The Werewolf and the Dragon King

Chapter 4

-LOHE-

A sharp unease twists in my stomach at Rasmus's words. My fists clench tighter, my nails digging into my palms. I wouldn’t be surprised if I’d drawn blood.

I fight with everything I have against the urge to rip his head from his neck. If he hadn't used the silver baton earlier, Kullasim would have broken free by now.

And my dragon would have burned my oldest friend to dust.

What the hell is happening to me? What sort of spell has this woman placed on me?

She claimed to be my mate, but the idea feels foreign. Sure, recognizing a mate bond is hard, rare. But if we’d spent as much time together as she claimed, I would’ve known by now.

Which I didn’t.

Besides, she has no scent. That alone is bizarre, proving that we are not bound.

Still... I can’t deny the pull toward her. She’s stunning, the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on. Those magnetic eyes draw me in, that soft, fair skin makes my hands itch to touch, and those pouty pink lips... gods, I just want to kiss the hell out of her in front of all Rasmus’s soldiers.

This kind of attraction isn’t normal. That’s why I still think she’s a witch.

Even so, I want to give her the benefit of the doubt. I need more information before confirming my suspicions.

I won’t let Rasmus kill her on the spot. I don’t understand what changed my brother's demeanor so completely since I left.

Mart’s a few years younger than me, and yeah, he’s always been the softer one. I was Dad’s enforcer; Mart got the army. We’re total opposites. I’m cold, ruthless. The kind who thinks pain builds character. But Mart? He’s all about feelings and all that s**t, treating soldiers like people. That kind of thing never sat right with me.

It was one of the reasons I left for Earth to bring back some of our best soldiers when we were on the brink of war.

However, things now seem to have worsened so much around here that Mart has passed a law to eliminate all trespassers and witches. I wonder what else is now forbidden.

"Let’s go home then. Let my brother meet the woman and decide her fate," I told Rasmus, placing my body once again to block his gaze from Selene.

I don’t like the way he looks at her. Was he drawn to her like I was? Did she cast a spell on him, too?

Rasmus turned and pointed at his soldiers. "Give the First Prince a horse. You two can share one."

They did as ordered and brought me a black mount. As I was preparing to hop on, Rasmus—already mounted—turned to Selene. "Lady, hop onto my back."

"No! She's under my care." I snapped. "She rides with me."

Something green and nasty coiled in my chest at the thought of Selene placing her arms around Rasmus, resting her head against his back as they rode.

My hand found the small of her back, nudging her toward my horse.

She paused beside the saddle, her expression tight with hesitation. "I’ve never ridden anything like this. Is it safe?" she said, biting the corner of her mouth.

That gesture drove me insane. I wanted to tug those pink lips between my teeth and taste that sweet mouth.

I hated how easily she made my thoughts blur.

"It doesn’t matter. You’ll be in front, and my body will keep you in place," I said gruffly, forcing my eyes away from her.

I helped her up and slid in behind. With my hand on the reins and my legs bracketing hers, I urged the horse forward.

My body was enveloping her, and I won't lie. It felt amazing.

Fucking witch.

I rode at the front, Rasmus flanking me. Behind us, the knights held their usual formation, two by two.

Selene turned her face to the side, the faint light casting her profile like a perfect portrait. "Do you know where we’re going?" she asked, her sweet voice tinged with unease.

I let out a low chuckle. "Of course. I’ve ridden and flown over these plains since I left my cradle. I could do it blindfolded."

She turned her head forward again, and silence settled between us. The plains thickened, tall trees lining the dirt path. The air grew warmer, heavier, as we neared the capital.

"You used to hold me like this," she murmured, not looking back. "Back at my brother's pack, by the lake. We used to watch the sun set in the mountains."

A fleeting memory brushed my brain, and I almost could scent the eucalyptus and firewood. But it vanished before I could grasp it. My body stilled, a zing crawling down my spine, but I kept my mouth shut.

After a while, Selene began to shift. Her hips swayed side to side, front to back.

Her shifting weight against me was maddening. Every movement was a test of my restraint.

Her perfectly rounded backside pressed too close to my pants, and my body had a will of its own when it came to this woman.

My pants feel tighter, my c**k growing harder by the second. I scooted back, desperate to create space between us.

"Can you stop moving?" I growled through gritted teeth.

"I can't seem to get comfortable. This is not a normal horse. Its skin is thicker, rougher," she said, placing her hands on her legs. Her fingers brushed my forearms, sending a tingle through my skin. "It's making my thighs burn," she added quietly.

I had forgotten about that. The horses in our realm are different from hers. Centuries of natural selection will do that to a species.

We have dragons here. Fire raining from the sky is a constant. Only the horses with thicker hides stood a chance of surviving.

And Selene was riding in a dress, without any padding between her legs. She must have been hurting.

A pang of guilt washed over me. Her skin was as soft as silk; she must be on fire after all that time in the saddle.

"Halt!" I barked to the knights before adjusting her to my lap, her legs draped to one side and her backside to the other. She looked startled by the shift, unsure where to place her hands.

"Wrap your arms around my chest," I instructed, securing her back with my left hand and keeping the other on the reins.

We continued the ride, her head nearly resting on my shoulder. The closeness felt... too familiar. Too intimate.

Maybe it had already happened before. The thought came suddenly into my head, surprising me.

After a while, her eyes fluttered shut and she fell asleep in my arms. We arrived at the capital, crossing gleaming limestone streets that lay eerily silent in the middle of the night. Rasmus led the way through the castle gates, the guards on watch giving Selene and me a side glance.

A few nodded silently, bowing as they recognized me. I dismounted with the woman in my arms, still sleeping.

We crossed the castle hallways, the faint light catching the portraits of my ancestors, their painted eyes watching me with bored indifference. The castle was silent, the only sound was the thud of our heavy boots against the tapestry-covered floors.

At the double doors to the king’s study, I set Selene down gently.

"It's time to wake, sleeping beauty."

Her glorious grey eyes fluttered open, scanning the room as her mind began to stir back to life.

"Where are we, Lohe?" she asked, her body swaying instinctively toward me, as if I could shield her from whatever came next.

"Prince Verelohe. I’m not your companion. Address me properly," I snapped. "This is the castle in Tharval’s capital. And you're about to meet your fate."