29. Kadia

"Before you start to think less of me, that’s not what I meant. I came back because I made a mistake. I have been trying to leave the castle and get here to bring you home, but my father forbade me from doing so. With him being king, I had no choice but to listen. Therefore, I bided my time. Then, there was word that your dragon emerged. No one was told what kind of dragon you were, just that you had one. With that news, I convinced my father that it was time to end the rejection."

At first, Kaida’s heart thrummed against her chest, knowing that Enzo had not given up on them at all, that he was pining for her at home as she pined for him, at the beginning, here. But Kaida was no fool when it came to the politics of Dragaal. Even if Enzo didn’t want to move on, his father would have made him meet with the other bachelorettes of the kingdom to find a bride. After all, that was how they met and found out they were mates in the first place.

"I know there is more to it than that, Enzo. You forget; my parents sit on the council. The king did not just allow you to leave or sit around and beg me to be brought home. What else happened that he allowed for you to come here?"

Beckett gave her a squeeze, and she felt the pride he felt in her for standing up for herself. What he didn’t know was that his presence beside her was the reason she was able to confront Enzo in such a way. Arlo and Esen’s presence behind Beckett also gave her another layer of confidence.

Enzo swallowed hard and gave her a curt nod. Kaida smirked as she watched him take a deep breath before diving into the proper answer to her question.

"After I returned from dropping you off here, I–"

Arlo stepped forward and cut Enzo off, "You didn’t ‘drop her off here’ like she was meeting up with friends or something. You dropped her here, literally, after you broke her heart and shattered the bond between you. Don’t be cute, Prince Enzo. Here, you have no standing. We do."

Enzo lifted his hands and bowed his head. "I apologize. You are right. After I dropped you here, like the asshole that I am, my father immediately brought the other girls around for me to pursue. Each night, after I had to spend my day with those awful girls, I would go to him and explain that none of them were for me. None of them had the power that I felt in you that brought out mine. None of them had your kind heart or the ability to make me feel like myself. I needed you by my side if he wanted me to take the throne. He finally relented and said that when we heard word that your dragon had emerged, I would be allowed to leave and come here. I didn’t care what dragon you had. It never mattered to me. What mattered was you and how the Great Dragon chose you for me."

There was something about his explanation that didn’t feel right. His heart rate hitched up a little, and his eyes dropped for a moment. Kaida could feel it. There was a lie somewhere in there.

"What else did you come here to tell us? I heard your heart rate go up. You aren’t really looking at me, either; you are looking past me."

"I wanted to explain the reason why I want to be here, but there is a reason why I need to be here, too."

Blaze scoffed and looked bored. Kaida watched him cross his arms over his chest and then sit on the porch steps. Kaida rolled her eyes and glanced up at Beckett. She noticed him roll his eyes and shrug. Blaze didn’t want to be a part of this. She wanted to tell him to piss off, but then Enzo started up again.

"I actually needed to apologize to you for what I’ve done. I spent all that time with you, telling you I wouldn’t reject you if you didn’t have a dragon. I didn’t know at the time that yours hadn’t emerged, but I honestly didn’t care. I never would have cared. That isn’t what a partnership is or what it’s supposed to be like. I was going to support you if you didn’t have a dragon. I had a feeling that was the case when you wouldn’t shift in front of me."

Kaida stepped out of the comfort of Beckett’s arms and approached Enzo. She swallowed, and a lump caught in her throat as she mustered up the courage to ask the one question she had wanted to ask him since he dropped her on that beach.

Her voice was only just above a whisper, "Then why did you reject me?"

"I don’t want to talk about that right now. I’d rather for us to be alone to discuss that."

Kaida growled. "You don’t get to make those decisions, Enzo."

Enzo bowed his head and then looked back up at her. "Kaida, I came here to bring you home. Where you belong. You never deserved to be here in the first place. I should have never rejected you. The Great Dragon chose you for me, and I shouldn’t have cast that aside. I’m an idiot. I listened to my father when I should have ignored him. I was pissed that you didn’t trust me enough to tell me that you were dragonless. I thought we had built something to show you that you didn’t have to keep things from me."

"I was scared! I was constantly reminded that having a dragon was the only thing that mattered in that kingdom, that you would be shunned to this island if you didn’t have one. Don’t you dare tell me that wasn’t the case either because you only proved me right! The second you found out that I was dragonless, you abandoned me here."

"I didn’t think that through! I was just overwhelmed with anger when I found out, but not that you were dragonless. I was furious that you kept something from me during all those moments we had together. If you didn’t trust me, how could I trust that you would talk to me about anything that was bothering you?"

