The Dragon King’s Substitute Bride
Chapter 23

MIDAS

He is silent as Er'gan takes their body rushing at lightning speed towards her.

A part of him hopes that whatever caused that scream was nothing more terrible than her perchance slipping on an errant, unseen root.

The dragon king was never one to depend on hope. Hope was for those who weren't ready to do what needed to be done.

Those who left their fates up to the gods and wishful thinking

Yet he replaces himself hoping she made it away to the edge of the forest where he knows Leo would be.

That she crossed that river and is far away from the reach of the elves, and now with Er'gan's intentions, far away from him.

He knows he should be angry at the dragon.

It is breaking an unspoken pact between them by refusing to return his body and Midas knows if he tries hard enough, he can break Er'gan's hold and take back control of his body. Neither one of them is at their full capacities when inhabiting or using the form of the other.

So if he really and truly wanted to, he could snatch back the reins and return his consciousness back to the fore front.

But he does not do this.

Because while he admits that he does not wish to hurt her and he most definitely does not need or even want Er'gan to do so either, Midas knows that the dragon is right.

He had indeed regretted the decision to send her to the cellars, so badly that he had been uncomfortable till he got her out alive and unharmed.

If anyone else had dared to do what she had done; tricking him into their marriage, disrespecting him, flouting his direct instructions and trying to escape.

If anyone else had done even a fraction of all those things she had done in the space of two days he would not have sent them to the cellars.

He would have killed them on the spot.

Not come running into the elder forest at night, risking body and limb to save them.

And he most definitely would not be so irresistibly attracted to them.

Maybe the dragon is right about other things too.

Perhaps this, his leniency and inclination to protect her is all simply because he desires to have her, to bed her and claim her for his own.

And by the gods did he want to.

He is not a man unused to desire or want but this...this all consuming need is something beyond all that.

He does not just want her. There is something basal and instinctive about this wanting that takes it far beyond that.

Something almost animalistic and primitive in the way he craves her.

It clouds his senses whenever he is near her, making him unable to think about anything else but the feel of her in his arms, the curve of her back beneath his eager, exploring hands, the taste of her on his tongue. So it could be that Er'gan is right.

Maybe she has indeed cast some human spell on him that is causing him to act this way.

Maybe it is all part of Averia's scheme to get their revenge on him and make sure he never again returned to their realm to plague them.

And if that is true, Hades help him, nothing in all the realms would stop him...stop them from killing her.

But what if it that is not the case

That is even more confusing.

The idea that all this is all completely natural stirs up feelings in him that he is not ready to admit to.

Feelings he is not even sure he likes, no matter how good they make him feel because they remind him of his father and the way he had ruled. And Midas has sworn he would never rule like his father.

Maybe his people and the other realms did not love him but they sure as hell feared him.

Love was not always enough to keep trouble away but fear...fear got the job done and for Midas, that is more than enough.

It is a lesson he learnt many...many years ago and one he does not intend to change.

It is why even though he has lived for so long, he has never formed any real attachments, has never let anyone except his chief Ryder get close to him.

It is why he has never ever let himself care for anyone.

Caring for someone made them your weakness and Midas cannot allow himself have any weaknesses.

Not with all the people that had their eyes on the dragon throne and the crown on his head.

This is the reason why he does not fight Er'gan for his body.

He feels the branches trying to grab at their clothes.

Notices the leaves brushing against their skin as Er'gan sends their body racing closer and closer to her.

They are separate yet one at the same time and when Er'gan catches her scent, that tingling sweetness of berries and honey, Midas can smell it too.

It sets his senses on edge and he has to once again fight that need to take control, to make sure she is safe.

The trees are getting thinner, the space between them getting wider and allowing more of the moon's light to stream through as they near the edge of the forest.

The sky is getting lighter, and he can tell the morning is not that far over but that is not what is on Midas' mind as they step into that clearing and he sees her. His heart begins to pound faster.

Faster than it had when he had fought off those wild cats, faster even than when they had killed the dark elves.

Leo sees them first. "Your highness..."

But Midas might as well have been deaf. Only one holds his complete attention.

She is sitting slumped against a tree, Leo holding her against him.

