The Dragon's Bride
Chapter 18

“Rydstorm, sir. Your sister Winona is requesting your presence.” The man that seemed to materialize out of nowhere said.

“Why?”

His eyes drifted to Catori, and it was clear he didn’t want her to hear.

“Galveston?”

“The same problem from a month ago, the unusual spotting close to the peak.” He finally said.

Rydstorm’s jaw ticked.

“Very well.” He told the man.

With a sigh he addressed Catori, “you are free to explore. I know you like the air garden.”

“What is happening?” the ever-curious girl asked.

“Nothing for you to worry about. I’ll be back to you before you know it.”

He ran a finger down her cheek before leaving.

Catori watched as they left, the man in the silver breast piece glanced back at her and she swore his face changed and so did his eyes.

After watching until they disappeared around a corner, Catori stood where she was for a while, wondering where she could go.

She walked around aimlessly until she was at the bathhouse.

This time it was empty, and she used that as an opportunity to look around the place.

She admired the green marble floors, the large golden tub and the black rails to hold on to.

It surprised her that the place was so enclosed compared to the other rooms.

She looked up to see that the ceiling had small white twinkling lights, looking a lot like stars.

She was in awe with it all.

There was soft trickling of water that came from two different rocks that led into the large pool. Which had several seats, and various flower petals floating on the water top.

Catori held her hand under the different rocks where the water ran out of.

One was hot and the other cold. She soon wondered how that worked.

At first the water was cold, then gradually got warm. Feeling exactly how she would normally run her water.

After making a hard decision, Catori stripped out of her clothes and thought she could relax in the water.

After all, Rydstorm had explained the healing properties it had. She thought that it might give her her dragon.

Catori practically purred when the water seemed to seep through her bones. She felt instantly relaxed, and all her problems were out of mind.

She leant her head back, settling into the water even more, but her peaceful bliss was cut short when she heard footsteps.

Seeing that she had nowhere to hide, the best Catori could have done was submerge her body further into the water.

Thankfully, it was a female, but that still didn’t make her feel any better. She wasn’t comfortable with anyone seeing her body, not even Rydstorm.

“Oh, sorry. I didn’t realize someone was in here.” The pretty female with shoulder length green hair and blue eyes said.

“It’s ok,” Catori stuttered, having to tear her eyes away from the other girl’s perfect body.

Thinking that her beautiful heart-shaped face matched her bell like voice, which matched her curvy body.

Both female blushed, with neither of them ever being naked in the same room with someone else before.

The other girl then wrinkled her cute little button nose as her almond-shaped eyes narrowed.

“I’ll just come back when you are done.” The female said.

“No, it’s ok. I could use someone to talk to.” Catori stopped her.

The girl turned back to her with wide eyes.

“You want to talk t-to me?” She stuttered.

“Yes.” Catori said, then rolled her eyes.

“I have a feeling Rydstorm told everyone to not speak to me.” She then said.

The other female shook her head so hard Catori was afraid it would have fallen off.

“No, it’s not that. I thought he would have told you to not talk to me.”

“Why would he do that?” Catori asked.

She played with her hair before answering.

“Because I am the unwanted mate.”

Catori froze at that.

“You’re Rydstorm’s mate as well?”

The female laughed.

“No, gods no. Fang is my mate, but he doesn’t recognize me as such. He hates me.”

“Fang? Oh, that guy?”

As if he was waiting for his name to be called, Fang strode into the bathroom with two females on either side of him and two more behind him.

They all giggled, holding onto his arms or running their hands down his broad back.

The female Catori was speaking with, eyes immediately found the floor, and Catori could see her twisting her fingers.

The first person Fang saw was his mate. Then his eyes drifted from her over to Catori. He quickly averted his eyes from her naked body, something he wouldn’t normally do, but seeing that she was his leader’s mate, he had to have respect for both of them.

Catori, with wide eyes, didn’t know what to do, so she sank even more into the water until just her head was poking out.

“Nita, get her a towel and when you are done, get out of my sight!” Fang sneered.

Nita held her head down, then conjured up a towel for Catori.

Catori got out of the water with her back turned before wrapping it around her body.

“Now leave before I have to punish you again.” Fang roared.

Catori knitted her brows.

“You can’t talk to her like that.”

“She is my mate, so I can.”

“No, you can’t. You aren’t allowed to speak to any woman or anybody like that. It is not right to treat your other half like she is beneath you.”

Fang spat on the ground, both in disgust and disrespect for Nita.

“She is nothing to me.”

Catori made a face. “You should be ashamed of treating her like this. And having all these women on you.”

One of the women, one with bright orange hair, snarled at Catori, causing her ears to grow fin like.

“Fang is ours, and I don’t know who you are to speak about this. In fact, this is none of your concern.” She said.

Fang turned on the nymph quickly, growling and grabbing her by the throat.

“Have some respect for our Queen!”

The other female dropped to their knees immediately, with their heads bowed.

Fang turned back to Nita. “And you. Get out of my sight.”

Catori stopped her.

“Don’t listen to him. Don’t add to his ego or let him control you. If he can’t accept you as his mate, he can’t tell you what to do.”

Nita looked conflicted.

Fang didn’t want to argue with Catori anymore because he knew it would be his head, but at the same time, he would let it go because he knew he would punish Nita later.

“Remind me of your name.” Catori addressed Fang’s mate.

“Nita Hermitage.″

“Well Nita, my name is Catori Murdock. Now, can you please help me find my way back to my room?”

Nita nodded.

When the two females were out of earshot, Catori glanced at Nita.

“Why does he hate you so much?”

With her head hanging, Nita responded in a soft tone.

“It has to do with him falling in love with my eldest sister, and him wanting to be king. After finding out that I was his mate and only third in line for the throne, he resented me.”

“That is so bad.”

“I just wish I wasn’t forced here all because he is my mate.”

Catori grabbed hold of Nita’s hand.

“I am going to do all that I can to make him treat you better.”

Nita laughed.

“To be honest, I have fallen out of love with him.”

“How is that even possible?” Catori asked.

“I used to think it was impossible, but so is a dragon taking someone that isn’t their mate.”

Catori nodded, contemplating what she would do to help.

“You are so lucky to have King Rydstorm as a mate. He is so just and kind. I envy all the females here, happy and in love.”

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