ra's

its peak, a cold, authoritative voice cut t

uniform, looking as if he had just returned from the Dragon Guard bar

abric and a shift of shadows, a thick, obsidian-scaled dragon tail materialized from his lower bac

locking me in place. A complicated, bitter feeling twisted in my chest. Once, I would have mistaken this primal display of own

he was her savior. "Brother! You have to s

the stone path. As a dragon-born, his superior senses undoubtedly c

ing to help her conceive, and she accused m

lculated note of sorrow. "Mother, I just feel that having a child is a matter for two people.

desperate hurry for an heir, dragon law offers a solution. If the primary wife is unable to conceive, th

. "I think Miss Haylie Guthrie would be an excellent choice. H

l into a dead, su

h from my lungs. A sharp pain shot through my ribs. I glanced up at Gideon. His face was a mask of thunderous, barel

nd take a consort-and to explicitly name his mistress-was the ultimate insult. It w

pristine family honor she cherished had ju

me, her mouth han

led with the oppressive heat of his dragon's br

e crushing grip of his tail around my waist loo

e was dangerously quiet, colder than the northern

sheard. "Brother? You want me to apo

shing authority of a Dragon Lord. The sheer force of h

e in his tone. She shuffled forward and sque

, yet still laced with an undeniable command. "Auro

ed me. To the awe-struck servants watching, it looked

wrong. Gideon Carlisle was a proud, arrogant man. He did

ach. This wasn't an act of love. He was calculating something. He was either desperately

t curtsy, finally slipping free f

calculation lay behind this