Bound By Blood: A Contract With The Sea Dragon

Distrust

[Iravan’s POV]

The flight home is a long one filled with concern as with each passing minute and hour, my mate doesn’t move, she doesn’t open her eyes, she just lies there breathing heavily.

Dammit. I growl inwardly wondering just how bad off she is and when I realize that she is covered in a sheen of sweat, I quicken my pace.

It takes about four hours to finally return to the kingdom of Umbra, and when I arrive Thor and Valoria, my lieutenants are waiting for me.

“Master,” Valoria calls as I slowly land and gently place my mate on the ground. “What on earth…”

I shoot her a look that screams not to ask questions and then nod toward the woman on the ground.

‘Take her to a room and call the healer.’ I tell her before turning my gaze to Thor. ‘You come with me.’

“Yes,” Thor responds, his gaze filled with nothing more than obedience.

Satisfied, I begin to slowly shift, shrinking from a massive black dragon with red sparks on my scales, to a large man of seven foot with a strong build and skin that is covered with scars and tattoos from many battles and victories.

Once I’m back to my human form, I gather up my long black hair and tie it on top of my head and then turn my gaze to Valoria who remains in place.

“Didn’t I give you an order?” I demand, my aura beginning to trickle from me. “Why aren’t you moving?”

“Sorry,” Valoria mutters, kneeling beside my mate and then gathering her into her arms. “I’ll go now.”

Nodding, I watch as she starts to move, heading toward the large dark castle to our left and only when she disappears inside do I turn my gaze to Thor.

“We destroyed a trafficking ship,” I tell him, because I know that he is going to ask where exactly the woman I brought was from. “The woman was amongst the cargo that was intended to be sold.”

“I don’t need an explanation,” he tells me. “But don’t you usually take them somewhere far away once you’ve saved them?”

“She’s different,” I respond, remembering that irresistible draw that was like a leash dragging me to her. “She’s…”

My mate. I say silently, wondering what exactly would happen if I openly admitted to such a thing.

I was certain that Thor wouldn’t ask questions. He wouldn’t judge, but the rest of my followers, the rest of the kingdom, my advisors, family, all those who looked up to and depended on me, I was certain that they wouldn’t welcome such a weak woman as the next queen of Umbra.

But did I have to make her queen? As it was, there was already a woman picked out to be by my side, that was the reason I was heading to Barook. The purpose of that journey was to meet with the woman and her father, the king of Lux, our allies across the Dark Sea.

I was certain once my men arrived in Lux questions would be asked, and speculations would be made. Once that happened, it was only a matter of time before my father sought me out to figure out why I didn’t go through with what I was meant to do.

I’ll deal with it when the time comes, I tell myself. Right now, the most important thing is figuring out what to do with my mate.

It was a spur of the moment decision made out of rage that I even brought her here, but now that I achieved my purpose in coming back, well, I needed to determine what to do next.

Did I keep my mate close to me or did I let her decide what it was that she wanted to do once she was healed and back to full strength?

Keep her. The selfish part of me screams. She’s yours, so it is only natural that you keep her and not let any other bastard touch her.

At the simple thought of another man touching her, I begin to see red, but before I can let my anger and my possessiveness consume me, Thor clears his throat.

“Lord Iravan,” he says. “Should we head in so that you can get dressed?”

“Yes.”

Later, I sit in my study with Thor in front of me. I’m fully dressed, and prepped to discuss matters, but before I can even open my mouth I hear a commotion out in the hall.

“What is that?” Thor asks as I jump up from my seat. “What’s going on?”

It’s her, I think, recognizing the intoxicating energy that slowly trickles toward me. It’s my mate.

[Astasia’s POV]

I’m floating, at least, that’s what it feels like.

My body is floating in the darkness that surrounds me, and the only thing I can think is, this must be what it feels like to be dead.

I died, right? The ocean claimed me after claiming the ship that I was in, and now I was dead and would never be able to get my revenge.

Mother. Father. Every member of New Moon, I didn’t get to avenge you. I’m sorry for that.

But something about this was odd.

If I was dead, why does it feel like I’m wrapped in something warm and like someone is touching my forehead?

Was this what it felt like to be cared for by the goddess? Were these sensations her warmth?

No, that couldn’t be right. It felt all too real, like if I just lifted a hand and touched the things that were against my skin I would feel them.

“She’s moving.”

“Is she going to wake up?”

The voices drift toward me along with the scent of alcohol and something burning.

“Should we call master?”

Who? I wonder, reaching toward the voices, let them guide me through the darkness until I can see slivers of light. Who are…

I begin to feel my body, the heaviness of it, the pain that it is in, and when I finally start to pry at my eyelids, the world just beyond them comes into a hazy view.

“Her eyes are open.”

I turn my bleary gaze toward the voice as it speaks, and when I blink a few times, a woman with a gentle face, and curly gray hair starts to materialize.

“Who…” I rasp and then break into a fit of coughing as my throat burns from the effort.

“Careful,” the woman murmurs, offering me a cup. “Here, drink this.”

I do as instructed. No questions asked. I’m parched. My lips are cracking, my throat is burning, and as I greedily swallow the liquid, I begin to feel a bit of relief.

“Poor thing,” the woman murmurs, pulling her offering back. “What must you have gone through to be this bad off.”

“Where?” I whisper, slowly turning my gaze from the woman to the room around us. “Where is…”

“You’re safe here,” the woman assures me as my eyes come to rest on another woman who stands just to the side.

She’s dressed in battle gear, her long red hair is braided and tied back. Her arms are crossed, and her golden gaze is narrowed.

Everything about the woman screams hostile, and that realization alone puts me on high alert.

What happened before I blacked out? I wonder, wracking my brain for memories of before I woke up here. What happened?

Instantly, memories of being dragged onto a ship and shackled appear in my mind. They’re accompanied by the nauseating swaying of the ocean as a storm pummeled us, and then…The boat broke, I was pulled out by the current, and right before I was pulled under into the merciless ocean, I saw something large coming from the sky, and then everything went black.

“Safe,” I whisper now, continuing to take in the hostile woman. “You use such a word when your friend's demeanor screams attack?”