Chapter 38

DIMITRI

I let out a groan, watching Valkyrie walk away from me. Why did I have to open my big mouth? That wasn’t what I meant to say. I wanted to warn her about Cian.

That little troublemaker has been getting under my skin lately. The way he looks at Valkyrie—it’s the same way Damian used to look at her, with pure lust.

I had told Damian to back off. That’s not what I need from my brother. I need his support.

With a sigh, I head back to the palace. Today is just not my day.

Nothing is going as planned. Everything was supposed to be smooth sailing. My meeting with the elders, my chat with Damian and Valkyrie. But nothing is going right. What am I supposed to do now?

As I head to the throne room, I spot Leo pacing in the hallway.

“Leo?” I call out, making him sigh. What’s up with him?

“Dimitri, we have a problem,” Leo says, bowing his head. “King Gabriel’s men are wandering around our territory again. Looks like he’s got scouts in the area.”

“How many?” I ask.

“About eight, and they’ve got two dragon tamers with them,” Leo says, swearing under his breath.

Rubbing my temple, I tell him to gather our men and start patrolling the area.

“And make sure the guards secure the borders,” I add as I walk into the throne room.

As I think about what to do next, I look up to see my grandfather sitting there, staring at his goblet of wine.

“Finally,” my grandfather grumbles.

“I’m busy,” I snap back, walking up the stairs to my throne.

“Busy doing what?” my grandfather retorts, rolling his eyes. “All you’ve been doing lately is dealing with that human mate of yours.”

“ENOUGH! I didn’t come here to listen to your opinions about Valkyrie,” I snap, my anger flaring as I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Why did you call me here?”

“Let Lilly go,” my grandfather says, making me look at him in surprise.

“What?” I ask, my voice rising. “You want me to let Lilly go? And why would I do that?”

“She’s Elder Morrison’s granddaughter, and your supposed queen,” my grandfather hisses, “or have you forgotten that she was supposed to be your queen?”

“I never agreed to that ridiculous arrangement. You and the elders decided that for me!” I snap back. “And let me remind you that you’re just the council. If I give an order, you follow it.”

I glare at the old dragon, my anger simmering. A small crease forms on his forehead as he scoffs and looks away.

“Lilly is a pure dragon. Not like that human you’re with.”

I slam my hand on the arm of the throne, growling loudly enough to make the entire room shake.

“Could you say that again?” I ask, standing up from the throne.

My grandfather leans back in his chair. The air in the room grows heavy as I walk down the stairs.

“Stupid human? Do I need to remind you that your mate and my father were humans?”

I can feel my hands clenching into fists. My whole body is shaking as my beast tries to take over and tear the old dragon apart.

“Let me tell you something,” I whisper, standing in front of him. “Valkyrie is not just a human, she’s a hybrid.”

My grandfather’s eyes widen and he drops his goblet.

“A hybrid?” he echoes.

“Yes, and she’s related to Prince Cian. You do know that we have an envoy from the Kingdom of Fae here, right? And the old king is here,” I say, watching as surprise crosses my grandfather’s face.

“King? Who?” my grandfather asks, realization dawning on him.

“King Casen,” I spit out, watching as my grandfather sways slightly.

“Why is he here?” my grandfather asks as I start to walk away. I stop and look back at him.

“To confirm if Valkyrie is his daughter,” I say as the guards open the doors. I walk out.

***

As I head down to the cave, I hear someone call my name. I glance over my shoulder to see Damian coming my way.

“Going on a scouting mission?” Damian asks as I keep walking.

“No, just checking things out,” I reply, ignoring him.

Damian and I had a fight earlier. It was about Valkyrie. Damian is my brother, and I care about him, but knowing that he’s infatuated with Valkyrie bothers me. I had to tell him.

Damian argued that he wasn’t infatuated. He said he only cared for her as someone special, but I saw that “special” meant love. How many times did he challenge me about Valkyrie?

He even dared to go against me in front of everyone for her. So how could I not be bothered?

Damian is a good brother. He’s a skilled warrior and an excellent strategist. But he’s also bold and doesn’t care who hears him.

“Oh, I just remembered we have a new group of humans living here,” Damian says, running a hand through his hair. “Some of the ones we had left, and we needed people, so we let them stay.”

“Where are they from?” I ask, curious.

“The neighboring kingdom. They’re a group of farmers. One of our suppliers recommended them,” Damian says, smiling. “They’ll be a big help.”

I nod at him, then mind-link Leo.

~“Any news?”~ I ask.

~“Nothing yet. We have some dragons on the ground,”~ Leo replies, sounding tired. ~“I’ll keep you updated.”~

I turn around and start heading back up. Damian is talking with some guards. I ignore them and keep going. I wonder where Valkyrie is?

