The Dragon King’s Substitute Bride
Chapter 28

HERA

I know he is here before I even turn.

My heart starts to beat faster and my mouth is dry.

it's almost like I am afraid to look. Afraid to turn around and see that it is not him after all.

I exhale quietly in an effort to calm my racing pulse and turn around.

And when I do, I see him standing in front of the door, handsome and resplendent in his kingly attire.

He is looking at me like he has been waiting all day to see me.

I know that most likely is not the case but even knowing that doesn't change how I feel.

It doesn't matter that I hate him.

Not in that moment.

All that matters is that he is here and I want to run to him.

He calls out to me and I say his name in response.

At least I think I do but no sound leaves my throat.

I am gliding towards him, my feet moving of their own accord.

Then I stop, inches away from him.

I am almost certain that he is the Midas I know and loathe and not the one who had attacked me in the Elder forest.

But still, I replace myself involuntarily remembering the feeling of his hands wrapped around my neck, squeezing the life from me, making it impossible to draw breath and my hands fly on instinct to brush against my throat protectively. "Are you really him this time?"

I do not realize how worried I was about him until his warm palm cups my cheek and tilts my face towards his.

"You tell me." he says in that rough, deep voice.

Relief washes over me as I gaze into eyes that are mercifully no longer the color of fiery nightshade.

I have to fold my hands in fists to keep from stroking my fingers against the perfection of his face.

"Well seeing as you aren't actively trying to kill me, I'd have to say you're you."

He scoffs lightly in disbelief. "You do not exactly make it very easy to not kill you."

"Or maybe you, my Lord just need more lessons on restraint."

His eyes darken and his voice becomes thick with barely disguised (**t.

The pad of his thumb reaches out, feather soft, to trace my lower lip and it tingles beneath his touch.

"Trust me Hera, restraint is the last thing on my mind when it comes to you.

My eyes start to drift shut when he does this and I have to concentrate to keep them open and to force them to look somewhere else...anywhere else than at his mouth. There is barely any space left between us.

Somehow we've been drifting even closer.

I can feel the heat reflecting off his body and mine buzzes in response.

If I stand on my toes like this, lift myself just an inch higher, just an inch closer and tilt my head just right I could probably...

He steps away and around me so suddenly, that for a few moments I am left blinking my eyes in dizzy disorientation.

Skies above, what is wrong with me?!

A second longer and I would have kissed him.

The worst part is I am unsure if my irritation is at myself for almost doing something so incredibly stupid, or at him for moving away before I could do said stupid thing.

I want to bury my head in shame but instead I turn around to face him just in time to catch the smirk that flickers on his face.

He did it on purpose the bastard.

He does not look directly at me but I glare at him anyway.

"I see the maid has attended to you."

He walks around me slowly, his eyes covering every inch of my appearance in that quiet, serious manner one studies something they have only just purchased and I am instantly more aware of ever transparent, exposed part of my dress. I feel like a piece of new pottery on display or a fattened cow at the farmer's market.

But I replace I do no hate it; the way he is looking at me, his brows drawn in total concentration.

If he stares any harder, he is going to melt these clothes right off with just his gaze.

You would like that wouldn't you Hera?

I shake away the thought just as he comes to stand in front of me again.

He says nothing but I hear the low sound of approval he makes in his throat.

I glance down at the rich, expensive dress and a sudden thought strikes me, causing me to frown in confusion.

"How did they know?"

He drags his gaze slow and burning, up the front of my body, lingering on my transparent, flowery torso before finally getting back to my eyes.

"How did who know what?"

"This dress, it is a perfect fit, as well as the one before it. How did the maids know?"

"They didn't."

"What?"

"After I brought you out of the cellars and you were unconscious, I rode out to a dress emporium in the capital with the castle seamstress and picked them out myself."

I glance down at the rich, beautiful dress. He picked this out for me...himself?

I feel myself blush for gods know what reason.

My hands fly to my flaming cheeks.

"That doesn't...how did you even know what size would fit me?"

He shrugs; a very uncharacteristic, human gesture that surprises me. "I looked."

"That is not an answer my Lord."

But he isn't listening anymore.

