Page 55 of Dragon King’s Bullied Mate

His heart gave a little flipflop that she didn’t object to his insinuation there would be a next time. He sat on the edge of the table and pulled Lyra gently into an embrace while she lazily traced circles against the front of his shirt. The intimacy of such a small absent gesture nearly affected him more than anything else had.

“For a king, I certainly didn’t show you the comforts of a castle.”

She giggled. “I think it was just perfect.”

“You know what this means now, right?” Mikael needed her to understand that he had no intentions of abandoning her.

His phone ringing shattered the quiet before she could answer. Mikael swore softly beneath his breath before reaching for his jacket while Lyra struggled back into her jeans.

“Yes?”

The guard captain answered immediately. “Your Majesty. The man we’ve been watching left the village approximately twenty minutes ago.”

Mikael’s expression hardened at once. “Is someone following him?”

“Started out at a discreet distance, Sire, but then he was lost in the storm. He appeared frustrated and headed east away from the village.”

“Maintain all positions,” Mikael ordered quietly. “I want eyes to remain on the village until I say otherwise. No stranger goes unnoticed.”

“Yes, sire.”

Mikael ended the call slowly before exhaling heavily.

Lyra looked up at him immediately. “What happened?”

“Beckett’s father left the village.”

Relief flickered across her face so quickly it hurt to see how frightened she had truly been beneath all her composure.

But now that the danger was gone, at least for the moment, Mikael’s mind had already shifted elsewhere now. Toward his own castle.

He brushed his thumb gently along Lyra’s cheek. “I need to return to the castle.”

Her expression fell immediately despite how quickly she tried hiding it.

“Because of Dag,” she guessed softly.

“Yes.”

The single word settled heavily between them. Mikael hated leaving her now more than he could adequately explain, and the dragon reacted with immediate hostility toward the very idea of separating from her after finally claiming this closeness between them.

Stay.

Protect her.

The instincts battered relentlessly against his control until Mikael had to physically unclench his hands.

“I’ll leave Malaya here with you and Beckett,” he said quietly. “And there are guards stationed throughout the village whether you realize it or not.”

Lyra blinked. “You assigned guards?”

“Without involving Dag.”

Understanding darkened her expression instantly. “You think he’s that dangerous?”

“He could be.” Mikael held her gaze before he sighed. “Yes.”

Neither of them spoke for several seconds after that. Lyra leaned forward and kissed him once softly, and somehow that simple tenderness affected him almost more than the desperate passion earlier had.