Page 120 of Flameborne: Fury
“I know she was lying,now,”she said, her fingers curling into my chest. She looked down at where she touched me and nodded to herself, affirming her conviction. “But when she first told me, it was like the past happened again. For those minutes, you werehim.”
Searing, white-hot fucking rage. Volcanic—
I had to get past that. Iknewit would stop me taking true vengeance, and destroy us if I didn’t. But how? How thefuckwas I supposed to care and protect without violence if there was someone out there, hurting her?
More than one someones.
“The Queen claimedme?Bren, I am not and have never been hers.” I pressed her hand harder against my chest, swallowing back the wave of anger and trying to show her—
“I know you aren’t. But was there ever—”
“No.”Unable to give this any more room, I clamped a hand to the back of her neck, tipped my forehead against hers, and begged God to show me how toshowher. She’d opened herself, given me so much, let me live it through her mind. I needed to do the same.
So, I held her, touching, threw my heart wide open, and let myself sink into that memory, praying she could see it, too. That she’d feel my experience of it, like I’d felt hers.
“Donavyn, I wish to be with you…”
I caught the Queen’s hand as it brushed my chest, as she leaned up on her toes, reaching for my hair, her lips full and parted as she came in for a kiss, her breath fluttering on my lips.
Everything in me recoiled.
With a hiss I yanked her hand from my chest and stumbled back, holding her at arm’s length as I spoke through a clenched jaw.
“Diaan—stop, andlisten,”I hissed, letting her see the anger and fear in my eyes. “You know I have no wish to hurt you, or disrespect. But this cannot be.”
“Alexi doesn’t care if—”
“It has nothing to do with the King!”
Bren tensed in my arms, but I didn’t open my eyes. I clung to her, begging silently for her to see, to know as deeply as I did that there wasnothreat to her, no matter how wealthy or powerful another woman might be.
“…I told you that Kgosi took Akhane as a mate.”
Diaan nodded, a small pucker appearing between her brows. “I understand that gives you a reason to bring the girl with you and even though I don’t like it, I understand that it would be too much to ask you to remain alone. I can accept that you must have your—”
“Do not finish that sentence,” I snarled.
To my relief, when Diaan met my eyes she drew back half a step at the sheer rage she found there.
Determined not to give her another moment to divert me, I continued, speaking through my teeth. “That was not a simple tale to suit my needs, Diaan. My dragon chose a mate and bonded Akhane. And that has brought Bren and I closer. Far closer. We, too, are bonded. In truth. Mates. Like the dragons.”
Diaan’s brows pinched over her nose. “You’ve always told us that when dragons bond their mate’s riders are simple allies—”
“And I knew that to be true. But not for me. I don’t know if it’s because she’s a woman, or because my dragon is the Primarch. Perhaps both. But Bren and I are bonded as surelyas the dragons. Hear me, Diaan: It hurts me to be apart from her. She fills my thoughts, even now.”
Bren leaned harder into me, her breath shortening, but she was listening. I pressed on.
Diaan stared at me, baffled. “…surely you must see that someone of my age and experience could give you so much more—”
“I have everything I need.Everything.She is mine, and I’m hers, Diaan. I’m sorry. I pray you and Alexi can find—”
“Reject me if you will, Donavyn. But don’t insult me with pity.”
I clenched my jaw. “I hold no pity for you. Only a genuine desire not to harm you, Your Majesty.”
She flinched like I’d hit her.
Even though I feared her reaction, I sucked in a breath and let Bren see all of it—Diaan’s question of her value, and my response. My question of Diaan’s discretion, and her flippant declaration of her husband’s likely response when he heard this.
