The Dragon’s Lycan Princess

Chapter 7: Varianlir's POV

“Look at you!” Tristan said, his voice dripping with amusement as he leaned back in his chair, his blue eyes glinting with mischief. “All riled up over a name. I didn’t even say anything about her, and you’re already ready to rip my throat out. Dragons aren’t supposed to be this possessive, ya know.”

I glared at him; my fists clenched so tightly that my knuckles turned white. “Shut up, Tristan,” I growled, my voice low and dangerous. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Tristan raised his hands in mock surrender, but the smirk never left his face. “Hey, I’m just saying. You’ve been brooding about this for hours. If you’re so worried about her, why don’t you just go to the castle and talk to her? Or, you know, apologize for being an i***t? You are angry because I said her name was cute. Imagine how she felt when she saw you kissing someone else.”

I shot him a withering look, but deep down, I knew he was right. I had been brooding. Ever since Arlen stormed out of the throne room, I couldn’t stop thinking about her. Her fiery temper, her sharp tongue, the way her turquoise eyes had burned with fury and hurt when she looked at me.

I knew I f****d up, and Tristan was right. If I ever saw Arlen kissing someone else… I would lose my s**t.

I already am.

“Simple, go there, explain, and mark her!” Draco kept insisting.

“It is not that simple; that will get her killed and probably the rest of her family,” I snapped back.

My father had too many allies who hated the new supernaturals coming into this world. There were more hybrids than ever, and finding a tribrid or quibrid was not unusual. People are trying to come up with names as more creatures find their mates among other creatures.

Dragons are not thrilled with this idea. They are very… archaic.

So, if my father suspects I care for Arlen, he will ruin everything. If he learns that she is my true mate, my fated mate, the one I have been waiting for, and that I only have one mate, he will use her to hurt me.

He never intends to give me the throne; he wants it for himself. He doesn’t care who he has to hurt to get what he wants.

My mother was the only mate who gave him an heir. I was an only child, but if I weren’t, my father would have killed me years ago.

As soon as I started rebelling.

“It’s not that simple,” I said finally, my voice tight with frustration. “You know what my father’s like. If he finds out about her—”

“Yeah, yeah,” Tristan interrupted, waving a hand dismissively. “Your father’s a monster, blah blah blah. But here’s the thing, Varianlir—you’re stronger than him. You’ve always been stronger. So why are you letting him control your life like this?”

I opened my mouth to argue, but no words came out. Tristan’s words hit a nerve.

Nobody would understand me, and I knew I had to keep him safe. Vaelir was the only one who knew why I acted the way I did.

Tristan was a close friend, but I was keeping him safe as well.

“You’re overthinking this,” Tristan said, his tone softer now. “Go to her. Talk to her. Explain why you did what you did. And for the love of the gods, stop being such a lizard about it.”

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “You make it sound so easy. Besides, if I go there, I might do something I regret.”

“It is easy,” Tristan said, standing and clapping me on the shoulder. “You’re just making it complicated. Now go. Before I lose what little respect I have left for you.”

I shot him a glare, but there was no real heat behind it.

He was being a friend, and perhaps… I could go to the castle and pretend that my life wasn’t as complicated as it was.

“Fine,” I said finally, my voice resigned. I’ll go. But I’ll need you to come with me. My father must then hear that I hate Arlen. Is that clear?”

Tristan grinned. “Crystal, now let’s go before that blonde you were kissing before tries to come because if you kiss someone else again, she is definitely rejecting your ass.”

I rolled my eyes but didn’t argue. Instead, I turned and headed for the door.

Tristan was right. Arlen didn’t seem the kind of girl who would wait until I decided to behave.

No, she was the kind of girl that kicked you in the balls before she left.

I couldn’t risk angering her anymore.

We had to walk to the abandoned castle. I could use my dragon, but Arlen was still new to this, and I didn’t want to scare her.

“So, tell me more about your mate,” Tristan said, making me glare at him. “Geez, I’m just asking, she is yours pal.”

“She is, and I don’t get why you are so interested in her,” I grunted.

I really hated it when someone else seemed to be interested in Arlen.

She was mine, end of the story.

“Becaaause,” Gods, I want to punch his face. “I’m going to meet her soon; she is our future Queen.”

“You know my father would never allow it. I don’t know what treaty she signed, but I should tell her that there has never been a Queen in this realm.”

“We used to have Queens,” Tristan commented. “Before we came to this place, we used to have Queens.”

I let out a breath.

Dragons are old, I’m three hundred years old, that means that we remember most of our history.

My father was the first King after we came to this realm, and what Tristan said was true, however…

“The King used to have one mate, and that one mate had several heirs. My father is the opposite.”

“That’s because he shouldn’t be king,” Tristan mumbled, making me chuckle.

The only ones that stood by my father were the older generations. The younger ones were ready for change.

We continued walking to the abandoned castle as we made small talk. As we approached it, you could see fewer and fewer dragons passing by. Nobody liked this place.

We were a couple of miles away when a sudden explosion rocked the ground beneath my feet. I froze, my heart pounding as I turned toward the source of the blast.

“What the hell was that?” I muttered, my instincts on high alert.

“Mate!”

