“Knowledge of what?” he’d demanded. “What can you possibly learn there that will make you a better ruler here when I am gone?”
But I was adamant about my wish to get away and at last he had agreed that I could spend a single year at Nocturne Academy, mingling with the other tribes of Others as well as the humans themselves, who were normally considered so puny as to be beneath the notice of most Drakes.
I couldn’t say what had driven me to seek a new perspective—maybe I just wanted to see more than my own homeland before I had to settle down to rule. Or maybe I simply wanted to see the place I had heard so much about from the students of my own age who attended Nocturne Academy.
For whatever reason, here I was and even though I was in the middle of a large group…I felt all alone.
Part of it was the fault of my status, I was sure. The other Drakes looked at me askance, uncertain how to treat me. I had tried, but though I had joined their football and wrestling teams, since organized sports seemed to be required of someone with my strength and speed and size, I just couldn’t seem to fit in.
For a short time I had been with Sanchez and his gang, but of course that didn’t last. And after I had punched him and he’d gotten expelled for his misdeeds, the other Drakes at the Academy were even more stand-offish with me.
Not that I cared, I told myself, as I made my way out of the Dining Hall towards my fifth period class—which happened to be wrestling practice. Now that my Drake had claimed Kaitlyn, I had no interest in being in any group that didn’t include the little human. All my attention lately was fixed on her, so much so that I barely had time to feel left out by my fellow Drakes.
As I was thinking this, and trying to keep my little human in view from the corner of my eye without looking like I was stalking her, Nancy Rattcliff came sidling up to me.
“Well hello, tall, dark and Drakey,” she purred, pressing her breasts against my chest and leering up at me in a very unpleasant way.
Nancy had what could be considered a pretty face—the upper part of it, anyway. But her lips and teeth were much too large and prominent for beauty, as far as I was concerned. Though to be honest, anyone who wasn’t Kaitlyn held no interest for me anyway.
“Excuse me,” I said and tried to push past her but she refused to budge.
“So I hear you’re going to be king of the Drakes someday,” she said, batting her long dark lashes at me and giving me a fake smile. “Is that right?”
“My Sire is the Alpha Drake and someday I will take his place,” I said shortly. “Is that all you wanted to know?” My eyes were still fixed on Kaitlyn, who was getting closer to the Dining Hall exit now, her other friends having all gone their separate ways.
“No, of course that’s not all I wanted to know,” Nancy purred, rubbing herself against me again like a cat in heat. “I also wanted to know if you’d like to go out sometime?” she said boldly.
“Go out?” I frowned down at her, unable to keep my attention on Kaitlyn anymore when this other, unwanted female was demanding I look at her.
“You know—out on a date. Maybe this Friday night?” She grinned at me—her over-large, rubbery lips, which she had painted brilliant scarlet, pulling back to show enormous teeth.
“I’m sorry,” I said, not wanting to offend her. “But we can’t do that—the Edict forbids it.”
Nancy frowned, her brows pulled down and her large lips pursed in a pout.
“But the Edict is dead—haven’t you heard? It’s no longer the law of the land because that bitch Megan Latimer blew it up.”
“I had heard that, yes,” I said neutrally. “But the Drake Elders have declared that just because the spell that formed the Edict is gone, it doesn’t mean that the ban against intra-Other relationships is lifted.”
Which was going to make things very interesting when my Sire found out my Drake had claimed Kaitlyn. But I preferred not to think of that for now.
Nancy scowled for a moment, then turned her attention back to me and gave me another look which I assumed she thought was a sexy pout.
“Who cares what a bunch of old people say? Now that the Edict’s spell is lifted, all the Others are free to date whoever we want.” She leaned forward and poked me in the chest. “And it just so happens I want you.” She tossed her short, black hair. “After all, my mother was the head of the Windermere Coven for years which practically makes me a princess—why shouldn’t I have a prince?”
Before I could answer, she pushed herself against my chest again, rubbing her breasts against me in a display of wanton lust that I found extremely distasteful.
As the heir to the throne of the Sky Lands, I’d had such offers before, but I wasn’t interested in a female who so obviously wanted to use me for her own advancement. In fact, the only female I was interested in was standing nearby in the bottleneck of students leaving through the Dining Hall exit, watching me with wide eyes.
Or the one lovely eye I could see was wide, anyway.
Afraid Kaitlyn would get the wrong idea, I tried again to push past Nancy.
“Sorry—not interested,” I said in a low voice, hoping to get past her without making a scene.
Unfortunately, Nancy seemed to realize my intention at once. Her sharp black eyes darted between me and Kaitlyn and widened…then narrowed. A slow, malicious smile spread across her face and she raised her voice as she leaned in towards me again.
“Oh, I know!” she exclaimed, as though continuing a private conversation the two
