, and I have a crown on my head, which makes no sense at all. And you keep calling me your queen, but queen of what? I’m not the queen of anything. And why would you even want to take care of me? My life is a mess. My job stinks. My mom is sick, and the medical bills are crazy. My sister lied to you. I lied to you…”

Her voice trailed off as he lowered his head to kiss her forehead. Her temple. The side of her face. Her jaw. “I have not been completely honest with you, either, my love.”

She stiffened. “What does that mean? You’re married, aren’t you? Or engaged?”

“No. Nothing so simple.”

Katy swallowed nervously. “Worse than you’re already married?”

“No. Yes. There are many things I must tell you. But first, I need you to know that marrying me will mean so much more than living in this palazzo. I want your full commitment. Here. Now. Tonight.”

Ryker kissed her, only Draquonir law keeping him from baring his soul and admitting that he was not entirely human. That she would be revered and respected by Draquonir all over the world, and hunted by others.

That when he made her fully his, the black dragonfire would engulf them both and change her body chemistry. Magically tie her life force to his. Make her more than human.

Desire burned through him as she sighed, her hands exploring beneath his suit jacket, fingers tugging at his body as if she would never get enough.

“My king!” Vector slid into the hallway, the words a shout on his lips. “There is trouble. You must come at once.”

Slowly, with a reverence he knew he would feel with no other, he lifted his head, never breaking eye contact with his mate. “Stay here? Wait for me? We have much to discuss.”

She nodded, her gaze darting to Vector.

Ryker straightened, his attention zeroing in on Vector. Only something truly serious would faze him. Vector was clearly enraged, his hands clenched into fists, dragon magic lit the back of his eyes.

Mist and Fury appeared behind him, grim expressions on both of their faces.

“Who has dared disturb us this night?” Ryker had made it known to all the Draquonir, his clan and all the others spread across the continents, that he had found his mate and would present her to his people tonight. He had invited the elder elves and high-ranking members of his allied Draquonir clans. Only a rival would be foolish enough to cause trouble on such a sacred night.

Or someone who wished to start a war.

“They wear no clan colors,” Mist offered.

“Drifters, then.” The Drifters were those without loyalty or allegiance. Exiles and troublemakers. Thieves and mercenaries. And very, very dangerous.

Facing Katy, he lowered his forehead and pressed it to hers. Their gazes locked. “I am in love with you, Katy Toure. Not your sister. You. Please, stay here and wait for me while I deal with this.”

He nearly lost control when she placed a small hand on his cheek, leaned in, and whispered into his ear. “Go, then. I’ll be here when you get back. And I’ll expect you to tell me everything.”

Turning his head, he placed a kiss in the center of her palm and tore himself away from her. He hated leaving her behind. Hated walking away from her. His dragon screamed in rage, cried out for blood, demanded justice for the Drifters who dared threaten their mate.

“You two, do not leave her side. Protect your queen with your lives. Understand?”

“Of course.” Mist and Fury spoke in unison.

Satisfied that Katy would be protected, Ryker followed Vector to the tallest rooftop on the estate, and they shifted, one black dragon and one red, surveying the chaos below as his people, some in dragon form, some still appearing human, engaged with the Drifters and protected their queen.

His roar was answered by his clan, and he took to the air, eager to be done with this and return to his mate.

* * *

Katy was sure her sigh could be heard through the entire palazzo. She turned to Mist, whom she knew and trusted. Fury was fine, no doubt, or Ryker would not have left him behind. But Katy didn’t know him that well, whereas Mist was familiar. A friend. “What is a Drifter? And what is he talking about? I don’t understand any of this.”

Mist tilted her head to the side, her look sympathetic, but gave nothing away. “He will explain everything to you later, Katy. Why don’t we get you somewhere more secure than this hallway?”

Fury scowled. “Too late. Someone comes.”

Mist crouched into a fighting stance. Balanced. Ready. “Friend?”

“No.” Fury’s face turned grim. “We cannot shift here.”

“No. We cannot.”

He sighed and pulled two daggers from leather sheaths strapped to his back, well concealed beneath his dinner jacket. “The hard way then.”

Mist reached between her breasts and pulled out a bodice dagger with a two-and-a-half-inch blade of heat-purpled steel, the leather sheath sewn into the bodice for concealment. Bending down, she used one of the blades to cut off most of her skirt as Fury watched with a grin.

“Not one word, Fury.”

“I didn’t say anything.” He did glance down at her shoes. “You’re leaving the heels on?”

Mist smiled and the expression would have frightened Katy if she didn’t know the other woman was on her side.

As one, they turned to face the far end of the hallway, clearly hearing something Katy could not.

“Get behind me and stay there,” Mist ordered.

