Dragon King (The Bride Hunt Book 3) Read online

  “Your egg is really… oval and beautiful and… congrats!” What the hell! She’d never had to congratulate someone on an egg before.

  “Don’t worry,” Inferno said. “I’ve made it clear that no one is to visit today. You can rest up. I’m sure you’ll have a ton of guests tomorrow though.” He grinned. It was a plan Inferno had devised to make sure that Coal didn’t find out what was about to go down. Roxy swallowed hard, trying to calm her nerves. Everything would go as planned, it would all work out. It had to.

  Both Julie and Coal smiled. They said their goodbyes and left.

  “Are you sure about this?” Roxy asked.

  “I can’t think of a better plan, can you?”

  Just then, Heat rounded the corner, he was one of the higher-ranking warriors she had met at a couple of functions. His eyes roamed her body and heated as they did. The big shifter approached them. He sniffed at her.

  Julie grabbed Inferno’s arm and stepped in closer to him.

  Heat sniffed at her again and Inferno growled. “That’s fucking rude,” he said.

  “Sorry!” He had the good grace to look sheepish. “I can’t help it, you have a delectable scent. I heard that you were available since Blaze renounced you.”

  A sharp pain sliced through her somewhere in the vicinity of her heart.

  Inferno stepped forward. “We are headed to the great hall. Move out of the way.”

  Heat grinned. “I am on my way there as well. I think that all of the Pinnacle warriors will attend.” He glanced back at Roxy. “I am hoping that Crimson doesn’t pitch. I am next in line and would love a chance to fight for you.” His eyes narrowed in on hers.

  “I wouldn’t hold my breath.” Inferno pushed past him and they continued to walk. Roxy kept her arm looped through Inferno’s. As they continued on, more and more big shifter types seemed to enter the hallway, moving in the same direction. They all smiled at her and winked. Some of them openly ogled her. The sniffing noises were ridiculous.

  Oh god! This was a mistake.

  “I’m not so sure about this anymore,” she whispered.

  “It will be fine. The highest ranking male will challenge me ‒ that’s Crimson. If not Crimson, then Heat. I’m not worried.” He did look completely relaxed.

  “If you say so.” Roxy prayed for the hundredth time that Blaze would be there, that he would swoop in and put a stop to the whole thing. In her mind’s eye he would take her into his arms and that would be that. No fighting. No chaos. No heartbreak.

  There was a fat chance of that happening though, this was real life. A girl could live in hope though.

  Inferno had set it up so that Coal wouldn’t find out ‒ hopefully ‒ because he would try to put a stop to what he would consider a harebrained scheme. He also made sure that Blaze would hear all about it. This all hinged on how he would react though. Please come and save me.

  “You need to stay far away from the fighting. Stand on the dais.” They entered the hall. Roxy gasped at how many big, burly shifters were in attendance. They all turned to look at her. In that moment, she wanted to run far away.

  Inferno pointed to the raised dais. “Go up there. It shouldn’t take more than five minutes for me to whip Crimson’s ass.” He gave her a cocky grin.

  “Inferno,” someone growled. “It looks like you and I are going head-to-head.” The deep voice sounded from somewhere in the crowd of shifter dragons.

  Inferno stiffened. He clenched his fists, his eyes going to her. She registered shock and something else, something that looked very much like panic. “Oh shit!” Inferno whispered.

  “Oh shit indeed.” A huge shifter shoved his way between all the warriors. “Let’s get to it. Every second we stand here and chit chat is a second wasted. I can’t wait to get to know my female.”

  “Fuck you, asshole!” Inferno growled. “Roxy will never be yours.”

  The shifter, who she recognized, threw his head back and laughed. “I beg to differ.” Despite having just laughed, he looked angry, he also looked really upset. She could guess what, or who, had put him in this mood.

  “Go wait on the dais,” Inferno instructed. “I’ve got this.” She could see the doubt in his eyes. He gave her a casual wink but he wasn’t fooling anyone. Inferno was afraid. What the hell had she just agreed to?

  Blaze crumpled up the piece of paper. A note from Roxy. Pretty words that meant nothing. He snarled as he threw the paper in the garbage. Fuck it!

