Dragon Sacrifice Read online

  And not just because they shared Anarian’s parenting.

  However, that had been before she’d told him she’d hadn’t chosen to sleep with him because she’d wanted to. That she’d only done it to heal herself. Before he’d realised that everything they’d shared together had been based on a lie.

  Now the whole mess was jumbled up in his head, and he didn’t know what to think about any of it.

  There was only one thing he was certain of.

  Brad took a step towards Lyrian, and cupped her cheek, the touch sending a chill over his skin, as though he’d just touched his future.

  Lyrian’s sharp, indrawn breath and sudden expression of hope twisted his heart.

  He shouldn’t be doing this. It would only hurt both of them more. That was why he needed to get away. The longer he stayed, the more tempted he would be to do this again. And again. Until he couldn’t remember what was holding him back.

  But first, he needed to tell her.

  “I wanted to tell you something a couple of days ago, when we were sitting outside Lisa’s house.” His voice softened involuntarily at that memory. “You said you didn’t want me to be tied to you, but the truth is, I already am.”

  He glanced down at the baby, sleeping in her arms, and that tie pulled tight at his heartstrings.

  “Because of Anarian?” Lyrian sounded sad.

  Why was she sad about that? Surely she realised that he didn’t regret their baby daughter for one second. He’d only known Anarian for a few days, and already she’d brought a meaning to his life that had been severely lacking.

  Yet, when he glanced up and met her eyes, saw the heat and longing in them, he knew this wasn’t about Anarian. The raw need on her face pulled at him, igniting an answering need in him. Instinctively, he took a step closer, his body brushing up against hers, her heat flooding through him.

  He wanted to reassure her. To tell her that he was tied to her as surely as he was to their daughter.

  He wanted to bend down and plunder her lips, looking for a reassurance only her closeness could give. To tell her that he couldn’t imagine his life without her any more than he could without Anarian.

  Except she’d lied to him. She’d used him. She’d only slept with him to heal herself, not because she loved him. Not because she wanted him.

  Sure, it was obvious she wanted him now, and just as obvious that her present longing had nothing to do with healing, but the past tied Brad’s thoughts in knots. It was all tangled up in a bundle of pain, and he couldn’t figure out how to separate it.

  He stumbled back, burned.

  This was why he needed to get some distance. To let this longing and need settle back down to a manageable level, where he could cope with it.

  “I…” he looked down at the sleeping baby. “I’ll take Anarian while you go talk to your brothers,” he said, his voice rough.

  She stared at him, her eyes haunted, then down at Anarian. Then she straightened her shoulders. “Thank you, Brad. This won’t take long, I promise.”

  He wasn’t sure if she meant the talk with her brothers, or his time here. Either way it didn’t matter.

  He reached out and took the sleeping baby gently, trying not to wake her.

  Then he turned around, not wanting to see her walk away.

  Chapter 2

  Lyrian tried to focus her mind, tried to stop herself replaying the scene with Brad in her mind, wondering where she went wrong. It was pointless anyway. Her mistake had been a year ago, when she hadn’t told Brad who she was, and what she’d needed, before she’d slept with him.

  If only she had, then maybe their love could have grown slowly, with a strong foundation, as her brother’s relationship with their mates obviously had.

  Her brothers stared at her, curiosity in their eyes.

  Lyrian didn’t want to explain. Not now. They had bigger problems to deal with, surely?

  “Right, what’s the plan,” she said firmly.

  Her brothers were not so quick to move on.

  “He will be an asset to our clan, and a worthy mate,” Taurian said.

  His words twisted her heart. If only it could be so. She was sure Brad would be a worthy mate. If only she hadn’t stuffed up.

  “Brad and I will not be mated,” Lyrian said stiffly.

  Both Taurian and Verrian stared at her in confusion.

  “Do you not love him?” Verrian asked.

  Lyrian bit back a sigh. “I do,” she admitted.