Katy wasn’t going to argue. She had no idea what was going on and was still trying to process the fact that Ryker knew who she was. All this time, he knew, and Katy wasn’t sure whether she should be relieved or furious with him for stringing her along. But she’d been lying to him, too. If he knew, why didn’t he speak to her earlier? Why not confront her with the truth? What was he trying to achieve? Surely seducing the twin sister of the woman he’d already agreed to marry hadn’t been part of his plan.

Before she could put any kind of logical thought process together, four strangers sauntered around the corner, walked confidently and with purpose toward them.

“You are not welcome here.” Fury did not yell or seem to be surprised. He didn’t raise his voice at all. Did he know these people?

The tallest one, clearly the leader of the group, responded with a grin. “An oversight, I’m sure. Your king would not introduce the first contract breeder without inviting the other clans.”

Contract breeder? What the hell was that supposed to mean? Katy stiffened. She knew an insult when she heard one.

Mist actually growled, the sound making Katy tense. And maybe just a little scared. “You’re an ass, Erik. Take your Guardians and get out.”

The man in the center had hair so blond it appeared white. His suit looked expensive, and he was far too handsome. But then, so were the three men surrounding him. They looked like Nordic myths, fairies or elves or something she might see in a fantasy movie. No one had that coloring in real life. Compared to Mist and Fury’s dark hair and eyes, they looked like aliens.

Erik, the leader, ignored both Mist and Fury and looked straight at Katy. “Ms. Toure, I presume.”

Mist swung her blades in a threatening arc. “Do not come any closer.”

Erik tsked at her. “That won’t be necessary.” He looked back over his shoulder. “Gentlemen?”

The two closest to Erik stepped forward and raised what looked like a cross between a harpoon and a crossbow, took aim, and fired. A net of floating silver shot from each of their weapons to cover and entangle Katy’s two protectors.

Mist screamed in pure feminine rage, not pain. Katy knew the difference. Mist wasn’t hurt, but she was really, really angry. Spitting mad. “How dare you use Elven magic against us! That is an act of war.”

Erik placed a hand on top of one of the crossbow-style weapons and pushed it down. The other man lowered his weapon as well, and Katy realized she’d been holding her breath in anticipation of being shot as well. Adrenaline raced through her system.

“Ms. Toure, you are in no danger from me. I give you my word.”

“Don’t listen to him. He’s an ass,” Fury ground out between frustrated struggles against the net holding him prisoner. The netting was so fine it looked like spiderwebs covered with fresh dew. It should have been easy for either Mist or Fury to break.

Both struggled. Katy lifted her head to the men who stood before her, her eyes wide. “What do you want?”

“Simply to speak with you. You will not be harmed.”

Katy looked at Fury, who growled, to Mist, who glared at Erik but clearly spoke to her. “Don’t be afraid. Ryker will kill him if he touches you.”

Erik chuckled at Mist’s words. “He is welcome to try.” He turned his gaze from Mist back to Katy. “However, that will not be necessary. Ms. Toure, please, I assure you, I simply need to discuss your recent bargain. You will not be harmed.”

He looked at Mist and raised a brow as if chastising a small child. “And this would not have been necessary had your king been reasonable regarding my request to meet the lady.”

“She is no concern of yours.” Fury pressed so hard against the net Katy could see blood welling up on his cheeks in a pattern that matched the net’s. The fine thread was literally cutting through his flesh.

Katy tried not to show them how much she was afraid and hid her trembling hands behind her back, her shoulders straight. With both Mist and Fury out of commission, she didn’t have much choice. She was no match for four huge blond men, each at least a head taller than she and probably twice her weight. She could try to run, but she hadn’t taken running seriously since middle school when she would run from boys shoving worms in her face.

“You won’t hurt them?” she asked.

“Mist and Fury will remain unharmed. Please.” Erik held out his hand, and Katy stepped forward but kept her hands behind her.

“I am perfectly capable of walking. Don’t touch me,” she said in her most regal, you-can’t-scare-me voice, walking sedately as if she were out for a casual stroll around the gardens. She may not be a real queen, but she could pretend for a few minutes.

“As you wish. Follow me please.” Erik turned on his heel and walked back the way they had come. Behind her, Mist shouted Erik's name as Fury bellowed in rage. The three Guardians with Erik fell in around her like a circle of protection. Erik walked for a few minutes then turned and walked down a stone stairway to what felt like private tunnels or underground passages. Katy had no idea as she had never explored this part of Ryker’s estate.

She’d been too busy in Ryker’s bed to look around.

Erik paused before a heavy wooden door and turned to face her. “If you would please remove the crown, my dear, we shall leave that behind. The pendant as well. There are rules even I will not break.”

