Chapter 3

Claire

I stayed tense in Bennett's arms for the rest of the ride. He told me to relax repeatedly, but I couldn't. He obviously had a terrible temper as well as didn't realize how easy it was for him to hurt me. He could lift me and crush my pelvis without putting in any kind of an effort.

I'm not sure how long Rowan drove, but by the time he stopped it was pitch black and we were in the middle of nowhere. We pulled into a long driveway of a massive house with a forest off the back. My eyes kept flitting nervously to Rowan. He noticed and growled a little annoyed before scowling at me.

"Why do you keep staring at me like that?" He asks and I pull back, closer to Bennett as he opens the car door.

"Are you a vampire?" I ask quietly. Rowan chuckles a little and lowers his face close to mine. His scent hits me in the face, warm and spicy.

"Why? Are you more afraid of vampires? Or less?" He asks and I swallow audibly.

"More." I say honestly and he smiles.

"I'm not a vampire." He states and I feel a small amount of anxiety leave my body. I'm lifted out of the car and set on my feet, but Bennett is a little too rough with me and I fall to the ground.

"Shit." He mutters, gripping my arm and pulling me to standing. Pain lances through my shoulder as I grimace and hiss in pain, pulling my arm from his grip. He sighs and wraps his arm around my waist, pushing me towards the house.

"Are you hungry?" He asks and I shake my head.

"Thirsty?" I shake my head again.

"Do you want to shower?" He continues his line of questioning and I shake my head again. Rowan growls and I look at him with wide, petrified eyes.

"Did we get a defective human that can't form words?" He asks with a sneer and my body begins to tremble with fear again. Part of me hopes they'll put me in a room and just forget about me.

"Just leave her alone. Let her get used to us." Bennett implores and I can't stop my snort of sarcasm.

"And what do you find so funny?" Rowan asks and I shake my head.

"The idea that I will ever get used to you." I say, avoiding eye contact. Bennett's teeth clench as his grip on my waist tightens. I try to wiggle free, but that just makes him hold me tighter as his eyes begin to glow green. I gasp at the sight and push on his chest to get away from him.

"MINE!" He snarls, gripping me to his chest and tucking his face in my neck breathing deeply. I try to keep my tears at bay, but a few traitors fall as I stay still, hoping he can calm himself. He threads his fingers through my hair and grips it tightly, nearly pulling it from my scalp.

After a few tense moments, he growls again and shoves me away from him. I fall to the ground and watch as Bennett runs from the house. A moment later, a loud howl rings through the night. I'm left alone with Rowan and curl into a ball, hoping he ignores me.

"You're better off with him than me. You shouldn't piss him off." He says and I roll my eyes.

"It's not my fault he's so sensitive." I quip back and Rowan smirks.

"It's not him. It's his wolf. They are two seperate entities in one body. You will need to learn to deal with them both if you hope to survive." He says and I eye him curiously.

"And you? What is your magic trick?" I ask. He smiles wide this time and he would be beautiful if he weren't so deadly.

His sandy blonde hair is cut shorter on the side than on the top. His grey eyes almost sparkle, his angular nose and strong jaw leading to a thick neck and amazingly broad shoulders. I have no doubt his body is chiseled under the grey t-shirt he's wearing. He stalks over to the fireplace and takes a few deep breaths. The room suddenly warms to a stifling heat, making it difficult for me to breathe, before a line of fire is spewed from his mouth, setting the wood on the fireplace ablaze almost instantly. My mouth drops in shock, my eyes wide and unbelieving of what I had just witnessed. I take a few moments to register what I saw before I speak.

"You're a dragon." I state and he nods, walking back towards me. He leans down in front of my face and looks me dead in the eye.

"Not just any dragon. I'm the Dragon King." He says.

"What does that mean?" I ask and he scoffs.

"You've never heard of me?" He asks and I shake my head. I didn't realize supernaturals had some sort of monarchy.

That sounds so... civilized.

"It means I rule every dragon that roams the earth." He states and I nod, even though I don't know what that means.

"Why... um.. why have you gotten more than one mate? I thought mates were... important." I ask, not entirely believing I am what they say I am.

"Because as king, I need an heir. And that means I need a female mate. The other ones weren't... satisfactory. So I disposed of them. I will keep getting a female mate until I produce the heir I need to further my line. So make no mistake, human. There's nothing special about you. I could get rid of you and wait for the next one. And I will. So don't piss me off." He growls the last bit. I nod, agreeing to play my part until I can figure out how to get away from them. He seems content with my agreement and turns to walk away.

"Rowan?" I ask and he snarls before looking back at me.

"What?" He snaps and I flinch at his harsh tone.

"Where did Bennett go?" I ask quietly and he looks out the door.

"You pissed off his wolf. He went to run it off. He'll be back. Eventually. Follow me." He says and I'm terrified of going anywhere with him. He takes a few steps, but turns back when he realizes I'm not following.

"What the fuck did I literally just say? Are you stupid?" He asks cruelly, but I'm really just too scared to move. He growls again, louder this time and takes a few steps back towards me.

He leans down and grips my forearm, pulling me up so harshly I hear a pop in my shoulder. I cry out in pain, but he pays no attention as he practically carries me down a hallway.

"You don't want to listen? Fine. You'll just need to be taught a lesson." He snarls and my heart drops as fear takes over. Tears flush down my face as he carries me down some stairs.

The further down he goes, the colder it gets. A stench begins to overwhelm me, like urine and blood mixed with sweat and earth. He flips a light switch and I see a line of cells with iron bars. He opens the one at the furthest end and tosses me in. I land on my side and try to muffle the sounds of pain escaping me.

"Enjoy your accommodations. You'll stay here until you learn to do as we say." He says, before turning and walking back down the hall.

He turns the light off and I'm plunged into darkness. I can't even see my hand in front of my face. I saw a small cot before he turned off the light, and I feel my way across the floor until I find it. I lay on the hard mattress and curl myself in a ball to try and stay warm. Now that I'm alone, I let the emotions that have been plaguing me break free and sob until my chest hurts from the motions.

This is exactly the kind of treatment that I was scared of. Humans mean nothing to these creatures. All I am is a female that can reproduce for them. I roll and let out a cry of surprise when pain shoots through my shoulder. My hand has started to go numb and I can't move my arm like I normally do. I grit my teeth and pull on it, hard, until I hear a pop. I scream in agony as my shoulder pops back into place, more tears rolling down my face as I stare into nothingness. Some time later, I hear a loud roar and what sounds like furniture breaking. I'm not sure who is doing it or why, but I'm suddenly grateful to be here in this dark, stench filled dungeon freezing my ass off, rather than upstairs with my supposed mates.