Chapter 8

Vanya

MY WHOLE BODY ACHED for Jaegar’s touch, though the more reserved royal in me didn’t want to admit to it so readily.

“Here, drink this,” Jessa said, thrusting a glass of champagne into my hand. “Though you may need something stronger, if memory serves.”

I took a big sip then glanced over at her. “What do you mean?”

Jessa sighed wistfully. “On our twenty-first birthday I looked at Carlak and knew he was meant to be mine. I’d never felt anything like it. The feeling of when he first touched me... it was like lightning sizzling over every inch of my skin.” She ran her hands up and down her arms and shivered as though remembering.

I smiled at my sister. “I never knew that. You’ve never talked much about it, to be honest.”

Jessa shrugged. “We were young, and I was so worried about leaving you and Anselm. We’d never been apart until I found my mate. It seemed cruel in a way, to be separated.”

It was my turn to heave a sigh. “It’s worse being the one left behind, believe me.”

Jessa stepped beside me and rested her arm against mine. “You’re not being left behind anymore, Vanya. And Damon’s eldest son, of all people. It’s quite scandalous .” She flicked her eyebrows up and down in a suggestive manner.

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Scandalous. Me? That seems ridiculous somehow.”

“Have you two arranged to meet up later this evening?”

I turned to frown at her. “Why would I?”

Jessa burst out laughing and almost snorted, her eyes twinkling with mirth. “Oh, sis! You won’t be able to stay away from each other. The fated mate bond doesn’t ask your permission. It just claims you, body, mind, heart, and soul.”

“It certainly doesn’t,” I muttered. “Poor Jaegar barely contained his dragon. He would have destroyed the room if his control had been weaker.”

“Well, that would have been memorable.”

I opened my mouth to ask another question about Carlak, when Marienne and Erik sashayed over, arm in arm.

“Happy birthday, beautiful girl,” Marienne said, leaning forward to kiss me, having already spent time with Jessa tonight.

“Thanks, Aunt Marienne.”

Marienne and Erik exchanged a glance before Marienne looked over at me, her eyes twinkling with mischief. “I hear Jaegar has finally found you.”

I stared at her with my jaw dropped. “You knew?”

Jessa gaped at her mother-in-law, “Why didn’t you say anything?”

Marienne reached out and squeezed my hand. “I’ve been having dreams... visions of Jaegar over the years. I didn’t know what they meant at first, they weren’t very clear. But when I heard that Damon’s son had come out of the stonework, so to speak... I knew that he was the man I’d been dreaming of.”

I swallowed down the feelings of unexpected hurt and betrayal that rose up within me. If I’d known my fated mate was out there, I could have gone and found him sooner.

I’ve been alone so long while everyone else has already started families...

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked, unable to keep the accusatory tone from my voice.

Marienne bit her lip. “Because I wasn’t sure if Jaegar would ever choose to come forward. To declare who he was. Your path with him hasn’t been clear to me. Not until tonight.”

“Why tonight?” I asked, biting back on my aggravation.

“He saw you,” she said simply. “Now that he’s touched you, he won’t run. Not again.”

“Again?” I repeated, dumbfounded.

“Well... Jaegar’s attempted to speak to Damon many times in the past, but his pride has always gotten in the way. Now that he knows that you are his future, he can step into his true role.”

“And what role will that be, my dear?” Erik asked with a quirked brow. “Another bastard king?”

I stared at Uncle Erik, anger blazing in my belly until I realized that I was quite literally looking at a bastard king. “Oh... you’re...”

Erik smiled and inclined his head. “Yes, that’s right. I was my father’s bastard. I never expected to inherit his throne.”

“You have been the best thing for the Black Mountains,” Marienne declared, reaching up to cup her husband’s face. “And for me.”

“But Damon already has two legitimate sons,” Jessa said, frowning at her father-in-law. “Do you really think Barry and Theo will just step aside for a man they don’t even know?”

