Read Dragon Fever: A Dark Kings Novella Online

Authors: Donna Grant

Tags: #Dragon Kings, #dragon shifters, #Donna Grant, #paranormal romance, #1001 Dark Nights

Dragon Fever: A Dark Kings Novella (17 page)

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“I’m no’ sure,” he admitted. “She wouldna answer how she knew, but she does.”

Con sat back in his chair and steepled his fingers. “We need to know. I had Ryder do a thorough background check on her years ago, and he does one each year before the WWC.”

Ryder’s background checks meant he looked under every stone, opened every closet for skeletons to find anything and everything on a person. No one did background checks like Ryder––not even any of the governments.

“And the men,” Kellan pointed out.

Con gave a nod. “Aye. Those men as well.”

There was a beat of silence before Rhys asked angrily, “Why has no one said shite about Ulrik being able to shift?”

“Because I think we all half expected it,” Kiril replied.

Asher watched Con. He gave nothing away in his actions or facial expressions, but the way he controlled himself was also a tell. Con might not have known Ulrik could shift, but he’d suspected.

And Asher wasn’t the only one to notice.

“You knew,” Thorn stated, his gaze narrowed on Con.

Con looked at Thorn and held his gaze. With a snort, Thorn walked from the office, the others making way for him. A moment later, War followed.

“You should’ve told us,” Anson stated.

Con’s black eyes slid to Anson. “What would that have accomplished?”

“It could’ve prepared Asher.”

Con dropped his hands to his stomach, his gaze narrowing. “Ever since we discovered it was Ulrik behind everything, I’ve warned each of you to expect anything, to be prepared for anything.”

“I’m tired of Ulrik continuing to surprise us,” Rhys said. “No matter what we do, he’s at least one step ahead.”

Asher looked at each of them. “I think that’s because there’s a spy at Dreagan.”

Despite everything he’d relayed since returning to Dreagan, it was this statement that caused the office to grow so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

“I’ve begun to think that as well,” Roman said from behind him.

Kellan dropped his foot to the ground and leaned forward, with his elbows on the arms of the chair. “It’s a logical deduction based on how Ulrik always knows what we’re doing. But I doona like thinking it’s one of us.”

“There’s no other explanation,” Kiril said.

“This will have to wait. We’ve some people missing.”

Asher frowned as he looked around the room. “Who?”

“I sent Dmitri to check out whether a skeleton that has been found is a dragon,” Con announced.

Asher’s eyes widened. “We destroyed all of them.”

“We thought we did,” Kellan replied.

“And the others?”

“Kinsey, Esther, and Henry are on a mission. After what Kyvor did to Kinsey and Esther, they have a plan to return to see what they can find,” Con explained.

Asher couldn’t believe Ryder had let Kinsey go without him.

Rhys dropped his arms and pushed away from the wall. “You need to call a meeting, Con. Everyone needs to know these latest updates on Ulrik and the potential spy.”

“Nay,” Con stated as he got to his feet in one fluid motion. “I doona want anyone speaking of a spy outside of this office. Ulrik wants us to turn on each other. I’ll no’ give him the ammunition to do it.”

Kiril ran a hand through his wheat-colored hair as he held Con’s gaze. “I believe it’s too late for that. We need to find the spy.”

“I’ll start immediately,” Kellan said. “Asher, I’d like your help.”

One by one, everyone left Con’s office but Asher, Kellan, and Con. When the last King was out the door, Asher closed it and leaned back against it.

“I assume you have something on your mind,” Con said. “By the way you and Kellan have been sharing looks, I gather this has to do with Ulrik and something he said.”

Asher came around the chair and sat next to Kellan. “You know?”

“It’s no’ the first time Ulrik has tried to turn a King against me,” Con confided.

He hadn’t considered that, but he should’ve. If Ulrik would say such things to him, why wouldn’t he say it to other Kings?

“What did he say?” Con asked.

Asher took a deep breath and released it. “He said that if a King should be punished, then you should turn that punishment on yourself.”

“Did he say why?”

“He told me to ask you.”

Kellan sat back in his chair without saying a word.

Asher looked from Kellan to Con, but Con kept his gaze locked on Asher. That’s when he knew there was some truth to what Ulrik said. Getting it out of Con or Kellan, however, was going to be impossible.

And perhaps that was for the best. Right now the Kings needed to stay together. If they fractured apart, then Ulrik would win and the war with the mortals would start back up again.

Except this time the humans had nuclear bombs they wouldn’t hesitate to use in an attempt to kill off the Dragon Kings. It wouldn’t harm them, but it would devastate the land and any mortal within distance.

He didn’t want that. He thought he’d wanted the truth. Now he wished he hadn’t said anything to Con. Eventually the truth would come out. If Con was smart, he’d tell everyone now and not let Ulrik have that ammunition.

Then again, Con was the most stubborn of them all. He wouldn’t tell anyone anything.

Asher pushed to his feet. “I’m going to check on Rachel.”

“Is she your mate?” Con asked.

He looked Con in the eye and said, “Without a doubt.”

Chapter Twenty

Rachel was about to step out of the shower when the door opened. Through the steam, she saw a face that made her smile. Asher’s grin was large as he stepped into the water in his clothes.

