Chapter 7 - Valen
VALEN
The wind on my face after so long indoors feels like a blessing. I’m in a hurry to get out but I can’t help slowing just a moment to take a deep breath, filling my lungs with the smell of freedom. Gods, it’s been so long since I saw the sky!
The stars are coming out and there’s a full moon overhead—good for navigation once I change to my Drake form. Not that I’m strong enough for that yet—I won’t be able to Shift until I quench my thirst for blood.
My fangs get longer as I look down at the little princess, holding my hand.
Or rather, I’m holding hers. She told me not to touch her, but I don’t give a fuck about that—we need to get clear of this fucking castle and she’s not going fast enough.
In fact, even now she’s stumbling along as though she’s barely strong enough to stay upright.
I think it was the freezing spell she did on me that weakened her. I could see her pretty face twist in agony while she held me in check and she’s been rubbing her temples since she let me go.
“Hurry!” I bark at her. “We need to get somewhere I can Shift.”
“I’m trying!” she pants. “Just…can’t run too fast in…this dress.”
Her dress is fucking impractical for a prison break. It’s also not going to do her any favors when she tries to climb on my back while I’m in my Drake form.
I think about stripping it off of her, but if I do that, I’m certain she’ll freeze once I get high enough in the air to fly above the Poison Desert without inhaling the noxious gasses the sands give off. So there’s only one option.
Leaning down, I grab her around the thighs and hoist her up over my shoulder.
“Oh! What are you doing? Put me down!” she gasps.
I don’t bother answering. We need to get clear of the castle before the guards come down with my supper—usually just bread and water—and find me gone.
I jog over the meadow surrounding the back of the castle with the princess bouncing on my shoulder.
She’s still shouting for me to put her down and I can feel her tiny fists beating against my back but it doesn’t bother me a bit.
She might have strong magic, but physically she’s no match for me—she can hit me all day long if she wants to. Feels like a massage.
At last we get past the meadow and into a small copse of trees. I wait until I get to a broad clearing, big enough to Shift in, before I put her down.
“You…how dare you do that?” she rages at me as she sweeps her hair back from her face. A lot of it came loose from the expensive golden hairpins she’s wearing and her face is flushed from being carried upside down.
Her full breasts have nearly fallen out of the top of her low-cut dress too. I can see one ripe nipple poking out at me and a curve of dusky areola on the other side. Fuck! I’d be so fucking hard if I had enough blood in my system—which is the next order of business.
“We had to get moving,” I say, shrugging. “You weren’t going fast enough, sweetheart.”
“My name is not ‘sweetheart’ or ‘Princess,’” she snaps at me.
Then she sees where I’m looking and her cheeks go scarlet as she quickly shoves her breasts back into her dress.
“I am Princess Irena of the Royal House of Trelain of the kingdom of Therevan!” she exclaims, clearly trying to salvage her dignity.
“Oh, so we’re making formal introductions now?
” I ask, raising my eyebrows. “Very well, your Highness, I’m Valen, Red Drake of the Clan of the Crimson Dragon of the Sky Lands.
” I narrow my eyes at her. “But you can just call me ‘beast’—isn’t that what your people think of mine? That we’re all just mindless beasts?”
The guilty flush on her softly rounded cheeks lets me know I’m right.
“I…I never said—” she begins.
“Never mind,” I snap.
I’m still fucking angry for what I went through at the hands of her brother—angry enough to Shift right now and fly away from here and let her mother die. Why should I care if the queen of the Magic people draws another breath or not? My clan would be better off if they all died out!
Two things keep me from taking wing—no, make that three things.
First and most obvious, the fucking collar around my neck.
Second, I gave her my word—we made a bargain.
And even if her people have no honor, mine do.
A Drake’s word is sacred—never to be broken.
And third I’m too fucking thirsty—I can’t Shift until I drink from her.
Which is a situation I’m going to fix right now.
“All right, Princess Irena,” I say, pronouncing her name with elaborate politeness. “It’s time—I need your blood.”