Page 52 of Hidden Fate

“Exactly.” I smiled softly. “Anytime he talks like that, ignore him. Otherwise, we’re giving him what he wants. Do you want to make Drake happy?”

“Fuck, no,” he growled as he wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me against his body. “I want him to be the angry one when he realizes we’ve won.”

I tapped his forehead with my fingers. “You do realize that winning means you might be the one taking over the throne, and the queen might be working with Drake. We could be in a whole lot of trouble right now.” The only reason I wasn’t completely freaking out was because Belinda and Merlin were out there keeping watch.

He exhaled, the anger ebbing, replaced by uncertainty. “I’ve been thinking about that, and I don’t want to rule. I’ve made that clear, but if Drake isn’t an option, what if I’m the only choice?”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.” I didn’t want him to feel pressured into making a decision that didn’t need to be made now, but I did agree with him. He might not have much of a choice, and I also believed he was the most fit to lead. He’d be the type of leader people would be willing to die for. “But when the bridge comes and you’re torn about whether to cross it, don’t take my needs into account.” Because he would. He would prioritize my wants and needs over his people. I was his weakness and, in some ways, his fatal flaw.

“Of course I will. That’s just as important as any other piece,” he whispered vehemently as he placed a finger under my chin and tilted my head up so I was staring into his eyes. He pressed, “Your happiness is the most important thing to me. Damn the consequences.”

His emotions soared between us, reinforcing every word. Even without a fated-mate connection, I’d have believed him. He didn’t lie or sugarcoat truths to make others happy.

“I wanted to be a doctor to help people. To heal the sick or, in some cases, help them toward their end with peace and as much grace and dignity as they can keep.” I’d seen what had happened to my mom during her cancer treatment. The denial, the depression, and her body breaking down on her. Through it all, she hadn’t found peace until I’d told her she could leave. That I’d be fine on my own. That she could stop fighting for me. Within minutes, she’d faded away.

He nodded, his sky blue eyes darkening a shade, and the diamond flecks in his irises stole my breath. He connected,I know. That’s why you becoming a doctor is a priority.

“Let me finish.” I took his hands and squeezed. “What I’m trying to say is, ifyouwant to become king, I’ll still be fulfilling my dream.”

Tilting his head, he furrowed his brows. “I’m not following.”

“Maybe it’s not the dream I envisioned six years ago, but I’ll still be helping others.” I clasped my hands. “We’d be making sure that dragons who are different or elderly aren’t persecuted. Think about Reece’s situation, all because a dragon shifter fell for a human and no one could help them. If you’re king, we can help people the way we helped Emily and baby Thorn.” My heart raced thinking about all the good we could do. “We could help those down on their luck in a way that wouldn’t be insulting because we can relate to them better than royals who were raised privileged. We could—”

He laughed, the sound refreshing, deep, and sexy. “I get it.” His irises twinkled. “You still get to fulfill your dream if I choose to take on the responsibility of leading our people.”

“Yeah.” I smiled, surprising myself. That really was the case. I hadn’t realized it until now, but Thorn ruling the dragons would protect a lot more people, along with our actual future.

“I don’t know how I got so damn lucky to have you be mine, but I will cherish you always,” he vowed and kissed me. My stomach knotted with the familiar urgent need, but now was not the time or place.

Two seconds was all I gave myself to enjoy the kiss before pulling away. I licked my lips, relishing his minty taste. “We need to go back in and determine our next steps if the queen is working with Drake.” All my hope from the night before had left me raw.

Thorn flinched and tightened his hold on me. “I know it was foolish, but I was kind of hoping she meant what she said, which shows that hope doesn’t change anything.”

“Hope is one of the most powerful motivators. Hope for a better future keeps underdogs fighting.” He couldn’t give up or become defeated. That was exactly what Drake wanted. “It’s what motivates our group to take Drake down, and when nurtured correctly, that hope can turn into a flame of passion. That’s what we’re going to do.” I pointed at the door. “Head in there and spread those flames.”

“Okay.” He smiled adoringly at me. “Let’s go inside and do that. And I have a little girl I need to make up with.”

When we entered the house again, not much had changed. Reece, Chandra, and Kari sat in the center section of the couch, with Elliott and Mindy on the ottoman. Sol, Eva, and Hydra were on the left side of the couch, and Tia, Ryu, and Tyson were on the other. Theron, Brenton, Vlad, and Errol paced behind the couch. The sound of pots and pans clanging informed me that Cassidy was in the kitchen, odd for this hour.

One person was missing. “Is Peter still upstairs?”

“Yeah, he went up after dinner.” Elliott rolled his eyes. “He said he needed space where there wasn’t as much drama.”

That sounded like Peter. He wanted Drake to win—I could feel it. “He can’t know that people are helping us from the inside.”

“Reece, I could use your help,” Cassidy sing-songed from the kitchen.

Ah, that must be why she was making something at such an odd hour. She was using it as a way to distract the little girl while we discussed strategy.

When Reece’s feet hit the floor, Thorn strolled over and squatted in front of her. He hung his head and murmured, “I’m sorry if I upset you earlier. The prince was saying a lot of stuff about my Everly, and I didn’t like it. However, I shouldn’t have spouted off like that. It was wrong.”

Reece’s smile was blinding. “It’s okay. Daddy gets upset, too, when he thinks about how he and I can’t be together.” She threw her arms around Thorn’s neck, pulling him in for a tight hug.

This time, when my eyes burned, it was from happy tears. She was a bright light that we needed so desperately in our world right now.

Standing, Chandra pushed a piece of hair behind her ear. “We should go help.”

“Yeah.” Kari climbed to her feet. “Let us know if you need us for anything.”

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