Page 4 of The Ruby Dragon Prince
He straightened, smiling, and offered me a hand. “Come,” he ordered, like I was a dog. “We’ll dance.”
Internally, I grimaced. I knew there was no point in resisting. Not at that moment. A dance couldn’t hurt me, and despite everything, I did like dancing. The one activity my brothers and I had been allowed growing up had been dancing. We were all quite accomplished at it. Dancing reminded us of better times and the hope for a better future.
I was grateful that the dance currently being played was the sort that required intricate steps and not much contact. I had no desire to touch Lord Groswick at all.
“You should know that I intend to have you,” Lord Groswick said when the steps of the dance brought us closer. “Your body will look beautiful splayed across my bed.”
I said nothing. It was not the first time something lewd or suggestive had been hurled at me in the ballroom.
“I’ll be like no other alpha you’ve ever had,” he went on, as if trying to tempt me. “I have a cock that has made lesser omegas than you weep with longing.”
“I believe that they have wept,” I said stiffly, searching the ballroom to locate my brothers.
They were all dancing as expected. All except Rumi, who was conversing with one of the servants carrying a tray of refreshments.
My heart sped up with hope. That had to be Rumi’s ordinary man.
“I have plans to build the grandest seaside mansion the kingdom has ever seen,” Lord Groswick went on, licking his lips as he finished and the steps of the dance brought us closer together.
I frowned and focused on him. “I was under the impression that your fortune was middling at best,” I said.
Lord Groswick’s smile dropped, proving I was right. “I have plans to increase my fortune,” he said, smiling again. “Plans your father approves of.”
“What plans?” I asked, pretending only mild interest.
“You will see,” Lord Groswick said. “Trust me, you will see. You are to be my prize for enriching both myself and the king. Your hand in marriage will be my prize.”
Fear knotted in my gut. It was one thing to have a heat given to a horrid nobleman, but marriage to one would mean a lifetime of heat. It would mean being separated from my brothers, possibly never to see them again.
“I’ve no wish to marry,” I told him, turning my face away.
The steps of the dance were such just then that Lord Groswick was able to yank my arm hard to get me to face him. “You will have no choice in the matter,” he growled. “I will get what I want from you even if I have to lock you in a room and tie you to the bed.”
I swallowed sickly. I believed he would do it.
I wanted to pull away from him and run, but when those thoughts were still new, Father suddenly shouted, “Hold!”
Everything in the room ground to a complete stop and all eyes turned to him.
And then all eyes shifted to what Father was looking at.
In the corner of the room, Rumi was standing flush against the servant with the tray. It looked to me as though they had been about to kiss.
“Guards! Arrest that man at once! Round up the princes and take them back to their room!” Father shouted.
Chaos followed. Lord Groswick tried to grab me like he would keep me, but I wriggled away from him. I slammed right into the form of one of the guards, who were never very far from any of us.
“He’s mine!” Lord Groswick shouted as the rest of the room roiled with activity. “King Freslik promised him to me!”
“I have my orders,” the guard said, grabbing my arm and yanking me to the side.
I couldn’t tell if I was happy or miserable to have the guard take me away. At least I was away from Lord Groswick, although my heart pounded with fear at the speed with which I was dragged out of the ballroom and into the hall, not knowing what was going on. I didn’t even see whether the guards had captured Rumi’s ordinary man or not.
“I cannot explain it, Your Majesty,” I received my answer as soon as I was pushed up against one of the walls in the hallwaywith my brothers. “He was right there. We should have captured the knave easily.”
“Search the palace for him,” Father demanded. “I want the man dead. No one dares touch my sons without paying the price.”
I glanced quickly at Rumi. My brother’s eyes were wide with fear, but they also shone with defiance. I was certain he had something to do with his alpha escaping.