He takes a piece of the dress' full skirt between his thumb and forefinger, rubbing the airy material back and forth.

"Is it to your satisfaction, this...attire?"

I tilt my chin up towards him, not bothering to hide the amazed, bewilderment in my voice.

"Are you asking me if I like it my lord?"

His eyes lock on mine, unflinching. "Yes."

He is close again.

Much too close and as expected, my brain and voice box choose this exact moment to abandon ship and my answer is a barely audible and very breathless "Yes." But he hears me, hears the way I say it and I can swear a ghost of a smile flickers across his face and in those liquid golden eyes.

"Good."

Gods above I want to kiss him.

I want to stand on the tip of my toes and lay my palms flat against the strength of his chest and press my lips to his.

I want him to stop touching my dress and touch me instead.

To feel the broadness of his hands run down the small of my back when he pulls me closer.

And then just like that my mind wonders back to earlier in the day, to when I had taken my bath and to what I had done. He tilts his head slightly.

"Your cheeks are getting redder by the second. Why?"

Of course his asking only serves to make me blush harder.

Remember how I said I would die before I let myself be sent to the cellars again?

Well I would rather spend another night in that accursed place than tell Midas I had touched myself thinking of him.

I glance down, avoiding his probing gaze. "Nothing"

His eyes narrow and he lifts my chin with one finger so there is nowhere else for me to look but at him. "Do not lie to me Kämahi, Not anymore." "My lord I do not...wait, what did you call me?"

"It is Dragon tongue. It means one who has been touched by the sun."

His hand brushes over my hair that glows a bright orange in the last rays of the setting sun.

The motion is a gentle caress that sends my foolish heart fluttering as he repeats the word, the vowels rolling and lilting. "Kämahi."

Maybe it's the way it sounds, maybe it's the way he says it, his voice a quiet, velvety whisper.

I don't know which reason it is but I replace that I do not dislike it.

Quite the opposite in fact.

Before I can tell him so, the bell tolls six times as the sun dips and disappears beneath the horizon.

He steps away, unclasping his cloak and laying it on the bed, questions about flaming cheeks forgotten.

"So Leo tells me he has delivered my message"

And just like that I am reminded of every reason why I hate him.

I bristle all over.

What am I doing, thinking and fantasizing about him, of all the beings in the 7 realms.

My family would be ashamed.

I fold my arms squarely across my chest. "He says I am not your prisoner."

"You are not."

He moves to take off his trousers and I turn quickly, whipping my head around so fast, it hurts.

He laughs but I don't care.

I do not trust myself.

If I wanted him this badly fully clothed, then if perchance I were to I see him naked...

Gods of my mother...help me.

I swallow and force my mind back to the issue at hand.

"If I am not your prisoner then why do I need to be followed everywhere... to be locked in every night, forbidden from leaving this room."

"It is for your own protection."

I swing around in disbelief at his statement. "My own protect...."

And the words die in my throat.

Luckily he has already changed into a new set of trousers but it doesn't matter.

Even though I have seen him shirtless before, it still feels like the first time.

Skies...what were the gods thinking?

It has to be a sin for one person to look this irresistibly...desirable.

I force myself to regain my composure and muster up as much indignation as I can manage.

"And what in all the realms do I need protection from besides you?"

He ignores my comment, putting on a long sleeved, velvet blue shirt that accentuates the silver of his hair and the gold of his eyes.

"Well for one...given the events of the past few days, I'd say yourself."

"So I am not a prisoner but I am to be locked up every night like a common criminal?"

"And is that not what you are?"

It hurts to hear him say it even if it is the truth.

It actually physically hurts.

But he does not notice this. Or if he does, he doesn't care.

"I may not have ended your life Hera, or sent you to the cellars for your crimes but you came into my realm, into my castle under false pretences, attempting to trick and mislead me."

He clasps jewel studded iron cuffs on his wrists and places his crown on his head.

"The only reason I am not exposing you for the liar that you are is because were they to replace out, my people will demand for your blood."

My heart twists at his words and his eyes when they finally meet mine are cold and unflinching.

"You may not be paying for your crimes with your life Hera, but make no mistake about it. You and your people lied and deceived me and tether bond or not those are two things I do not know how to forgive."