Dragon Lords Books 1 - 4 Box Set: Anniversary Edition (26 page)

“
W
hy do
they attack the princesses?” Yusef asked with a frown. Olena stood by his side, her face unmoving. Nadja and Olek had not joined them, but Zoran and Pia stood next to Ualan. Morrigan was on the hospital bed, having been checked by the doctors and given some medicine to help along her recovery. If not for Nadja’s interference, she would have been as good as dead. She couldn’t imagine never being able to touch Ualan.

Pia was the first to answer. “Because without us, you will have no sons. Your line will end.”

Morrigan blinked. Her throat hurt too badly to speak, so she kept quiet. She watched the hard lines of Ualan’s face for a reaction. They had not spoken of sons, not seriously anyway.

Morrigan knew Ualan was mad at her. She couldn’t completely blame him, for she had said some pretty mean things. Though, could he blame her? He’d been so accusing, like she was up to something devious. Now, he barely even looked at her.

Her entire body ached and she wanted nothing more than to be pulled into his arms and protected. Once, she saw his hand straying as if to touch her, but it changed course and only scratched the back of his head. Her hope died into disappointment.

Pia’s mouth stiffened, as she continued, drawing Morrigan’s attention away from her husband to the problem at hand. “It makes perfect sense. I’ve seen you all fight. Especially with all four of you banded together, you would be a formidable opponent. You expect the attack. We are new here and it would be assumed that we had no clear idea of the dangers. Plus, we are women. Men—ah, no offense to anyone here—men, especially those from warrior classes, often misjudge women as unworthy opponents.”

The princes listened closely to her words, giving away none of their thoughts. Morrigan watched Ualan slowly nod in consideration of the words. She automatically sought to touch him, but pulled back, unsure how he would take the contact.

Pia looked up at her husband. “If you were to destroy an enemy, Zoran, would you attack their weakness or their strength?”

“Only a fool would choose to fight a strength if a weakness was to be had,” Ualan said, agreeing with the insight. Morrigan couldn’t take her eyes from him. How she wished they were alone so she could talk to him.

“Only they have obviously underestimated the strength of our women,” Zoran added.

“What better way to end this age-old feud, than to wipe out the leaders before they are born?” Yusef frowned, drawing Olena under the protection of his good arm.

“For, if we were to die with children,” Ualan said to his brothers, “there would be an heir that could sometime rise against them. If they ensure that our line is ended, when we die there will be no one to avenge us. With no king or protection, our people will be left without defense. Everything will be in chaos as our people try to decide who should take the throne.”

“It is imperative that we discover who is spying for the Var,” Yusef said.

“Spy?” Pia asked, frowning at Zoran. “You said nothing of a spy.”

“The man who stabbed Yusef was familiar with the back passage of the palace,” Zoran answered.

“Olena,” Pia turned to the woman. “You remember that servant at the festival, don’t you? The one who spilled his drink? It has to be him. He was no more fit to be a servant than I am.”

Olena shook her head, not recalling.

“What are you talking about?” Zoran demanded, studying Pia’s face.

“There are too many servants in the kingdom,” Ualan said. “For festivals, many come to help. It would take forever to locate them all just to find this one.”

“No,” Pia said. “He was at the coronation. The spy is probably here in the palace kitchens. I remember watching him fumble with some plates. He only carried two, unlike the other servants who carried four or more. It has to be him. He was graceless. Yet there was something different to his walk and his hand had a sword callous along the ridge. I would almost bet my life he is your man.”

Morrigan, having an idea and desperately wanting to contribute in some way, glanced hesitantly at Ualan. He didn’t pay her any attention. Knowing lives were more important than her pride or Ualan’s anger, she decided to speak. Her voice hoarse, she said, “I recorded that night on my camera.” Everyone turned to look at her. “I’m an undercover reporter for an intergalactic newspaper chip.”

Ualan stiffened but did not silence her. Morrigan searched him for a sign of emotion—any emotion. He was cautiously blank. She swallowed nervously.

“I was supposed to write a story about the royal weddings,” she continued. Turning to Ualan, her eyes pleaded with him not to be mad. But, her own discomfort over the confession would not stop her from helping her new family. “My camera will have recorded part of that night. Maybe Pia’s servant can be found on the relay.”