"We didn’t know each other that damn long for you to assume I would just spill all of my darkest secrets!"

"I told you mine! I told you how I struggled with being a prince. I trusted you with that, and you couldn’t trust me with your darkest secret."

"Mine could have cost me my entire life. I have heard of people being dragonless being killed because they could not defend themselves or bear children. How did I know you wouldn’t tell your parents if I told you that? Who would put themselves through that knowing what the king and queen would do?"

"I wouldn’t have allowed them!"

"You allowed them to tell you to reject me! How is that any different? You left me here to die. Any one of the people on this island could have killed me without my dragon to protect me. Hell, these four tried! My dragon emerged because they pushed the limits, and my dragon wouldn’t stand for it. That asshole over there dropped me from the sky, and that is how my dragon emerged. I could have died! Just because I hadn’t had a dragon until that moment. So, anything you say about keeping me safe is absolute bullshit. You wouldn’t have kept me safe... because you didn’t when I needed you most."

"I don’t know why you think this was all my choice! I never planned to reject you. I don’t know what came over me when I did. That was the last thing I wanted to do. Then, when I got back, I realized what I had done. I tried to come back here to make things right. I was an absolute dick for abandoning you here." Enzo looked at the princes. "I need to thank all four of you for doing what I should have done. I was given a gift and threw it all away. You four stepped up and took my place. I can’t thank you enough for that." Enzo looked back at Kaida. "I don’t think I can ever apologize enough. No amount of words will express how sorry I feel for what I did. If you give me the chance, I will make it up to you. I will do anything it takes to have you by my side again. The Great Dragon chose you for me for a reason. You were always meant to be my queen. That wasn’t just the luck of a draw. I know what this is supposed to mean, and it wasn’t luck at all! You are everything I ever needed and could hope for in a mate. You were strong before your dragon emerged. I felt it in you the moment I met you. You stood by and allowed Karma to take place so those girls would get their dues for being the ruthless brats they are. You could have run to me or your parents. Instead, you chose the high road. That takes strength! Your kindness is remarkable for a child of someone who sits on the council. The rest of those girls take advantage of it every chance they get. Not you. You went into that candy shop, and you were the kindest person that owner had ever met. She told me herself! It was because of all of that, all of the unique qualities that make you who you are, that I had to come back here and profusely apologize and declare my love for you. I can’t sit on that throne without you by my side. We were meant to rule together. I don’t want to fight that. I never did.?"

Enzo’s speech had Kaida’s mouth hanging open. Tears welled in her eyes as he spoke of her strength and kindness. She had been told before that those were reasons for being weak. Not to Enzo. He didn’t see it that way at all. How he still wanted her by his side was also something that had her heart race. Enzo wanted her to rule with him.

There is only one problem with that...

"What are you saying, Enzo?"

Kaida knew the answer, but she wanted to hear it from him. If it was what she thought he wanted, it was going to be a no.

"Come home with me."

She noticed the tears in his eyes as she sorted through her thoughts and emotions about that statement. It wasn’t a question. It was practically a demand. Kaida felt, inside her soul, the tugging to go to him. Her dragon paced as Kaida thought this decision through. Everything inside of her told her that she needed to say no and tell him to go back to the mainland without her.

But is that really what I want?

There was no denying that having Enzo here was something that she’d wanted since she watched him fly away without her. He was right about one thing, though. Enzo was chosen for her by The Great Dragon. He was meant to be hers.

Kaida looked at each of the princes, and her heart clenched. But so are they.

"No," Kaida said as she looked at Beckett, Arlo, and Esen, "No, I will not come home with you."

"What?"

Kaida could hear the heartbreak in his voice. That was not the answer he had been expecting. But there was more to it than just the no.

"I cannot go home with you, Enzo. As much as I agree with you that you were the mate the Great Dragon chose for me, I also know that everything happens for a reason. As much as it pains me to relive that moment you rejected me, it was needed. I am a Plasma Dragon, the last of my kind. As a Plasma Dragon, I am given the gift of having a mate from each class of dragon. You aren’t my only mate. Beckett, Arlo, Esen, and possibly Blaze, are also my mates. If I go back with you, that means I would need to leave them here. That is not acceptable, for they are bound to me just as you are. I don’t care if you find it unfair. That is my answer. I will not return with you because I will not leave them here, not when I know how it feels to be abandoned."

Enzo’s jaw clenched as he sucked in a breath. She knew her words hurt, but Kaida did not care. It was the decision she had to make.

"So why don’t you stay here?"

Everyone glanced at Beckett in astonishment.

What?