The Mating Destiny: Werewolves of Montana Book 7 (24 page)

Drust waved another hand and the lizards vanished. She found the courage to speak.

“Where did they go?”

“I sent them into the forest, where they will remain for a hundred years or so. By then, they should have learned their lesson, the shame they brought upon their clan will be lifted and they can return to their families.”

Shuddering, she wrapped her arms around herself. No way would she wish to offend this wizard, relation to Alex or not. But his gaze was kind as he looked down at her.

“You care deeply for my great-grandson.”

“Yes. I love him.”

Alex squeezed her hand.

“And you are a half-blood.”

Irritated she scowled at Drust. “I’m a Fae and a dragon. Got a problem with that? Everyone else does but Alex.”

“And that is what matters most.” Drust smiled, the facial gesture reassuring. “If you are to marry and mate with him, he must come first in your life, and you must come first in his. By bringing his friends before me to dispense justice for you, he has proven his worth to marry and mate with you.”

Uncertain, she tried to gather her courage. “And what about me? What must I do?”

“You already did it. You love him for who he is.”

Then he grew stern. “But the outcome may not be as you desire. Are you willing to face the consequences of your union?”

That sounded mighty grim. Emma drew in a deep breath. After living on the fringes of society for years, she wasn’t certain about continuing to embrace that lifestyle. But she loved Alex and wanted only him as her mate.

“As long as Alex is willing, and as long as we’re together, I can handle whatever happens.”

Alex nodded. “It’s fine with me too, Pops.”

Drust sighed. “Will you quit calling me that?”

Alex grinned. “No.”

“Headstrong,” Drust murmured. He turned back to Emma. “You are a good Other, with a kind and pure heart. You will make an excellent mate for my great-grandson. You both have my blessing. But it is not my blessing you require.”

“But that of my parents,” Alex said slowly. “Em and I will talk with them now.”

Drust squeezed his shoulder. “All will work out as it must, son. Have courage and believe in yourself, and Emma.”

In a puff of blue smoke, the Coldfire Wizard vanished. Emma exchanged glances with Alex.

“That was almost anticlimactic. I was expecting him to zap your former friends into turtles or make them vanish in a cloud of blue fire,” she murmured.

“I am not a circus act,” a voice boomed from above.

Alex laughed and pushed back his chair to stand. “Right, Pops.”

A tiny bolt of blue current sailed through the air and hit Alex on the buttocks. He yelped and rubbed his bottom.

Emma grinned. “Good shot!”

“Thank you.”

Her grin faded as Alex nodded at the door. Time to face the real music.

The King and Queen, who would decide their fate.

Alex gripped her hand as they entered the enormous throne room. Never had he felt more determined. Or scared.

In all his 150 years, he’d been spoiled. Always treated with privilege, carelessly assuming because he was Crown Prince, everything would go his way. And then he met a half-blood who turned his world upside down and made him see life in a new light.

He needed her by his side now as he walked down the steps of the throne room and stood there, awaiting the announcement.

“Crown Prince Alexander requests an audience,” the major domo boomed.

Alex walked down the crimson and gold runway, courtiers lining the room. Besides him Emma held her head high, but her palm quivered a little.

It will be okay, Em. I promise. As long as you are with me, I can conquer anything.

He truly believed this.

I love you, Alex. Even if you don’t show proper respect to your great-grandpops.

He grinned and the tension slid from his shoulders. It would be okay.

Sitting on twin thrones of pure silver on a raised dais, his mother and father were in full dress. His mother in a silver gown with diamonds sparkling on the hem and full sleeves. His father dressed in a silver tunic, with matching diamonds on the cuffs and a diamond belt. Two silver dragons, wings folded back, each stood on either side of the thrones. They bared teeth as Alex approached.

His father’s sentries.

Dropping her hand, Alex halted a few feet from the throne and bowed as Emma curtseyed. Her curtsey was perfect, not too low, but respectful.

Alex straightened. “Sir, Madam, may I introduce Emma Kantris of Clan Ciamoth? Emma is the daughter of Chloe Kantris of Clan Ciamoth, a full-blooded dragon, and a half-blood Fae.” His spine went even straighter. “A Dark Fae, nonetheless.”

Gasps sounded among the courtiers. The king looked stunned and the queen troubled.

“Drust, the Coldfire Wizard, has dispensed justice to the ones who wronged her. I am here to request your formal permission and your blessing to marry and mate with Emma.”

The king tapped his fingers on the armrest of the silver throne. “No. I warned you if you marry Emma, you surrender all.”

“Very well.” Alex withdrew from his right pinkie the signet ring that Jaeden had returned. He beckoned to a guard, who scurried over. “Give this to my father.”

“Alex?” The Queen exchanged glances with her husband. “What does this mean?”

“Mother, Father. I am returning my ring, the symbol of my heritage and my power. I am formally abdicating my title as Crown Prince and my right to succession. I am surrendering all.”

Loud gasps rippled through the crowd like rustling autumn leaves. Alex turned to Emma, the only person here who mattered.

His heart.

Tears glittered in her eyes. “Alex, are you certain?”

He picked up her hand and brushed a kiss against her knuckles. Her scarred knuckles that had seen too much suffering over the years. “I’ve never been more certain in my life, Em. If I can’t have you as my mate, my queen, I have no desire to rule as king. I know you are the best choice for me, soulmate or not. You are the only one who has seen inside me and accepted me for who I am, not what I am.”

A few feminine sighs rippled through the room along with the gasps. One of the sentry dragons blew out a breath of fire as he raised his head to the cavernous ceiling.

Alex’s throat tightened. It was the highest form of respect from these warrior dragons, who never showed respect to anyone but the king and queen.