  Inferno was going to fight for his female. He was going to try and win and claim her. There was only one way this was possible, Roxy had to have agreed. Screw it though! Screw her! He didn’t give a fuck.

  The female would’ve been perfect as a queen. Fucking perfect, but she couldn’t agree to some simple terms. No! She’d agreed knowing full well that she couldn’t keep them. Roxy had no honor. She was just as dishonest as the rest of them. Not to be trusted.

  Next, he picked up the diamond earrings. She’d probably thought that he bought them as a symbol of his feelings or maybe as a warning to others that she was his. Well, it couldn’t be further from the truth. He’d wanted to show her off. She needed to look decent as the future queen. Needed to look the part. That was all.

  He tossed the earrings into the bin along with her stupid fucking note. Good riddance. Good fucking riddance. He wished his little brother luck! Blaze punched the wall. A chunk of rock came loose and clattered at his feet.

  His fledgling, piece of shit excuse for a brother could have her. He punched again and another piece of rock crashed down, smaller bits went flying.

  Fuck them both. They deserved each other. Conniving and scheming behind his back. In fact, he was going to exile them. They could live in the far corner of the fire kingdom. That way he wouldn’t have to see them ever again.

  The thought of seeing Inferno with Roxy had bile rising in his throat. Of course it did, they were traitors. The thought of Roxy ripe with Inferno’s egg had adrenaline coursing through his veins. Blaze hit down with both fists on a nearby table. It splintered into several pieces. He forced himself to calm down by breathing deeply. He would exile them. Out of sight, out of fucking mind.

  There was a stag run coming up. He would go and slake his needs with another female. Hell, he might even find himself a couple of females. The only reason sex had been so good with Roxy was because he hadn’t been with a female for so long. It was a mistake and one he wouldn’t make again.

  In a couple of weeks, there was another hunt. He’d take a female then. He’d be sure to select the right kind of female. In hindsight, Lily would have been perfect. So what if she wanted prestige and material things. Those were items he could easily give. No emotional crap. His future female would keep his dick warm and give him heirs. That’s all he fucking needed.

  Blaze growled as he pictured Inferno fighting with Crimson, he almost hoped that the other male would win. That would foil their plans. Fuck! He lashed out at the wall, the hole growing bigger as rubble fell to the floor.

  A knock sounded at the door. His heart rate sped up. Maybe it was Roxy. Maybe she was here to… it didn’t matter, he would send her away. Fuck her!

  Blaze yanked the door open and one of the hinges ripped out of the wall. “If you—” he stopped short. It was a human female, but it wasn’t Roxy. What did she want?

  Roxy gasped as Lava hit Inferno in the face. Even from where she was standing, she heard a crack as his nose broke. Blood gushed down his face and chest. He punched back but Lava deflected the blow. They’d been fighting for a couple of minutes. It was amazing how slowly time could go.

  Lava feigned a right hook and as Inferno stepped to the left, to avoid the punch, he gave a left jab into Inferno’s ribs. Roxy couldn’t be sure but she thought she heard another crack. Inferno staggered back a step or two before regaining his balance. The next few blows were superficial. Both shifters looked evenly matched.

  “Thank you.”

  Roxy nearly jumped out of her skin. She clasped
her chest for a second before realizing that it was Sue who had spoken.

  “Don’t sneak up on a person like that.” Roxy felt irritated. She was watching Inferno fight for what looked like his life and all because of this woman. Okay, that wasn’t entirely true. She’d known deep down that there were risks going into this but still, Sue was a piece of work. She couldn’t help but dislike the woman even more. Then she realized what the woman had said and that she had a shit-eating grin on her face. “Thank you for what?”

  “For whatever you did to cause Blaze to kick your ass to the curb.”

  Roxy decided to ignore Sue’s bitchy comments. She was clearly here to wipe Roxy’s nose in it. She was probably one of those women who enjoyed watching others suffer. Well, she wouldn’t give her the satisfaction. She turned her attention back to the fight.

  Inferno snarled, he pulled Lava into a chokehold and kneed the male in the stomach, one, two, three times before Lava managed to break free. Go Inferno! She couldn’t help notice that Inferno was more bloodied up. One of his eyes was swollen shut and his nose looked horrible.