  “Then what is the problem?” Taurian demanded. “Surely it is not because he’s a human? We have come to realise that the humans are a valuable asset to our clan. Not to mention the fact that they make wonderful mates.”

  Verrian gave a laugh at that. “They do indeed.”

  This time Lyrian didn’t even try to suppress her sigh. “He has a job and responsibilities in America,” she said softly. That was the easy explanation, only part of the truth. But it would have to do. She didn’t really feel like telling her brothers how badly she’d messed up.

  Taurian and Verrian exchanged glances.

  “He has a responsibility here too,” Taurian said gravely. “He’s the father of a dragon princess. Surely no other responsibilities can be equal to that?”

  “We’ll talk to him,” Verrian added. “I’m sure he’ll get it once it’s explained to him.”

  “No,” Lyrian said firmly.

  Didn’t they get it? Did they not understand that sometimes, things just didn’t work out? Oh, she was sure that if they both made their case to Brad, and kept telling him about his responsibilities, then they could convince him to stay.

  But there was nothing they could do to convince Brad to love her. To forgive her for the mistake she’d made. And without that, the rest didn’t matter.

  She stared at Taurian and Verrian, at the determined expressions on their faces, and couldn’t help a small smile. They only wanted what was best for her and Anarian. They wanted to do whatever they could to help her, as she’d known they would.

  Even once Brad left, they would look after her and Anarian, no matter what.

  And they’d support her choice. She just had to make them understand that she meant this.

  Without telling them the truth. She couldn’t tell them how badly she’d messed up. If she did, she just might start crying, and they didn’t have time for that right now.

  Maybe later, when all her brothers and sisters were awake and safe, and Brad was back home in America, maybe then she could explain, and have a cry on their shoulders. But right now, she needed to stay strong, which meant not discussing this.

  “I’m sure he would give it all up if you both hound him,” she said, hoping her smile would take the sting out of her words. “But I don’t want that. He has a life back in America. He’s a doctor, he heals humans. His work is important to him. If I take him away from that, he will always regret it, and I don’t want that for him.”

  Taurian and Verrian exchanged a glance.

  “Don’t you want him to be here with you and Anarian?” Taurian asked.

  “Of course I do,” Lyrian said. “But it’s not just about what I want.”

  “Surely he wants to be with his family?” Verrian tried.

  Her brothers were nothing if not persistent, apparently great believers in the power of love. But Lyrian was realising, for the first time, that maybe love couldn’t overcome everything.

  This was between her and Brad. They didn’t need to have their decision questioned. Certainly not by her brothers.

  And she couldn’t explain why.

  “Brad and I have already discussed it, and our decision is final,” Lyrian said flatly. “I expect both of you to respect my choice, and not say anything about this to Brad.”

  She looked at them both sternly.

  Lucky it was just Verrian and Taurian. She was older than both of them. They’d listen to her.

  Still, they stared at her for a long time, their faces mutinous. Taurian was the one who si
ghed first. “Of course we will respect your choice.”

  “That doesn’t mean we agree with it,” Verrian insisted. “But we will let it go, for now.”

  Lyrian hid a sigh of relief. At least that was one issue dealt with. Now on to the next.

  She looked from Taurian to Verrian. “A lot has happened while I wasn’t here. Tell me what our plan is now?”

  Taurian sighed. “A lot has happened. But at least we are in agreement on working with the Trima clan. If we can find a way to reunite our two clans…”

  He let the sentence hang. There was no need to finish it. Lyrian could see as easily as they could that it was the ideal solution.

  From the little she’d heard, it seemed like with the human’s help, they stood a chance of beating the Trima clan, or at least holding their own. They weren’t choosing peace because they couldn’t win, but because winning would be a hollow victory.

  Trima clan was just like they were. All they wanted was a chance to live in peace and be with those they loved.

  There was just one issue.

