Page 10 of The Dragon King's Awakening

He draws in a deep, shuddering breath."Nikhil came.Bringing shadows of death, they descended upon our realm.Took my mates...my freedom."His free hand clenches at his side."I fought, but they overwhelmed me.Dragged me into darkness, trapped me in a cage.Experimented on me."

Tears prick at the corners of my eyes, the gravity of his loss overwhelming—his home, his mates, his very identity, all ripped away.I squeeze his hand and rest my other hand on his forearm.

"I'm so sorry, Zahraxis," I murmur, my voice thick with emotion."But you're free now.And you're not alone."

He turns to me, golden eyes shimmering with a vulnerability that tugs at my heart.Slowly, he interlaces our fingers, his touch electric."Yes, Rachel.Not alone.You and..."His gaze shifts to Finn."...my brother, we are...family now.And now that I am free, I will make Nikhil pay."

I shoot an alarmed glance at Finn.His jaw is clenched, and he takes a steadying breath.

"I've already told you, Nikhil is not the enemy.He was under the control of a mad nymph for all those years.He has atoned.It was his blade that ended her life at the end."

Zahraxis emits a derisive snort."I remember the scent of the nymph who came into my cell with him all those times.If he allowed himself to be controlled by her, then he is weak and should not be allowed to live."

Sensing the need to distract him, I slide my free hand up his biceps and squeeze."You said you had mates.Does that mean you had children too?"

Finn's eyes widen in alarm, and I immediately realize my mistake.Zahraxis emits a low growl accompanied by flames licking out from between his teeth.

"My mates and children were captured by those monsters, my kingdom ravaged.You see why I must seek retribution."

Hoping for some way to defuse his rising anger, I glance at Finn."How long has it been?"

"Over three thousand years.Some of his children survived.The youngest of them were among the dragons who built the first hibernation temple, and his grandchildren were part of the first generation to hibernate.You have a second chance, brother.Don't waste it chasing a man who is not your enemy.And I know it's likely not a consolation, but had you not been captured, you would have been bound by the laws of renunciation that came after the Ultiori's rise.You would not be alive to chase this misplaced need for revenge."

Zahraxis frowns."A barbaric practice.It should never have become law.”

Finn nods gravely."It remained so until after my generation's Ascension.Six generations of dragons committed ritual suicide to protect the next."

His voice is subdued, and I reach out to touch his hand.Some of his tension eases as he twines his fingers with mine, glancing down at me.His red eyes flicker with inner fire, and a tingle courses up my arm from where we touch.A mirror to that sensation travels up my other arm like their essences are speaking to each other through me.

Zahraxis stiffens, his grip tightening on my hand as he notices the dual energies flowing through me."My treasure," he says, voice rough and possessive.When I peek at their auras, I see his golden energy surge outward, trying to overwhelm Finn's crimson essence where it touches me.

"Brother," Finn says carefully, "things have changed while you slept.The old ways?—"

"Dragons do not share treasures," Zahraxis cuts him off, his limited English precise and cold."My harem was vast, my treasures many.But they weremine."Pain flashes in his eyes."All taken.But she..."He pulls me closer."She is mine now."

"The island's magic wouldn't have let me through if that were true," Finn counters quietly."Fate brought us both here?—"

"Fate broughtmehere," Zahraxis corrects."You followed."

I try to maintain my grip on both their hands even as their energies war around me.There's something right about how their powers feel when combined, but Zahraxis' desperate need to reclaim what was stolen from him blinds him to it.

The school comes into view, and I reluctantly pull away from them both, trying to ignore how Zahraxis' aura follows me like a possessive shroud.

I lead them to the main lodge where the school offices are located on the first floor.Delicious scents waft from the kitchen adjacent to April's office, and both dragons falter, betraying their hunger.Honestly, after our marathon of epic sex on the overlook, I'm pretty famished myself.But first things first.

I knock on the door, and a male voice calls, "Come in!"

When I push the door open, a disheveled April is taking a seat behind a desk, while a smug-looking Stuart leans against the window frame, licking his lips like a cat who just polished off a saucer of cream.I school my expression, because who am I to judge?

"Hi, Rachel," April says."What can I do for you?"

"It's not me, so much as them," I say, gesturing behind me, only to look back and find the hallway empty.Frowning, I step back out the door and peek around the corner."Guys?Over here," I call to the pair who've strayed into the kitchen and stolen a basket of dinner rolls, much to the chef’s dismay.

They meander back and follow me into April's office, hands and mouths full of fresh bread.I grimace."Sorry.I guess they're hungry."

She laughs."There's no stopping a hungry dragon.I see you met our visitors, then?"Her gaze flits between the three of us, one eyebrow rising.

Stuart lets out a soft snort."I'd say she's more than met them.So you're the reason these two made it through the barrier, then.I wondered who the lucky student was.Nice work, Rachel.I had a feeling you were powerful enough for multiple mates."

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