Eight

Chapter 8

Dracul's pov

I leaned against my desk, feeling the smooth wood beneath my hands.

The door shut behind me and I listen to the footsteps echo down the stairs. After a few minutes, the noise vanished.

What am I doing?

I felt the thick knot of tension at my back, between my shoulder blade and I rolled my shoulder to reduce the pain.

I had been tense lately, more than normal.

Running a kingdom and keeping my people safe for thousands of years had been no small feat and it had taken a lot of planning, strategy, and smarts.

But more than anything, it had taken strength. When the mortal saw the slightest inkling of weakness, they pounced on it.

But other dragons were the same. All hopping on weakness like it was a great big meal and they were famished.

I hated it, I despised every part of this facade, this game, the terrible role that I took. But I did what I had to do. I would keep my people safe no matter what the cost is.

I would keep them safe, the few of us the were left, and we would prosper. I had built a terrifying reputation and acted swiftly against those who would hurt me and my people.

No one crossed us, not anymore. The dragons were united beneath my rule and I would not give a single each to any of the human kingdoms.

But I did not want to fight. I did not want to drag the kingdom into war, not again. I would lose people, and I could not afford to do so. There were so few of us left now.

"Not that it matters." I muttered beneath my breath, rolling my shoulder again and trying to dislodge the tension. I moved to my desk and slid behind it, taking a deep breath and unrolling the paperwork again.

I had it reviewed dozens of times in the last few months, but it never got easier. The plight of my kingdom, the reason I had called Elena here in the first place.

I signed and let the paper go.

How will she be able to fix this anyway?

I mean, I had seen her, and she didn't seem like one special person. Sure, she was absolutely beautiful, but that didn't mean she has the power to stop all this.

I shook my head and tried to curb my wandering thoughts.

I'd go for a walk. The outside air always cleared my head. Maybe I would even take the time to fly, to taste the air and the clouds high above my kingdom.

I'd clear my head, steady my heart and work on my next move. I still needed to get in contact with my head scholar. Now that I had Elena, I need to know what my next move was.

He'd been translating the ancient scrolls constantly since I put him on task, and I had to hope that it would yield necessary results.

I had to hope that all the pieces would fall into place in time. If not my kingdom would be done for.

I shrugged off my anxiety, worries, and pressure, and stood from the desk. A walk. I needed to take a walk.

Grabbing my coat after giving it a thought, I stepped out of my office and walked down the corridors.

The torches were unlit but that was usual. I could see perfectly in the dark, as could the rest of my kind. The servants would often keep torches lit in their quarter, but that was their business.

I didn't mind the light and I embrace the fire. But resources had to be conserved where possible and I didn't need light to see or to operate.

Heading downstairs, I made my way through the twisting lower corridors of the castle, heading to the exit. My sense was tuned on to every sound, a process I no longer had to think about.

It just happened, and I accepted that as a part of myself. I honed my skills. It kept me sharp in a dangerous world.

But as I walked through the corridors, something seemed to shift in the air. I could smell it, the heavy thick scent of fear that was hanging in the air, clouding it until it was all I could smell.

Something was going wrong. Something was happening. I picked up the pace, hurrying down the corridor, tracing the scent to its source.

I could hear the sound of murmured voices in the air. Closer, and closer. I was almost on top of it.

I turned the corner and stopped dead.

For a moment, I just stared at the scene in front of me, trying to take in and process what I was seeing. I didn't want to believe it, but my eyes didn't lie. My nose didn't lie.

Zane had a woman pressed up against the wall. She was a servant, one that I barely knew, but a young one. Somewhere in her twenties, maybe. Human age was so different to ascertain.

She pressed up against the wall and there was a wild, panicked look in her eyes. She was like a concerned mouse, being toyed with by a cat, by a predictor.

And there was Zane. I knew the look in his eyes because I I'd seen it before. Hungry, furious, wild.

Arrogant.

He had one hand across her throat, squeezing just enough to keep her dizzy and scared. His claw was out, and his fangs were bared. His other hands were beneath her skirt.

In an instant, time seems to slow down. I saw Zane turn toward me and his expression changed.

Hungry arrogance give way to fear and I felt a twist of satisfaction in my chest. Good.

He deserves to be scared after what he did.

Zane opened his mouth to speak and I saw the excuse before he even said it. But I didn't want to hear his excuses. I didn't want to know his lies.

I knew what I had seen and I was disgusted.

He was a Dragon and our race was supposed to be noble and proud, not biase like this.

I didn't give him awaiting shot.

I lunged at him, grabbing him on the throat and throwing him against the wall. Had slammed into one of the heavy metal doors instead.

The sound that filled the castle was immense, but I didn't care. I turned toward the girl for a second, "You are dismissed." I said.

My voice was low, like a snarl and I couldn't remember the last time I had sounded like that in sounded so low and angry.

The fury was burning inside of me, and I didn't want to let go of it.

The girl beside me looked terrified and she turned and ran the moment I gave a command.

Good. She was out of the way. No one else needed to be part of this.

Just Zane.

Zane was scrambling on his feet. His claw was still out, and his pupils were narrowed to slits. Predatory.

I'll show him predatory.

How dare he dishonor our race? How dare he prey on innocent inside the castle? The servants were under my protection, by my oath I was going to break it for a rogue soldier.

"My lord, you misunderstand." Zane said, taking a step backward. He was looking for an out, for an exit, but there wasn't one.

"Was this your first time?" I questioned, my voice low and quiet.

The moment passed like a whisper, a prayer.

He stared at me for what felt like an eternity. Then he shook his head, confirming what I already knew.

Those hands had been practiced. He had hurt my servants, prey on an innocent woman who was powerless beneath the might of a dragon. Disgust turned my stomach.

I didn't bother asking any more questions. I didn't need to hear them.

Instead, I lunged forward again. This time, Zane tried to duck, but I grabbed a fistful of his hair instead, pulling him up by the roots of his hair.

He yelled and I grit my teeth. My fang was starting to show, the rage burning inside of me. Zane disgusting act, the decay of my kingdom, the plight of my people. The fury and the unjustness of it all burnt through me, blazing and wild.

Lifting him high in the air, I raised my knees and slammed it into his back. I had the cracking of bone, but I knew I wouldn't kill him. Not even close.

I tossed him aside and another loud bang echoed through the castle. I rolled up my sleeves as I approached him.

I didn't feel the need to take time, and I didn't need to be merciful. He had hurt an innocent, many innocent, and he deserves what he got.

Rulers had to make the hard choices, even when there were so few of us left.

"Any last words, Zane?"