Without thinking, I took off running. Draco was as restless as I was. We needed to find Arlen soon. She could have been hurt, perhaps someone had tried to hurt her, and the explosion occurred because she used her magic.

Either way, until I saw her, I would not be at ease.

“Hey! Varian! Wait up!” No way, I couldn’t; I had to get there.

When I finally reached the scene of the explosion, I skidded to a halt, my eyes widening at the sight before me. A section of the wall had been blown open, smoke and dust billowing into the air. And standing amid the chaos was Arlen—and a stranger with wild green and blue hair, tattoos, and piercings.

My heart skipped a beat as I watched them, my mind racing with questions. Who was this girl? And what the hell was she doing with Arlen?

Arlen didn’t seem to notice me, and if she did, she made sure I felt completely ignored. She kept talking to that girl, and then they vanished.

What the hell is my mate doing?

——————————————————————-

Arlen’s POV

“So, what do you want to know?” Al asked as she dragged me through a narrow corridor. The place was completely abandoned, with spiderwebs clinging to the corners and dust coating every surface. It felt like we’d stepped into a forgotten tomb rather than a royal castle.

“I don’t know a thing about dragons,” I admitted, my voice echoing slightly in the empty space. “So… start with the basics.”

Al glanced over her shoulder, her red eyes gleaming with amusement. “The basics, huh? Alright, let’s see. Dragons are ancient, powerful, and ridiculously territorial. They’re also vain as hell—don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Oh, and they hoard stuff. Gold, jewels, artifacts, you name it. If it’s shiny or valuable, a dragon probably wants it.”

I frowned, trying to process everything she was saying. “So, they’re basically overgrown lizards with a shopping addiction?”

Al laughed, the sound rich and throaty. “Pretty much. But don’t let them hear you say that. They’ve got egos the size of mountains and don’t take kindly to being insulted.”

I nodded, filing that information away for later. “What about their magic? I’ve heard they’re incredibly powerful, but I don’t know much beyond that.”

“Ah, now we’re getting to the good stuff,” Al said, her voice tinged with excitement. “Dragons are born with an innate connection to elemental magic—fire, ice, earth, you name it. Some can even manipulate time or space, though those are rare, and usually one pops every thousand years or so. And then there’s their dragon form. Big, scaly, and terrifying. Oh, and they breathe fire. Obviously.”

I blinked, trying to imagine Varianlir as a massive, fire-breathing dragon. The mental did not help with my anger. Keila purred at the image instead of growing.

“We were supposed to be on the same team,” I grunted.

“We are; you can’t get mad at a girl for fantasizing!” She defended herself.

I only rolled my eyes. Why are wolves so horny?

“What about their… social structure?” I asked, hesitating slightly. “I mean, how do they choose their leaders? And what’s the deal with mates?”

Al stopped walking and turned to face me, her expression suddenly serious. “Ah, so that’s what this is really about.”

I felt my cheeks heat up, but I refused to look away. “Maybe. Just answer the question.”

She studied me for a moment before sighing and leaning against the wall. “Alright, fine. Dragons are ruled by a royal bloodline, usually the strongest and most powerful of their kind. From what I've heard, the current king is a tyrant, and his son—Varianlir, I think his name is—is next in line. As for mates…” She paused, her gaze sharpening. “Dragons have multiple mates. I have heard that some of the strongest dragons have up to thirty mates. The stronger the dragon, the wilder and stronger the s****l drive is.”

Wonderful, so they are worse than wolves.

“However, it was said that the royal bloodline had only one mate, but ever since the current King took control, that went to hell.”

“Why?” I asked, but Alix shrugged.

“Dunno, I’m a young dragon, so I wasn’t alive back then. My momma used to say that the dragon king was incredibly possessive and protective of his mate. He treated that woman like the Queen she was, giving her tons of gifts. She only had to say the word, and he would make her wildest dreams come true.”

Wow…

That sounds nice.

“Everyone is waiting for Varianlir to find his mate and end his father’s reign, but it seems she has either died or hasn’t been born yet,” Alix found something she liked and got distracted. “Oh, wonderful, I needed this crystal.”

She grabbed a piece of obsidian, which was kind of common in my realm, but to her, it was as if she had found the most precious possession.

We walked in silence for a while, the only sound the crunch of debris under our feet. The corridor eventually opened up into a large, circular room filled with strange artifacts—crystals, bones, jars filled with unidentifiable substances, and even a few paintings that looked like they’d been cursed.

“Welcome to the treasure trove,” Al said, spreading her arms wide. “This is where the real fun begins.”

I raised an eyebrow, my curiosity piqued despite myself. “What kind of fun are we talking about?”

Al grinned, her red eyes sparkling with mischief. “The kind that involves breaking curses, uncovering secrets, and maybe even pissing off a few older dragons along the way. You in?”

I hesitated for a moment, glancing around the room. It was insane, reckless, and probably a terrible idea.

Exactly what I wanted, and if this would piss Varianlir, I was more than willing.

“Alright,” I said finally, a small smile tugging at my lips. “I’m in.”

Al’s grin widened, and she clapped me on the shoulder. “That’s what I like to hear. Now, let’s see what kind of trouble we can get into.”