The Gold Dragon

Chapter Eight:

Kylo’s POV:

My eyes search over the mist that lies in a flat, thick line just above the treetops of my land. It is an oddly quiet morning in my land. Usually, the mist has lifted by this time, but it seems settled, only meaning one thing. There is going to be a shift in energy here today. The last time it was like this, was when I ventured out the borders and met a certain little dragon. I groan as I feel my insides turn and I slide my hands across the cool metal of my window as my tattoos burn in longing across my back.

“Quit it!” I hiss out as they pine for something I cannot give them. This is how it's been since I met HER. I always read about the mate bonds growing up, about how they are supposed to be a gift and how they our souls are only complete once we meet them. I roll my eyes at this sentiment. What a load of lies.

“I don’t need anybody!” I say into the dry air and the mist seems to light up at different points ahead of me. Strange. I quickly head out of my sleep chamber and make my way to where my office is. I don't even care for the nake vixen who is spread across my bed and fast asleep. She can wake up to emptiness for all I care. I have a lot to do today. Too much to worry about some tiny, pretty princess who decided to waltz into my life at THE WORST possible time. Numbers have been increasing in my land and it has made my job more demanding. People are arriving in dozens every day and it is my job to make sure they have looked after. This is the land of rot, the land of filth and the forgotten place for magical, so if I don’t see to them, then who will? I spit at the floor as I imagine how luxurious and comfortable life must be for all the creatures who lice outside the black curtain. I am no fool to the fact that every dragon, wolf, vampire, witch, mermaid and many more live as if they rule the lands. They look down on the rest of us. They think we are nothing. I doubt they even know of many of our existence anymore. I burst through my office doors and my second in command jolts up to his feet.

“My lord.” He greets me, hanging his head down as a sign of respect. My tattoos buzz against my skin at this show of submission.

“Scotty, take a seat.” I say, gesturing to the chair in front of him. He quickly plods down and I do the same, but on my chair on the other side of my mahogany table. Scotty seems to be nervous today, but I cannot put my finger on what may be causing it. His purple eyes are darting around, avoiding mine and his breathing is a bit labored.

“Did you come here to waste my time?” I ask and this seems to wake him up. I hate it when people waste my time. He shakes his head and then sighs.

“My lord, it would seem that the gremlins attacked another person in the forest today. They are increasing in numbers and are becoming a bit difficult to deal with. The people of the forest are becoming scared, they are even wondering if you are doing a good enough job at controlling the matter.” Scotty says the last past softly because he knows how this sort of questioning makes me feel enraged. I don’t need to look in the mirror to know that my eyes have darkened to unfathomable depths of black. People are questioning me? I pound my fist down on the table. These gremlins are a result of all the darkness sifting through the air. This is, after all, where people come to live in their deep states of depression.

“Well, what am I supposed to do about the gremlins, Scotty? People know not to venture into the weeping woods, but they do not listen! I have ordered extra security for that section of the land. We have even begun to hunt them down, but you know they are a tricky bunch.” I huff out, feeling incredibly frustrated. Gremlins have existed for centuries and go down as one of the vilest of all magical creatures. They live off another’s blood, worst of all, you hardly know they are there until it is too late. A shiver runs down my spine at the thought of it. I was once bitten by one and the pleasure its venom gave me was out of this world.

“But what is causing their numbers to increase?” I ask into the air.

“Well, this is where I come with even more concerning news…” Scotty whispers and my ears pick up.

“It would seem that as the numbers of people in the land increase, so the gremlin population is too. It is almost as if the increased levels of darkness are causing them to be reborn out of thin air. It is like they are born of the darkness. Such vile creatures they are, that imagine if they were to be unleashed into the lands beyond our borders. Nobody would be left to tell the tale.” He says again and my eyes widen at this thought. It would be like unleashing a wave of death upon the world. A tragedy for all who exist, really.

“And the person who was attacked? Was the body disposed of?” I ask and Scotty shakes his head. I lift my eyebrow at this.