I tried not to feel angry toward my sister’s tone, but I couldn’t help but take exception. This was my mate she was talking about.

“We’ll see,” Uncle Erik said. “Normally there wouldn’t even be a discussion about lineage, but with Jaegar being significantly older and baring the dragon king tattoo—”

“He could be king,” Marienne said. “I’ve seen it. But that vision is only one possible version of the future. He could walk many paths.”

“He wouldn’t have to be king,” I said. “He could live here with me in Bravadok.”

Erik and Marienne smiled and nodded as though they agreed with me, but there was a caution in their eyes that told me there was more to the story.

But perhaps instead of getting the information second-hand, it would serve me well to speak to the man himself. “Would you all excuse me?” I said, moving to step past Marienne. But a friend of my dad’s came and spoke to me, then another, then another. By the time I’d spent time with everyone who wanted to say, “Happy Birthday”, and made my way over to where Carlak and Anthony were, Jaegar was nowhere to be found. “Where’s he gone?” I asked.

Anthony quirked an eyebrow at me. “Hey, Vanya, how are you? We’re great, thanks for asking. How’s your night going?”

I glared at him, then conceded. “Sorry, that was rude.”

I need to find my mate.

“If you’re looking for Jaegar, he headed off with Cass a few minutes ago.”

“Oh,” I went up on my tiptoes, looking around frantically. My stomach gurgled as it digested little more than a glass or two of champagne.

Anthony stopped a waiter as he walked past with a plate of herbed, roast chicken sticks. “Vanya,” he said, his tone commanding. “Eat something.”

I didn’t question the sorcerer’s advice. The last thing I needed tonight was to faint in front of everyone. “All right.” I grabbed some chicken and sank my teeth into the flesh, my stomach growling in response as I chewed absently.

Carlak snagged another glass of champagne from another waiter and handed it to me. “You’re the birthday girl. You should be enjoying yourself as much as possible.”

I nodded and kept eating, surprised at just how hungry I was. “I agree.” A tingle coursed up my spine, and I swallowed the moan that rose in me as a hand slid around my waist and moved into my side. How could Jaegar be so familiar to me? It was as though I’d known him forever and shared every intimacy imaginable with him. His touch was perfect, as was the very scent of him.

And as he leaned closer, he whispered into my ear, “We need to get out of here before I ravish you in front of everyone.”

I couldn’t help the thrill that shot through me, but I turned my head and lifted my gaze to his. “I can’t leave.”

He frowned and his lips thinned as he pressed them hard together.

I could see he wanted to assert his dominance over me, but what he didn’t realize was that I was the daughter of King Stavrok, and I wasn’t taking orders from anyone—not even my fated mate. I straightened my spine, but still had to tilt my head to look up at him.

Damn, he’s tall.

“The party will only go for a few more hours. Have something to eat and drink.”

And calm down.

I knew what he was feeling. It was an incredible ache that started deep in the belly and heated the very blood. But this was my birthday, and my triplet siblings were here to celebrate with me. It was the whole reason for this event. I couldn’t just run off with a man that I barely knew. He may be my fated mate, but that didn’t change the fact he was a virtual stranger to me. “Have you met my sister, Jessa, yet?”

His eyebrows flickered up in the faintest expression of curiosity.

“Or Iain?” Anthony suddenly said, bursting through the bubble around us and reminding me that we weren’t alone. “I think they just arrived, actually.”

The doors to the hall flew open and in walked my baby brother and his fiery wife—the Dragon Daughter herself.

I couldn’t help but roll my eyes and grin at Anthony. “Did they have to upstage us?”

Anthony grinned back. “Of course they did! Go, see them.”

I nodded and as I stepped toward them, Jaegar’s grip on my hip tightened. I glanced up at him. “It’s okay. Come meet my family.”

His feet were frozen in place or so it seemed.

I held out my hand to him, offering him my own strength.

He didn’t move for a long moment, then finally, he took my hand in his.

I guided him over to where my parents were hugging Iain and Veronica.