I knock on her chamber door and hear Mia’s cheerful voice. The door swings open and Mia stops, greeting me with a smile.

“If you’re looking for the queen, she’s not here,” Mia says.

“Where is she?” I ask, frowning. Where could Valkyrie be?

“Was the queen with you earlier?” Mia inquires, her curiosity piqued.

“Yeah... But we had a disagreement,” I admit, avoiding Mia’s gaze. I hear a soft chuckle and glance her way.

“If you keep arguing, neither of you will get anywhere,” Mia advises, beckoning me inside. “Valkyrie is new to all this, and she’s scared. She needs our trust, King Dimitri.”

I roll my eyes and flop onto Valkyrie’s bed, feeling drained.

“So, what should I do?” I ask, unsure of who else to turn to.

“Agree with her. Show her you trust her. She’s just a young woman, Dimitri,” Mia suggests, taking a seat beside me.

“You’re what, over a hundred? You’ve seen things in people that humans can’t. Valkyrie is trying to adapt. You’re just not giving her a chance to prove herself.”

I groan and cover my face with my arms.

“It’s not that, Mia. I’m just... scared,” I confess, my voice muffled.

“Scared of what?” Mia laughs. “She needs to learn, Dimitri, and making mistakes is part of that. If you’re worried about her making the wrong choices, then what’s the point of having you around?”

I peek at Mia, liking what I hear. She’s grinning at me.

“You’re right,” I admit, sitting up.

“But?” Mia prompts, raising an eyebrow. “Come on, Dimitri, what’s the issue?”

“It’s Cian,” I confess, burying my head between my knees. “That jerk is my problem.”

“Cian?” Mia echoes, standing and smoothing her skirt. “Don’t worry about him.”

“Huh?” I respond, puzzled.

“I said, don’t worry about him. Cian’s a bit of a creep, but he won’t hurt her. Trust me,” Mia assures me as she heads towards the bath.

Still confused, I shrug and lie back down. Pulling the sheets over me, I decide to take a nap.

***

I wake to the feeling of gentle hands on my forehead. Turning my head, I see Valkyrie smiling at me.

“You snore a lot,” she whispers, making me chuckle. “Sorry if I woke you. But it’s getting late.”

“Late?” I echo, stretching.

Sitting up, I glance out the balcony. The night sky is filled with stars, and it’s clear it’s quite late.

“How long was I out?” I ask, sitting up. Valkyrie moves aside and crosses her arms.

“About twelve hours,” she replies, rubbing her chin. “You were wiped out.”

“Wait, what? I slept that long?” I’m taken aback. I must have been more tired than I thought.

“Yeah. Mia called me and said you were sleeping here. Damian and Leo came looking for you, but I told them to let you rest. You looked beat,” Valkyrie smiles.

I frown, wondering what Damian and Leo wanted. I stretch again, yawning.

Valkyrie gets up and goes to grab some clothes. As I watch her, I notice a book on the table. Valkyrie loves to read, which surprises me. It’s impressive that a girl who was a slave learned how to read.

Even Michael and Damian were taken aback. Not only is she a good fighter, but she’s a quick learner too. She could make a great queen.

When she comes back, I can’t help but stare at her semi-exposed breasts. Her thin dress clings to her body, and I suddenly feel a wave of desire.

I quickly look away and try to mind-link Damian, but he’s blocking me. Is he already asleep?

“Here,” Valkyrie says, handing me some food, “I asked Mia to bring this earlier.”

Her fiery red hair falls over her shoulders and breasts, reminding me of the night we met.

“Is something wrong?” Valkyrie asks. “You keep staring at me.”

“Nothing,” I reply, grinning. “Want to join me?”

“This is my room, isn’t it?” Valkyrie mutters, sitting on the other side of the bed.

She leans against a pillow and opens the book from the table.

“Dimitri, eat,” Valkyrie instructs, snapping me out of my daze. “If you have something to say, just say it. Stop staring at me like that.”

“There’s nothing,” I lie. In reality, I want to apologize for earlier, but I can’t find the words. Valkyrie doesn’t look at me. Instead, she keeps her eyes on her book. She reminds me of Michael.

“By the way,” Valkyrie says, suddenly closing her book. “I met someone earlier. His name is Casen. Do you know him?”

“Casen?” I echo. When did they meet?

“Yeah, I accidentally bumped into him,” Valkyrie shrugs, “Any idea who he is?”

“Yeah…,” I reply, glancing at her with concern.

Valkyrie looks at me. Clearing my throat, I set the tray down and turn to her. Taking her hand, I bring it to my lips and kiss it.

“Dimitri?” Valkyrie calls. I hum in response, still looking at her hand.

“Have you used your powers again?” I ask, changing the subject.

“No, and I don’t touch anyone. But I still don’t know who I can hurt or not,” Valkyrie explains. I nod, frowning in thought.