“The girl survived the ordeal, my lord. Zetheus got to her in time and she is resting at his cabin. This is what he informs me, anyway.” Scotty replies and I look at him stiffly. Thankfully Zetheus was there, otherwise, I would have a messy ordeal to deal with. I don’t need any more fear-mongers catching wind of this story.

“Well, then what is the issue here, Scotty?” I ask and he looks unsure again. I have known this friend for years, so I can see when he looks uncomfortable to speak to me.

“The girl wishes to have your audience, my lord. Zetheus says that she arrived here to meet with you for business.” He says stiffly and I watch his expression. Nobody ever asks for me, so this is a first. In fact, nobody dares to ever ask for me. I am too busy for these sorts of “business” meetings. I have bigger matters to attend to. I lift my eyebrow up in confusion.

“What fool would risk walking through the weeping wood, just to request an audience with me?” I mumble and Scotty laughs.

“An i***t, that is for sure.” He replies and we both chuckle. Still, this little ordeal leaves me rather intrigued. Armies of guards have been killed walking through that wood, yet this girl, alone and without an idea, ventured there for me? I feel my eyes returning to their paler shade and Scotty smiles and pats my back.

“I know that look. You are curious.” He says and I nod. Perhaps I will visit this girl and see what business she has here after all. I stand quickly, my tattoos warming up slightly at the idea of going to the cabin. Such an odd sensation. I close my eyes and let the wind roar around me before finding myself standing in front of the simple cabin that belongs to Zetheus. One of the perks of being a descendant of the demons is that I can go where I want and when I want in just a blink of an eye. This is more than I can say for other magical, that have to spend hours moving between lands. I walk up the door, my thick, leather boots dusting against the small mat that laces its entrance and my knuckles connecting in loud bangs across the oak frame. A faint smell of caramel brushes against my nostrils and my tattoos burn against my skin as they light up slightly. What?

“Ah, my lord. Please, come in.” Zetheus greets and welcomes me in. This seems to let my tattoos sizzle down a bit. I edge further into his little home, but an increasing feeling of panic and longing starts to take over as I see the lump on his bed. The thick, black, snake-like lines on my torso buzz around me, making me feel uncomfortable.

“The girl has been out cold for an hour or so now. She took quite a few bites, but is managing very well.” Zetheus says softly, clearly noticing my fixed gaze on the limp form on his bed. My feet guide me closer involuntarily, almost as if they have a mind of their own. I can see long, wavy strands of bright, blonde hair escaping through bits of the blanket and my breathing hitches.

“My lord, your tattoos.” Zetheus announces and when I look down, they are all fully lit up. This can only mean one thing. My eyes widen as I grab the thin cloth that is covering the girl and when I pull it away from her face, it feels like my whole chest has closed up. She is so, deathly pale as she lies in a peaceful slumber. Her once pink lips are now tainted from the healing juices. Her hair is messy and sprawled across the pillow most enticingly. She is hardly wearing enough clothes, her dress pulling at her plump mounds tightly and ending just above her smooth ankles. I groan as my eyes darken again. My eyes take in the multiple, rotten puncture marks that now scar her skin. Marks where she was bitten by gremlins. Marks that were sucking out her life source. I feel myself shift in energy and the air becomes thick with tension. I could kill her right now for even daring to put herself in so much danger. I could squeeze her delicate little neck in my bare hand for thinking that coming here would ever be such a good idea. My tattoos hiss at me for thinking such vile things, but my anger is boiling over. A loud, pulsating growl of frustration vibrates through the air as I look down at MY MATE lying on this bed. The bed of another. He has cared for her wounds, which reach all the way up to her most inner, deeper thighs. I look back at my old friend with a dangerous promise in my eyes. He is shivering from the other end of the room.

“Kylo, calm down…” Scotty tries to say. I don’t know when he arrived, but I can smell his amused concern all over the room. How can I be calm in a time like this? I took Amber back to her privileged, little life in Dragon Land for a reason. I DON’T WANT HER. Also, it is dangerous here and her presence is a distraction for me. I can feel myself becoming undone just at the sight of her hurt body. I can feel my jealousy spilling over just at the thought of another’s hands on her soft legs. I edge closer to Zetheus, my temper beyond control.

