Chapter 26 The Sky Burns Twice
Rhett POV
Garran never knocked softly.
The door swung open hard enough to rattle the hinges, and his voice hit first. “Alpha, the dragons refuse to leave.”
I didn’t move from where I stood, staring at the fire. “Then make them.”
“Already tried,” he said grimly. “They came under white banners. Said they’re here for diplomatic council.”
“Diplomatic my ass,” I muttered. “Dragons don’t talk, they burn.”
Garran shifted uneasily, the scent of ozone still clinging to his armor. “They’ve been waiting in the courtyard for an hour. Their general said King Korr sent them himself.”
That got my attention. My jaw tightened. “Korr.”
The name alone made Kaen snarl in the back of my mind.
I turned from the fire and stalked toward the door, dragging on my coat. “Fine. I’ll play nice. For five minutes.”
“Alpha...” Garran began, but I was already gone.
The main doors of the keep groaned as I shoved them open, stepping into the sunlight. The courtyard was scorched....literally. Heat shimmered over the flagstones, and three dragons stood in humanoid form near the gates, their armor faintly glowing from the flight down.
The leader, all silver-scaled skin and slit gold eyes, bowed mockingly. “Alpha Rhett of the Wildlands,” he said. “We bring word from the Dragon King of the Forgefires.”
“Word or trouble?” I shot back.
His smirk widened. “Depends how you define either.”
Behind him, the other two dragons spread slightly, hands resting near their blades. Arrogant bastards, all of them, every one of them reeked of fire and superiority.
I crossed my arms, letting my power hum just enough to darken the air around me. “Say what you came to say.”
The silver-scaled one straightened. “King Korr wishes to confirm the whereabouts of a fugitive human known as Ghost. She was seen in Haven-9 before its fall. Rumors suggest she survived.”
My pulse kicked hard. I kept my face blank. “Why would the dragons care about one human?”
“She attacked our King,” the general said coolly. “Left him wounded. Marked. That kind of audacity doesn’t go unanswered.”
“Then maybe your King should pick his fights better.”
The general’s eyes flared gold for a heartbeat, but he didn’t rise to it. “So you deny harboring her.”
“I deny knowing what the fuck you’re talking about.”
A lie, clean and sharp.
Kaen growled low inside me. "Careful, Rhett. They smell her fire."
“I said quiet,” I thought back, fighting to keep my expression still.
The dragon folded his arms. “King Korr will not take deceit lightly. If she is here...”
“She’s not,” I snapped. “And if he keeps sending his shiny lizards into my lands, I’ll start sending their heads back giftwrapped.”
Tension rolled through the courtyard like a storm front. The wolves on the walls bristled, and the dragons’ scales shimmered with heat. For one long, dangerous moment, I thought we’d end it right there in blood and fire.
Then the general exhaled slowly, forcing the heat to fade. “So be it. Tell your Alpha King his pride is noted.”
“I am the Alpha King.”
His smile was razor-thin. “Then consider your pride... returned in kind.”
They turned, their metal boots ringing against stone. Garran let out a low breath beside me. “Thought we were about to roast, Alpha.”
“Not yet,” I muttered. “They’re too careful to start a war over one woman.”
Kaen rumbled, amused. "One woman who burned their King."
“Yeah,” I said under my breath. “Exactly that woman.”
The dragons were halfway to the gates when something shifted. The silver-scaled general paused, his head tilting. His eyes flicked upward, toward the high window above the courtyard.
Then he smiled.
A knowing, satisfied, I’ve found what I came for kind of smile.
My stomach dropped. I followed his gaze.
There, framed in sunlight and shadow, stood Rhea. Barefoot. Wrapped in one of my shirts. Hair loose, dark-red in the light.
She wasn’t glowing. Not yet. But her eyes, those goddamn gold-flecked eyes, caught the morning like they owned it.
And the dragon saw her.
Every instinct I had went feral at once.
The general inclined his head in silent acknowledgment, the bastard smug as sin. Then he turned, spread his wings, and launched skyward, his men following in a cyclone of wind and ash.
I stood there, my heart hammering, as they disappeared into the horizon. Garran swore beside me. “They saw something.”
“I know.”
“What do we do?”
I didn’t answer. I was already moving.
Back through the hallways. Up the stairs. Past startled guards. Every step was a heartbeat of fury.
She’d gone to the window. The open fucking window.
By the time I hit the door, Kaen was pacing again in my head, his voice tight. "She didn’t mean to. She doesn’t understand yet."
“She’s about to,” I growled.
I shoved the door open hard enough to make it bounce off the wall. She turned fast, startled, and nearly dropped the cup she was holding.
“What the hell, wolf!” she shouted. “Ever heard of knocking?”
I ignored the question, slamming the door shut behind me. “The dragons saw you.”
Her brows shot up. “What?”
“They were in the courtyard. They were leaving. And then you went sightseeing like a goddamn beacon.”
“I didn’t know they were out there!” she snapped back. “Maybe post a warning next time before you decide to keep mythical lizards on your lawn!”
“Don’t.” My voice came out low and dangerous. “Don’t joke right now.”
Her mouth snapped shut. For a heartbeat, neither of us spoke.
Then she crossed her arms. “Fine. They saw me. What does that mean?”
“It means Korr knows you’re alive.”
Something flickered in her eyes, fear, or maybe guilt. “He’s the one who...”
“Yeah.” My tone left no doubt. “The dragon that marked you. He’s been looking for you.”
She exhaled sharply, pacing. “Fantastic. So now I’ve got wolves, vampires, and dragons all playing Find the Human. I can’t wait to see who wins the prize.”
I stalked closer, my temper burning low and steady. “You think this is funny?”
“No,” she said, spinning to face me. “But if I don’t laugh, I’ll scream.”
Kaen rumbled again, softer this time. "She’s fire under pressure. Handle her carefully."
I clenched my fists. “You don’t get it. He won’t stop. He’s not human, he’s a dragon king. And dragons don’t let go of what burns them.”
Her lips curved, half a smile, half defiance. “Then maybe he shouldn’t have picked a fight with the wrong corpse.”
Despite everything, I almost laughed. “You’re impossible.”
“Thanks,” she said. “It’s my favorite quality.”
I dragged a hand through my hair, trying to think past the heat pulsing between us. “You’re staying in this room. No windows. No balcony. You don’t move unless I say.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me.”
“I’m not your prisoner.”
“No,” I said quietly. “You’re my mate.”
That shut her up.
For a moment, the air between us was all breath and tension and that scent, smoke and lavender, curling around every thought I had.
Then she said, very softly, “You can’t cage fire, Alpha.”
And before I could answer, she brushed past me, the faintest spark of heat lingering in her wake.
Kaen purred in the back of my head. "She’s right, you know."
I stared after her, jaw tight. “Shut up.”
Because I already knew she was right.
And that terrified me more than any dragon ever could.