Broken Gates

“Does it mean something special? I mean is it like royal jewelry or something?”

I ran my hand over the necklace idly as Jenna began applying my make-up. “No, it’s just a gift from Khol. But I do think it’s appropriate, with the dragon and all.”

“Just a gift.” She snorted. “I wish someone would give me something like that. But yeah, it seems to fit you perfectly.”

Her words suddenly made me want to tear the pendant from my neck. Everything about it seemed to declare me changed and different, because the fact that it fit me perfectly now . . . well I knew something like it would never have been me before. I inhaled and exhaled a few times to keep me from doing something stupid. I was different. No point in trying to deny that anymore, it was time I just accepted that fact and stopped fighting it. “You almost done?” I asked, fidgeting impatiently.

“Almost, now keep still before I poke you in the eye or something.”

After a few more applications of this and that, Jenna announced my transformation complete. As I stood I caught the hem of my dress on the heel of my shoe and to keep myself from falling, I grabbed Jenna’s wrist . . . and was rewarded with being thrown into another vision.

“Hey Khol,” Jenna said as she sashayed through the open door of his bedroom. In the back of my mind I noted that Jenna’s hair was rainbow colored, so this had to be another vision from the past. And from the look of Khol’s bedroom, it seemed like this vision took place when we had been in the dragon realm in Khol’s lair.

“What is it that you require, little Speaker?” Khol didn’t even turn to look at her as she walked further into the room.

“Well, it’s not really just what I require, but maybe what you require too.” She ran her fingertips down his back and around him, then down his chest when she came to stand in front of him. There was no question what she wanted. She stood on her tiptoes and attempted to wrap her arms around his neck, but Khol was too tall for her, so she settled her hands back on his chest. “So what do you say?” She batted her eyelashes up at him and smiled.

“I’m in love with another, which you already know.” Khol locked her wrists in his hands and took a step back from her.

Jenna rolled her eyes. “Who is currently doing the nasty with her new mate, and that isn’t you in case you haven’t noticed.” She wriggled one hand free from him and ran it down his front. “I just thought I could comfort you is all.”

A low growl escaped from Khol’s throat. “I will never seek comfort from you.”

Jenna frowned and dropped her hand away from him. “It’s not like she’s going to care. She’s with Bryn. She loves Bryn. In fact, she tried to off herself after you were with her. I’m thinking that pretty much means you don’t have a shot in hell with her.”

“Get out,” Khol’s voice sounded barely human. “Get out before I throw you out!”

Alarm registered across Jenna’s face and she scurried for the door, shutting it quickly behind her. As soon as she was gone, Khol started pacing back and forth, a wild look in his eyes. He then stalked into the bathroom, halting in front of the very same bathtub where I had attempted to end my life. The tub looked clean, no trace of my blood anywhere to be seen. Khol stared at the empty tub for a few more minutes before he dropped to his knees clutching at the sides. An inhuman roar wretched from his chest just as he ripped the tub from the ground and threw it against the large mirror on the opposite wall, the sound of shattering glass echoed in my ears. He then continued his rampage, obliterating almost every square inch of the bathroom.

When he was finished, he stood surveying his work, his breathing ragged. “Drake,” he called out hoarsely.

The large dragon appeared a second later and dropped down into a deep bow. “My lord.”

“Take care of this,” Khol said with no emotion. “And speak of it to no one.”

“That, of course, is a given, my lord,” Drake responded in the same emotionless tone. He then shifted and stood facing Khol with question and worry intermingled on his face. “If I may be so bold to ask . . . why did you not merely kill him?”

Khol picked up a piece of the broken tub and studied it for a moment before answering. “She would never have forgiven me. I know that now.”

“But she would be yours.”

“Not completely. Not in the way that I truly desire her to be.” Khol’s face contorted into a mask of pain for the briefest of moments before becoming emotionless again.

“I do not understand, my lord. It is the way of the dragon.”

“But it is not the way of love.” Khol clenched and unclenched his fists. “And I fear love makes me grow weak.” He whirled around and disappeared.

Drake remained motionless staring at the spot where Khol had just been. “I fear that too, my lord,” he whispered to himself.

I looked up at Jenna and let go of her wrist. So many emotions were swirling around in me at once. The first was my shock at seeing a side of Khol that he’d never let me see before, a side of him that made me love him just a little bit more than I had a few moments ago. And the second was an irrational anger at Jenna for her attempt at trying to seduce him. I knew logically that I’d been with Bryn, and that Jenna would have seen nothing wrong by going after Khol who I had no real claims on . . . but the dragon in me roared at the horrible offense.

“You tried to seduce Khol,” I growled at her. “And you never even said anything.”

“Uhh . . . duh! Why wouldn’t I try to seduce him? He’s smoking hot, and I wasn’t serious with Macon yet, and—besides you were with Bryn!” She cried out the last part with outrage. “I didn’t do anything wrong!”

“If you didn’t think you did anything wrong, then why did you never say anything?” I could feel my dragon fire magic rising up from underneath the surface and I fought to keep it under control. My mind conjured up an image of what Khol and I had done together, but with Jenna in my place. I think my blood actually began to boil. “Why didn’t you tell me?” I screeched.

“You were with Bryn!” Jenna screeched back, as she moved toward the door.

Khol appeared just in the nick of time as flames shot out of my palms in the general direction of Jenna. Khol grabbed my hands and began siphoning off my energy, but I still heard Jenna scream even though I knew the flames hadn’t touched her.

I heard Macon’s voice as he entered the fray. “What the hell is going on?”

“She tried to burn me!” I heard Jenna cry out.

“That’s because you’re a slut who tried to screw Khol!” I growled between clenched teeth.

“You were with Bryn!” she screeched back at me.

“My lord?” Macon’s shaky voice said with question.

“Nothing happened,” he responded in a flat tone. “Take her out of here.” He paused and seemed to think better of what he said. “Do not punish her, it was before the two of you were seriously involved.”

“Don’t punish her my ass!” I hissed as I struggled inside the iron bars that were Khol’s arms. “If you don’t I will!” But Macon and Jenna were already gone, and the adrenaline rush that had been fueling me suddenly dissipated into wave of dizziness.

“Hush,” Khol crooned as he kissed the top of my head. “You must learn to keep your dragon temper under control. You may end up hurting someone you do not wish to one day.”

“But she tried to seduce you,” was my lame attempt at an excuse even though the rational side of me was already beginning to chastise my behavior toward Jenna. She was right; I had no right to be angry with her for what she did. I had been with Bryn at the time and had no claims on Khol. So why did I still feel so betrayed by her? “You don’t seem all that upset,” I groused at Khol. Yes, he had advised me that I would regret hurting Jenna, but he didn’t seem angry at all by my outburst . . . not really.

“I’m sure I don’t have to explain to you why.” I could hear the smile in his voice.

No, he didn’t have to explain why he was so pleased, not really. He was completely digging the fact that I had gotten all crazy jealous over him. “Why didn’t you hook up with her? It’s not like you didn’t know I was with