Chapter Two

Silas

Flinging the terrace door open, I charged into the house, a string of curses flowing from my tongue. So caught up was I in the tempest of my emotions I nearly bowled over someone trying to exit the house.

"Sorry," I said sharply and without much meaning, sliding to the side without slowing.

Where I nearly ran over another person. They didn't move.

Already in a terrible mood thanks to my father's ambush, I didn't have time for the insolence of whoever refused to move out of my way in my house. Stopping, I drew myself up to my full height and looked them in the eyes.

"Jair?" I exclaimed in surprise as a pair of hardened golden-brown circles stared right back at me, not backing down. If anything, they were just as belligerent as I was. "What are you doing here?"

Why was one of the sovereign's bodyguards in my house? There was no need for him to be there unless—

My head snapped around to focus on the first person I'd nearly knocked aside.

"My Sovereign," I said, right fist snapping to my far shoulder, elbow extended in the wing salute. "Please accept my apologies. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."

Framed by her trademark platinum hair, twin eyes of brilliant jade stared back at me. Unyielding, much as the person they belonged to.

The Sovereign of All Dragonkind was our ruler. The ruler. There were few people in the Isles whom I bowed before. There were none she bowed to. And I'd nearly run her down.

Jair, the head of her personal guards, and the matching guard on her far side both stared at me with unconcealed fury.

"I can see that," the sovereign said with a twinkle in her eyes. "I know you well enough, Silas, to know you would not willfully do such a thing."

"Of course not," I assured her, embarrassed by my own actions. I should know better.

"Leaving your own party so soon?" she asked, glancing past me at the gathered guests. "I was just arriving."

"My father conned you into this ridiculous charade, too, did he?" I recovered my composure quickly. Unlike many who would be overawed by the presence of the sovereign, my position meant I saw and conversed with her regularly.

"What? A party to celebrate our war heroes isn't worth your time?" she asked mildly, though her intent was clearly anything but.

"Heroes? There were no heroes from that ‘war' if you want to call it such," I said. "You know as well as I do it was basically a slaughter. They couldn't do anything to stop us. They could barely hurt us. They're weak. Pathetic. You don't need heroes for what we did. They likely have those they celebrate as heroes. Not us. We shouldn't celebrate what happened. Who celebrates stomping on an ant? Besides, that's not what this party is for."

"No?" she seemed genuinely interested. "What is it about?"

"An ambush," I growled, glancing back over my shoulder. "By my father. Trying to force me to accept Caine's youngest, Lilith, as my mate."

"Ah." The sovereign fell silent, watching me intently.

I met her gaze, not flinching from it. "That was a rather loaded sound," I said at last.

"You felt nothing from her, I assume? Nor did your dragon?"

"No," I said with a shrug. "Just like with the other few dozen women he's paraded before me, trying to force me to accept one of them. He insists I should do as he did, and take a political match for a mate."

"And you disagree?"

"Yes."

"You want a true mate?"

"I don't think that's too much to ask," I said stiffly, feeling like I should be defending myself. "At this rate, I'm assuming she's either not out there or is too ‘below my station,' as my father puts it, for me to ever find by other than random chance. Even then, trying to convince him to let me mate a commoner would be difficult."

The sovereign smiled. "To put it mildly. Your father is old-school to the fullest."

"Trust me, I know. It's starting to get in the way of business, but there's nothing I can do until he hands control over to me. Which he won't do—"

"—until you have a mate."

"Exactly," I said as she finished my sentence, throwing up my arms in frustration. "It's not like I don't want to find a mate. To sire my own heirs. I would very much like that. I just don't seem to be having much in the way of luck. None of these women are the right one for me, and I refuse to simply pretend as my father expects."

I clamped my mouth shut, recognizing I was on the verge of complaining. The sovereign wasn't someone to complain to. At all.

My point was valid, however, and I even had good reasons to not want to do as expected. My father had mated for duty as he put it. As had my mother.

It was the most dysfunctional thing. They hated one another, barely tolerating each other, which was why my mother was likely at another of the estates, avoiding anything to do with Father's politicking. She hated it, too, which was probably where my dislike of it came from.

Somehow, Caleb and my sisters had turned out normal, but that wasn't thanks to the relationship we had with our parents.

I was not going to do the same thing for my children. My mate, if I ever took one, would be for real. She would be one I would Scale Bond with. A pairing that would only ever come undone if one of us died. To me, the commitment was for life, and I didn't want anyone who didn't feel that strongly.

The sovereign glanced at Jair as I spoke, and a knowing look passed between them. The bodyguard sighed ever so slightly. It was his only response.

"I might have a solution for you," the leader of all dragons said at last, a corner of her mouth slowly inching up.

"What do you mean?" I asked, instantly wary. I was tired of people trying to set me up.

"Come to the palace. Two days from now."

"Anything you say, my sovereign," I said respectfully. "Is there anything I should know about our meeting?"

"Oh, you aren't going to be there to meet with me," she said slyly.

"What will you tell me?" I probed again.

"All I will say is come with an open mind." She broke into a broad smile. "And don't be late."

Then she was gone, stepping out onto the terrace to much fanfare as the sycophants my father surrounded himself with all but prostrated themselves before her, eager to try to please her.

Leaving me alone to try to puzzle out just what her intentions were.