Killian—or rather, his clan—needs help. That’s the main reason he agrees to meet the rich human who requested a meeting to discuss becoming a clan member. The clan needs money, and Hedley White has plenty of it.
He’s also very handsome and interesting.
Hedley doesn’t know what to expect when he meets the king, but it’s not to find himself welcomed into the clan, even though that’s why he’s here. He’s never fit in his human life, and he hopes he’ll fit in this dragon life.
He does, more than he could have dreamed of.
When Killian and Hedley fall in love, they both know it’s going to create problems. Killian’s council is pushing for him to get married and have an heir, while his brother has his eye on the throne and is waiting for Killian to make a mistake.
Would marrying Hedley be that mistake?
More From Eiloren Clan
Hedley was in awe. When this had been arranged, he’d been told he’d be staying in a palace, but he hadn’t expected this.
Plus, he was surrounded by dragons. Who wouldn’t be awed by that?
He’d been stunned when he’d first arrived and been welcomed by two dragon shifters who had shown him to a room and helped him unpack. His dream was coming true, and it was hard to believe. If he played his cards right, he’d be allowed to stay with the clan and live here permanently.
He couldn’t wait.
It didn’t have anything to do with the room he was in at the moment. He was wealthy—had been wealthy all his life, thanks to his father. He was used to luxury, and it didn’t faze him anymore. No, that wasn’t the reason he wanted to live here. He would have wanted that even if the clan had been living in tents in the forest.
Although that would have been much more uncomfortable and awkward, since he’d never gone camping.
He looked around again. The bedroom he’d been given was spectacular. It was also comfortable, which was the most important thing as far as he was concerned. He’d been a bit surprised when he’d found a nest waiting for him rather than a bed, but it made sense. The nest was massive, much bigger than it needed to be for one human man, but he supposed that a lot of the dragons spent time in their dragon form. The palace and everything inside of it had been built to accommodate their dragon bodies, and while he’d seen several dragon shifters in their human form, he’d also seen several dragons.
It made him want to explore, but he’d been told to stay in the bedroom until the king was ready to see him, and he’d obeyed, even though his fingers itched to open the door and go and poke around. Hopefully the palace would be his home soon, and he’d be allowed to do that as much as he wanted.
When his phone vibrated in his pocket, he was tempted to ignore it, but he knew better. The people who would try to reach him while he was here were few, and they’d freak out if they didn’t get an answer.
He slid his phone out and peeked at the screen, not at all surprised to see that Brian was calling him. “Yes?” he answered, leaning back against the couch and looking out the window.
“Good, you answered. I was wondering if you were still in one piece.”
“Why wouldn’t I be? Did you expect the dragons to hurt me?”
“They certainly have the teeth and claws to do it. You’re all right?”
“I promise I am.” If Hedley even hinted that he wasn’t, Brian would be in a car driving to get to him in less time than it took for Hedley to tell him he was kidding. Brian wasn’t just Hedley’s assistant. He’d become a friend over the years, and he was worried.
Everyone in Hedley’s life was worried. The only one who wasn’t was Hedley himself, or rather, he wasn’t worried for the same reasons. He worried about whether or not the dragons would allow him to stay, while everyone else in his life thought he was having a breakdown or a midlife crisis. He supposed that being forty-five meant he was at the right time in his life for that, but he wasn’t having a crisis, midlife or not.
He was just done with everything.
“Have you met the king yet?” Brian asked.
“No, but I’m expecting to be called to meet him soon.”
“I can’t believe you’re meeting a king. I mean, I know he’s only the king of his clan and all that, but still. That’s a kind of authority you’ve never had to deal with before.”
“I’m not worried.”
Brian snorted. “Of course you’re not. I think you should be, though. That guy is a king, so he could decide to lock you up in his dungeon and never allow you out.”
“Why would he do that?”
“I don’t know, but kings do that kind of thing.”
Hedley was relieved when a knock on his bedroom door interrupted the conversation. He quickly got to his feet and strode over. “I have to go,” he told Brian.
“You’re going to meet him?”
Hedley couldn’t help but smile. “I am.”
“Don’t get yourself eaten, then. Call me once you’re done so I can be sure you’re still alive.”
Hedley opened the door and nodded at the dragon standing on the other side of it. “I’ll be fine,” he promised Brian.
Brian was still grumbling when Hedley hung up the phone and lightly bowed at the dragon in front of him. He wasn’t sure if they were male or female, but he supposed it didn’t matter.
“If you’ll follow me, the king is ready to see you,” the dragon said.
“Of course.”
Hedley slid his phone back into his pocket, smoothed down his suit jacket, and stepped into the hallway. He closed his bedroom door behind himself and nodded at the dragon, who turned and led the way down the hallway.
Hedley tried to calm his racing heart as he walked. Being nervous wouldn’t help, and he needed to show the king that he could be an asset to the clan. He couldn’t afford to make a bad impression by gawking at the king or doing or saying something stupid. He’d met and spent time with a lot of important people, so he was used to this kind of stress.
But none of those people had been a dragon shifter, and none of them had been a king.