  Lava had a split lip. Other than that, he was in good shape.

  “I went to go and speak with Blaze.” Sue sounded like she was on top of the world.

  Roxy continued to watch the fight, trying hard to ignore the other woman. It didn’t matter that her blood felt like it had iced up in her veins. That the air in her lungs had frozen.

  “Yup.” From the corner of Roxy’s vision, she could see how Sue rocked back on her heels. “I asked him to give us a chance. I really think I would look damn fine on his arm. We are perfect for one another.”

  Do not cry! Hold it together. This woman is full of bullshit. She was probably lying. No, she was definitely lying.

  Lava punched Inferno and he went flying backwards. Roxy gasped and stepped forward. He sprang to his feet but staggered badly before shaking his head. His stance was weaker.

  “He gave me this list of terms,” Sue gave a laugh.

  No! Please let this not be happening. Her whole body went cold. Her heart seemed to stop beating for a second or two. It hurt so much that she struggled to breathe.

  “No romance, no love, just fucking and I have to produce heirs for him.” She laughed again, sounding so full of it. “I told him that it was the perfect set-up. It’s what I want too… so…” She paused. “It looks like I’m staying. It looks like I’m getting not just a royal but the royal. The king of all the dragon shifters. It doesn’t hurt that he’s ridiculously hot. That he can kiss like nobody’s business.” Sue gave Roxy a shoulder bump. “You would know though wouldn’t you?” Then she made a groaning noise. Roxy tried to block out Sue’s voice but it didn’t work. “He can fuck like a mad man possessed. You know that as well, I guess.” This time she didn’t even feel the shoulder bump.

  The other woman continued to talk but Roxy couldn’t hear her anymore. She didn’t want to. She felt numb, yet at the same time, her heart beat out of her chest. Roxy stepped forward. “Stop!” she shouted. She couldn’t stand to see Inferno being beaten any longer because at this point, he was being beaten. The tables had turned, Lava had taken over the fight and seemed to be toying with the young prince.

  It was a lost cause. This whole thing was a lost cause. Inferno was getting hurt for nothing. “Stop it!” she screamed louder as Lava punched Inferno in the mouth.

  Streaks of blood and saliva went flying. No! God! Some teeth went flying as well. Roxy jumped off the platform and ran towards the fighting shifters. She screamed for them to stop but no one listened. Lava pummeled Inferno until he fell to his knees. Then he gripped Inferno around the throat. His face and chest were covered in blood.

  “Stop!” She clouted Lava on the back. “Let him go, you big bully. What the hell is wrong with you?” She clouted him a second time.

  “Do you concede?” Lava snarled. Roxy watched in horror as his hand gripped Inferno’s neck tighter. Inferno made choking noises. One eye was swollen shut but the other widened.

  “Leave him alone.” She tried to pull him away from Inferno but Lava wouldn’t budge. “He gives up, you asshole dickhead.”

  “Do you concede?” Lava asked again, his eyes on Inferno.

  “Yes, he does!” Roxy screamed. “Just do it, Inferno. Concede. It’s over. Please just do as I say.” It felt like forever but eventually, Inferno gave a small nod of the head.

  Lava released him and Inferno slumped forward. Roxy dropped down on her knees next to Inferno. The shifter was lying on his side, he was badly messed up. She should never have agreed to this. Blaze was the biggest asshole alive. He deserved someone like Sue. “I’m so sorry.” Shit, she was crying again. Roxy wiped away the tears. “We need to call someone. A paramedic… a healer…”

  “I would’ve had him,” Inferno croaked. He tried to smile but his cracked lip started to bleed. She noticed that a couple of his teeth were missing.

  “Oh god!” she whispered. “You need help.” She glanced at Lava. “Get him help!” She was starting to sound a bit panicked but who could blame her? Everyone just stood around like nothing had happened. “He’s hurt.”

  She turned to Lava who grinned. “He will be fine, female. Inferno is a shifter; in a few hours you won’t even be able to tell that he’s been injured.”

  “I don’t care about how he will be in a few hours, I care about how he is now and he’s not great. He’s even got teeth missing.”