His arms came around her as he lifted her off her feet, nuzzling her neck.

“You’re still dressed,” Rachel said with a laugh.

“I couldna wait.” He set her down and smoothed her hair from her face. “How do you feel?”

“Good. I’d feel even better if you were out of those clothes,” she said with a wink.

In record time he removed his clothes and closed the shower door. As he drew her back into his arms, Rachel knew this was where she wanted to be. She rested her head on his chest with the water hitting her back and closed her eyes.

“What are you thinking?”

She grinned, because she’d been wondering the same thing. “I thought I was going to die in that warehouse.”

“I told you to leave for that verra reason.”

“I couldn’t leave you.”

“Even if it meant your death?”

She nodded and opened her eyes to stare at the tile. “Even then. But you saved me.”

“Barely.”

“You still saved me.”

His gaze slid away briefly. “You saw me in my true form.”

At this she smiled. “Yes, and you were magnificent.”

“You weren’t afraid.”

“Not of you. Never of you.” That was the truth from the very beginning. Her heart had realized it. It had just taken her brain a little longer to catch up. She lifted her head and looked into his green eyes. “I know this may seem too soon since we’ve only just met, but I think I’m in love with you.”

One dark brow lifted as his lips curled in a smile. “You
think
?”

“I know that in your arms is where I want to be. I know that the thought of waking up without you terrifies me. I know that with you, I feel whole. As if you were a missing piece that I didn’t even know I needed. I’ve never been in love before. The only people I ever told ‘I love you’ was my family.”

“We are your family now. You’ll never be alone, Rae.”

“Even after what I did with Ulrik?”

He gave a nod. “I explained the situation.”

“Good.” She wanted to rejoice, but she couldn’t. It wasn’t like she expected him to say he loved her––but she had hoped.

“Rae?”

“Hmm?” she asked as she stared at his chest.

“I have a confession.”

She ran her hand over his dragon tattoo on his arm. As she did, she frowned, because she was sure the tat moved.

“I love you.”

It took a second for his words to penetrate. Her gaze snapped to his face. “What?”

“I love you.”

She knew she was smiling like an idiot, but she couldn’t help it. “You do?”

“Aye,
a ghràidh
.”

“What does that mean?”

“‘My love.’”

Her lips parted in awe as she realized he said that the first time they’d made love.

“I’ve loved you since then,” he confessed.

She threw her arms around him and buried her face in his neck. “I love you. I love you. IloveyouIloveyouIloveyou.”

He laughed and squeezed her tight. “I want you to be mine. Forever.”

That’s when the reality hit her. Her happiness faded as she pulled out of his arms. “There can’t be a forever for us. I’m mortal.”

“Did I no’ tell you?” he said with a grin. “When a Dragon King and mortal take binding vows as mates, that mortal becomes
im
mortal. The only way the mate will die is if the King is killed.”

Immortality. It was mindboggling, but then again, everything to do with Asher’s world was magical. Why should this be any different? To be with him forever. It felt…right. “Then we really can have eternity?”

“Aye,
a ghràidh
.”

“There’s no other place I’d rather be than by your side.”

His smile wasn’t nearly as bright as she’d hoped. “There’s more. No child has been born alive between a King and a human. Most women miscarry within weeks. The verra few who carry the child to term give birth to a stillborn. Children willna be a part of our future.”

“I have you. That’s all I need.” Those weren’t just words. She’d known for a long time that with her job, children didn’t fit. Hell, a boyfriend hadn’t fit. Things were different with Asher, but that didn’t mean her biological clock was ticking. In fact, that clock had never worked, and she was just fine with that.

Besides, the Kings had too many enemies at the moment for her to want to bring a child into the mix.

He looked into her eyes for a long minute before he yanked her against him and savagely kissed her. Instantly, her body ignited. She sank into the kiss, happier than she thought possible.

She had her Dragon King and the desire she hadn’t thought she’d ever experience. No matter what, her cup runneth over.

Epilogue

Alone in his office, Con stood staring out his window. His worst fear had come to fruition. Ulrik could shift. He’d suspected it for a while. What he didn’t understand was why Ulrik hadn’t shifted when they fought.

There was a reason. Everything Ulrik did was for a reason. Just as he didn’t shift when they fought, Ulrik did it now for a specific purpose. The fact that he didn’t know what Ulrik was up to sent a thread of unease down his back.

His gaze was on his desk, but he didn’t see the reports or papers. He saw Ulrik’s face. His once best friend was single-handedly destroying everything he’d worked so hard to preserve.

Just as Ulrik had warned eons ago, Con’s past was catching up with him. He never expected it would be Ulrik who led the charge against him, however.

If only that were the end to his problems. He now had to deal with a spy. He knew exactly how easily the Kings could take sides. They’d done it once before, fracturing them as they chose either him or Ulrik.

That couldn’t happen again.

It
wouldn’t
happen again.

Kellan might be looking into the spy, but he would do his own investigating. Because if it was another Dragon King putting everyone at Dreagan in danger, he wouldn’t hesitate to banish a King again.

The only thing that mattered was Dreagan and the continuation of the Dragon Kings. And it all rested heavily on Con’s shoulders.

* * * *

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