I remember that Michael and Cian touched her, and nothing happened.

“Something wrong?” Valkyrie asks, leaning closer. Her two different eyes shine with curiosity.

“Nothing, don’t worry,” I reassure her, smiling.

“Okay,” Valkyrie mumbles. Is she pouting? She puts her book away, turns her back to me, and lies down.

Her nightgown slips down her shoulder, and I can’t help but watch.

I lean in, pressing a kiss to her exposed skin. Valkyrie flinches, glancing over her shoulder at me.

Our eyes lock for a moment before she looks away. I feel a familiar pull in my chest, and I rest my head on her shoulder, letting out a sigh.

“I’m sorry,” I murmur, my hand drifting to her waist. She catches it, holding it between her own.

I press another kiss to her shoulder, trailing a path of soft kisses up her back until I reach her face.

I take my time, moving slowly across her face. I can feel her breath on my lips, and I pause, looking at her. She’s still turned away from me.

My breath comes out in a soft pant as I lean in, capturing her lips in a deep, lingering kiss. She reaches up, her fingers gently tracing my face. I move closer, craving the contact.

“Dimitri…,” she breathes my name as I suck on her lower lip. I flip her over, positioning myself between her legs.

Soft moans escape her lips as I press myself closer to her, the scent of her arousal filling the air.

I lower myself, reaching for her breasts. I suck and bite at her nipples, drawing louder moans from her as she clutches the bedsheets.

“D-Dimitri…my period,” she stammers, her breath coming in short pants.

“I don’t mind,” I assure her, sucking harder on her left breast. She arches her back, a moan escaping her lips.

I reach under her dress, my fingers brushing against her underwear.

“Wait, it’s embarrassing,” she mumbles, still panting.

I pull her underwear down, looking at her seriously. I don’t mind that she’s on her period. In fact, I wouldn’t mind getting her pregnant.

I feel her hands on my arms, and I lift my gaze. I growl, grabbing her hand and pinning it above her head. She gasps in surprise.

Her lips part slightly, her eyes wide as she looks up at me. I hover over her, my other hand reaching down to rip her nightdress.

“DIMITRI!” she gasps. I smirk down at her, taking in the sight of her pale body.

My cock twitches in anticipation. I want to fuck her so badly. I don’t know how much longer I can hold back. I reach for her other arm, pinning it above her head.

I find something to tie her hands with, straddling her as I tie a loose knot around her wrists. She looks at me, confusion in her eyes.

“W-why are you tying me?” she asks as I let go.

“So you stay still and don’t struggle,” I tell her, a seductive smirk on my face.

I stand, undoing my pants and letting them drop. Her eyes widen as I start to stroke myself. I lick my lips, moving back towards her.

I crawl on top of her, hovering over her body.

“You don’t have any idea how delicious you look,” I whisper in her ear. “Can’t wait to fuck you.”

She inhales sharply as my hand starts to wander down her body. She arches her back, and I pull her closer to me. Her body soothes the burning need in mine.

I can feel her wetness, and I smirk. I adjust myself, lowering my body onto hers. She starts to pant, her eyes locked on mine.

In one swift move, I thrust into her. Her eyes roll back as I pound into her, moaning. My body burns as I quicken my pace.

I remember Michael’s warning to be gentle with her, but I can’t. I groan, my breath coming in pants as I thrust harder. The bed moves with us, our bodies moving together as one.

I thrust into her harder, letting go of her hands to grab her waist.

“Fuck,” I curse, picking up my pace. Her hair is tousled, her pink breasts bouncing with each movement.

I hit every sensitive spot I can, feeling her orgasm building. Her legs quiver, and I smirk as I hit that spot, making her convulse.

I don’t stop, continuing to pound into her. I can feel her tight pussy sucking me in. Her walls tighten around me as I search for my release.

“D-Dimitri!” she cries out as I kiss her, making her orgasm again. Her juices flow as my cock twitches.

She digs her nails into my back, panting. I lift myself up, looking down at her. She’s a sweaty, sexy mess.

Her pussy pulses around me, and I thrust deep. Her voice trembles as I pull out and thrust again. I pick up my pace, fucking her again. This time, I untie her wrists.

She wraps her arms around me, and I lift her up, moving her hips up and down. Her breasts bounce in my face. I suck on them, pushing her down and making her scream my name.

I can feel my orgasm approaching, and I thrust deeper. Her pussy tightens around me as I find my release. I scream out, then kiss her. My hands squeeze her ass.

I release her lips, and she rests her head on my shoulder. I kiss her head, laying her down on the bed.

I pull out slowly, hearing a soft sucking sound. Our combined juices trickle down her leg. Valkyrie drifts off to sleep, panting. I kiss her again, smiling down at her.

“Sleep,” I whisper, pressing a kiss to her forehead.