My Husband, the Dead Dragon King

Chapter 12: You Started This

　　I let out a dry, nervous laugh."So,"I said, trying to sound casual,"you said that if I came to find you tonight, you'd save my dad. That offer's still good, right?"

　　Alaric snorted, then reached down and effortlessly pulled me up from the ground. A pleasant, clean scent wafted from him, and I felt some of my exhaustion melt away, a bit of strength returning to my limbs.

　　"Since you made it to Five Mile River alive, I will naturally keep my word,"he said, but then his gaze dropped to my neck. His eyes narrowed."Do you just let my words go in one ear and out the other?"

　　I instinctively flinched, but he was faster. His hand shot out and clamped around my throat, and the world started to go fuzzy as my air was cut off. He'd noticed the pendant was missing. He'd said he would twist my head off. Was he actually going to do it?

　　"I wouldn't dare…"I choked out.

　　"Then where is the pendant?"His eyes were terrifyingly cold.

　　I swear, I had no idea where it went. I had to make him believe me.

　　"I just took a nap, and when I woke up, it was gone!"I explained frantically."I wasn't careless, I swear! That thing keeps me alive! Why would I be stupid enough to take it off on purpose?"

　　Alaric stared at me for a long moment, then his grip loosened."I suppose you're not that foolish,"he conceded.

　　Then why did you choke me?! This guy's temper was seriously unstable.

　　I gasped for air, my eyes never leaving his face, trying to gauge his mood. He seemed relatively calm for the moment.

　　"So…about your promise…"I asked softly.

　　"Your family has provoked a very powerful, unclean thing,"he interrupted."In your father's current state, if he doesn't wake up within three days, he never will."

　　My heart plummeted."Then how do I wake him up?"

　　A confident, arrogant smirk spread across Alaric's lips."Simple. Find the thing that did this to him. And kill it."

　　I could only stare at him, a bitter taste in my mouth. He made it sound so easy. I'd never even killed a chicken, let alone some powerful, unclean thing.

　　"What? You don't dare?"Alaric asked, looking down at me.

　　It wasn't that I didn't dare. For my dad, I'd dare anything. But I didn't have the power. I shook my head and voiced my concerns.

　　He listened, and then let out a soft laugh. He pulled a hand from his wide sleeve, and resting in his palm was a single, shimmering silver scale.

　　"Take it."

　　I took it from him carefully."What is this?"

　　Alaric raised an eyebrow."Carry it with you. It will lead you to the thing that harmed your father. When you find it, just put a drop of your blood on the scale."

　　"That's it?"I asked, surprised.

　　He shot me a sideways glance but said nothing.

　　I carefully tucked the beautiful scale into the most secure pocket I had. Then I looked up at him, my eyes flicking across his face as Mr. Gable's words echoed in my mind.

　　My cheeks began to burn, and I swallowed hard. How was I supposed to bring this up? It was just too embarrassing.

　　My staring must have been too obvious, too…naked. Alaric frowned at me."Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something else?"

　　His question made me stammer and fidget."It's just…without the pendant, all those things are after me, and Mr. Gable said…he said there's a way to get me through this."The more I spoke, the smaller my voice became.

　　"Oh?"Alaric’s eyes narrowed dangerously."And what way is that?"

　　I took a deep breath, squeezed my eyes shut, and yelled at the top of my lungs."I NEED YOUR DRACONIC ESSENCE!"

　　The shout, powered by all my courage, was so loud it startled a flock of birds from the nearby trees, and they flew in a panic over our heads.

　　Alaric just stared.

　　His face went from ashen to white, and finally, to a deep, furious crimson. I heard his breathing become ragged, his voice tight with suppressed rage."What the f*ck did you just say to me?!"

　　Seeing the murderous look in his eyes, I knew I had to get out of there. My face felt like it was on fire. I gave him a perfect, ninety-degree bow."I'm so sorry, I was out of line, please don't take it personally!"

　　Then I turned and ran, terrified he was going to snap my neck on the spot. After a few steps, I risked a look back and yelled,"I'll be back!"

　　"GET LOST!"he roared, and a massive pillar of water erupted from the river, crashing down on top of me. I was soaked to the bone.

　　I wiped the water from my face. Tsk. So touchy.

　　The walk home was uneventful. The shadowy figures and creepy voices were gone. The exhaustion from the past two days hit me like a ton of bricks. I took a quick shower and collapsed into bed, falling asleep almost instantly.

　　I didn't dream of monsters. I dreamed of Alaric.

　　In the dream, he was sitting by my bed, his expression dark and complicated as he stared at me. I immediately sat up. I knew it was a dream, and that knowledge made me bold.

　　"Alaric, what are you doing here?"I asked.

　　"Were you telling the truth at the river?"he asked, his voice low.

　　"About what?"I blinked. Which part was he referring to?

　　His voice grew deeper, huskier."You said you needed my draconic essence."

　　I nodded my head so fast I looked like a woodpecker."It's my life on the line. Of course I was telling the truth."

　　Must be one of those dreams where you dream about what you've been thinking, I thought. I watched as his expression shifted, a flicker of hesitation crossing his face. Was he this indecisive even in my dream? This was my dream. Shouldn't I be in control here?

　　"So, are you going to give it to me or not?"I leaned forward, fluttering my eyelashes innocently as I gazed at his face. God, he really was handsome.

　　As I moved closer, he actually recoiled slightly. And in that moment, a thought sparked in my mind. My dream, my rules. This was all a dream, so why not…practice a little?

　　The instant he leaned back, I threw my arms around his neck and pressed my lips against his.

　　Alaric’s entire body went rigid. His deep eyes widened in pure, unadulterated shock. He was completely frozen.

　　But when I clumsily bit his lower lip, the shock in his eyes vanished, replaced by an emotion so deep I couldn't read it. He wrapped a hand around the back of my head, and in one fluid motion, he pushed me down onto the bed, his body covering mine. His cool lips crashed down on mine, moving with a fierce, hungry passion. His dominant energy was overwhelming, and I could hear his heavy, ragged breaths in my ear.

　　"Elara Miller,"he growled against my lips, his voice a low, possessive rumble."You had better remember this. You're the one who started it."