  They needed to know if Ultrima’s story was true. Was her sister really in love with him? Had she only rejected him because her clan expected her to mate with another? Because she thought that her clan’s needs outweighed her own?

  “You knew Sarian better than we did,” Verrian said softly. “Do you think there’s any chance this is true?”

  Saying she knew their eldest sister better didn’t mean much. Sarian had always been aloof. Oh, she loved them as much as they loved her, but she was different too. Apart.

  Sarian had had the weight of the entire clan on her shoulders. She would be queen. She would rule them all.

  She was responsible for every dragon in the clan.

  Lyrian and the princes were only responsible for protecting her. And, of course, being ready to step in if anything happened to her.

  Or to take the reins when, like now, she was unavailable. Right now, Lyrian, Verrian, and Taurian had the weight of the entire clan on their shoulders. And it was not a light weight. Lyrian was just glad her brothers were here to share the responsibility with her.

  “I don’t know,” she admitted. “But the story does have a ring of truth to it. If Sarian thought her duty lay with mating another, then it is quite likely she would deny her own feelings.”

  She felt a sympathy for her older sister that she’d never experienced before. Lyrian had always thought Sarian was a little stuffy. She’d never understood why a dragon would give up what she wanted for the greater good.

  Now she did. Her heart’s ache for what couldn’t be with Brad, extended to cover her sister.

  She might not be able to have Brad, but she could see no reason her sister couldn’t have Ultrima if she wanted to. That was the question though, what did her sister want?

  That was what they needed to know. And that meant that Lyrian needed to be there when they woke her, and talk to her alone, without Ultrima hovering in the background. Preferably without her brothers hovering around either. They wouldn’t understand.

  “If only we had known. Why did she not tell us the truth before it came to war? Surely it would have been better to admit the truth than to see so many dragons die?” Taurian’s voice was frustrated.

  Lyrian couldn’t even begin to explain it to them. How once you’d started a lie, it became almost impossible to admit the truth, to untangle it from the trappings of the lie. How even once the truth was out, things could be left irreparably broken.

  “It doesn’t matter,” she said briskly. “We need to keep moving forward. While I disagree with most of Ostrian’s suggestions, his point about timing is true. If we can wake Sarian while Ultrima is distracted with the humans, then we have a greater chance of finding out the truth. We need to move as soon as possible. Tonight, if we can.”

  Taurian hesitated. When he spoke, he took the question in a different direction. “What about Nate and Kyrian?”

  Lyrian frowned. “What about them?” She was confused. The young couple had already overcome their differences and found their happily ever after. She wasn’t sure why Taurian was bringing them up now.

  “Clan feeling is running against them right now. They don’t feel like either belongs here, and a division in the ranks, especially if Ostrian keeps making a fuss, could come back to bite us at just the wrong moment. I can’t help feeling like we should get them settled first.”

  Lyrian hesitated. She could see his point. She wanted to see things established for the young couple as much as anyone, but there was no denying the truth. “Don’t tell Ostrian I said so, but he’s right. We don’t have time for a mating ceremony right now. While I can see that it needs to be dealt with as soon as possible, we can’t put off waking Sarian any longer. It will have to wait.”

  It was the logical choice. It had nothing to do with the fact that Brad had said he would stay for the mating ceremony.

  She wasn’t sure why she wanted to draw this out for as long as possible, when it was clear it was hurting both of them. All she knew was that she didn’t want him to leave.

  She still hoped that somehow, against all odds, they’d find a way to make it work.

  It was hard not to, when all around them she could see other dragons doing so. Maybe, if she could find a happily ever after for her sister, she might deserve her own.

  “It will be a far better experience for them when we have the time to make a real celebration of it,” Lyrian said, as much to convince herself as her brothers.

  “They may not wait for an official ceremony,” Taurian teased. “Like Verrian and Lisa here.” He nudged his brother, who blushed a bright red.

  “It wasn’t like that at all,” Verrian protested. “Lisa was helping me heal.”