  “I’m fine.” Inferno’s voice was already much stronger. He moved to a sitting position and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “My teeth will grow back and my bones will knit. I’m sorry I let you down.”

  “Thank you for trying.” She sucked in a deep breath, waiting for her eyes to fill with tears. Thankfully, it didn’t happen. She glanced at the dais. Sue was smiling broadly, she looked so smug.

  “Come, female. I want to show you my chamber… our chamber.” Lava gripped her by the upper arm and drew her into a standing position. He tried to put his arm around her but she stepped away.

  “Yeah, about that, thanks but no thanks.”

  She looked back down at Inferno. “I’m going to get my stuff and go back home.” There was nothing left for her there. Sue’s words kept running through her head. The nerve of Blaze. He couldn’t even wait for her to leave before replacing her. He couldn’t even put two and two together and realize that what she had done was a ploy to get his attention, to snap him out of whatever it was that was holding him back.

  Of course, he’d chosen to believe the worst about her.

  “I won you, female. You are coming with me.” Lava gripped her by the arm again and yanked her against him.

  These shifters needed to learn some manners. “Let go of me.” Roxy was in no damn mood. Sue was still watching them, that smile still firmly in place. She seemed to be enjoying the show. Roxy felt her blood boil inside of her. She clenched her teeth and tried to pull free.

  “I’m really sorry you had to fight for nothing but I’m not staying.” She tried to pull free, but he held on tight.

  “You need to give me two weeks to convince you.” He slid his other arm around her.

  “No, I can’t. I’m sorry.”

  “I too am sorry,” Lava growled, “because you are staying, female, best you make peace with that. I’m going to claim you now. I think I’ve earned a kiss.”

  “Let her go, Lava,” Inferno groaned as he pulled himself into a standing position. He was nursing an arm, although she suspected that it was his ribs on that side that were the problem.

  Lava laughed, his eyes looked haunted. “What? Are you going to make me?” His jaw tensed. He looked Inferno up and down.

  “Don’t be a dick,” Inferno said. “The female doesn’t want you.”

  “I suppose she wants you and I should just hand her over.”

  Inferno shook his head. “She wants to go home.” He looked at Roxy quizzically. “Are you sure that’s really what you want?”

  Roxy tr
ied to get out of Lava’s hold. “Yes, I need to go and say a few parting words to a certain someone and then I’m out of here.” She’d been wrong about Blaze. She needed to give him a piece of her mind. Get some closure in this messed up situation and then she would go home and lick her wounds. It was funny, she’d been with Ben for eight years and only with Blaze for a couple of weeks, yet, she had a feeling it was going to be way more difficult to get over the shifter king. The thought angered the hell out of her. Blaze should not have that level of control over her emotions.

  “You are coming with me.” Not only did Lava hold on tight, but he picked her up and held her against his chest so that they were face to face. “Kiss me, female.”

  Roxy pulled back, arching her back away from him. Her legs dangled. “No!” she yelled. “Let go of me!” She kicked and squirmed. It was Thunder all over again. The guy was going to plant one on her whether she liked it or not. “Let go.” She tried one last time. “Don’t you dare.”

  Lava wasn’t listening. His eyes blazed. His hold tightened. His eyes were on her lips.

  Roxy sighed. Then she kicked Lava square between the legs. He groaned, his eyes rolled back and he dropped her. Roxy tried to stay on her feet but ended up landing on her ass. She scrambled to her feet and headed towards Blaze’s office.

  Inferno laughed somewhere behind her, the sound quickly morphing into a groan. “Go get him, Roxy. Kick Blaze’s ass!”

  Get him. Hardly. She’d give him a piece of her mind and move on. She wouldn’t cry. She would definitely not shout or rant. She was going to be Miss Cool, Calm and Collected.

  Then she was out of there. She didn’t care about the two-week rule or any of that other stuff. If she protested loud enough, they would have to send her home. She picked up her pace. The thought of seeing Blaze and Sue together was too horrendous to comprehend. She couldn’t deal with it. Wouldn’t. Bile rose in her throat just thinking of how smug Sue would look on Blaze’s arm. She’d love every minute of Roxy’s misery, she was just that kind of person.