Chapter Six

Silas

It was a disaster. A move I'd made hundreds, probably thousands, of times should have been smooth, easy, and done without thinking.

But I should have thought about it. About what had happened the last time we'd touched. I didn't, and it went to shit.

My leap sent us high into the air. That was the only thing that went according to plan. My brain, its circuits misfiring as her lean, supple body pressed against me, refused to work properly. Instead of both wings swooping down to give us that extra height and speed, only one worked.

We immediately pinwheeled around uncontrollably, the ground and then the sky spinning through my vision in alternating patterns.

The barely restrained bestial part of my mind was an unchained menace as it sought control of me and the human woman. It roared and belched fire through my mind, interested in one thing and one thing only.

Chloe.

It was obsessed and didn't care about little things like gravity as it fought me with every sinew for control. Meanwhile, Chloe was clutching me tighter as she screamed in terror. That wasn't helping matters. Her hands were digging into my arms, pulling her tighter to me, her small, soft breasts pressing into my midsection, distracting me with images of what they might look like. I wanted to see them. To rip her clothes from her body and admire every inch of her before I spread her legs and took her with my hard cock, claiming her as my own.

Fighting down the nonstop stream of sexual urges, I forced my other wing to respond, stabilizing us just as my toes dragged across the roof of the palace. Before I could stabilize us, a gust of wind rushed across the mountain side, catching both outstretched wings and tossing us back into the air, skittering across the roof. I retracted my wings sharply, and we dropped, sliding several more feet before the momentum waned.

The instant we stopped moving, Chloe pushed herself away from me, taking several steps before bending over and breathing deeply.

"What the fuck was that all about?" she asked, managing to lift her head long enough to glare at me through the loose locks of brown hair.

I didn't have an answer. I wasn't going to tell her it was her fault. That would be a mistake. But it was her touch that had sent my system haywire. I couldn't control myself around her.

My leg twitched, trying to drive me closer to her. I didn't want to control myself around her. I wanted to lose control and see where that took us. My cock was thick, pulling in blood as it strained against my pants. It was impossible for her to not notice, but she didn't make a comment on it.

Her heart was racing, too. I could see it in her neck. Her face … flushed. My dragon reared its head once more as we clued into the fact she wasn't just on adrenaline from the wild flight.

She wanted me, too.

"I'm sorry," I made myself say all the while staring deep into her eyes. "That wasn't quite how I intended for that to happen."

My chest rose and fell with huge pumping breaths as I worked to bring myself under control. It was proving tough. Control was slipping through my fingers like water. Chloe was different than anyone else, and she made it hard to concentrate.

Never before had both my dragon and I struggled like that. Arousal wasn't new to us. We'd experienced it before. That, however, was far more than that. It was absolute unhinged lust. I didn't want her. I needed her, and I wasn't sure if I would be able to think straight until I finally took her, plunging in deep and getting what I so desired.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"I'm fine," I lied blatantly. "Why?"

"Well, your eyes are, um, how to put this … on fire?"

I closed my eyelids and gave my head a shake, taking another deep breath. I exhaled slowly, tactically, and felt some of my usual composure return.

"All good," I said, staring at her again. That time, I gestured across the roof, ignoring the watching guards, who I knew had to be laughing their asses off at what they'd seen, even if their outward composure had returned. "Now, are you ready for your tour?"

"Sure." She fell in step as we walked toward the large stairwell that led into the palace. "What is this place anyway?"

"This is the palace. Where the Sovereign of All Dragonkind lives and conducts the business of ruling the Dragon Isles."

"Isles?" Chloe asked, perking up. "There are more than one?"

"There are five," I said. "This is the main. There are four smaller outlying islands to the west."

As we descended, my brain wandered as I desperately tried to come up with a way to get us home from the palace without killing us by diving into the ground as my body stopped responding. Just picturing her straddling my dragon's neck, her legs spread to either side so she rested right against me was enough to drive my dragon into a fresh frenzy.

"Shit," I muttered as figures rounded the corner ahead of us.

"What? Are you okay?" There was a tinge of what sounded like true concern in her voice.

"I'm fine," I said, pulling myself up straight as we slowed to a halt.

The figure and its escort slowed as well.

"Sovereign," I said, saluting sharply.

Chloe jerked in surprise but recovered with impressive quickness, dropping into a curtsey. "My apologies, Sovereign, if that is not the proper form of greeting among your people, but in mine, it's how one greets royalty."

"That is more than acceptable," the sovereign said, glancing up at me, jade eyes twinkling.

She was enjoying it. I glared at her through narrowed eyes, but there was no heat to the look, and not because she was my sovereign. But because I knew it didn't matter. It would wash off her like nothing, and it would do so because she had been right about bringing me into her plan. And a woman who was right was impossible to derail.

"Sovereign, may I introduce Chloe," I said, giving formal introductions.

The pair shook hands, and the sovereign offered some generic words, welcoming her to the island. They did not directly address why she was there but instead danced around the subject. Then the sovereign continued on her way, but not without one more knowing glance at me, to which I snorted before saluting.

We watched her go. When the entire entourage had rounded a corner, Chloe leaned over. "What was that all about?" she asked.

I raised an eyebrow, not sure what she was alluding to.

"There was a lot passing unsaid between you two," she remarked.

I smiled. "Nothing serious," I assured her.

"You two seem close."

Gesturing ahead, I restarted the tour. "I'm not sure anyone is close to her, except perhaps her son, Vicek. She's a good ruler, but she keeps everyone at a distance. Does her best to never choose favorites, giving an ear to all parts of the kingdom, even those that don't support her or are less than reputable. She rules evenly, even when many think she should choose the ‘good' side more often than not. But she knows every society has its different parts, and she chooses to try to work with all of them, so none become an obstruction to the rest. As a result, she's alone. But I see her often."

Chloe nodded in understanding. "So, you work for her?"

"No, not directly at least. Though I suppose you could say as one of her subjects, we all work for her. But no, I'm not part of her government. But my family …"

I trailed off, suddenly uncomfortable about how to explain it. Everyone else just sort of knew. I'd never had to say it out loud before.

"Your family is what?" Chloe asked, looking up at me with emerald eyes, a softer, lighter shade than the blazing jade of the sovereign's.

Beautiful.

The thought struck me like a lightning bolt, rocketing through my mind, tossing all my well-organized thoughts aside.

"We're, how would you say …"

"Powerful?" she suggested. "Influential? Minor royalty?"

"There's no other royalty beyond the ruling line," I said. "But close enough, yes. We're fairly well-connected and involved in many aspects of the Dragon Isles."

"Well, that sounds suitably vague."

I laughed. "I'm not used to talking about it. Around here, it just sort of is the way it is. I've never had to explain it to someone before. Everyone just knows."

"So, you're an old, powerful family with many ties to the monarchy?"

"Basically," I said with a shrug, wondering why I was so discomforted in admitting that to her. It's not like I cared what she thought of me.

Was it?

"So, does that mean you and your family live here, too?"

"No," I said, staring out a window that pointed down the mountainside. In the distance was the biggest city on the Isles. Home to many dragon highborn families. Including my own. "No, we have our own estate. Which is where we'll be going next."

"What for?" Chloe asked, turning to face the same direction and stare out the window.

"To meet my father," I said stiffly, wondering just how bad it was going to be.