Page 31 of Breaking Briar

If she’s somehow risen, she’ll have to get through the dragon and me before touching Briar ever again. I watch the door, the only entrance into this tower, but no one shows up. The forest is deadly silent, as if nature itself holds its breath and waits for what’s to come.

Briar’s heartbeat is slow and steady, but faint. She’s far away, somewhere I can’t reach. Instead, the dragon paces about, snarling and raving. This is not what was supposed to happen. She was supposed to be ours.

Her voice screams in my mind, but I cannot understand her. She sounds so impossibly far away. I long to follow, to gather her back into my arms, all of her. My anger from earlier has long dissipated, now that I know my beautiful Briar is not to blame.

If only I can bring her back and tell her I’m sorry. If only I can show her how much love I still harbor for her, even under the prickles of the dragon’s anger. If only…

I hold her there until my knot softens and I can safely extricate myself. Our combined fluids slide down her inner thighs and splatter onto the bed. But it means nothing now. What good is her carrying my child if she’s not awake to experience it?

Dragging her into my arms, I carry her out of the tower and into a nearby stream. The cool water laps at our bodies, cleansing us from our activities of the day. The flowing water turns cloudy for a moment as it washes away the last of my seed.

We’re both naked as I carry her to the castle. I can’t leave her behind. Not now. Not ever. As my mate, I will keep her chained to me until we both pass from this world. It’s bad enough she’s enshrouded in darkness, but to leave her alone would be unforgivable.

My men say nothing as I carry her inside, and it’s well they leave us alone. With my dragon so distraught, I have no idea what I might do to them. They kneel and speak in hushed, reverent tones as they touch their foreheads and then their hearts.

Taking her into my secret room, I tuck her into my bed. It’s certainly not fit for a princess, but it’s somewhere I can keep her safe. I duck into my nearby room and get dressed, my heart heavy as I put on the clothes of a prince.

No. Not a prince. A king. A Dragon King.

As I make my way to the throne room, I stop short as I stare at my men. They’re all naked from the chest up with wings spread out from their backs. So many different colors greet my eyes, each one unique to each man.

“How?”

“My king,” one cries, falling to his knee.

The others join in, each kneeling before me once more. The dragon in me roars in happiness even as sorrow lances through my chest. With Master Balcom gone, I thought I’d be the last one. But no. Here before me, at least twenty others pledge their allegiance to me. To my dragon.

Devlin, my right-hand man, rises and stands next to me. “We couldn’t tell you, my king. Not until the evil was purged from this land. Your mother, our queen, was never supposed to be here. She was supposed to be safely tucked away, but it was her love for your father, Master Balcom, that she stayed.”

Tears drip from my eyes as I drop my head into my hands. So many emotions race through me until I find I can barely breathe. Again, I reach out for Briar in my mind, and find only emptiness.

Alone.

Truly alone.

“Forgive me, Your Highness, but we saw you carrying Princess Briar in. Is she your mate?”

“She is,” I finally manage to grind out. “But the evil witch has somehow taken her away from me again. I claimed her with my bite, but now she’s asleep. Not even my kiss will awaken her.”

Devlin shuffles from side to side before pulling me away from the others. “Has your dragon tried?”

Scoffing, I shrug off his touch. “You mean let the beast kiss her? He’s done far more than that.”

“No, Your Highness. I mean with the bond. Do you still feel her?”

I place my hand over my heart and rub for a moment. “It’s as if her heart is here, but she is not.”

A smile crosses his lips as he breathes a sigh of relief. “Then not all is lost. With the bond, you can travel to her and bring her back. Follow the threads. They will not fail you. When you have reclaimed our queen, I suggest quitting this place and its evil stench.”

“Where will we go? This is my home.”

“No, Your Highness. Your home was never here. It is time you take your place as king of the dragons.”

Dropping his hand, he walks off, presumably to make preparations. I don’t really care what he does. All I care about is Briar. Racing up the stairs, I make my way back to where my queen lies.

Her breathing is shallow, soft, but her chest rises and falls all the same. Easing out of my clothes, I climb onto the cot so that we’re skin to skin, heart to heart. With a sigh, I close my eyes and seek out the threads Devlin spoke of.

At first, there’s nothing. Just the beating of our hearts. But then, in the darkness, a red strand catches my eye. Taking in a deep breath, I follow it, traveling for endless ages.