CHAPTER 10

I spent the rest of the night in an uncomfortable silence with my eyes pinned to the ground, unwilling to look up through all the frolicking or random moans and sounds that echoed throughout the room. Occasionally, King Tohrah would reach out and touch my hand as if to make sure I wasn’t going to be running away. However, when I didn’t look up, he would let go and continue speaking to someone. Of course, they all still sounded like hisses and little growls for the most part. Occasionally, I could make out the word "sssahhh" every once and a while.

A few times, I heard Erik say something in English. But I wasn’t even going to try and look up to see what was going on. I was too afraid of seeing some of those naked people, and the bawdy acts that they were performing on each other.

It wasn’t long before hunger, exhaustion, and stress had my eyes drifting shut and my body melting into the chair. I had almost fallen when a strong hand grabbed my shoulder to hold me in the chair.

“It’s time for you to get your sleep, Mara,” King Tohrah whispered me softly in my ear.

I blinked up at him trying to clear my mind enough to comprehend what he was saying. Yet, as soon as my mind heard the word “sleep” I was more than willing to follow him to the ends of the earth.

I allowed him to help me out of my chair and towards the small door at the far side of the room, away from everyone else. Despite the small number of people still sitting around enjoying the ample delights of the party, no one even looked up as we departed.

“Where are you taking me?” I asked him with a sleepy yawn.

“To my bed,” he replied nonchalantly.

With those simple words, I was suddenly wide awake again. I skidded to a stop and jerked my arm out of Tohrah's grasp.

“I am not going to bed with you! I am not going to be your queen, and I am not going to sleep with you! I don’t know who you think you are, but you have no right to treat me like a piece of property!”

The King swung around and advanced on me with a hard determination in his eyes. Fearful, I stumbled backward until I was pressed hard against the unforgiving stone.

“Actually, I do. This is my world, and this is my kingdom. You came under my rule the moment you stepped through the opening. The only right you have is to do as your brother or your king commands you to do,” he growled at me.

“Excuse me?” I breathed out in shock.

“Here in my world, the oldest Draygon in each house is in charge of the Draygana. Your brother is yours, and he has given you to me. Even you must know the honor I am bestowing on you by making you a Queen,” King Tohrah replied, his haughty tone rubbed me raw.

Anger overwhelmed my fear of him, and I stepped closer, pressing my face into his.

“I am NO ONE'S property!” I shouted at him.

He put his hand on my chest right above my heart, making it skip a beat. I growled internally at the stupid thing demanding it stopped reacting to the man’s touch.

“I have made my claim, little fyre. You can fight me all you want. But you may want to think twice before you take on the King of the Golden Draygons,” he warned me softly.

My pounding heart suddenly stopped at his words. He couldn't be serious. Certainly, he wasn't talking about actual dragons. No… dragons weren’t real. I thought, trying not to laugh out loud at the absurdity of this man.

He gently pushed me back against the wall before stepping away and stalking down the darkened hallway, leaving me to follow him as if he were certain that I would.

King Tohrah threw open the doors at the end of the hallway, bathing the darkened areas with the purple light from the planet outside. He turned back to me and waved his arm to the opening, beckoning me towards it.

A large shadow swooped by, blocking out the light for a moment before zipping away. I moved in beside him, looking into his hard eyes. It was obvious that he sensed my disbelief and was not happy about it at all. I swallowed hard and tried not to let my discomfort at his anger show; unwilling to give him that much of an upper hand with me.

A thunderous boom from above startled me, and I screamed, jumped back, and slammed into the King. He wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me tightly against his chest. Whether it was to protect me, or stopped me from running away, I didn’t know, and honestly, I didn’t really care.

"Fear not, little fyre, I have you," he whispered into my ear. "Look above."

Slowly my eyes rose, and the sight would have dropped me to the floor if King Tohrah hadn't been holding me so tightly.

In the violet hue of the lunar planet, shapes were gliding through the sky. Shapes that were absolutely impossible to be in the sky.

Dragons.

The sky was filled with dragons.

"Oh my god," I whispered as I watched them swoop dive, and rise seemingly playfully.

Several had locked talons and tumbled a bit, then broke apart and began flying again together.

"Beautiful, are they not?" he asked me; the pride and awe in his voice inspired the same in me.

"Yes," I breathed out in awe.

"We Draygons are proud, strong, and powerful," he explained.

A dragon broke off the group and flew down to the top of the tower mere feet from us. The purple light sparkled off the Golden scales of the dragon-like brilliant amethysts that seemed so real that I could almost reach out and pluck one of the crystals off. The head of the dragon was twice as big as my whole body. It had two horns on the very top and another smaller set just below that one. Both sets of horns were covered by the same dark sparkling scales. My gaze connected with its huge yellow cat-like eyes that blinked oddly at me. There was some intelligence to it, but also hostility as they looked at me. Almost as if they didn't approve of the human its King was wrapped around. Its enormous talons were sharp and deadly, yet it gripped the wall so gently that it was obviously worried about destroying the ledge it sat on. Its massive bat-like wings slicked back as it crouched down and pushed its snout towards me. It let out a low, hostile growl that shivered through me.

Frightened, I shrunk away from it, burying myself deeper into the King's arms.

Unfazed, King Tohrah grasped my hand and pushed it towards the dragon. I struggled against his strong grip to no avail as he lifted my hand to the dragon. The dragon lowered its enormous head and sniffed my outstretched hand.

The King let out a low growl that resonated from deep within his chest. The dragon's head perked up a bit, then seemed to bow to the both of us reverently before shooting straight up, letting out a long roar. Every dragon responded with their own roars, and for several heartbeats, the sky was filled with their calls.

An odd purring noise rumbled from the King's chest. If I didn't know better, I would have thought it was a pleased purr.

Shivering, I looked back at him and swallowed again, trying to get past my dry throat.

"Wh-what was that?" I asked him.

"My draygons are accepting you as their queen. They will not harm you," he said with immense satisfaction.

Something I was profoundly grateful for considering even the smallest ones could snap me like a twig without trying hard.

"Their call was letting everyone know that if harm should befall you. Death would be too easy for them," he explained.

"So, when it growled at me?" I asked in awe.

"It was wanting to know if you were a threat. I let it know you were my mate and to take your scent so that it would know from then on who you were," he explained.

"That was a lot to say in just a roar. Your language is... quick," I commented as I turned my gaze back over the valley.

"Yes, much easier than yours. I will continue to use yours as my champion taught me while you learn mine," the king acquiesced.

My mind was spinning as much as the dragons were in the sky. A sharp pain was beginning to blossom in my temples. I was trying to process everything all at once, and my brain was rebelling. I let out an exhausted sigh and rubbed my forehead.

"It's bedtime, little fyre," the king told me softly.

I didn't argue with him this time as he helped me back inside and lead me down to a room not far away. I was still rubbing my head as I crawled into the soft, warm bed.

"Sleep, little fyre. You will be safe tonight. You need to be well-rested for tomorrow when we begin our courtship prior to our mating. Then you will fully be mine," he warned me gently.

I was too worn out to correct him and closed my eyes, soothed by his hand gently caressing my hair. I heard him whisper to me. But I couldn’t make out all that he said. However, I definitely heard him use his favorite name for me “little fyre”. The name made my body tingle with pleasure, and I took that feeling into sleep with me.