Her eyes are closed and she does not seem to be moving.

Gods above no...

Then she stirs like she can somehow feel his presence.

Her eyes open, and Midas does not remember ever being that relieved to see a particular shade of blue in his entire life.

She raises her head and looks in his direction. "Midas....?"

He wants to go to her. To hold her and stroke her hair, to whisper in her ear that he has her and he is never letting her go again.

"My lord..." She says and attempts to get up but she is much too weak and she stumbles.

Leo catches her, his arms wrapping around her waist to hold her and Midas feels a surge of possessiveness, primal and instinctive come from somewhere deep in his core.

He wants to rip her from the chief Ryder's arms and hold her in his.

But the suddenness and intensity of this strange emotion is not what surprises the dragon King the most.

No, his surprise is because the surge of possessiveness he had felt and still feels is not solely his.

It is Er'gan's as well.

But either the dragon does not know and recognize this emotion or it is choosing to ignore it.

Leo takes his hands off her waist much to Midas' relief and steadies her by her arm instead. He turns to the King. "Your highness, are you okay?"

"Step aside Leo."

Three simple words are all it takes for the chief Ryder to know that the one who speaks is not his King, not really.

But Leo is a Ryder and Er'gan is the very first dragon.

His words controlled not just dragons but weredragons as well.

Leo's body moves of its own accord. He releases her and steps aside.

She sways on her feet but she remains standing. "My lord, are you hurt?"

Er'gan moves the king's body slowly towards her. "Who are you?"

A frown creases her forehead and she glances up at him as they draw closer.

She gasps and steps backward.

Midas know what she sees, his eyes the color of burning flames. But Er'gan does not care for her sensibilities.

"I...I do not understand."

Her back hits the tree.

They step even closer. "I know most humans are rather simple minded and lacking in anything beyond the most basic of intelligence..."

There is no where left to run and their body looms tall over her. "... But you, slave girl do not strike me as particularly stupid so I will ask you only one more time. Who are you and what have you done to the dragon king?" She stares at him a moment longer.

"You speak differently" she says and those dreamy, bliss blue eyes widen in sudden realization.

"You are not him are you?"

Midas is startled and so is the dragon but it recovers quickly.

"Well...well...well. It would appear humans may have evolved since the last time I saw your kind."

"Who are you?"

The dragon sneers. "I ask the questions here slave."

But it is almost like she does not hear him.

"You look like him, you walk like him, you even smell like him but the manner in which you speak, and your eyes....they are his and not his at the same time." "Too many words"

She stands up to her full height, a move that astounds Midas. "What have you done with him? I demand that you bring him back."

Er'gan is taken aback as well. "I am unable to decide if you are as brave as you act or merely just stupid."

Midas feels his heart skip a beat at her words. What did this mean?

She folds her hands in fists to hide their shaking. "Midas?"

The sound of his name falling from her mouth sends a feeling almost as acute as a shock running up his body and for a brief second he feels Er'gan's control slip. His eyes flash from red to gold and then back to red again.

She notices this and a small startled sound escapes her throat. "Midas...Midas can you hear me?"

Er'gan grabs her by the throat with their hands and lifts her off her feet. "I asked you a question and you will give me an answer or you will die."

She clutches at his hand wrapped around her neck, her voice small.

The dragon presses harder. "Who are you?"

She is struggling to breath but she doesn't taker eyes of his. "Midas...if you can hear me, come back. Please. Come back to me."

The dragon stretches their lips in a cruel smile. "Wrong answer."

And it tightens its grip, intending to crush her windpipe.

Her eyes start to close

Suddenly pain beyond anything they have ever felt shoots up their entire body.

It feels like barbed claws and thorny vines wrapped around their brain, squeezing it till their entire world is engulfed in a blinding, white hot, torment. Er'gan drops her to the floor as if stunned and steps back in alarm.

It glances at their hand.

"No...this cannot be."

"Er'gan..."

"No...no...this is wrong."

Werewolves had mates, humans had soul ties, Dragons and Ryders had tethers.

And Er'gan had just found his.

The last thing Midas feels as Er'gan suddenly lets go of his body and gives him control, is her arms wrapping around him as he collapses against her.