He bowed to his parents again. “Good-bye, Mother, Father.”

But as he went to take Emma’s hand, she did not move. “Em,” he urged.

“No. Not until I say what I must.” She took one step forward and the twin dragons growled. Emma gave them a level look and they quieted.

“Your Majesties, my entire life I’ve hidden my true self, always trying to fit in as a dragon when my dual nature was that of Fae and dragon. Long ago, when your honored ancestor, Drust, ruled the clan, dragons and Fae became friends. They entered into a truce not only for the sake of peace, but because they respected each other’s differences. I read this in your ancient history. And after reading it, I became proud, for the first time in my life, of my heritage. I am the best of both worlds.”

She cast a glance over one shoulder. “Stand back, my love. I need some room.”

Not sure where she was going with this, he stepped back to the side so he could watch her face.

Stunned, he watched her conjure a bright ball of pure energy, the size of a tennis ball. More gasps among the crowd. Emma touched the ball to her dragon’s egg, the egg that lost its magick. “This is my mother’s dragon egg. I released the magick and thought I could no longer claim my dragon half. I was wrong. What prohibited my dragon half was refusing to accept my Fae half. Because with my Fae magick, I can become dragon again.”

The dragon’s egg around her neck began to glow bright white. Emma lifted her arms.

And she shifted into dragon. Not the small, gray dragon he’d hunted with in the woods, but a white dragon whose scales shimmered in the golden light shed by the crystal chandeliers. Emma opened her mouth and blew out flames.

Flames. She had never been able to breathe fire. And the fire spilling from her mouth toward the ceiling was not red, but pure black energy.

She closed her mouth and looked at the king and queen.

“A Dark Fire dragon,” his father said, looking dazzled. “I have heard they were a myth, and now I see they are not.”

Emma shifted back, conjuring a gown of deep crimson. It shimmered in the light. She touched her dragon’s egg, as if for comfort.

“Your son is the leader this kingdom, and the kingdom of my clan, needs. He has the wisdom of your bloodline, and the heart of the people. He has the respect of the people of both clans. He can lead them into the future and affect the changes the dragon clans will need to face the coming days.”

She took a deep breath. “I may not have royal blood, nor a pure bloodline that you can trace back for hundreds of years, but I have a power that could aid him and allow the clans to come together. I love him with all my heart. It’s too bad you’re blind to possibilities because he would have made a fine king. And I would have done everything to help lead both our clans forward, instead of embracing archaic rules and traditions that don’t allow a people to prosper and grow. But no matter what happens, I’ll still have Alex and he’ll still have me.”

With that she made a little curtsy, then turned and took his hand.

Alex grinned as they headed for the door.
Darkfire dragon huh? You’ve been holding out on me, sweetheart.

You bet I have. Just wait until we get alone tonight. I’ll show you a few other interesting tricks I can do now with my tongue.

They left the throne room together and walked out into the hallway.

Chapter 13

Three hours later, they left Castle Drakon. Alice, who had been formally adopted by the King and Queen, cried as they hugged her. But Emma knew the little troll girl would be all right. She would receive the education and home she never had.

She and Alex, on the other hand…

They left the castle quietly, though all the servants lined in the hallway to wish them well. Alex had been a kind master, it seemed, for several wept as Alex shook their hands and said good-bye.

When the castle doors banged behind them, Alex took her hand and they walked down the steps.

He had a small suitcase containing his personal belongings.

Hers were back at Clan Ciamoth. She supposed she could send for them when they got settled. Wherever that was.

They walked toward the courtyard that served as a landing pad for all dragons. Alex planned to fly them to his cousin Sebastian’s house. Sebastian had kindly allowed them to use his vacation home for a month. At least they had a place to bunk for a while.

Alex stopped and gazed upward at the castle, his expression sorrowful.

“We’re without a home now, Em. I have no kingdom, no gold, nothing to start our life together.”

She touched his face. “I have you. That’s all I could ever want, Alex. We can make it, as long as we work together.”

He gave a rueful smile and stretched out his hands. “Good thing I like manual labor. I can get a job as a welder. I don’t even need a blowtorch.”

Her heart full, she kissed him. “And I have my Fae magick. I could start a business as a carnival act, and glamour myself as the bearded lady.”

“I love you, Em.” Alex drew her into his arms. “No matter what, we’ll be all right.”

Taking her hand, he walked toward the hedged path leading to the courtyard.

As they reached the landing zone, Alex’s breath hitched. “Damn,” he muttered. “What the hell?”

Emma’s heart raced.

King George, ruler of Clan Drakon, Alex’s father, stood in the center of the courtyard. With him was King Horace, ruler of Clan Ciamoth, her clan.

Alex drew himself up and clutched her hand. “We’re leaving now, so you don’t have to call for the guards or issue an eviction notice.”

Sarcasm filled his voice. Emma lifted her chin and looked at King Horace. “Please tell Sabrina thank you for all she’s done for me. I will miss her.”

“Where are you going?” King George asked, and there was a slight quaver in his deep voice.

“Away.” Alex shrugged. “What does it matter? I’ll be in touch when we’re settled.”

“Don’t go,” his father urged. “Not until you hear us out.”

Hope leapt inside Emma. She waited, and Alex did as well. Perhaps he had finally learned patience.

The two kings exchanged glances. “We had a long talk with Drust, the Coldfire Wizard. He agreed to our compromise.”

Alex frowned. “What compromise? Clan Ciamoth is famous for refusing to bend protocol.”

“Times are changing, and we must change with them or go extinct.” King Horace fingered his signet ring. “I love my people more than I love tradition, and I wish for them to prosper. They cannot do that if they are restricted by protocol that refuses to allow them to grow and change.