Chapter 14
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
“It doesn’t benefit your planet for you to keep me as your mate now.
Will you still go through with it? Will your families still agree for us to be married?
” It actually hurt to ask, because I was terrified of their answer.
“Would you at least provide me asylum? I don’t need a big place to live, even a small shack with the bare basic amenities is fine. I can find a job and—”
Wayne set his hand on mine where I realized I was wringing them in my lap. “You are our betrothed, Xoe. We were sent by the High King to find you after your parents were killed. Plus, being our fated mate tops even a political marriage.”
Oh.
“But—”
Zeke patted my head twice. “No need to worry, Starlight.” He smiled kindly, if not a little condescendingly, as he said, “We’ll take care of you. No matter what.”
Something within me snapped. The words. The safety. The both of them touching me.
Tears welled in my eyes and bubbled over as great, wracking sobs followed.
Zeke’s eyes widened, but Wayne immediately pulled me into his lap and rocked us while running his hands up and down my arms.
“You’re safe. You’re safe. Nothing will harm you while we are with you. It’s okay now, Xoe. We’ve got you. Forever.”
Zeke rubbed my back and the two Dragonkin let me have my moment. Let me grieve my dead parents. Let me grieve for the life I had lost. Let me grieve and arise renewed and fresh from the flames of the pain and disaster.
Once I finished crying … again, I took a shower, dressed comfortably, and rejoined them in my room.
Fidgeting with the end of my tank top, I said, “I don’t really want to be alone tonight. C-Could you stay with me?”
Wayne pulled his shirt off in one swift motion, pulled the covers back on my bed, and said, “Of course. Whatever you want, mate.”
Mate.
It sent a little exhilarated thrill through me that made my lips quirk up on their own accord.
“I need to check in with Preston, but I’ll return,” Zeke promised.
I nodded and climbed beneath the covers.
Wayne pulled me across the bed until I was in the center, spooned his body around mine, and whispered, “Go to sleep, mate. We’ll keep you safe.”
“Thank you,” I whispered as my heavy eyes began to close.
At some point, Zeke had returned and joined us in the bed, though I hadn’t woken when he had.
Instead, I woke the next morning, sweating as I lay surrounded by Dragonkin heat. Wayne was still spooned behind me, an arm beneath my neck and the other right beneath my breasts.
Zeke lay with his large arm draped across my stomach, a leg over my hips, his face inches from mine.
“Out,” I gasped for air.
Immediately, both released me, rolling over onto their opposite sides.
Sitting up, I gasped in cool air and realized that someone had kicked the blankets off the bed at some point. Even still, I was coated in sweat.
Crawling down the center of the bed, I made my way to the bathroom to freshen up and shower the sweat off.
A tentative knock sounded as I started drying off.
“We’re meeting everyone for breakfast,” Zeke announced.
“I’ll be ready as soon as I get dressed,” I advised.
“We’ll meet you there,” he replied.
“Okay.”
When I stuck my head out, both were gone, allowing me to dress alone.
My brain still hadn’t fully caught up to everything that had happened yesterday, but it was trying. My chest did feel lighter than it had in … as long as I could remember.
Was this what it felt like to feel safe?
When I entered the dining room, Gage walked over and kissed my cheek. “You look lovely this morning.”
“Erm, thanks,” I mumbled, not used to him speaking to me that way.
Preston sat at the head of the table, stoic as ever, eyes focused on me like always. “Did you sleep well?”
I nodded. “A little sweaty, but well.”
He smiled. “Yes, I suppose that makes sense with your lower body temperature.”
Zeke pulled out a chair for me and I sat in it, brows raised. Was this what he was going to be like from now on?
“So, what’s our next move?” I asked.
“We head home,” Preston announced.
My eyes widened. “Home?”
“Our home,” he added. “Drakorantia, our planet. Now that we’ve completed our mission, locating you, it’s time for us to return.”
“Oh. How far is it?” I asked, though I had a billion more questions lined up.