  Taurian raised an eyebrow. “And if it weren’t for that, you would have waited?”

  Verrian didn’t say anything. He didn’t have to. His lack of an answer, along with his bright red face, told the truth. “Once you know you have found your mate, a ceremony is just a formality,” he said stiffly.

  Lyrian couldn’t help feeling a little wistful not to be part of their bantering. Somehow, her life seemed so much more serious than theirs, an occurrence she wasn’t used to.

  But she wasn’t just a princess now, she was a mother. That changed everything.

  “When can we be ready?” she asked.

  Both Taurian and Verrian suddenly looked serious.

  “Tonight,” Taurian said. “Given that the area is crawling with human reporters and police, I think making our move in daylight would be a mistake.”

  Lyrian nodded. “Tonight it is then. Get everything ready.”

  It didn’t buy her much time. Today, perhaps another day to sort out what was happening with Sarian, a few days for the mating ceremony.

  Less than a week.

  In less than a week, Brad would be gone.

  Chapter 3

  “She’s so adorable,” Lisa said, staring at Anarian. “Can I hold her?”

  Brad hesitated, but out of all the people crowding around him and his daughter, Lisa was the only one he felt like he kind of knew. Only from her picture in the paper, true. But she was also mated to Lyrian’s brother, making her his daughter’s aunt.

  “Sure,” he agreed, handing the baby over.

  Lisa cooed over her. Several others, Brad wasn’t sure if they were dragons or humans, crowded around similarly entranced by the baby.

  All except for Karla, the human mated to Lyrian’s other brother. She eyed him calculatingly. And her scrutiny made Brad more than a little uncomfortable.

  “So, how did you find out about dragons?” he asked her, hoping to break the ice.

  She stared at him for a moment longer, then shrugged. “I’m an archaeologist. Someone showed me an artifact and told me I should go to the Dragon Scales, an interesting geological formation nearby.” She smiled then, and the expression changed her face completely. “I woke Taurian without having any idea he was a dragon. The res
t, as they say, is history.”

  So she’d been as deceived by all this as Brad was.

  Somehow, that made him feel a little bit better. Better enough to say, “It comes as quite a surprise, doesn’t it?”

  Karla nodded. “How long have you known?”

  Brad gave a laugh. “Oh, about three days, or is it four?”

  That surprised her. Her eyes widened, and she glanced over at Anarian, then back at him. Her question was obvious, even without asking.

  “Lyrian didn’t tell me,” Brad said softly. “In fact, after we’d… mated…” that was how dragons said it, wasn’t it? “She refused to speak to me. I went back to America, to my job. I only found out about Anarian when I came back to Australia after my uncle died.”

  “That must have been quite a shock,” Karla said softly.

  “That’s an understatement. It never occurred to me that I might be a father.”

  “Not to mention the father of a dragon,” Karla added.

  “Yeah, even more of a shock.”

  Brad remembered how he’d found out, the dragon swooping straight towards the house, spewing lightning, and he couldn’t help an involuntary shiver. Even though he knew her now, even though Kyrian was going to mate with his brother, it didn’t stop any of the fear the memory of that meeting brought up.

  “What happened?” Karla asked quietly.

  “Is it that obvious?” Brad said jokingly. He told Karla the story briefly, and she listened, her mouth pursed.

  At the end of his recital, she put a hand on his shoulder and said, “That must have been terrifying. I know what it’s like to have a dragon coming at you, and it’s not fun.”

  Brad stared at her for a moment, then relaxed. This woman wasn’t a threat. In fact, she just might be a friend. “No, it’s not,” he agreed. “Though I think I’m getting kind of used to it now.”

  Karla laughed at that. “Probably a good thing, because even though we have a kind of truce with Trima clan, I’m not sure we can count on it staying that way. If you’re mated to a dragon, you can never guarantee you won’t be facing off against another angry dragon.”