Page 56 of In the Embrace of Dragons

I keep my voice steady and calm. “I do admire her,” I admit.

“Hmm.” He thoughtfully drinks his wine. I am surprised he’s not more upset by this conversation. “That’s all? You admire her?”

I swallow. He will likely know if I lie. I’ve never been good at it because I don’t make lying a habit—but there are somemoments, such as now, when their relationship is young, that I don’t want to upset the balance.

“Tell me the truth,” Vizarios says to my silence.

I clench my hands tight at my sides, grinding my teeth as I try to think of a solution to this, one that doesn’t require telling him just how much I hunger for his wife. How often I’ve dreamt about holding her, kissing her, making her cry out as I bury my cock in her?—

“Ragnakor.” The king’s eyes narrow dangerously.

“I do!” The words explode out of me, as hard as I’ve been trying to hold them in. “I do, Your Majesty. I want her. I am sorry. I am so sorry.” My claws dig into my palm. “It was an accident. I don’t mean?—”

“Captain!”

The king’s stern voice stops my words in my throat. Vizarios levels his gaze on me, and I think that I have truly upset him this time. He will not forgive that I’ve developed an affection for his wife just as he attempts to court her. I am supposed to be his and only his. He made that clear to me many moons ago.

And I have betrayed him.

VIZARIOS

It was very interesting to me to see howunsettledRagnakor is around Queen Nissia. He did his best in the training yard, but he was clearly distracted. Whether it was because of me, or because of her, I did not know for sure.

Now I know for sure.

He protects her from me not only because it’s his duty, but because he cares about her. That should hurt more than it does.

I am not surprised, not at all. He has tried to be her friend from the beginning, even when I forbade it. Still again, he went around me to invite her to train with him. He has sought her out many times.

A strange thing that he would find himself drawn to the same woman I am.

Now he looks paralyzed, as if I am going to bring a hammer down on his head. And I won’t deny there is a part of me that’s angry, the part of me that claimed her and made hermine—that part of me does not want to share her.

But I don’t have that right to her. She made that clear enough. While I have put aside my own wife, ignored her and treated her with disrespect, Ragnakor has always made a point of being kind to her. I understand why she might reciprocate that.

A jealous, furious voice in my head wonders if they’ve gone behind my back. But Ragnakor would never do something like that, I am sure of it.

Still, the sudden image—the thought of my captain and Nissia together, perhaps in the training yard, with just their pants pulled down...

Ragnakor is staring at me, waiting for my judgment.

“I do not blame you,” I say at last, drinking more wine. “She is not... unpleasant to the eyes.”

He holds his mouth closed tight, unwilling to say a word.

“I am not hurt, Rag. You can speak.”

His eyes flash to mine. “Truly? But I am...” He looks too embarrassed to put it into words.

“Lusting after another dragon’s wife?” I supply. In some ways, I am pleased. This may make our arrangement easier.

Ragnakor bows his head in guilt. “Yes.”

“And a queen, no less.”

Once again, he nods, his shoulders curling even tighter around his neck.

“Does she know?” I ask.