Blood of the Flame

Chapter 2

Nathan’s POV

I hated the smell of humans.

They smelt like ash and coffee.

The campus reeked of it—

Except her.

Something about her called to me every time she passed.

Tiara.

Her friend shouted for her, and I heard the name like a whisper.

“Tiara,” I repeated, enjoying how it sounded

I watched from a distance and could hear her laughter.

It almost brought me to my knees.

I shouldn’t be doing this.

But I did.

From the shadows, I watched.

Tiara never noticed me.

Or maybe she did— and chose not to.

The laughter died, and I saw a boy hold her tightly by the arm.

My claws itched to tear him apart, but I stayed still.

Dragons do not meddle in human affairs. It was a law.

But Tiara made me want to break the law.

My dragon soul twisted into knots as I felt her cry in silence.

That was strange.

I knew the guy who held her tightly.

Jeff.

Her boyfriend.

Toxic.

I wanted to tear him to pieces, but not without her permission.

The way I burned for Tiara was dangerous for us both.

I had made a promise to myself that I mustn’t get close.

But—

I broke it the day I found her cornered at the party, pinned by a hand that had no right to touch her.

Jeff never knew what stopped him, and Tiara never saw my face.

After that night, I knew there was no going back.

I’d save her repeatedly, even if it meant breaking the law.

Tiara was mine.

Even if she didn’t know it yet.

“Nathan,” Lucy called

Shit

I had forgotten all about the human that wouldn’t let go.

“Lucy,” I growled, turning to face her.

“I looked all over for you last night; where did you go?” She whined softly

I was irritated.

“Nowhere,” I replied and turned to look at Tiara.

Tiara was gone.

It was Lucy’s fault.

I clenched my fist in anger but smiled at her.

“What is going on?” Lucy asked

I didn’t understand the question and chose to ignore it.

Tiara was the only person on my mind.

I wanted to hear her voice and enjoy the sound of her laughter.

“Nathan,” Lucy whispered gently.

I sighed.

“What do you want, Lucy?” I asked nicely this time.

Lucy muttered something under her breath.

“I want to know what is on your mind,” Lucy confessed

I chuckled.

Lucy was a tall and beautiful woman.

I didn’t understand why she kept throwing herself at me when men were willing to die at her feet.

“You shouldn’t worry yourself,” I replied with a smile.

Lucy blushed hard, and I wanted to hit myself for leading her on.

“We should go to class together,” Lucy suggested, and I nodded.

I didn’t need to attend classes. I knew more than the lecturers and felt the urge to correct them most of the time, but it would have blown my cover.

But it didn’t matter, I needed to blend in with the students.

Tiara had the same class, and that was the only reason I agreed to go.

I needed to be around her and ensure Jeff couldn’t hurt her.

Sofia frowned at Jeff, who flirted shamelessly with another lady in front of Tiara.

The other lady acted like Tiara wasn’t there, and it pissed me off.

I knew she deserved better.

Tiara looked fierce and acted like it didn’t get to her, but I could sense her frustration.

Jeff left the lady and held Tiara’s hands.

“Bastard,” I muttered.

“Did you say something?” Lucy asked, taking her eyes off the phone.

I shook my head, my gaze stilled.

Those arms needed to be cut off.

“Take your hands off,” Sofia grumbled, pushing Jeff’s hand off, and I smiled.

I liked how Sofia protected Tiara, but it wasn’t enough.

Jeff sneered at Sofia and turned to face the lady.

They acted like lovers.

The lecture started, but I couldn’t take my eyes off Tiara.

Mine.

My dragon soul growled within.

I could feel the fire burning from my soul.

——————————————————

Far away, deep in the halls of Drakonspire, a servant knelt before me.

“My lord”

I paced around the room, unsure of how to respond to the information given to me.

Tiara wasn’t just human; she was more.

My inner self fought hard.

I needed to calm down.

“Do not seek her,” my most trusted servant warned.

I growled.

It was impossible.

Tiara was going to be my end, but I didn’t care.

“I can’t stop myself,” I explained with clenched fists.

“You don’t understand my lord. Her bloodline—

“I don’t care,” I yelled

Tiara was my fire. But also, the sword pointed at my throat.

My servant sighed in defeat.

I didn’t mean to yell at him.

He was right about Tiara, but—

It was beyond me.

I had no control over how I felt.

My dragon soul called out to Tiara, and there was no turning back.

I paced around, feeling uneasy.

My father had warned me of this.

Even on his dying bed, he knew this day was going to come and tried to prepare me for it.

“One day, you’ll have to choose between your loyalty and desire.”

Those were his last words.

Here I was, picking my desire.

“Watch her closely and report any suspicious behavior to me,” I ordered

“Yes, my lord.”

I watched as my servant walked away dejectedly.

Damn.

I growled, releasing the steam in me.

My dragon was restless, and my claws were released.

Tiara had no idea who she was. No idea what she could become.

I could take advantage of the situation.

My phone started to ring, irritating me even more.

I pulled it out and picked it up without looking at the screen.

“Hi, Nathan!” Lucy screeched loudly.

The peasant.

“Lucy, this better be important,” I grunted

“Can you come over to mine?” Lucy pleaded.

I wasn’t in the human world, but I couldn’t start explaining any of that to Lucy.

A thought suddenly crossed my mind.

“I’ll be there shortly,” I muttered, hanging up