Chapter 4: Arlen's POV
1739 Words
“I’m being serious. Do people in your realm cheat constantly or something?” he huffed in irritation.
The nerve…
Is he really asking me that?
I was about to leave, but that comment made me stop in my tracks, my back still turned to him, and let out a low, incredulous laugh. Slowly, I pivoted on my heel to face him, my turquoise eyes blazing with a mix of fury and disbelief.
“Says the man who was kissing another woman right in front of me,” I shot back, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “Do you even hear yourself right now?”
He had the audacity to look annoyed as if I were the one being unreasonable. His dark, wavy hair fell slightly over his forehead as he crossed his arms over his broad chest, his purple eyes narrowing.
Damn, this man has muscle, even more than Killian.
He is tall, too, at least two feet taller than me.
“It’s not what you think,” he said, his deep, husky voice carrying a hint of defensiveness.
“Oh, really?” I took a step closer, my magic crackling faintly at my fingertips. “Enlighten me, then. Because from where I was standing, it looked like you were sucking her face off. That is not the best first impression when you hear your wolf scream mate.”
He sighed, running a hand through his hair in frustration. “Look, I didn’t know you were my mate until you walked in. And even then, I—”
“Even then, you what?” I interrupted, my voice rising. “Decided to keep going? Because that makes it so much better.”
He clenched his jaw, his eyes flashing with a mix of anger and something else—something that almost looked like regret. But I wasn’t in the mood to give him the benefit of the doubt.
“You don’t understand,” he said, his tone softer now, though no less firm. “Things here are… complicated.”
“Complicated?” I repeated, my voice laced with disbelief. “That’s your excuse? That things are complicated? Let me tell you something, Your Highness—”
“Varian,” he interrupted, his voice cutting through mine like a blade. “My name is
Varian Drogomor.”
I blinked, momentarily thrown off by the sudden introduction.
Varian.
“It's short for Varianlir, but I want you to call me Varian.”
Don’t let him fool you, Arlen, he is just playing with you.
“Varian,” I said, his name rolling off my tongue with a sharp edge. “Let me make something very clear. I don’t care how ‘complicated’ things are in your realm. You don’t get to disrespect me like that and then act like I’m the one being unreasonable.”
He took a step closer, his towering frame looming over me, but I stood my ground, refusing to back down. His purple eyes bore into mine, and for a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of something genuine—something raw and unguarded.
“I’m not trying to make excuses,” he said, his voice low and steady. “But you need to understand that things here aren’t as simple as they are in your realm. Dragons are expected to have multiple mates, I am just trying to protect you, I—“
“And none of that justifies what you did,” I snapped, cutting him off. “You’re my mate, Varian. Or at least, you’re supposed to be. But right now, you’re doing a pretty terrible job of proving it.”
He flinched as if my words had physically struck him, and for a moment, I almost felt bad. Almost.
“I’m being serious,” he said, his voice tinged with frustration. “Do people in your realm cheat constantly or something?”
I stared at him, my mouth hanging open in disbelief—the nerve of this man.
“Are you seriously asking me that?” I said, my voice dangerously calm. “After what I just walked in on?”
He had the decency to look slightly ashamed, but it didn’t last long. “I’m just saying,” he muttered, “you’re acting like this is the end of the world.”
He…
Ugh!
“Because it is!” I exploded, my magic flaring around me in a burst of light and energy. “You’re my mate, Varian. My other half. The person who’s supposed to love and respect me above all else. And instead, I find you with another woman in your lap, kissing her like it’s the most natural thing in the world. I could have let that slide, but the moment our eyes connected, you should have pushed her away. So forgive me if I’m not exactly thrilled about this whole situation.”
“Prick.”
“You are damn right, Keila.”
He stared at me, his expression unreadable, before finally letting out a long, heavy sigh. “I had no idea you were my mate, and what did you want me to do? If my father found out—“
“If he found out, this alliance would make more sense,” I grunted. “I’m warning you, Varian, if you cheat on me again I will find someone too, it shouldn’t be too hard.”
“No one in this realm will dare to anger me,” he said confidently.
How cute.
I smiled at him, ready to give him a piece of my mind.
“And I can teleport,” I saw his jaw tick. “I can go to any realm I want and have some fun,” I got closer to my mate. “I bet someone would love to be with me, I even have—“
Before I could touch him, he grabbed my hand and pushed me to the nearest wall.
His huge biceps each went to my sides, caging me.
If I wasn’t so mad, I would be gawking at the man before me; he had everything I liked, but… that was not the case.
I glared up at him, my chest heaving with anger, my turquoise eyes locked onto his deep purple ones. His proximity was overwhelming—his scent, a mix of smoke and something earthy, filled my senses, and his body heat radiated against me like a furnace. But I refused to let him intimidate me.
“Let me go,” I growled, my voice low and dangerous.
“Not until you listen,” he said, his voice equally firm, though there was a hint of desperation in it now. “You don’t understand the position I’m in. My father—he’s not just a king, he’s a tyrant. If he even suspects that I’ve found my true mate, he’ll use you against me. He’ll hurt you, Arlen. And I can’t let that happen.”
I blinked, momentarily caught off guard by the raw emotion in his voice. But I quickly shook it off, my anger flaring again.
“So, what? You thought kissing another woman in front of me would protect me?” I snapped, my voice rising. “Do you even hear how ridiculous that sounds?”
His jaw tightened, and for a moment, I thought he might pull away. But instead, he leaned in closer, his voice dropped, it was dangerous and primal.
It made Keira purr in satisfaction. I saw his eyes glow for a second, meaning his dragon was present as well.
“I didn’t know it was you,” he said, his breath warm against my skin. “Not until our eyes met. And by then, it was too late. If I’d pushed her away, my father would have known something was wrong. He would have questioned it, and he would have figured it out. I couldn’t risk it.”
I stared at him, my mind racing. Part of me wanted to believe him, to give him the benefit of the doubt. But… if his father was such a tyrant then why did he ask for this alliance? It made no sense.
“It still doesn’t make sense; you were kissing someone else.”
“Dragons are very… s****l creatures,” he explained. “We are usually mated to more than one person, but so far… you are my only mate.”
Okaaay.
Is that a bad thing?
“I dunno, maybe ask him?”
“Do you think he will tell me the truth?” I should have read more about dragons before I came here.
I hate being in the dark.
He sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly.
“I know you don’t understand why I did what I did, and… you might even consider rejecting me.”
The pain in his voice made my heart clench. I was not sure if I should believe in him or not.
Dragons were the enemy; they tried to destroy my family.
First, I needed to gather some information, and for that… I had to play this stupid game.
“I won’t reject you,” I said. Varian pulled away slightly to look at me in shock and happiness. “My family depends on me, and I won’t let them down.”
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips; he was trying not to let his sadness show.
“You won’t reject me, but you are only doing this because of the obligation you have with your family,” he said softly. “And you will create a potion so we won’t feel the cheating pains, is that right?”
I nodded, my expression serious. “Good thing we are on the same page. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to start preparing the potions. Unless you’d like to explain to your people why their future queen is in bed because she is in pain.”
With that, I pushed against his chest, forcing him to step back. He let me go, though his eyes never left mine as I turned and walked away.
“One day you will understand, Arlen,” he said as a promise, but I didn’t want to listen anymore.
It was too painful to bear because I wasn’t sure what I should believe, and if I ever found out he lied to me…
Nobody could save this realm from my anger.
- Writer
