Read Draechen's Mate [Chronicles of the Shifter Directive 2] (Siren Publishing Epic Romance, ManLove) for Free Online Page B

Sareltae. In our names, and that of My Lord Father, I thank you for your warm welcome and hospitality.”
    At that, the draechen princess turned toward Sari. She said nothing, although Sari thought he saw a glimmer of calculating disdain in her eyes. Minding his manners, Sari decided to speak. “And I must personally express my gratitude for the honor you’ve bestowed upon me through your proposal of uniting our houses.”
    “The honor is all ours,” Akarawem answered, “although all thanks should be directed to my father, and of course, my brother.” The latter part of the phrase seemed to have been added as an afterthought, making Sari suspect that the draechen prince hadn’t had much choice in the matter either. Naturally, he didn’t get the chance to prod into it as Akarawem added, “Please, follow me. My brother is very eager to meet with his future mate.”
    Sari very much doubted it. If it had been so, Shtamakarein would have been here with Akarawem to welcome him. But of course, Sari wasn’t so arrogant as to believe himself entitled to such a thing. It just confirmed his previous knowledge of the way this day, and likely, the rest of his life would go, at least, if Sari didn’t do something about it.
    Remaining quiet, Sari followed after the princess as she led them inside. He said nothing, instead taking heed of anything that might be able to help him. He did figure out that one of the men with Akarawem was stealing occasional glances at him. The chill in the stranger’s stance could have had something to do with the obvious fact that he was an ice dragon—or so Sari surmised given the dark-blue color of his hair and eyes—or it might have been just because he didn’t like him, period. Either way, Sari made a mental note to watch out for him. Something told him the stranger was a very dangerous man when he wanted to be.
    At last, the walk through the cavernous corridors ended, and Sari and his companions stopped in front of huge, wooden doors. Sari gaped at the sight of them. They seemed so large that someone would have had to be twice Sari’s height to hit the upper threshold. But then, everything inside the draechen palace was like that. The hallways themselves were spacious and tall. Sari supposed that made sense, given the size draechen could reach in shifted form.
    The guards opened the doors and bowed lowly. “Presenting Their Highnesses, Princes Misael and Sareltae Norrenddare and Princess Charlize Norrenddare of Ivenia, accompanied by Her Highness Princess Akarawem Tersain and His Lordship Lieutenant Sagenamadeen Zager.”
    Sari didn’t hear anything spoken or any permission being given, but the soldiers gestured them inside. As he stepped forward and the large doors closed behind him, several things struck him at the same time. The draechen throne room was almost obscenely huge, just like the palace itself, and for good reason. A red dragon sat curled on a pile of jewelry, eyeing their approach with shrewd, intelligent eyes. Sari would have been surprised, but he distantly remembered now that the draechen emperor never shifted to his legged form in public, instead using a form of telepathy to talk to his people. This must have been what had happened earlier, with the guards. Still, in spite of the remarkable presence of Emperor Kavehquader Tersain, Sari almost didn’t see him at all. As if on instinct, his gaze went to a tall, muscular man, waiting silently next to a slightly shorter one. Both of them stood by the two thrones, one of which was occupied by a draechen woman.
    Dressed in a majestic black uniform, the mysterious man watched them approach with an impassive expression. At first, the size of the room and the somewhat tricky lighting prevented Sari from taking in every detail of the stranger’s face and body, but as he and his companions walked closer, that changed. The man’s midnight-black eyes met Sari’s, and a flash of awareness seemed to course through them, echoing deep