Katy had completely forgotten she was still wearing a fortune in diamonds. She lifted the sparkling crown from her head and looked around for a place to put it.

“Anywhere will do.” Erik pointed to the floor.

Seemed a shame, but…

Katy set the crown on the floor, followed by the necklace, and stood to face Erik. “Now what?” She covered the ring she wore with her opposite hand. That she could not bear to remove.

“Now we shall go somewhere we can have a nice, sensible discussion.”

One of Erik's Guardians opened the door and led the way outside. Each lifted their weapons as they moved together across one of the smaller courtyards, with Erik and her in the center of the circle.

Thunder rumbled in the sky, and Katy looked up, expecting to see clouds. A storm. It was early evening, but dusk had not yet given way to night. She shivered with apprehension.

The sky was clear. Beautiful. She could hear the crashing of the sea far below the cliff the estate rested upon.

Erik and the others led her to a door in the estate’s tall stone wall. “Where are we going? We can talk here.”

Erik laughed. “Oh, no. Not here. Ryker is too hot-headed at the moment to see reason.”

Obviously arguing would do her no good, so Katy followed as Erik led her through the gate, her arms crossed protectively in front of her.

The cliff edge was no more than thirty paces away, then dropped off to the Mediterranean Sea far below. The smell of salt and seaweed, fish and sand surrounded her. The rhythmic sound of crashing surf and thunder made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.

Then she heard a roar. Not that of a lion. Nothing so small. This sound came from the sky itself, loud as the thunder from twenty simultaneous strikes of lightning.

She jumped. Looked up. And up.

What the…?

Two large beasts crashed together in midair, their bodies twisting and turning around one another as they plummeted toward the water. One black, one red. The black creature released the other and soared back into the sky as the red creature careened out of control toward the water.

Katy blinked. Eagles? Seabirds of some kind? Huge, gigantic scary seabirds?

What was that?

“I see Ryker has not told you everything.”

Tearing her gaze from the strange sight, Katy looked at Erik. “What do you mean? What are you talking about?”

“He has not told you what we are.”

Erik watched the same spectacle as she, except he did not look confused. He was smiling.

Another roar grabbed her attention, and she whirled back to face the open water just as the red creature erupted from the water. It climbed toward the black as the black—God help her, she was going to say it—dragon plummeted from high in the sky in what looked like an attack dive. Fire, or what looked like fire, came from the black dragon’s mouth.

“Oh my God.” Her hands closed over her mouth in shock. Disbelief. Fascination.

One of the men behind her chuckled. “God isn’t going to help you.”

“Silence.” Erik chastised the man, but it was too late. Katy’s heart, already pounding with adrenaline and fear, beat double time.

The black dragon attacked the red once more, biting, clawing, tearing at the red dragon’s wings, locked in a deadly battle.

“My lord, you’d better send Talon up there. Ryker is in a killing rage.”

Erik nodded, his gaze never losing sight of the two dragons. “Yes, I see that.”

Katy gasped. Surely they weren’t implying Ryker, her Ryker, could be one of those dragons up there? She looked up again, her fear growing exponentially as she watched the red dragon slash at the black dragon’s underbelly.

She turned to look at Erik, who was watching her with a speculative look in his cold blue eyes. They were like ice, a glacier frozen behind each eyelid. “Go.”

One of the three Guardians took off at a run, and Katy lost sight of him.

“The car is this way, Ms. Toure. If you’ll follow me.” It wasn’t a question nor a request; it was an order, and they both knew it.

In a matter of seconds their small group walked under cover of overhanging rocks and spindly trees that clung to life on the side of the cliff, the thin roots a chaos of twisting white lines just above her head. The ledge they walked on was not wide, yet her shoulder repeatedly brushed the rocks as one of the Guardians kept pace, walking between her and the steep drop on the opposite side.

The roaring faded the farther they walked, and in a few minutes Erik led her to a small clearing where a long black limousine awaited their arrival, another blond giant opening the door for them as they approached.

“After you.” Erik stepped aside and waved his arm, acting the gentleman, as he waited for her to climb into the vehicle. Adjusting her gown, she stepped inside the most luxurious car she’d ever been in. Erik followed her inside, sat beside her. She scooted as far away as she could get from him.

Erik sighed.

She glared. She’d just been kidnapped, and he had the nerve to act like she was the one being unreasonable.

Seconds later the car was in motion.

Totally faking a bravado she didn’t really feel, she tapped her foot impatiently and demanded, “Where are you taking me?”

“Somewhere you’ll be safe.”

“Why?”

“Many lives depend on the answers to my questions, Ms. Toure.”

Katy crossed her arms defensively. “I don’t know anything.”

“We shall see.”