Chapter 6

DAMIAN

My brother’s always been the dragon who rules over others. His behavior can be a real pain in the ass, but it’s what makes him a great king.

We dragons, as a horde, need a leader to keep the balance. Without a king, we’re just a horde.

As a royal dragon, my brother became king because he was the oldest. I’m grateful; I can’t stand the thought of being king—too many responsibilities for my liking.

I’m not cut out for the duties a king has to handle. But as time goes by, my brother changes. His dragon side starts to take over, making it hard for him to appear human.

We dragons need mates, and we crave them like the wild creatures we are. But my brother’s been ignoring that. He won’t even sleep with a woman because he’s waiting for his mate.

And then, as strange as it sounds, he finds her. A human slave with a curse.

My first impression of her was that she was determined. I could tell my brother felt the same. When he stood before her, and she raised her sword with conviction, I saw a woman determined to survive.

I was stunned when my brother said she was his mate.

Once we got home, she seemed like a frightened mouse, scared of everything. But most of all, she was scared of my brother.

Dimitri doesn’t know how to treat a woman, so I often step in.

Days went by, and I started noticing this human slave more. The more I watched her, the more intrigued I became, especially by her eyes.

Her unique eyes made me think. Why does she remind me of someone I know? That familiarity makes me want to know more about her.

Valkyrie was a slave, and it seemed like she’d been one for a long time. But when I talked to her, I could see that beneath her fragile exterior was someone much stronger.

“You sure about this?” I asked her as she headed toward one of the platforms with Leo.

“Yes, I want to try,” Valkyrie said with a smile.

Something must have sparked in her to ask if she could train as a warrior.

For a moment, I thought she was crazy. A human training with a dragon was unheard of. But still, I let her.

Leo was happy to teach her. He was impressed by her; she was a quick learner. Valkyrie picked up fighting skills like no other. She was fast and accurate.

Excited about her skills, I asked Leo to take her to the fighting platforms with the new dragons. Eagerly, I had her fight.

She was incredible. I saw the same determination I’d seen the first night we met. She was a fighter, and she was our queen.

I knew some dragons were skeptical because she was a human, but they would have to obey; they had no other choice.

Now the problem would be Dimitri. His temper and anger are always issues.

Hearing that Dimitri was coming back, I excused myself and headed toward the cave entrance. As expected, Dimitri looked furious. He’d been out all night because of a fight with Valkyrie.

Somehow, I thought maybe telling him what Valkyrie was doing might be a good idea. I was so wrong.

Dimitri exploded in anger and started yelling at Valkyrie. I mentally kicked myself, knowing this beast was beyond help.

I tried to stop him, but it was no use. I saw Valkyrie scream in Dimitri’s arms.

More days passed, and I could tell things hadn’t improved between Dimitri and Valkyrie. She looked scared of him.

And I was right: when things got ugly between Valkyrie and Lilly, Dimitri lost it. Now Valkyrie was hurt and Dimitri was fighting with Lilly.

I took Valkyrie away and told her not to look back, because if she did, she would fear Dimitri forever. Leaving her with Michael and Leo, I went back.

The whole palace shook as Lilly and Dimitri fought to the death inside.

“Someone needs to stop them!” someone shouted.

I ran up the stairs, stopping as the two bit each other in front of me.

“ENOUGH, DIMITRI!” I shouted. It was pointless, but I had to stop them, especially Dimitri. He would kill Lilly for defying him.

Almost everyone knew Lilly wanted to be queen. She’d always tried to get into Dimitri’s pants, but that only worked sometimes.

Dimitri didn’t like her, and Lilly knew it. She also knew that Dimitri had found his mate, and this made her even angrier.

Swearing, I cleared everyone out with a growl, and transformed into a dragon to get between Lilly and Dimitri.

~“Enough, brother!”~ I said through the mind-link. ~“Enough!”~

~“Move!”~ Dimitri growled.

~“No, I won’t! Do you want to scare Valkyrie?”~ I snapped at him.

Dimitri growled softly. He looked past me. Lilly was bleeding heavily; a chunk of flesh near her neck was missing.

~“Let her go. I’ll take her to the dungeons,”~ I said, glaring at Dimitri, who was huffing with rage.

With a low growl, he turned away, and I turned my attention back to Lilly. Once we transformed back into our human forms, I took her to get treated.

But, of course, I didn’t expect what happened next between Dimitri and Valkyrie.

When I got back after locking up Lilly, I ran into Leo.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, confused.

“Your brother took Valkyrie away. He looked furious,” Leo explained, making me growl in frustration.

“Where is he?” I asked.

“I heard him upstairs. Are you coming?” Leo asked. I nodded and followed him.

No one was in Dimitri’s hallway. It seemed like everyone was avoiding this place.

Heading toward his bedroom, I opened the double doors. Valkyrie was in the corner of the room. She was crying quietly.

“Valkyrie?” I whispered as I knelt to check on her.

“D-Damian?” Valkyrie stuttered. She looked terrified. What had Dimitri done to her?

“Dimitri isn’t here!” Leo said as he looked outside. “Do you know where he is?” Leo asked Valkyrie. She shook her head.

“Let’s go somewhere else,” I suggest, extending my hand to her.

“NO!” Valkyrie cries out, her voice laced with fear. She shoves my hand away and retreats further.

“Hey, Valkyrie, it’s okay,” I reassure her, brushing her hair away from her face. “Dimitri won’t hurt you.”

“I c-can’t! He s-said I shouldn’t leave. I m-must stay,” Valkyrie stammers, her fear palpable. I sigh, standing up to mind-link with Leo.

