Page 61 of Flameborne: Fury
“Then why—”
“Because I could never make it up to you!”
I froze, but she hurried on, gesticulating, her eyes pinched with worry.
“You’re so good! You’reneeded!I couldn’t have gotten this far without you—and I know you’ve helped others, too. The wholelegionneeds you. If I take you from them… Donavyn, they’llhateme!”
I stared at her, torn between wanting to snarl that she stop valuing herself so little, and being stunned because, though I hated it, the truth was, she was right.
The menwouldresent her if she was the reason they believed I’d been removed.
I cleared my throat. “That’s not what’s happening here. We were Divinely appointed, Bren. Neither of us chose this. We didn’t forge a bond—it was revealed to us—”
“They won’t care! Donavyn, can’t you see that they won’t carewhyit happened, only that it did? If you claim me before all of them, even if the King agrees, they’ll still see me as your whore. They’ll think we’ve made my Choosing up so we can be together—or… oh, God. They’ll think you’ve been helping me all along. That I haven’t earned any of it. They’ll think—”
“Bren, stop.”
“Tell me I’m lying!” she cried. “Tell me it’s not true? Tell me all those fucking cocky, arrogant Furyknights who see me as a burden or ajokewon’t turn on me the second they hear that I putyouin jeopardy? Tell me they won’t see me as a curse! Can you, Donavyn?”
“I don’t give a flying fuckwhatthey think,” I growled. “I’m not hiding you, Bren.”
“Why the hellnot?!”
I was stunned. “Because you’remine!”I spluttered.
But she looked horrified. “But Donavyn. I’m not worththat!”
23. Won’t Do It
SOUNDTRACK:Sirenby Gonedark
~ BREN ~
The dragons groaned.
Donavyn’s eyes flashed as, without warning, he flipped me onto my back. I was startled into silence, but it wasn’t until he spoke, forcing the words through clenched teeth, that I realized he wasangry.
“I swear to God, Bren, if you speak of my mate with such derision again—”
“Iamyour mate!”
“Precisely!”He glared, bracing himself over me. “I know you’ve been hurt and belittled. But don’t add to the offence of those bastards by believing them and tellingmeto see you as so worthless.”
I blinked, simultaneously unnerved and flushed with joy. “I didn’t mean—”
“Yes, you did,” he growled.
I stared up at him, trying not to smile because even though I was tense and worried about this, he was bristling with fury on my behalf and it made my heart pound.
“It’s notjustme,” I spluttered. “No single person is worth giving up a position like yours.”
“Not even your mate?” he asked grimly.
I wanted to answer, but his gaze was intense, and I knew the words would anger him. Yet, they were true.
For me as a Flameborne, new to this world, young, and untried, to have the General as a mate and our dragons as well… There wasnothingto weigh against that. But for him? He was the most powerful Furyknight in the Kingdom—possibly, the world. He had the ear of a King, and the admiration ofnations.And he was bonded to the Primarch of the most powerful dragon in the known world. I couldn’t hope to measure against all of that.
“Donavyn—”
