The Dragon King and His Fallen Star novel Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Push and Pull

KIERYGAN’S POV

I

I kept my expression carefully composed until I reached the door of my chamber. Only then, with the heavy wood shut firmly behind me, did my shoulders sag beneath the weight of the morning.

I sank onto the edge of the bed, my gaze fixed on the floor as the events of the day replayed in my

mind. What had begun as a simple walk, an effort to ease the girl’s fears and share with her the

first signs of spring, had turned into something entirely unexpected.

For weeks, I had been turning over names in my mind, fitting the task between my duties whenever I could. But I hadn’t thought today would be the day

When she asked why she reminded me of snowdrops, I told her it was because of her silver

But there was a deeper truth to it.

hair.

Seeing those patches of snowdrops took me back to the day I saw her, standing above the frozen.

lake. From above, she looked like the flower itself–fragile, yet somehow defiant against the lingering bite of winter.

The name had come to me without warning, as if the sight of her there had unlocked something

long buried in my mind.

Eirlys.

A name as gentle as it was strong. It felt right in a way that caught me by surprise.

And it wasn’t the only thing that rattled me.

It was when she smiled as I uttered her name for the first time. Then she lit up. But her light was different. It wasn’t crackling and wild like the bursts she always released. It was steady, calm.

At first, I thought it was just a trick of the sunlight.

But no. She was glowing.

I was holding her hand when she did. Her small, delicate hand in mine. But it didn’t burn me. Instead, I felt… warmth. A gentle, persistent warmth that spread up my arm and burrowed into my chest, stirring something deep within my soul that had thought long dormant.

All at once, I felt a strong, insistent pull. That was the only way to describe it. A pull that was as ancient as the blood in my veins.

It was drawing me. Toward her.

In that moment, I realized what it was: a bond. A mate bond had just snapped into place.

I had to step back. I had to. Not because I resented it or because I hated what I felt. No, I feared it.

။

115

Chapter 19 Push and Pull

Feared what it would awaken in me.

Because dragons, true dragons, are hot–blooded creatures in every sense of the word. We burn not just with fire, but with a passion and need that can consume everything around us.

In that instant, standing there with her hand in mine I wanted to claim her. To draw her to me, to let

my dragon’s hunger take over and mark her as mine. And I knew I would not be gentle. I had never

learned how.

But she… she was still a child. Maybe not physically no one knew how old she truly was. But she

had only just begun to see the world, and in so many ways, she was still innocent. Like a child.

To take her then, to force this bond upon her, would be to steal something from her that I could never give back. It would be selfish. Cruel.

And so I kept my distance.

Even if it felt like slow torture. Like denying the very breath in my lungs.

I forced myself up from the edge of the bed, breathing deeply until the frantic beat of my heart began to steady. The air in the room felt stifling, so left. I needed to move, to feel the bite of the

cold and burn off the heat coiling under my skin.

My steps were soundless as I descended the stairs, each movement controlled and deliberate, though my mind was anything but calm. I intended to go straight outside, to let the cold air scrape away the embers of my thoughts. But as I reached the lower landing, I caught sight of them in the parlor through the open doorway.

Eirlys was there with Evander, Orryx, and Callum. The four of them crowded around a small table, laughing, sharing stories, and cracking jokes. A picture of warmth that was utterly at odds with the icy knot in my chest.

I paused, hidden in the shadows just beyond the door.

I listened as Callum teased her, while Orryx leaned forward to fill her cup with tea. Evander’s hand rested lightly on her back, guiding her as she sliced a piece of cake.

“I’m saving this slice for Ashteryn,” I heard her say softly.

Something sharp gnawed at me, and I was suddenly seized by an overwhelming desire to burn them all. For daring to touch her. For touching what was mine.

I closed my eyes and forced myself to step back, retreating into the corridor. She needed this. She needed to meet new people–to explore, gain experience, and broaden her horizons.

If I walked in there now, I would ruin it all. So I turned away, even though it felt like tearing out a

piece of my own soul.

Chapter 19 Push and Pull

Outside, the air was sharp and cold, the sky stretching out in endless gray. It did nothing to soothe the fire inside me, but I didn’t stop. My skin prickled, my muscles coiled as I shifted to my dragon

form.

Scales burst through skin, wings unfurling with a crack of power. The world shifted, shrinking beneath me as I took to the sky. My wings beat hard against the wind, each stroke carrying me higher and farther from the warmth of the castle.

Up here, in the freezing air and the boundless sky, could almost forget the tether that bound me

to her. Almost.

The clouds swallowed me whole, mist and snow stinging against my scales, I let the cold bite deep, let it gnaw at the heat in my veins until the world below blurred into nothing but white.

I didn’t know how long I was up there, but eventually my wings began to tire. I slowly descended

and shifted back to my human form.

The castle was silent when I entered through the side door. The celebration had long ended, and judging by the dim lights, dinner had passed as well, I was grateful for the quiet.

I took the stairs slowly, careful not to make a sound

UI

n my room, I drew a bath and sank into the cold water that bit at my skin. It was the only thing that could tame the fire still licking at my bones. Even then, it was a feeble attempt, like trying to drown an inferno with a handful of snow. But it helped enough. When I finally emerged, I felt… dulled.

Numb. Tired.

I was about to collapse into bed, already reaching for the covers, when there came a soft knock at

the door.

I stilled, irritation flaring as the fragile peace I’d carved out for myself cracked open. “Who is it?” I called out, my voice sharper than I intended.

No answer. Only another gentle knock.

My patience frayed. I yanked the door open, ready to dismiss whoever had come to bother me. But the words died in my throat when I saw her standing there.

Eirlys.

The chill of the bath vanished in an instant, replaced by the rush of heat I’d tried so desperately to bury hours ago. She stood there in the faint light of the corridor, her white hair like a halo around her shoulders, her eyes wide and uncertain. In her hands was a plate with a small slice of cake, like a peace offering:

“What do you want?” The words came out harsher than I meant, and I saw the way she flinched. My chest tightened, but I couldn’t help it. I was at war with myself, and she was the battlefield.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify