Chapter 102

Anila’s POV

“His father?!” I nearly shouted, taking Angelica by surprise. Her eyes grew wide, and she took a step back and away from me.

“Y…you didn’t know?” She said, her voice dropping to a whisper. “He didn’t tell you?? You are to be his queen, and he didn’t tell you?”

“He hasn’t told me much to be honest,” I said, wrapping my arms around my body like I was desperate to hold myself together. “I had no idea that the former King was his father.”

She nodded and bit her lower lip.

“Jaxon had always been very strong, just like his father. He got a front-row seat to the entire shit show. He never agreed with what his father was doing… but he was the King and Jaxon had no choice but to sit back and watch everything unfold. But after the dragons started to suffer, he couldn’t take it anymore. He knew he had to do something. So, he came up with a plan to trap his father and then he killed him. It made him the Dragon King and he’s spent so long protecting us and the dragons, even after we were all outlawed. He built this entire world for us to hide in while we came up with a game plan.”

“I had no idea,” I said in a breathy whisper. “That’s incredible…”

Angelica nodded.

“He’s a fantastic King and an even better man.”

“Then why would he be working with the Alpha King?” I asked, nearly shouting. “It doesn’t make any sense to me. The King is pretty much doing what the former Dragon King had done, and Jaxon is helping him.”

“Once Jaxon gets what he wants, he won’t let the King get away with it,” Angelica assured me. “He’s only playing the King and letting him think he’s on his side. The King has something Jaxon needs.”

“What does he have?” I asked, hoping that Angelica had the decency to tell me. She looked uncertain for a moment as she nibbled on her bottom lip.

“If Jaxon hadn’t told you then—”

“I don’t think he trusts me,” I blurted, not prepared for the stab of pain I’d feel in my chest from that realization. “I’m going to be his queen, and these are things I need to know… I have to make sure I’m not marrying a complete monster.”

“You aren’t…” she assured me. She then sighed and leaned against the door of the guest room. “Please don’t tell him I told you this because he would have my head. But the Alpha King stole the Dragon Stone.”

My mouth nearly fell open at her words.

“The Dragon Stone?” I asked.

“You’ve heard of it I’m sure…” she pressed, narrowing her eyes at me.

I nodded. I’ve learned about the Dragon stone in school. It was a very powerful stone that could be used to control the dragons and the one who yielded the stone could be turned into a dragon themselves.

“Are saying the King has that stone?” I asked. “That’s how he was able to turn himself into the dragon…”

She nodded.

“Yes,” she answered. “And he can control our dragons. However, because the dragons are underground, the dirt acts as a shield and protects them from being controlled. They’d have to be above the ground. That’s another reason why Jaxon is strict about the dragons remaining under the ground. The King promised to leave the dragons alone if Jaxon himself did what he wanted. So, Jaxon had been doing his bidding for some time now… hoping to be able to get that stone back.”

“It’s scary to think that he has such a powerful stone,” I said, shaking my head and feeling uneasy all over again, but for completely new reasons now. “And that stone has multiple purposes, right? Not just Dragon control?”

She nodded.

“It can be used to heal dragons when they are injured as well,” she said. “It’s the world's most powerful stone and only the Dragon King should yield it.”

“Is that how the former King was able to get the dragons to fight in the war?” I asked, realization dawning on me. “Because they were being controlled by the stone?”

“Yes,” she replied. “It’s sickening the power he had and it’s terrifying the power this Alpha King has. He isn’t a dragon master so his yielding this type of power is dangerous. Jaxon knows this and has been trying to guide him. Everything he does is to keep us and the dragons safe.”

I nodded as I thought more about her words. It was making sense now…

“Why wouldn’t he just tell me that?” I asked. “I would have understood. I could even help him.”

She shrugged.

“He's a stubborn man and he would do anything for his kingdom,” she told me. “I think he was just worried that you’d betray him and us. But I don’t think you would do that.”

“No,” I said sharply. “I would never do such a thing. Ever.”

Angelica nodded, a small smile playing on her lips.

“I know,” she told me. “You should get some rest. There’s a festival later tonight that I believe he wants you to attend. I laid out a dress for you and everything. Take a nap because it’s been a long night for you, I’m sure.”

With that, she pushed herself off the wall and started to walk away.

“Angelica,” I called after her. She paused and turned back to look at me, a worried expression on her face, but it disappeared when she saw my sincere smile spreading across my face. “Thank you.”

She smiled and nodded and then she disappeared.

I stepped into the guest room and gasped at how beautiful the space was. It was huge and my entire heart started to beat faster at the sight of it. There weren’t any windows, which I didn’t find strange because we were underground, so I doubted there was much to see. With the amount of lighting, there was, it didn’t really need windows. The bed was huge and had a large canopy with curtains draped around it for extra privacy. There was another door that I’m sure led into a bathroom, and a giant beautiful wardrobe on the far side of the room. There was a vanity, a few different dressers, and a gorgeous chandelier that hung on the ceiling in the center.

There was a small living space on the other side of the room with a TV, a couch, a loveseat, and a coffee table. There was also a small dining table with some refreshments and snacks on top of the glass surface. There was a mini fridge behind the table with a small bar filled with a different assortment of alcohol.

It was like a studio apartment, fit for a princess. On the bed was a gorgeous blue dress with straps that went around my neck, and I knew from looking at it that it would fit perfectly. I smiled as I touched the silky fabrics.

A dragon festival?

I was intrigued by this. I was going to ask Jaxon more questions once I saw him later, but I felt more at ease knowing that Jaxon wasn’t a bad person. He was put in a bad spot a few different times, but he was doing all of this so he could protect his people. Maybe getting to know him wouldn’t be that bad after all.

A guilty knot formed in my stomach as I thought about my other mates. I knew that they were angry and worried that I was here and not with them. The last thing they wanted was for me to add another mate to the mix, but they had to understand that I couldn’t control this type of thing. I was doing this for Xaden. If I didn’t get that dragon scale… Xaden will die. I couldn’t let that happen.

The thought comforted me knowing that I was doing this for him. I decided to take Angelica’s advice and take a small nap. Truth be told, I was surprised I was able to sleep at all with everything that was going on. But the second my head hit the plush pillow I felt sleep taking over.

…..

Relief flooded me when I saw that I was standing outside of Xaden’s cabin. My heartbeat was rapidly in my chest as I looked around the familiar forest grounds and smelled the familiar forest scent.

Was Xaden inside the cabin?

Without much thought, I opened the cabin door, relieved that it was unlocked, and I stepped inside. Shutting the door behind me, I looked around the empty space with a frown.

“Xaden?” I called as I walked through the living room. “Zach?” I decided to yell, thinking maybe he was inside his brother’s cabin.

I walked down the hallway until I reached Xaden’s bedroom. I knew with certainty that someone was behind this door, I just wasn’t sure who it was. I turned the doorknob and pushed the door open, stepping into the familiar room.

I froze when I saw the figure sitting on the bed, staring down at his hands like he was confused as to how he got there.

“Damien?” I asked, my brows raised.

He looked up at me, his lips parting lightly and I could see the fear in his eyes.

“Anila…” he whispered. “Is…is this one of those dreams?”