Wolf Princess Sold to the Dragon King novel Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Don’t Look At The Dragon King

Princess survival rule number one: do not look at the dragon king. Do not look at the dragon king. Do not look at the dragon king.

She looked at the dragon king. Again. He was watching her, almost as if he was waiting to catch her in the act. On reflex she looked away, as if she’d done something wrong. Another entry in the running tally of small humiliations she would be addressing with the Moon Goddess.

Her father resumed his speech as if a dragon king hadn’t just threatened someone at his dinner. Impressive composure. Terrifying priorities.

The Alpha at the fifth table looked like he was considering crawling under it. Whatever he’d said, the room had not recovered.

".... Lunaris takes our alliances very seriously... court trained...."

Cassian didn’t move next to her, but his eyes slid sideways and his lips twitched into a smug smile.

"—leave here with a virgin bride."

She choked on her drink. For a moment there, she thought he said something about her going somewhere with one of these strangers. After she just escaped.

Her father shot her a look that communicated everything. He held it two full seconds. Almost like a ’try me’ which she wouldn’t have.

He held the stare long enough that it was an assertion of dominance. Any wolf with two eyes would’ve seen that she wasn’t challenging it. Just genuinely surprised.

He turned back to the crowd. "Any house that sees value in such blood and wishes to strengthen our houses, may approach me tonight. I will consider all offers."

She blinked again. She hadn’t misheard. She didn’t know what was worse being here or making a run for it with at least twenty wolves capable of Alpha speed.

"Every Alpha in here is wondering the same thing, Lunaris." Two hundred heads swiveled to Alpha Ashfang. "Has the girl had a heat yet?"

Guinevere’s face heated at the very question. Gods, this was twice now in twenty-four hours that an alpha openly asked that. She wondered if it was possible to set yourself on fire through sheer embarrassment alone.

"She has not," her father answered. Guinevere didn’t know if that was a bad or good thing.

"How do we know if she is fertile then?" the Alpha from the fifth table asked.

"I’ll take my chances." Ashfang’s eyes raked over her openly. "Two million pounds of northern gold, plus the iron mines along the Black Ridge. My pack controls the best steel in Nyros." He gave a wicked grin. "Three wives. Fourteen pups. I don’t miss."

Tyler blinked. Cassian blinked. Guinevere strongly considered blinking herself right out of existence.

Renwick Lunaris kept his expression neutral, but Guinevere knew her father. The man hadn’t invited every Alpha to the same room by fucking accident. This was exactly what he wanted. No private offers.

Across the hall, King Drakencrest’s fingers had curled into the edge of the table hard enough that the wood was complaining about it. His golden eyes had darkened from sun to fire, and the message his face was sending was one she did not have a vocabulary for.

If she wasn’t stunned by the fact that this was happening, she’d have blushed. But at the moment she was detached. Like this was happening to another girl in a white dress. Not her.

"Four million pounds of pure gold," Alpha Duskwin said, standing like he expected applause. "The entire eastern timber forest, and safe passage for all Lunaris trade through my rivers for the next fifty years." He turned to Ashfang. "Your mines are half depleted, your steel is overpriced, and your pitch was revolting. You and your sperm can sit down."

Everyone froze. Somewhere in the back, a fork hit a plate. Nobody picked it up.

"Six million." Nightclaw stood and addressed Guinevere directly. "I don’t do charm. I do intelligence." He scanned the room. "A piece of free advice for every Alpha who’s bid so far: I have at least three secrets that could end each of you. Including the one who bathes regularly."

This time, someone did choke on their drink. Next to her Tyler let out a breath. Cassian shot her a look, like he was confused why any of the alphas were offering for her at all. She gave him a flat unimpressed fuck-off look right back.

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