Chapter One

Silas

"What the hell is that?" I moaned as we peeled off from the main flight. Our wings dipped in unison, banking us to the right and bringing our home into full view.

"You know what it is as well as I do," Caleb said, a deep basso chuckle bubbling up from within his scaled chest at my discomfort.

My serpentine head swung around to eye my younger brother. As first- and second-born sons of our family, many expected us to be rivals for the position of heir to the house growing up. But that had never been the case. Instead, we'd grown close.

"Thank you for your astute observation," I shot back. "I just want to know why he had to go do this tonight of all nights."

Caleb tilted his head, an eyelid slowly dropping over one yellow eye, momentarily obscuring its oval pupil from view. "Are you serious with that question?"

I didn't immediately respond as we approached the large, sprawling manor, home to not just our residences but also the business operations of the family. With our wings beating in off-cadence patterns, we circled overhead. My sharp eyes picked out the various attendees, all dressed to perfection. Lights covered the rear terrace where the gathering, as my father would call it, was taking place.

"Not really," I muttered, shaking my head. "It would just be like Father to host a party for his returning war ‘heroes,' and we both know it."

I just about spat out the last word.

"It's a gathering, not a party," Caleb chortled. As second son, he knew he wasn't required to spend nearly as much time mingling as I was. And he was enjoying my pain.

"Bullshit. There are a hundred people down there, minimum. That's a party."

"It's a soiree."

I didn't respond.

"A function."

I almost banked sharply and batted Caleb's head with a wing.

"Shindig."

I glared at him. "Where did you pick up that word?"

"One of the humans, probably. Either way, it's quite the banquet down there. A big bash."

"I hate you so much."

Caleb just laughed and swung aside, clearing a path for me toward an open area covered in stone and lined with a red perimeter. An area designated for arriving or leaving.

"See you later. Maybe much later, if I can manage it," he said.

Practically exhaling smoke from the anger burning me up, I came in for a landing, my claws barely scraping the stone as I touched down and my wings spread wide to catch the last air.

Eyes were already turning my direction, and I could see guests parting as my father made his way toward the edge of the terrace. There was no point in making him wait. That would only strain an already tough relationship. Better to just suck it up and let him have his way.

Forcibly covering a sigh, I shifted back into my human form, ignoring the momentary confusion from my limbs after spending so long in dragon form.

"My sons are home!"

My father swept over me with a thunderous embrace, his palms pounding my back before he stepped back, half-yanking me off the platform with his enthusiasm. "My sons, the heroes!"

The crowd politely expressed its admiration, albeit in a far more restrained manner. They didn't care about me or Caleb. All they cared about was my father's approval. It was all fake. Their emotions. Mine. My father's.

I bit back my true feelings, however, and went along with the ridiculous show. Not because I wanted to but because that was my duty as a son, as heir to the most powerful house in the Dragon Isles. Sometimes, you had to put up with the political bullshit.

Besides, I would need the support of many of the people there if I wanted my proposal passed before the Dragon Council. So, I slapped a fake smile on my face and made my rounds. At some point, Caleb landed as well, and a portion of the attention split from me.

I tried to make my exit at that time, hoping to slip out unnoticed, but as I neared the entrance to the house, my father's voice boomed out over the crowd.

"Now, where's my firstborn? Where's my son, Silas?"

Covering up the wince and groan that threatened to burst forth from my lips, I turned back to the crowd and my father as he approached.

"What can I do for you, Father?" I asked as he neared.

Warning bells clanged in my head at his smile. My father was a bear of a man. While he gave up an inch of height to me, his giant barrel chest made him seem bigger. Even with the twenty-five-year age difference, he was still muscular to a fault. He smiled often, and frequently, in public, but rarely did he have such a glint to his eyes when he did.

He was up to something.

"I want you to meet somebody," he said, gesturing to one side.

I froze. No, he couldn't be so stupid as to do that now … could he?

But as a short, blonde figure detached herself from the nearby crowd, coming to stand demurely at his side, her eyes cast down, a lock of hair falling across her face to partially obscure her dainty, almost elfin, looks, I knew it was a false hope. That was his real plan for the party all along.

"Silas, I want you to meet Lilith. She's the youngest daughter of Caine and has reached womanhood while you were away."

I tried to not cringe. While age gaps were quite common among dragons and not all together unusual, nearly twenty years was a lot. More than I was interested in. Besides, while I could admit she was quite attractive with her fair skin, bright blue eyes, small nose, and pink lips, she did nothing for me. Not even with the accentuated bust of her skin-tight cream dress, designed to draw the eyes in and hold them on her newly acquired feminine form.

My dragon noted all that, as did the rest of me, and we stood there. Not reacting. She was not the one for us.

"Hello, Lilith. Long time no see," I said at last, trying to be polite as the crowd watched and waited. They all knew what was going on.

"Welcome home, Silas," she said, tilting her head down to appear modest and proper, which I was sure was why my father thought she was a good match. It just went to show how little he knew about me. Give me a real dragon woman, with fire and a spine. Not that submissive thing.

"Thank you."

"Lilith is your mate, my son. Surely, you don't want to simply stand there, do you?"

My face creased into a glare as my patience waned and temper flared. "No, she isn't. Just like all the others before her."

Irritation twisted his thick features into an expression I recognized all too well. Father was gone. The head of the house was now present. He walked up to me, leaning in close to whisper just loud enough for me to hear.

"Stop it. Lilith is everything you need. She's well connected, available, beautiful. What more do you need?"

"I need a mate, not a servant," I hissed back.

"Why must you be like this?"

"Because it is who you raised me to be." It was the first time I'd thought to use that particular line. My self-congratulations died as true anger glowed in his eyes.

"You are the eldest of my sons. You should have taken a mate long ago. Instead, you insist on playing this foolish game with me."

"If you bring about my mate instead of a political pawn, I will gladly take her."

"We don't get the benefit of mating for love. Or can't you see that?" he snarled. "Stop living in paradise and do your job."

I sighed. "Father, you've brought a parade of women before me over the years. Not a single one of them has caused my dragon to even stir. If you want to hand over control of the house so badly, then just do so. There is no law requiring me to be mated for you to do so."

"There is tradition to consider," he shot back. "It is the way our house operates. You will respect it."

"Or what?" I said, growing tired of his belligerence.

"For starters, I will kill the proposal you wish to put before the Council. Your little governorship of the human territories we occupy will be dead in the water if you don't smarten up."

"You're a fool," I snapped in his ear, losing my patience entirely. "That proposal and the power that will come with having one of us in the position is what will save our family."

With that, I stormed past him and Lilith into the house, eager to get away from it all.