“It’s worth a shot,” Yusef said.

“I’ll go retrieve it.” Ualan stiffly left the room, his body tense with anger.

Morrigan was sorry he was upset. It was silent in the room and she couldn’t meet anyone’s gaze, afraid that they, too, would be mad at her. When Ualan came back, he handed her the small eyepiece and the emerald trigger.

“Can you make it work so we can all see?” Yusef asked.

Morrigan nodded. “I think so.”

She requested some saline and wetted the lens before sticking it into her eye. Slipping the emerald on her finger so it could react with her nervous system, she turned the stone. A light shone from her eyes, darkening as she blinked. The others watched in amazement as a picture of the Breeding Festival floated in the air in front of her face.

Coming around to stand across from Morrigan, they eyed the round picture.

“Can you see it clearly?” she asked.

“Yes,” Ualan stated, his tone stiff.

“All right, just let me leaf through these.” Morrigan closed her eye so the picture would disappear. Instantly, she came across a video feed of Ualan the night of the Breeding Festival—his face proud, his delectably body oiled. Swallowing nervously, she pushed the button, trying her best to get through all the naughty photographs to the important ones. She’d forgotten those were on there, and made a note to erase them—just as soon as she looked over the fur loincloth one last time.

“Morrigan,” Ualan said gruffly.

Morrigan blinked in surprise at the sound. A flash of Ualan’s naked ass came up bigger than life before his brother’s faces. Olena and Pia made small noises of shock and amusement.

“Oh,” Morrigan panicked. She squeezed her eyes shut and furiously hit at the emerald.

Zoran and Yusef laughed heartily.

Wryly, Ualan drawled, “I had no idea I looked that good from behind.”

He was rewarded with punches from his laughing brothers.

Morrigan nearly threw up all over herself in mortification.

“Here,” Morrigan said, trying to get back to the business at hand. A screen of the festival came up. “I can’t play sound, but you should see the picture moving like a silent film.”

They watched in quiet concentration. Pia suddenly pointed and said, “There, stop, that’s him.”

Morrigan froze the picture with a tap of the emerald. She couldn’t see which person they were pointing at in the crowd.

“Yeah.” Olena leaned forward to get a closer look at the corner of the image. “I remember him. Now that you mention it, he was rather strange.”

“He has the look of a Var,” Yusef observed.

“But not the scent of one,” Zoran said. “Do you think he has found a way to mask his smell?”

“He wears the tunic of the kitchen staff,” Yusef added. “We will find him and question him. If he is Draig, it will be easy for him to prove it. If he is Var, he will come up with an excuse not to shift.”

Ualan nodded for them to go. Yusef and Zoran left with their women by their sides.

Morrigan shut off the camera and eased it out of her eye. Seeing Ualan’s extended hand, she gave the ring and eyepiece back to him.

“Ualan,” she began, weakly.

“I’ll be back in a moment.” He turned from her.

Morrigan watched his broad shoulders as he walked away. He was livid. When he came back into the room, the camera was gone. She wondered where he put it and didn’t really care, except for the fact she wanted to erase the pictures of him before anyone else saw.

“I was going to tell you about the article,” she tried to explain. “I—”

“It’s fine,” he cut her off. His lips pressed tightly together.

She knew she should demand he listen to her explanation about the article—that she would only submit it after she had his approval. It was against every journalistic code to give a copy of the piece to the subject before print, but she didn’t care. It was a small sacrifice to pay if it would regain his trust in her.

She opened her mouth to say more, but the doctor came back before she could get a word in. Ualan stepped back to watch the doctor work. She looked at him in dejection, wondering what he was thinking. Whatever it was, it couldn’t be good and her heart broke a little because of it.

M
orrigan was released
into Ualan’s care. He carried her home and laid her down on his bed where he watched vigilantly over her as she fell asleep, completely worn. She was going to be all right. Ualan wasn’t. He felt horrible. It had been his duty to protect her and he had failed. Now, she was poisoned for the second time.

Soon after, Pia’s blond servant was apprehended almost immediately upon the princes entering the palace kitchens. They found him hiding behind one of the big brick ovens, ducking from his work. Zoran’s senses had been able to detect the Var smell beneath an all too potent covering of Draig.