“SHE IS…” I boom and take his neck in my hands, lifting him up onto his feet and slamming him against the wall.

“MINE!” I finish and Zetheus’s eyes widen in surprise. He tries to say something, but I can’t hear him behind the gurgling. I feel my tattoos shivering in pleasure at the thought of killing. This is what I am, isn’t it? A killer? The lord of darkness? The man behind all of the terrors?

“Kylo?” A soft and gentle voice echoes through the room and just like that the fire inside me is demolished. Zetheus slumps to the floor and Scotty quickly tends to him. When I turn, two beautifully uneven and bright eyes are watching me in terror. Yes, little mate, be very scared of me. Never lose your fear of what I am. She bites her lip as she takes me in, her eyes scanning up and down my body again, the same way they did on the day we met. I can feel my torso lighting up under her gaze, almost as if my skin knows the very path that her eyes are on. I have to bite back a groan as I feel the same warmth reach my midsection, luckily, it doesn’t last long before her eyes meet mine again. I spend a moment looking at her. Amber, the Dragon Princess. She is a sight to behold with her long, golden hair and her petite, but well-endowed body. She may be a princess, but her sensuality is that of a queen. Her voluptuous chest rises and her heart rate increases as I edge closer to her.

“Amber, Princess of Dragons.” I greet and she never tears her gaze. I am impressed with her poise, but still, the very marks on her body just show how truly weak she is. I allow the silence to continue for a few seconds, before sitting down on the bed and addressing her again.

“You are very beautiful, mate.” I admit and her eyes light up. Her yellow orb swims with glittery specks, whilst her blue orb swirls like a moving sky.

“But, very stupid.” I add.

“And weak, it would seem.” I finish and point to her scars. For a moment she looks down and then her burning eyes land on mine again. This time bright, but with embarrassment and fury.

“I am not stupid or weak, Lord Kylo.” She says defiantly. A woman with a fit of fines. I like it.

“Oh? Well, you wandered into my land with no reinforcements and no protection. You got here, I would guess, a little of five hours ago and you already managed to get yourself close to death. I would say that is stupid, no? Then, look at how many gremlins got hold of you. They feed off of weakness, Amber. You couldn’t even protect yourself.” I say nonchalantly and her eyes watch me with feverish defeat. She looks almost on the verge of tears.

“I wanted to come to see you.” She says softly. There it is. This is no business meeting after all. My mate wanted to come to see me. Another sign of weakness.

“What would make you think that I would want to see you, though? Surely my rejection was enough for you.” I say and her eyes well up. ANOTHER sign of weakness.

“How can you be so cruel, Kylo? You do not know me and you already make assumptions. I am not weak or stupid, but I am determined. I want answers. I want to know why you are so aloof and against me. I want to know why your land is so feared.” She says and my tattoos buzz again at her bravery to stand up to me. Perhaps there is more to this little dragon? Still, the idea of having a mate repulses me.

“Well, I hope you are ready for some great disappointment. I live, breathe, walk and operate ALONE. This isn’t going to change just because you arrived on the scene. Besides, I will have you sent back to where you came from as soon as that venom is out of your system.” I reply and she rolls her eyes.

“The longer I am here, the better. Surely you know how mate bonds work, lord of darkness?” She says with a glint of humor in her eyes. I stare at her coldly, knowing exactly what she means. Time makes the bond stronger. Time makes mates more unified. Time makes mates become more inseparable. f**k. This little princess isn’t as innocent as I thought she is.

“Well, it will take more than your presence to make me want you, Amber. I didn’t miss you once since dropping you off at home, so I am not sure what makes you think it will be any different now.” I spit out then walk away. I need to make sure I spend as little time as possible in the same room as her. I fear if I don’t then I may be screwed. I don’t have time to have a mate. I don’t need a mate.

I don’t WANT a mate.