“From here, it’s about a two-week journey,” Gage answered without turning around from the food replicator where he was getting our breakfast ready.
“Wait, if you were sent to search for me when my planet was destroyed, does that mean you haven’t been home since then? For, what, ten years?”
They all nodded.
“I’m sorry. You’ve probably missed so much.” I lowered my eyes to the table and felt regret, even though I knew it wasn’t my fault.
“We’ve been able to stay in contact with our families,” Wayne said. “So, we haven’t missed all that much.”
“Still,” I whispered.
“Over the next two weeks, we will be teaching you as much as we can about Dragonkin culture, our planet, our society, our rules. We want to ensure you know as much as possible before we land. Knowledge is power, especially there.”
My eyes widened and my head rose to look at him. I’d wanted to ask about their planet, so this was even better.
“Knowledge is extremely important for the royals especially,” Gage said.
“Wait, if I’m betrothed to all of you, does that mean none of you can become king?” I asked.
Preston smiled. “Each of them will be king of their regions while the leader of the quartet becomes the High King.”
“Which means you’ll be High King?” I guessed.
He dipped his head in acknowledgement. “Yes.”
Knowing Preston was a prince and the leader who would become High King, his calm and collected, sometimes condescending tone, made complete sense.
“And you’ll be High Queen,” Wayne said with a smile.
“High Queen and Queen?” I asked, confused.
“No, just High Queen, but you’ll be mated to both a High King and Kings,” Zeke corrected.
“Our parents lucked out by only being in pairs, but the rest of Dragonkin society form quartets to find a mate,” Wayne explained.
“So, it was decided that our society would still keep a High King, Preston, and we would retain our titles as kings of each region. It will ensure that every region is properly cared for while the High King focuses on Drakorantia as a whole.”
“So, you’re separated by cardinal directions, by territory or region?” I asked.
They all nodded.
“Each of our regions specializes in something separate,” Wayne continued.
“Let me guess, the Western Dragonkin are known for their military prowess?” I asked as I looked at Zeke.
He nodded, completely stone-faced. “Yes.”
Gage set our plates of food before us and we ate in silence.
I barely noticed my food as my mind spun a trillion lightyears a minute trying to process this new information and what lay ahead of me, but I did manage to eat it all.
“I’m going to the jungle room,” I announced and headed in that direction while they whispered behind me.
Instead of getting into my hammock, I sat on the table and resumed working on the bracelet that I’d started with Wayne. “Scout, replay,” I ordered.
Scout replayed the video it had recorded of Wayne showing me how to make the bracelet.
“Stop,” I ordered when I had watched the part I needed and resumed working on the bracelet.
“Done!” I gasped when I had finished it, but my smile quickly melted into a frown as I inspected it. “It’s so ugly.”
Groaning, I set it down and grabbed a new leaf to start over.
“That’s looking much better than this one,” Wayne said.
I yelped and spun to face him with a scowl. “You startled me.”
Smiling, he sat down next to me. “I stomped inside so you would hear me, but you were very focused on your task.”
“Did you need something?” I asked, setting down the leaf I’d started to peel apart to try making a new bracelet.
“You missed lunch, so we got worried and I came to check on you,” he admitted.
“Missed lunch?” I asked, blinking rapidly in shock. How long had I been here?
Scout displayed the time and my eyes widened. I’d been in here for four hours.
“I suppose I should take a lunch break,” I said and stood. My legs tingled and I fell forward, but Wayne caught me.
He laughed as he helped me straighten. “Legs fell asleep?”
“Apparently,” I whispered and stomped my feet to help dissipate the tingles faster.
Wayne squatted down and began to massage from my thighs down to my calves then to my ankles before going to the next thigh to start over. He did it three times before the tingling stopped.
I had to swallow hard each time his firm grip tightened on my thighs and resist the urge to clamp my legs together.
“Come on, I will make you food.”
“You don’t have to do that. I’ll just get something from the replicator.”
