The Dragon King's Substitute Bride [ON HIATUS]

My Past, My Future

[Roanna’s Pov]

Mona kept staring at me. If I said no right now, I would be letting my past hold on to me. I would be letting them scare me and control me from moving forward. All parts of me wanted to scream yes, a chance to fight for something bigger than my selfish family. And I wouldn’t be alone in fighting.

I would be with a team, a dragon of my own. My heart was pounding so hard I thought I would pass out.

“I see something’s holding you back. Come, I have to do a checkup on my pet. We can talk while I do that. It’s more private.” she was so understanding, not just some big brute as my pack would have defined her.

She led me down the majestic place to the private stall where she kept her dragon.

“Meet Exxon.”

I couldn’t help laughing. “Exxon?”

Mona had a beastly grin on her face. “Hell yes!” the dragon was large. In ways I can’t define. I can’t express it. It was a mirror of Mona. I wonder what she’s like when she’s in her own shifted form. Dragon shifters could ride or they could shift. They were a dangerous species. They didn’t need to have regular dragons around but they did.

It was no wonder they conquered the world.

Mona pointed to the bench in the stall and I sat.

“Tell me why you won’t accept this. You look like you want this job.”

I exhaled softly, clenching my hands together. “I have issues. I want to say yes, but I can’t the words out. Can I ask you how... how are you so confident?”

She whistled at the dragon, and the large beast brought its head down. Dropping it to the floor. Mona started checking his scales, ripping out any that she thought was unhealthy. I don’t even know how I know that.

“I was raised that way. In draconia, weakness is allowed only if you embrace it with your head high. But strength is rewarded. I grew up scrawny, the lanky weird girl that people kept making fun of. I thought despite being an alpha that I wasn’t going to be the type that had muscle. I was ten, sitting by myself in school when another alpha came towards me. He was already tough for his age. He made comments, and jokes about me being an alpha and yet being so weak. He thought I was weak based on my looks. He shoved me off the swing I was on, and I got mad. I remember hitting him so hard that he lost his two front teeth. That was my turnover. I started working more, eating enough protein and I enlisted for the Soleria’s dragon riders. I got Exxon when he was an egg, dragons like these grow faster. Within five years he was a titan. He was my partner. My confidence grew over the years. The more battles you win as a soldier of Soleria, the more tattoos you get. I get an X on my arms anytime I help conquer another spot for Soleria.”

she removed another bad scale, the dragon made no movement. Seeming happy and content despite the painful process.

“You look different from what most wolves look like. But if you want something, don’t overthink it. Do you want to train here? Be a soldier?”

“Yes,” I said, not thinking about it like she had suggested. It felt good to say that but also so f*****g scary. What if... ugh, she’s right. I’m thinking about it too much.

“Then welcome aboard. You and I are going to train. You’re going to love the beast you’ll be once we’re done. Us solerians thrive off fighting. You need to buck up.”

it’s not that easy. But I only nodded. Mona gave me a form to fill out and told me to think before answering anything. She wasn’t snarky, but she wasn’t apologetic. She was honest. She told me the reason she was pushing for this had nothing to do with the king bringing me to a party. But because she’s seen what a descendant can do for Wyndora. Aspen had shown that a loyal descendant can go a long way, and Mona admitted that I fit what soleria needed from a descendant. It was odd.... I felt like I’d be falling into another person who wanted to use me.

I returned to the palace and waited for Zane to return so I could .... strangely, share these questions with him. He rules Soleria. So he might know if I misread Mona’s words.

“You didn’t but... I don’t know what your childhood was like, but every soldier plays a role. Mona is saying your strength and abilities as a descendant can do. If you’re on Soleria’s side, it would do so much for the kingdom, although we don’t really need it.”

I clutched my arms. I didn’t want to be put on a pedastal.

“Breathe, you look like you’re about to pass out.”

I shook my head, my brain was just a bit jumbled up. “Sorry, I just.... I feel weird. I wanna try out, and become a soldier, but I don’t even know how to use my descendant abilities. I don’t know how to use anything but my fist. It’s strange. If you mona thinks I’m special she’s wrong.”

Zane leaned back, his face contorted into something I couldn’t understand.

“What do your eyes do?”

“What?”

“Aspen’s eyes show off her emotions.”

I gave him a tense smile. “I’m not her. I don’t have-”

“I didn’t mean to compare. I’m saying she didn’t know her eyes could do that, and her abilities started with her identifying what she was connected to thanks to my brother,” he explained. I could hear what he was trying to say. That I could let Rylan analyze me and I would know where to start.

“I can try to see what I can do. I don’t look at myself. I didn’t have a mirror. So if my eyes do anything, I don’t know.”

Zane again kept that expression. Slowly it loosened, and he huffed out a strained breath. “I want to show you something. Come with me, please.”

“I-”

“Just do it. I think I know what’s going through your head, and I might have a solution. I’m not good at being careful with my words. I’m a blunt, brash, bastard who does things without thinking. So you’ll have to forgive me in the future if I say something that triggers. I could be wrong, but I doubt it. I think you need to see this. You had a fight in you when we met, and in some ways, I think we both did each other wrong. I’m asking you to alter your DNA to pay for your sister’s mistake. If there’s any good to come from this, then it would be me helping you regain that fight. So just come with me.”

I nod, I’m willing to try. I did ask him. I asked him to teach me how to live. And if he thinks there’s something I can become... then I want to try.

Being a descendant of the goddess of the moon is a curse. A bad curse no one wants anything to do with.

Maybe what Zane wants to show me might be different. He’s like his people, honest, and straightforward. When they don’t like you, you’ll know. And when they do, you can tell as well. If I were born a solerian, maybe the woman in my head would think better of me.

You are just a dog. Give up now. Death is the only thing that awaits you. Happiness is not for you.

I chucked her words to the farthest part of my brain and followed Zane.