Page 20 of The Ruby Dragon Prince
The brothers looked surprised, but not like the idea was a terrible one. They exchanged looks with each other, as if silently debating the merits of giving everything up and leaving the cruel world for good.
Before they came to any sort of conclusion, though, a shout of, “There he is! Arrest that man!” sounded from the garden’s entrance.
I whipped around to find the servant I’d enchanted earlier and a man dressed as a guard running into the garden. The six guards who I’d walked past earlier shook their heads in surprise as they finally noticed me.
The magic I’d used earlier had apparently faded, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t use more. I raised my hand, intending to send a blast of air to knock them all over.
But as the first hint of breeze wafted into the garden, Tovey shouted, “Don’t!”
Instantly, the growing wind stilled. I felt like a flame that someone had suddenly clapped a glass dome over. My magic flickered and froze.
I probably should have explained to Tovey that bonding with me meant that he now shared my magic and that he could command me as his servant.
All I could do was glance back to him as the six guards surrounded me, grabbing my arms and restraining me, before marching me swiftly out of the garden.
Chapter
Six
Tovey
Iknew that leaving Rufus’s side was a bad idea from almost the moment when I stepped out of the magical glade, with it’s feather-soft grass and red flowers. Dread over what might happen if I was separated from my alpha and fated mate nipped at my heels as I raced to rejoin my brothers. My belly felt swollen and full, which unnerved me.
The sense of unease stayed with me as we called for and ascended the golden ladder into our bedchamber in our father’s castle. And even though, as was the case the night before, hardly any time had passed since we ran off to the magical world and I was grateful to have a full night’s sleep ahead of me, I tossed and turned, feeling as though I’d done something wrong.
I’d confessed everything to my brothers, of course. We didn’t keep things from each other, especially not things that were so important as finding our fated mate, mating, and feeling as though I should have stayed with him. I was explaining how wretched I felt, how sick to my stomach, as we all sat in Papa’sgarden, trying to find solace in the sunshine. Misha was rubbing my back as he and Obi tried to comfort me, Rumi and Leo paced, debating what should be done, and Selle consulted one of his books when Rufus suddenly appeared in the garden.
There are no words for the joy and relief I felt as my alpha, my mate, my dragon stormed right past the guards, who, unbelievably, didn’t seem to notice him. I leapt to my feet and called to him.
“Rufus!”
Everything inside of me felt right again. It was more than just relief. It had been as if the life force within me had turned grey and cold, like flowers struck by a cold rain in November. I’d been wilting, drooping, and starting to worry that leaving Rufus’s side after he’d claimed me would actually kill me in ways I hadn’t anticipated.
That suspicion seemed confirmed by how wonderful and right it felt to embrace him again, to feel the warmth of his body against mine, and to smell his fiery, alpha scent, this time like a warm, inviting fire after a long, snowy journey, all around me.
I told him I loved him before I was aware of the power of those emotions filling me.
“It’s as if what happened between us last night opened your entire heart and mind to me. I know time passes differently in this world and the magical world, but it feels as if we have lived the past ten years of our lives together. I honestly feel as if I have known you that long.”
It baffled me. I didn’t think it was possible to fall so deeply in love with someone so quickly, or to feel as though I’d known them my entire lifetime. On the one hand, it didn’t feel natural. I knew magic must have been involved. But I didn’t feel coerced or tricked into something I didn’t want. It was like my love was a flower grown in a greenhouse, nurtured under perfectconditions to bloom full and wide quickly instead of having to wait for the right season to bloom.
As soon as the beauty of it all hit me, Rufus was taken away.
“There he is! Arrest that man!” Rottum, the head of my father’s guards shouted, marching into the garden.
Suddenly, the ordinary guards shook themselves, as if coming out of some sort of spell, and realized Rufus was there with my brothers and me. They rushed forward on Rottum’s command.
Rufus raised his hands like he would strike them. The breeze began to blow as if he were commanding it. I could only imagine that my volatile alpha was about to hurt the guards, and since not all of them were entirely bad and I hated the idea of anyone being hurt because of me, I shouted, “Don’t!”
The wind died as quickly as it had stirred up. Unfortunately, Rottum and the others were able to rush forward and grab Rufus. In the blink of an eye, they’d dragged my beloved alpha out of the garden, and Rufus did nothing to stop them.
“No! No!” I shouted, starting to run after them.
Leo jumped forward to block me.
“What do you think you’re doing?” he asked, also alarmed, but for a different reason.
“I have to go after them,” I said, trying to dodge around him or push him aside. “I have to rescue Rufus.”
