Chapter 5

Jaegar

THEO WALKED UP NEXT to me and bumped me with his shoulder.

I turned to glare at him.

He grinned up at me. “Are you sure you’re ready for this?”

My answer came on swift wings. “Hell, no.”

Theo laughed loudly and stripped off his shirt. The kid was well built but was still thin. “Veronica’s going to be your biggest hassle. She won’t know what to do with another big brother.”

I looked away from his smiling face and began disrobing. Theo and Barry had already accepted me in a way that was as off-putting as it was mind-blowing. How could they just accept another brother? A bastard of all things? A man who could usurp their throne?

These men make no sense.

“You two almost ready?” Damon asked, stepping up beside us.

I nodded and swallowed hard. My father was a strong, large man who’d brought our kingdom back from the brink of complete destruction. He was respected by all, and I’d spent so many years hating him for not being there for me. It was a very strange feeling to be in his company now and to be wanted.

“Are Dymitri and Lucian coming?” I asked, coughing to clear the tightness in my throat.

“They’re travelling by carriage, as their wives and children prefer it,” Damon said. “So, they left days ago.”

Barry came running up. “Sorry! Forgot something.”

Damon nodded. “All right, you three go... Cass and I will be right behind you.”

Queen Cass was nowhere to be found, and I had to assume that was due to my presence, although she’d seemed welcoming enough toward the end.

“Okay, let’s do this.” I stripped my too-clean body of the new pants I wore and walked through the open balcony door.

Damon’s two other sons ran up behind me, standing shoulder to shoulder on the balcony.

“Let’s do it,” Theo said and began a count down. “Three...”

I dove straight off the side of the balcony without waiting, and closed my eyes as the wind came rushing past my face. My dragon clawed up to greet me, taking over my body. My eyes popped open as my wings materialized, stretching wide. The side of the castle’s turret was straight ahead, and I banked sharply to the left, the stones missing my nose by a mere inch.

I flapped my wings and soared up and over the castle, climbing higher until I reached the clouds. Up here I was in heaven. Up here, I was free. Free from the weight of the world that had tried so hard to crush me since I was a child. As I settled and headed south, two male dragons drew up beside me, flying at my wings. I glanced over at them, their expressions impossible to read in dragon form, so I kept my head forward, flying in the direction of Bravadok.

We passed the Black Mountain Kingdom on the way, and we just kept heading south.

The dragon I believed to be Theo bumped my wing to get my attention at one point and began flying a slightly altered course.

I didn’t fight him on it, having never been to any of the other kingdoms before. If he was saying King Stavrok’s kingdom was that way, I’d follow. We flew on and on, until my wings ached, and I was sick to death of staring at the endless sea of trees and snow. Since flying was my freedom, it was not something I ever thought I’d find myself thinking.

The air felt warmer here, though the snow still fell. There was also much more greenery. Nature seemed to thrive in a warmer climate, where it wasn’t as harsh. It had a chance to blossom, rather than merely survive, which was yet another thing I couldn’t wrap my head around.

All I’ve ever done is survive.

Finally, up ahead, a large castle appeared. It was truly magnificent. It wasn’t a crumbling, decrepit building in need of repair, but a huge, vibrant, and well-lit palace. The township below us was bustling and lively, with pops of color springing up in the form of swathes of fabric and blooming flowers.

I followed my half-brothers all the way to the top of one of the towers, letting them land first. I flapped my exhausted wings as they both shifted back to human form.

Servants appeared instantly, coming to attend to them with large, warm robes.

When they were finally safe indoors, I let my body drop, landing on the stonework, and my dragon withdrew. The air was so warm here that I barely shivered as the same servants offered me a large black robe of my own.

“Thank you.” I took the robe and slipped it on, wrapping the tie before anyone could see my nude body.

“Come in,” Theo called from the glass door.

“After you,” I told the young male servant as he hurried indoors once more. I shut the glass door behind me, then came face-to-face with none other than King Stavrok, himself.

“You must be Jaegar,” he said.

There was no one else this man could be. He was well into his older years, with graying hair and the battle of years upon his face. But he was dressed well, and he was as tall as me, looking me straight in the eye with a keen intelligence I hadn’t seen often before.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” I said, dipping my head, though I bowed to no one.

“You let them land first,” he observed. “Why?”

I lifted my head and frowned at him. “It was the safest way.”

“Weren’t you tired?” he pressed.

I shrugged. I was fucking exhausted from that flight but wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing that.

We stared at each other for several moments before Theo broke the tension.

“Jaegar, this is our Uncle Stavrok.”

The king glanced over at Damon’s son, then back at me. Long, assessing moments passed before he stuck out his hand in welcome. “Call me Stavrok.”

I nodded and offered him my own in return.

His hands weren’t soft as I’d expected of a King of the South, but strong and roughened as though he trained daily. There was a strange look in his blue eyes. If I didn’t know better, I’d say there was a growing respect kindling there, but that didn’t make any sense. He didn’t know me.