~“Find out where Dimitri is,”~ I instruct him.

Leo nods and heads back out to the balcony. I pour a goblet of water and hand it to Valkyrie, who takes it with trembling hands.

~“He’s in the throne room,”~ Leo informs me after a while.

~“Alright, stay with Valkyrie. I need to talk to Dimitri,”~ I tell him, leaving the chamber.

As I approach the throne room, a loud growl echoes through the palace. I hesitate, wondering if it’s wise to enter. Another growl reverberates, shaking the palace walls.

An elder emerges from the double doors, his face pale with fear. Taking a deep breath, I enter the room and offer a slight bow. As I take a seat, I feel the weight of everyone’s gaze on me.

I raise an eyebrow, looking back at them. What are they expecting me to say?

“Anything else?” Dimitri asks, his grip tightening on the golden throne. His face is twisted with rage.

“Yes,” my grandfather interjects, causing me to whip my head in his direction. I curse under my breath, closing my eyes in anticipation of his comment. He’s going to provoke Dimitri.

“It’s about that woman,” my grandfather says, his voice dripping with disdain.

“What about her?” Dimitri asks, his tone surprisingly calm. I open my eyes. Dimitri looks relaxed, even leaning back in his throne.

“We saw her training with the other dragons. Are you preparing her to be a queen?” my grandfather inquires. I glance between him and Dimitri, wondering where he’s going with this.

Dimitri remains silent, just staring at him. Somehow, he’s managed to keep his cool.

“Go on,” Dimitri murmurs.

“We all expect her to be a worthy queen, but we have some reservations,” my grandfather hisses.

“Here we go,” I mutter, knowing some of them can hear me.

“And what might those be, Grandfather?” Dimitri asks, raising an eyebrow.

“That she’s a slave,” my grandfather spits out.

I close my eyes, bracing myself. A growl that could be heard from the mountain base shakes the palace. Everyone flinches, including me. Dimitri slams his hand on the throne, leaning forward.

“Could you repeat that?” Dimitri growls.

My grandfather flinches. I know he fears Dimitri, but that won’t make him back down.

“I said that woman is a slave!” my grandfather retorts, matching Dimitri’s growl.

“And there it is,” I say aloud, making sure my grandfather hears me.

“What?” he snaps, looking confused.

“Everyone out!” I command, standing up and heading toward the exit. “NOW!”

The elders rise and begin to leave. I shoot my grandfather a warning glare.

Dimitri is gripping the throne so tightly, he’s about to snap. His dragon claws scrape against the throne, creating a screeching sound.

Once the doors close, I turn to my grandfather.

“Could you refrain from calling her a slave?” I snap at him.

“Why? She is a slave, isn’t she? How can someone like her be a queen?” my grandfather scoffs.

I glance at Dimitri, who’s panting heavily.

“Grandfather, let me remind you that many of our ancestors, including you, had human queens,” I hiss.

“But not a slave,” my grandfather retorts.

“Enough!” Dimitri interrupts, looking at us.

His face is half-shifted, scales spreading across his body. He rolls his shoulders and takes a deep breath.

“I decide who my queen is. Refrain from unnecessary comments,” Dimitri hisses.

My grandfather scoffs and stands up. Without another word, he leaves.

I turn back to Dimitri, my shoulders slumping.

“You need to learn to control your temper,” I tell him, sitting back down. “You’re scaring everyone.”

“Is my brother worried?” Dimitri asks, leaning back in his seat.

“Yes,” I admit, meeting his gaze. “Especially when it comes to the queen.”

Dimitri glares at me. He might take it as an insult, but I need to be honest with him.

“What did you say?” Dimitri asks, standing up and descending the stairs.

“You need to change,” I tell him, standing up and walking toward him.

I stop in front of Dimitri, looking at him. We’re the same height, but I can see his face contorting. His beast is taking over.

“You think you can tell me how to treat a woman?” Dimitri growls.

“Yes!” I assert, refusing to back down. “Valkyrie doesn’t deserve to be treated like that.”

Dimitri grabs my shirt, pulling me toward him.

“And how should I behave then?” Dimitri hisses.

His hands have transformed into claws, gripping my shirt tighter. Unfazed, I grab his arm.

“Treat her like your queen. Remember, our mates are our equals,” I tell him, forcing his hand off me.

“She is our queen, and she will bear your child. The last thing she deserves is your abuse. She’s had enough of that already.”

A punch lands across my face. I fall.

Blood fills my mouth. I spit it out and look up. Dimitri is fuming. What's gotten into him? This isn't the brother I know.

“I can do whatever I want with her!” Dimitri snaps.

He tries to land another punch, but I dodge it, and his fist slams into the ground instead.

I scramble to my feet, readying myself for his next move. Is Dimitri really going to fight me?

“Sure, you can,” I say, wiping my face with my hand. “But you need to treat her right. You need to get it through your thick skull that Valkyrie is your queen, not some pet you can treat however you please.”

Dimitri growls and lunges at me. The sound of claws scraping and growls fill the throne room. I kick him in the stomach, flip over, and get back on my feet.

“If you keep this up, you're going to lose her,” I warn him, my voice seething with anger.

“Lose her?” Dimitri groans as he struggles to his feet.

“Yeah, lose her. Someone else might sweep her off her feet!” I spit out, my teeth clenched.

“NO ONE WOULD DARE!” Dimitri roars, throwing another punch. But I catch his fist mid-swing.

“Oh, Brother, you couldn't be more wrong,” I say, a smirk playing on my lips. “Because I would!”