“I’m not busy right now, so I’ll make you food,” he argued. “Besides, now that we know for sure that you’re my mate, I have to do my part to treat you right.” He smiled wide and led the way out of the room towards the kitchen.
“Just because I’m your betrothed doesn’t mean you have to do more for me,” I countered.
He looked over his shoulder with a scowl. “Of course it does. My sisters would beat me bloody if they found out I mistreated you.”
Laughing, I said, “I think I’m going to like your sisters.”
He nodded. “They’re going to like you, too.”
Were they going to like me? I wasn’t a Dragonkin and was barely a princess. Was I even worthy of being Queen, let alone High Queen, or of being mated to these handsome princes? Would they want them to take Dragonkin concubines to produce Dragonkin heirs?
That thought had my hands clenching into fists at my sides.
Wayne tapped the center of my eyebrows. “What’s got you furrowing your brow so much?”
“Nothing,” I lied and tried to smooth out my expression while shaking out my hands discreetly.
“What would you like for lunch? Pasta? Pizza?”
“Whatever you feel like making,” I answered as we entered the kitchen.
Zeke and Preston were in the kitchen already. Both had their arms crossed over their chests and scowls on their faces. Were they arguing?
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
They both turned towards us.
“Nothing’s wrong,” Preston said quickly and smiled as he lowered his arms. “Just discussing some plans. Are you here to get food since you missed lunch?” I was skeptical of his claim, especially since I never confronted him before about what I’d overheard, but I decided to let it rest … for now.
“I’m going to make her food,” Wayne announced and walked to the fridge to grab items out of it.
“How are you feeling?” Zeke asked, coming to stand before me, though staying far enough back I didn’t have to tilt my head too far back to meet his eyes.
“I’m …” How was I feeling? Shocked? Uncertain? Nervous?
“It’s a lot to take in,” Preston said softly. “Don’t worry, pet, we’ll just take it one day at a time.”
“You haven’t explained the necklace yet,” I reminded him and tapped my chest where the necklace hung beneath my shirt.
He smiled. “You’ve got to quell that curiosity, it’s dangerous to be so curious.”
“I’ve had this necklace for a decade with no answers, so it’s not like I’m not warranted the level of curiosity I have.”
Chuckling, he said, “I suppose that’s true. After you eat, meet me on the main deck. We’ll explain the significance of the necklace to you then.”
Wayne’s and Zeke’s heads snapped around to Preston.
“Already?” Wayne asked, his hands gripping the refrigerator door handle so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
“I think it’s better if she learns now, before anymore … incidents happen.” He winked at me and sauntered out of the kitchen.
Hopping up onto the counter, I watched Zeke and Wayne working together to make food. They joked and nudged each other while smiling happily. It was adorable and made my chest warm.
Is this what it would be like back on their planet? Would they continue being caring and sweet like this?
The need for a family, to be wanted and safe, hummed through me even harder now. Ever since I lost my parents and planet, that was what I craved. So far, the time I’d spent with the Dragonkin was the best since my childhood.
It was crazy to think that I had met them when they were younger, that I had played tag with them and eaten with them. All while not knowing that we were being betrothed together by our parents. Or that fate had an even larger role for us.
“Let’s eat in the dining room,” Wayne said as he carried two bowls through the kitchen door.
Zeke waited for me to exit before following behind. “After you meet with Preston, I have a surprise for you.”
My brows rose as I turned to look at him. Zeke was usually a quiet, brooding, overprotective giant. Not a sweet gift-giver. Or had I just not known him long enough to truly know him yet?
“A surprise? Like a gift?”
He smirked. “You really are too curious for your own good.”
My glare only made his smirk turn into a full smile, one that made my stomach flutter at how handsome he looked.
Wayne and Zeke talked about things they needed to do that I didn’t fully understand while we ate, so I stayed silent.
When we finished eating, I practically ran to the main deck, much to all of the guys’ amusement.