“Stavrok, are they here?” a woman called out, walking along the hallway. A very curvy older woman dressed in a royal purple dress stepped up next to Stavrok, a large grin on her pretty face. “Hello. You must be Jaegar. It’s so nice to meet you. I’m Lucy.”

This time, I offered a semi-bow. The human that had managed to claim and tame the heart of the king deserved it. “Hello,” I managed to say, though I couldn’t help but look around for my half-brothers, who’d disappeared.

“The boys have probably run off to look for Iain or Anselm,” Stavrok said, noticing my gaze.

I clenched my jaw to stifle the groan that rose. They’d run off and left me with a foreign king and queen? Did they not know anything about me?

“Are Damon and Cass far behind you?” Lucy asked, her manner soft and friendly.

I glanced out the large window behind us, not seeing anyone yet. “Damon said they wouldn’t be long.”

“And how are you doing with everything?” the queen asked.

I raised my eyebrows. “In regard to?”

She laughed, “Ah... joining the royal family as the illegitimate, eldest son?”

I blinked at her.

The king took pity on me and put his arm around his wife. “Apologies. Lucy doesn’t beat around the bush, as the human saying goes. Leave him be, wife.”

“But I might not get any time with him later once everyone else arrives.” Lucy pouted. “I understand it’s a sensitive subject over here, but it’s not as big a deal where I come from.”

I couldn’t help but smile at her. My illegitimacy was a huge deal for me, and I’d spent my life running from the implications of my birth. But I could also see the queen wasn’t trying to offend. She was from a completely different realm, so I understood her curiosity. “Well, to answer the question, it has been an interesting few days, to say the least.”

Lucy grinned at me warmly. “I can imagine. Your clothes arrived this morning, by the way. So, I’ll show you to your room, if you’ll follow me?” The queen moved to step away from her husband.

The king made a soft growling noise.

I couldn’t help the reciprocal noise I made in response.

The king’s eyes widened for a moment before he nodded his head at his wife. “Lucy, sweetheart, you stay here and greet Cass and Damon when they arrive. I’ll take Jaegar to his room.”

She raised an eyebrow at him as if unimpressed. “Do you even know where he’s sleeping?”

The king rolled his eyes and got directions.

Meanwhile, I watched the entire exchange with fascination.

When they were finally done, the king clapped me on the shoulder, and we were walking down the corridor and away from the queen.

I didn’t say anything at first, unsure how to approach the fact that I’d just growled at the King of Bravadok. Was that a punishable offense here?

“I’m glad you came,” Stavrok said once we turned a corner and headed down a second corridor. “It took courage to seek Damon out after so many years.”

I huffed a little. “Yeah, that or stupidity.

He stopped aside a dark wood door, then stared at me with an intense gaze. “Do you want the crown?” he asked.

I flinched, though I didn’t mean to. “Hell, no. I never wanted anything from him.”

Stavrok stared at me for another moment, then nodded. “We’ve got a few hours before the party, so take your time getting ready. We’ll see you tonight.” Then he nodded and walked away.

I watched him go because it had been a long time since I’d seen a man with the sort of strength he had. When I pushed open the door to my room , I stood and gaped. It wasn’t quite as big as the bedroom I’d been given at Damon’s palace, but considering how many people would be staying at the castle, I was shocked to see I wasn’t sharing with Theo and Barry. The traitors had left me the moment they could.

Bloody bastards.

I shut the door and wandered around the space. The carpet beneath my feet was lush, and the drapes were thick and made of velvet. Everywhere you looked in this castle there was a painting or a vase, or some expensive looking trinket. It was much more opulent than the Winter Palace, that was for sure.

I checked the adjoining doors and found a small but well-appointed bathroom, for which I was grateful. I didn’t want to be wandering the halls of the palace in a bath towel. After a short, hot shower, I lay down on the bed and closed my eyes. My new clothes that Queen Cass had ordered for me were hanging near the fireplace, so I had time to relax.

I didn’t mean to fall asleep, but I dozed, swimming in and out of dreaming. And there she was, my fated mate. Her long, dark hair trailing over her back as she walked away from me. I reached out for her, but she threw me a soft smile and sashayed away, always just out of reach.

When my body finally felt rested, I rolled to my feet and stood by the fire, listening to the sounds around me. There were people walking above my head, and others running down the hallway outside the door. I’d lived in a tiny house my whole life, with no one except my mother for company.

It was time to do something I never thought I’d do. I was putting on royal clothes and playing dress up, going to the birthday party for the triplets of Bravadok. I reached for my tuxedo and grimaced. Would this town house the woman of my dreams? Would I finally be able to assuage the loneliness in my soul? Or would this gamble of exposing my identity bite me in the ass like I always thought it would?

Only time will tell...