Page 79 of Clash of Kingdoms

My father stared at him, the same height as Huntley and just as burly.

“King Rolfe, this is my father King Serpentine, King of Vampires and King of Kingdoms.”

Huntley extended his hand.

My father hesitated before he took it, his prejudice difficult to overcome. Like there was a bad stench in the air, my father’s nose hiked up in a subtle look of disgust. I’d been hateful toward humans my whole life, but my father’s discrimination was far worse.

“Thank you for coming to our aid,” Huntley said. “We have much to discuss.”

All my father could muster was a nod before he looked at me again. “We need to speak.” He gave a quick glance in Huntley’s direction. “In private.”

I nodded before I turned to Huntley. “I’ll escort my father and our people to HeartHolme in the morning. Don’t make accommodations for us within the city. Our tents and supplies will be plenty.” And I wanted them nowhere near the people of HeartHolme.

Huntley’s eyes shifted back and forth between mine, his mind shrewd. “Then we’ll speak in the morning.”

My father returned to his tent.

“Let me walk you.” I walked with Huntley beside me, moving through the camp. We hadn’t attracted as much attention on the way there, but on the way back, we had a lot more stares. They could probably smell Huntley’s blood, which had a distinct composition. Harlow’s was the same, but I was so numb I didn’t notice it most of the time.

When we approached the dragons, Huntley stopped.

I could feel his displeasure, feel his discomfort.

“Can I trust you, Aurelias?”

I met his stare.

“I can’t read minds, but I know your father despises me.”

“He’s not a fan of humans.”

“Then why travel all this way to fight for them?”

There was only one reason strong enough. “Me.”

He continued his hard stare. “An army of vampires has just arrived in my lands when they know we’re weak and wounded. It wouldn’t be difficult for them to overrun HeartHolme and take it for themselves.” His gaze penetrated mine, searching for the reassurance he needed. “Can I trust you?”

“I would never let that happen, Huntley.”

He stared at me for a moment longer before he gave a nod and walked to his dragon. He climbed on top and secured his body to the saddle then jumped to the skies, Pyre following him. When the sound of their powerful wings disappeared, I knew he was gone.

I returned to my father’s tent and walked inside.

There was a king-size bed with a naked brunette in it, the sheets covering her tits. Her neck had two bloody marks, and there were a few drops on the pillow. She was passed out, like my father had taken a little too much.

My father sat at a table, bottles of booze and glasses on the surface. He stared at me and silently commanded me to sit.

I sat across from him, my own flesh and blood, and somehow felt as if I’d stepped into enemy territory.

His dark eyes stared hard into my face with a hint of disappointment. “I’ve sailed across the sea with half our army…because you’re obsessed with a woman. And not just any woman, but a human woman who smells as bad as that man who calls himself a king.”

His words immediately incited anger from me, and for a moment, I forgot that my emotions were discernible. It’d been a long time since I’d been in the company of my own people. “The woman I love is his daughter—and he’s a great king.”

His disappointment simmered. “What happened to my son?”

“Humans are more capable than you realize.”

“Are they now?” he asked coldly. “Because I could have ripped his head from his shoulders. You think that pathetic armor would have stopped me?”