Page 42 of Kiss of Embers
His fingers bit into my arms. “I don’t care. And I don’t need some fickle, mysterious force to bring me the perfect woman. Not when I have one right in front of me.”
The alarm bells clanged more loudly. I squirmed under his grip, but he held me fast. My speed was no match for his strength, especially in close quarters. “I’m far from perfect, Brader. Let me go.”
Frustration clouded his eyes. “Not until you admit how good things could be between us.”
“There is nous.”
“But there could be.” He caught my wrists as I tried to twist from his hold. “There used to be. Or have you forgotten waking up in my bed?”
My wolf roared to the surface, lending me strength as I fought to free myself. “We slept together a couple of times. I was young. I didn’t think about the consequences.” Like Brader spending the nextforty yearsconvincing himself he was in love with me. Our encounters were ancient history—mistakes made at midnight under the influence of a full moon. At least, that was how I viewed them. And I’d believed Brader shared my sentiments. Now, I knew I’d miscalculated.
A hard edge entered his voice. “Have you considered the consequences of taking two dragons as your mates? Men who prefer each other?”
Immediately, images of Struan and Finn locked in a wild kiss rushed to the front of my mind. I banished the memory, but Brader must have read something in my expression because he offered a grim smile.
“Their ways are well known,” he said, his voice growing labored as we tussled. “If you become a dragon bride, you’ll spend your whole life as a third wheel. A womb to help grow their species.” He dragged me into him, his lips dangerously close to mine. “That’s not love, Zara. It’s servitude. I don’t care how big their muscles are, they’ll never make you happy.”
Power flared under my skin. Snarling, I drew my head back and then slammed my forehead into his chin.
“Fuck!” Releasing me, he stumbled backward. Blood trickled from his bottom lip. He touched the cut, then gave me a bewildered look. “You head-butted me.”
I balanced on the balls of my feet, ready to throw a punch if he came near me again. “If you think I’d sign up to be a baby machine, then you don’t know me at all.”
He lowered his hand. Brow furrowed, he reached for me. “Zara?—”
“Don’t!” I moved swiftly, skirting him so I was closer to the tent’s entrance. Then I let my wolf’s authority flood my voice. “I’m not in love with you, Brader. And if you put your hands on me again, you won’t have to worry about Finn removing them. I’ll do it myself.”
His eyes lightened as his wolf peeked out. But he kept his distance. “Love isn’t a prerequisite for marriage. More than one pack alliance has been built on mutual benefit. A union between us makes sense. Our fathers saw it. Both of our families wanted it. Reinald pushed you at me for years.”
The weariness I’d felt when he entered the tent settled more heavily on my shoulders. He wasn’t listening to me. Instead, he was running through every argument, hoping to wear me down.
“My father changed his mind,” I said. “Once he realized I didn’t care for you that way, he stopped pushing.”
“I don’t believe that.”
Irritation made my voice sharp. “It’s the truth whether you believe it or not. I consider you a friend. But we can never be anything more.”
He stared, stormclouds swirling in his eyes. “You’ll regret this.”
My heart sped up. “Is that a threat?”
Brader went to the tent’s opening. His sunny good looks, which had mesmerized me when I was twenty, were suddenly cold. “Don’t come crying to me when those bastards break your heart. Good luck tomorrow. You’ll need it.”
He left.
I stared after him, ice sliding through my veins. Why would I need luck? What was Brader planning?
But I already knew. He’d followed me to South America. Had tried to get me kicked out of the Games. Tonight, he’d appeared in the corridor moments after Struan saved me from the doppelganger.
Because Brader intended to save me.Because Brader set it up. I’d suspected Struan and Finn of wanting to play the knights who rescued the damsel in distress. But what if Brader had banked on filling that role? The dragons got to me first, denying him the outcome he’d gambled on.
The outcome he’d arranged with Galen of House Baudelaire.
I had to tell Drute. It couldn’t wait. Even now, Brader could be on his way to Galen’s tent to arrange another mishap.
I left the tent and plunged into the camp. Chaos reigned as competitors raced to pull down their tents before the sun rose. I avoided eye contact as I walked the crude pathways, searching for Drute’s tall, commanding form among the competitors.
Twenty minutes later, I still hadn’t found him. The sun peeked over the horizon as I stood on the far edge of camp, frustration and anxiety tying my stomach in knots.