Page 86 of His Greatest Treasure

My father snapped, “Silvia, get to the south border now. Defend our territory with your life. Isabella, patrol the north east. George, take the north west.”

The three of them began to turn away, but I shouted, “No!”

They stopped. Turned to look at me.

My father went white with rage and I shook a little but stood firm. My dragon absolutely did not want them to leave, and I was willing to annoy my father to get them to stay.

“Go,” he said, and the three of them turned again.

“Wait, wait. Father, you said I was powerful. If I’m meant to be strong enough to defeat the hag, can’t everyone stay here where I can keep them safe?”

“They need to defend the rest of the borders.”

As he said it, he glared at them and they looked afraid, and confused. They looked back and forth between us as we argued.

“But if the hag attacks somewhere else, they’ll be on their own. I don’t want that.”

“What you want is irrelevant. Silvia, get to the south now.”

She flinched, and I frowned. “No, don’t go. Stay here. We’re stronger together.”

My father began pulling power to him and I felt the chill of it against my skin, the draining of my fire and warmth.

“How dareyou disobey me?”

Our bond became whiter, more brittle. It was like ice and I didn’t want to touch it. It was the only one of my bonds that I wanted to avoid with my hands. The others all looked different, sure, but they all looked nice. Some were pretty. Others were beautiful. My bond with Blaze was spectacular.

Instinct had me pushing Blaze behind me from where he’d been cuddled against my chest. My father’s eyes scanned me, and then stopped and locked on my chest.

“What is that?”

My fingertips brushed against my chest, right over my heart, and I almost felt the warmth of Blaze’s mark on me.

“It’s my claiming mark.”

I could hear the pride in my own voice as I said it. I didn’t think I’d ever felt proud in front of my father before. Normally, I did something wrong.

“You- you have not been claimed.”

I frowned. Of course I had. The mark was right there.

“Blaze claimed me last night. We’re mates.”

There was a gasp from all around me and my father’s voice rang out like a shot.

“Mate? That creature is not your mate!”

My dragon pressed up inside me. There was the slightest rumble to my voice as I said, “Don’t call him that!”

“This creature cannot be your mate! You’ll mate a pureuasal, son, and preserve our lineage.”

“But I don’t want to mate auasal! I didn’t even know I needed to mateanyone. You’ve never said anything about that before.”

“We cannot taint our blood, not after all this time.”

“But—”

Lord Somerville drew himself up to his full height. He was tall and imposing, and his icy eyes flashed with power.

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