Page 130 of A Dance of Water

Soon,said the dragon.

"What is it you wish to know?" she whispered. "I have no choice but to answer, so you may as well demand it of me."

Azgorath strained against his shackles made of fire. The demon’s brutishness would have to be amended.

"Whydid you agree to offer your pleasure to him?" He posed it as a question, not a demand. Let her answer as she wished.

"I… I knew I would still have a choice. I don’t have to give in to him. Ever. Not if I never experiencethat."

Tharen snorted, twirling a damp strand of her white hair around his finger and tugging on it roughly.

Vale did not look away from her. "So you plan to abstain for the rest of your life?"

She gave a soft nod.

Pulling the strand of her hair, Tharen forced her head to tip to the side. He pressed his mouth against her exposed neck and ran his nose along her skin. "Good luck with that, lamb. Now you know why I added that little twist to our deal. Keep feeling dissatisfied, and see how long it takes you to succumb."

She jerked away from the mage, and Tharen finally released her with a low chuckle. She stumbled to a stand, pulling her borrowedcloak tightly around her. Vale grabbed her waist and forced her to his side.

"You defied me, Princess Luella," Vale murmured darkly. He breathed her in, feeling a rumble start in his chest. "I will not forget that you gave away what was owed to me. And neither will my dragon."

She froze in his hold, and Vale felt her soft, pliable body under his fingertips. His dragon wanted her naked and vulnerable. For his eyes only.

Not just ours, the dragon rumbled.

You may wish to share, but I do not,Vale spat.

Vale tightened his hold on Luella before shoving her away. He watched her stumble, enjoying the way she blindly fumbled in the room, small and alone. Perfectly breakable, perfectly vulnerable. But more than just his eyes saw her innocence, and he loathed it.

I don’t share,Vale repeated.

The dragon’s tail flicked out sharply.

He was confused by his dragon’s sudden willingness to share. When had the tempestuous beast become more agreeable than he?

"Graves," the King snapped. The male in question came to his side, gaze trained on her. "Take her to her room and then return. I believe we have a matter to deal with." Vale did not try to hide his smile.

Graves grinned, the scar on the side of his face making him appear treacherous. "Gladly." He grabbed Luella’s elbow and led her away.

"Lay a finger on her," Azgorath warned as he struggled against his bindings.

"And find her right back with Tharen," Graves retorted, his implications not lost on any of the males within the room.

"I won’t let him near me," Luella muttered, tone filled with rare anger.

Lightning split the sky.

Vale’s smile grew wider as she was led out of the room.

Just as the door shut behind them, Graves’s answering taunt rang throughout the room: "Try to keep me from you, sweetheart."

Without her around, the tension rose to a breaking point.

"If you don’t fucking let me go, I’ll take her somewhere you’ll never be able to find her," Azgorath yelled.

"Like you did the first time?" Bastian purred. "I don’t recall that working out very well."

Tharen barked a laugh and kicked up his booted feet on the corner of the table. Bastian pointedly stared at them, then found Vale’s eyes.

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