“Hey, guys,” I said, letting go of Jaegar’s hand.

Veronica threw herself at me, almost knocking me over with the strength of her hug. “Happy birthday!” she cried before pulling back. Veronica looked tanned and vibrant.

“Vacation going well?” I asked.

“Oh yeah,” she gushed. “Travelling is amazing .”

Veronica slipped back into her place beside my brother with a smile.

Jaegar reached out for my waist once more, the protective dragon in him rising to the surface despite the fact these people were family and no threat to me.

Iain’s eyebrows quirked up in question.

Before I could answer him, Veronica’s lips curved into a huge smile. “And who’s this?” she asked.

Dad mercifully stepped closer and made the introductions as quickly and painlessly as possible, giving a shortened version of everything leading up until this point.

Iain reached out and shook Jaegar’s hand, making him let go of me for a short moment.

I thought I’d be glad for the respite, but instead, my skin ached to feel the heat of him once more. My royal personality, the one who had learned to hold her own and live with her own company, now warred with the passion of my dragon.

Veronica frowned at Jaegar. “So, how do you know my family? I’ve never met you before.”

“Oh, ah...”

I had to laugh amicably at Jaegar’s inability to answer Veronica’s question. “We call Veronica the Dragon’s Daughter. Ever since we were kids Veronica’s been able to outrun, outfly, and outburn us all.”

Iain pulled her possessively to his side. “Yep. She’s amazing.”

Veronica turned her face up to receive Iain’s kiss, but her eyes were still glued to Jaegar. “You still didn’t answer my question,” she pressed.

Dad coughed loudly. “Maybe I should go and get Damon?”

“Maybe someone should answer my question,” Veronica snapped. “Because if I didn’t know better, I’d ask why you have my father’s eyes.”

Jaegar straightened beside me, tensing at Veronica’s temper. “Well...”

“Jaegar is your half-brother,” I explained quickly, jumping in to smooth the transition. “He was born to one of the women in your kingdom, five years before Uncle Damon met Aunt Cass.”

Veronica’s eyes flashed with the fire of her dragon. “Are you serious? I’ve got another older brother?” She rolled her eyes dramatically, then laughed, breaking the tension to smithereens. “What can I say? Welcome to the chaos!” Then she did what Veronica always did, she surprised us all. She walked across the small circle, closing the divide between her and Jaegar, and wrapped her arms around him for a hug.

He stared at me, worry-struck, clearly not used to such shows of familial affection.

I mouthed, hug her back, because Veronica wasn’t letting go.

Jaegar’s arms came around her very slowly and carefully.

When Veronica finally let go and moved back, I could almost feel him trembling at the interaction that was so foreign to him. He’d felt rejected all his life, and now he was being accepted and swept up into the biggest family unit in the realm. It would be overwhelming.

We need a breather.

I stopped a waiter as he walked past with a platter of food. “Thank you.” I took one of the beautiful little quiches and indicated that everyone else should also try them.

Jaegar took one automatically, clearly grateful for how in tune we were.

Damon handed him a glass of whiskey, most likely sensing his son’s discomfort.

Jaegar tossed it back like it was nothing.

Nothing like a bit of liquid courage to settle the nerves!

“Vanya!” Anselm called and came toward me.

“Yes, brother?” I let myself be pulled into the final hours of the party, never moving too far from Jaegar’s side.

When it was time for people to leave, I watched them go anxiously, wishing the night over. I didn’t mean to, of course. This was an important evening, and my family had spent months planning it. But my dragon was restless, as was my affection-starved body.

Every time Jaegar touched my arm or my waist, my core tingled, and a soft moan escaped my lips. Whenever his gaze met mine, a shot of heat would course over me, stirring desire within me, and a need I’d never felt before.

When the last of the guests were finally gone, my whole family turned to me and made excuses to hurry off to bed. They were all very tired, had a headache, had drank too much, or they had guests to see to.

And then I was alone with the dragon who haunted my dreams.