The spy must have known he was found out, because he tried to run. It was no use. Yusef blocked the doorway. He punched the man square in the jaw with a swing of his good arm and laid him out on the floor.

The Draig servants watched in surprise at the sudden attack, but as they witnessed the lazy man sprawled on the ground, they cheered without knowing his deceit. As a fellow worker, the Var spy was not well liked in the kitchen.

The royal family sighed with relief at the news of the spy’s capture. Olek escorted the man to the lower prisons where he would be questioned extensively by Agro. Ualan had no doubt the warrior would discover much from the man. When Agro chose to shift, he could be most persuasive.

Ualan kissed his wife softly on the head. She made a weak noise but the medicine the doctors gave her would keep her from waking back up. Going downstairs, he went to work installing the food simulator he had bought for her as a surprise. He really didn’t like it and didn’t know why he had bothered, as he slid it into the wall. If he couldn’t protect her like he promised, then he couldn’t expect her to stay. He cared for her too much.

“Coffee,” he said to try the machine out.

When the door beeped, he pulled out a cup of steaming hot black-brown liquid. Smelling it, he grimaced. That couldn’t be right.

Closing the door, he said, “Sloken.”

The door beeped again and when he opened it he eyed the green liquid. It smelled normal and he tried a little taste. It wasn’t the best he ever had, but it was adequate. Maybe the machine was working.

Ualan went to check on Morrigan. Climbing the stairs, he joined her on the bed. Gently, he laid his hand on her hip, studying her sleeping face in the darkness. If she was unhappy on his planet, then all he could do was give her what she wanted. Though it would kill him, it was time to let her go.

U
nable to draw
out his love play any longer, Ualan guided himself into his wife. With a firm stroke, he delved into her moist opening, gliding into her like he belonged there. A victorious shout came from him as he claimed her. Morrigan growled in exhilaration, not caring who heard her loud cries. Ualan plunged onward in excitement, compelling her hot center to open for him and accept him in her tight depths.

Sitting back on his feet, he pulled her up so she could ride him. Morrigan did so willingly, pushing herself up and thrusting herself down in a blissfully decadent rhythm. Deeper he went, imbedded fully into the prison of her silky depths, only to be released and recaptured again and again.

Morrigan grabbed the sides of the bath, splashing water over the edge as she rode him faster and harder, seeking fulfillment.

“Ah,” Morrigan shrieked her trembling release into the Breeding Festival tent. Ualan met her, his cry rivaling hers in passion and release. Her lips parted, and he heard her whisper, “I love you, Ualan.”

Sitting up with a jerk, Ualan’s body was drenched with sweat. He blinked, looking around the living room before realizing he’d fallen asleep on the couch. It was only a dream.

He looked up toward the bedroom. His cock was hard, thumping against the restraints of his pants. Perhaps he should go check on her, he told himself, as he stood with a single-minded purpose coursing through his fevered blood.

“Ualan?” he heard her call softly through the darkness as he climbed up the stairs. “Is that you?”

She seemed frightened. Maybe he should comfort her. A devil’s grin came to his face. “Yes, Rigan.”

He heard her sigh. “I was having a nightmare. Where were you? I woke up and you weren’t here.”

“I fell asleep downstairs,” he answered. Was that disappointment in her voice?

“Oh,” Morrigan sighed. “Are you coming to bed now?”

Ualan walked over to the bed. He saw her clearly with his shifted vision. Her hand reached out for him. He tensed, moving so her fingers could find him.

Morrigan gasped. Ualan groaned. Her fingers had landed on his stiff member.

He watched her face carefully. She smiled, not knowing he could see her as she licked her lips.

“Ualan?” Her hand edged timidly over the material of his pants to feel him. Her lips parted and she panted softly. The welcoming perfume of her sex filled his nostrils. Suddenly, her hands were on his waist, drawing his pants down over his hips. The warm air hit him, fanning from her parted lips.

He saw her waver, as if she waited for his response.

“Don’t stop,” he commanded. His stomach tensed. Morrigan leaned forward lightly kissing the dip of his navel. His arousal brushed her cheek and again she looked up at him, unable to see him in the darkness.