Chosen By The Dragon Kings novel Chapter 33

When the gates come into view, I stop and so does Silas before looking down at me.

“Keep going Elora, don’t make me hurt you. I don’t want to hurt you” he says, and I could see the calmness leaving him, his normal angry demeanour slipping back into place.

“Not until you promise not to hurt Abigail and her family,” I tell him. He growls and I see Dragus and Matitus stop, looking back at us nervously.

“They knew the consequences of helping you, Elora,” Silas says, letting go of my hand and gripping my arm just above my elbow.

“You heard me this morning, didn’t you?” I asked, looking at Matitus.

“You told him and that’s why you let me out, isn’t it?” Matitus silence confirming my assumption. Looking up, the sky was completely grey with clouds and the snow forming on the ground was becoming thicker. I could see my breath making clouds in the air as the temperature dropped. I felt tears brimming, knowing the sacrifice I was about to make in order to fix my mistake of letting Abigail help me. Silas tugs on my arm harshly, his nails digging into my arm through the layers of clothes. I swallow the lump that formed in my throat, that was restricting my airways before clearing my throat. Looking at Matitus, I glare at him and he actually looks like he regrets his actions.

“Lora... I” Matitus says, making Silas glare at him.

“I know Matitus, they’re your mate’s and I am just a tool to be used for your benefit,” I tell him.

“That’s not it, please just listen” I put my hand up, and he goes quiet before I look at Silas. His eyes scrutinised my face and for a second I actually thought he cared, that he was capable of feeling something for me.

“Leave Abigail and her family alone and I will let you mark me” My voice coming out sounded emotionless and dead. It was inevitable they would do it with or without my permission anyway, I might as well try to help Abigail.

Silas tugs on my arm, making me look at him. “No!”

“No?” I ask confused, this is what he wanted so why would he say no?

“You want Abigail and her family to live, I want something else with marking you” I shook my head. I had nothing else to offer, what else could he possibly want.

“I will let them live, if you let Dragus and I mark you and you stop fighting the mate bond,”

“What?”

“You heard me, Elora. Now choose or I will make you watch as I kill them” I look to Matitus and Dragus, but they look away. They know I don’t want any of this, anything to do with them. Who in their right mind would after the horrible things they have all done?

“Fine, but on one condition”

“You don’t get to make conditions Elora”.

“Then you’ll never have me,” I tell him, refusing to drop my gaze from his.

“One condition, no make it two or I will reject you. All of you and accept you killing me for it. You have my mother’s necklace, you have me. I am allowing you to mark me. So, what’s one more thing, Silas.”

I hear Matitus chuckle, making my eyes dart to him.

“What do you want?” Silas asks, making me look at him. He crosses his arms across his chest, making him even more intimidating as he glares down at me.

“You can never threaten or use Abigail or her family against me again no matter what, and I want you to restore power back to the city,” Silas scoffs.

“You want us to re-power the entire city?”

“Yes, I do. You destroyed it and the entire city is suffering for it, the very people you dragon kings swore to protect, but you are just letting them freeze to death in the winters and die from heat stroke in the summers. Turn the power back on. Not everyone has generators or working heaters. Would it kill you to do your job for once? Those people are forced to live here, forced to die here, and you continue to force them to suffer through it all. I know you have the means to do it, you just refuse to” Silas remains quiet for a second and appears to be thinking.

Silas places his hand on my lower back, pushing me toward the gates. The guards open the gates quickly and we step through. As we were walking up the stone road, I saw Abigail out the front. A vampire had hold of her arm as she squirmed trying to get out of his grip.

I try to run to her, but Silas’s hand on my arm stops me as he tugs me back beside him. When we get to the castle doors. I notice Abigail’s mother and daughter just inside the doors, looking petrified. The vampire grips Abigail’s hair, and she cries out, clutching at their hands.

“Let them go. Taylor, escort them home and don’t lay so much as a finger on them,” Silas says, and I know he is agreeing to what I want in exchange for what he wants. Taylor nods and I see Jackie pick up Abbie’s daughter, placing her on her hip. She runs past Abigail, looking nervous. The vampire still had hold of Abigail in a tight grip. Shaking Silas hand off, I step forward.

“Let her go now.” My voice never wavering as I glare at him. He smirks and steps closer, dragging Abigail with him.

“You heard her '' Silas growls behind me and I see the vampire look between us before he lets Abigail go. He then glares at me and takes a step back. Fucking leech, I think to myself. Matitus chuckles and I know he was listening in on my thoughts again.

“You can go home with your family Abigail, come back in a few days” Matitus says, and she nods before rushing over to me and hugging me. I hugged her back before shrugging off my cloak. Her daughter only had pants and a shirt on. Silas watches me but says nothing as I walk over and drape it over Jackie and her granddaughter.

“Elora, inside now” Silas says behind me, making me look at him. Moving past everyone, I step inside before going to sit and remove my boots when Dragus comes over to me before kneeling down and untying the laces. I put my hand on his shoulder as he grabs my foot before removing my shoes, leaving me in my socks. Silas and Matitus walk in watching us while removing their boots. I wait for them when Dragus grabs my hand gently.

“Hungry?”

“A little,” I tell him and let him pull me further into the castle. Silas and Matitus following closely behind. Looking back at Silas, he is watching me.

“Thank you,” I tell him, and he looks shocked for a second before nodding.