Legend of the Forbidden Read online

  Whatever feelings he had for her, he made sure they only expressed his caring for her as his best friend and nothing more. Even though he was pretty sure it wasn't normal for him to feel warm in his stomach, or to smile so much when he thought about her. He only did that when no one watched him, of course. And it probably wasn't normal for him to compare every girl he saw to her. I want to spend my life with someone who gets me like Dani does. Maybe that's why picking a wife is so hard. I have too high of expectations. But if I don't give anyone a chance, I suppose none of them ever will, huh?

  Out of the car stepped a Terran. He was a big man, and Tyson bowed at the sight of him. Ethan followed suit, trusting his friend's decision to treat this man with respect, even though Ethan got strange vibes from him. Everyone at the table did the same thing.

  “Lord Bolton,” Tyson said. “What a surprise and an honor to have you here.”

  The man gave a large smile, though Ethan sensed it wasn't genuine.

  “I couldn't miss such an important event, especially when I come with some big news,” Lord Bolton said.

  “Would you like to sit?” Kat asked.

  “No, I will not be here long, but thank you. As you know, this is the year scheduled for your wedding. It pleases me to announce that you will be married this summer. In fact, the date is set for next month,” Bolton said.

  Matthias raised an eyebrow, “Excuse me? You set a date? I thought this was still an unsettled issue?”

  “I said the winter,” Dani whispered.

  “I know that's what you said, but the winter does not work well for my people. Let's be honest with each other here. This union is not one of true love, but of politics. The summer is the perfect time to unite our nations in celebration. Besides, the Shanrean people believe it a bad omen to wed in the wintertime. Since I imagine you want your father to participate in the ceremony, you will have to wed here,” Lord Bolton explained, and touched Dani's dark hair. Ethan noticed her flinch at the touch. If she didn't like him, that was good enough reason for Ethan not to as well.

  Tyson stared at the top of the table, looking afraid to make eye contact with his dragon lord. “Thank you for honoring us by telling us this in person. I'm sure you have a lot of business to attend to.”

  “You're welcome. I'm here to secure options and things to make the stress of planning not quite as great,” he said.

  “You are very generous,” Tyson whispered. Ethan couldn't believe how much butt was being kissed by his friend. This wasn't like Tyson at all. There had to be a good reason for it that Ethan hadn't been told about yet. Hopefully, he'd get the details later.

  Lord Bolton bowed and returned to his car. “I will leave you to your celebration. Happy birthday to you as well, Lord Oceina.”

  “Thanks,” Ethan mumbled.

  “Excuse me,” Dani whispered, and stood from the table. She didn't wait for permission and hurried inside. With a sigh, Tyson rose to follow her.

  As tempting as it was for Ethan to go too, he knew it wasn't a moment for him to invade on. This was strictly a time for her and Tyson. And that's how it was supposed to be. The two of them were promised to each other. Ethan couldn't get in the way of that no matter how much he sometimes wanted to.

  Chapter Seven

  Tyson wished Dani would stop crying. He hated seeing her in tears, and he hated being the reason she was doing it in the first place. Maybe it wasn't directly his fault, but her feelings about the wedding were pretty clear, and they didn't help his ego. Not like he should have been surprised. He kind of felt the same way, so he couldn't take it too personally.

  All night she cried. No one could console her, not her mother nor even Ethan.

  “Why does your Great Lord get a say in this again?” Ethan asked as he sat down with Tyson in the den. That's where the two young men slept whenever the house was full of guests. Tyson gladly donated his guest room to Maya, so she could rest comfortably. Ethan's brothers shared a room with his mother.

  Tyson rubbed at his face, trying to get himself to relax some. “Because, like he said, it's about politics. A lot of the members of the Terran council are already upset with the arrangement to begin with. The way it was formed and the fact that we haven't wed yet. Hypothetically, we're overdue. It's supposed to help smooth things over between our two nations, because the war left a lot of awkward sore spots.”

  “A month though? He's nuts,” Ethan said, and shook his head.

  “I certainly didn't vote for him,” Tyson said with a chuckle. “I don't know how we're going to do this.”

  “I can stay and help you.”

  Tyson glanced over at his friend. “You'd do that?”

  “Of course. You two are my best friends, and I don't want to watch you drown in dresses and color swatches and flowers or whatever else,” he said. “And if you want, I could probably talk Maya's parents into letting her stick around too. I know she's kind of a stranger, but I have a feeling Dani's going to want the female input. I mean, all she has is her mom and mine, but there's no way mine’s going to be able to stick around for a month.”

  Tyson swallowed at the mention of Maya, the beauty staying with them who had captivated his attention. “I'm not sure that's a good idea if she's as sick as you say.” But really, his reasons for not having her around were more selfish. Tyson didn't need to be tempted.

  “This place is good for her. For all of us. It's just an idea.”

  “You're right,” Tyson said. “Ethan?”

  “Hmm?”

  “I want you to be a part of this wedding in other ways. Will you be my best man?”

  Ethan raised an eyebrow. “We don't have roles like that where I come from, but I have a general idea of what you're asking, and I'm honored. Of course I will.”

  Sighing heavily, Tyson got comfortable on the air mattress on the floor. He pulled the covers up around him and closed his eyes. Maybe asking Ethan to be a part of the wedding wasn't a good idea, given Dani's feelings for him, but Tyson couldn't imagine anyone else standing by his side. Together, the three of them might be able to come up with a way out of the entire thing.

  Chapter Eight

  Maya might as well have been floating. She didn't have to go home yet. Her parents allowed her to stay on Shanrea, and she had more time to be with Ethan. In fact, she could stay for as long as she felt up to it. How could she not want to stay, when she was the happiest she'd ever been in her entire life? For the first time ever, she was finally living her own life. No parents could hold her down, not completely. Dani's folks had promised to keep a watchful eye on everything she did, of course, but Maya was still being allowed out of the house. And for that she was grateful. Why they allowed it, she didn't know for certain, but it was something she needed. And spending more time with Ethan was always a plus. Most of her strength came from him.

  “You promise to call if anything goes wrong? If you feel sick, anything? And you still have your inhaler? Your medicine?” Ethan's mom asked as she hugged him close.

  “Yes Mom, I have everything. I promise. I will call you every day. Twice even. Does that sound good to you? And Brad will be here with me too, just in case any emergency flying needs to happen,” Ethan said with a soft smile. “After the wedding, I'll be home all the time.”

  “Okay, twice a day sounds good. And I have Brad on orders to let me know if you're lying.”

  “Deal. Bye, Mom. Be safe.” He hugged her close.

  Maya waved farewell, smiling, feeling as if nothing could bring her down from the amazing high she felt. She could see the reluctance Ethan's mother had over leaving. He gave her a nod and a huge smile, even put his arm around Maya as if to show that he would be looking after her. Ethan looked so much like a man then. It made her want him all the more.

  Ethan grinned from ear to ear as he watched the great water dragon lift off of the ground. “And they're off.”

  “I never in a million years would have thought my parents would agree to letting me stay here longer,” Maya s
aid.

  “Honestly? I'm surprised myself, but I like that they're letting you at least try it. If something happens, Brad can get you home again in no time. He's the fastest flyer I've ever met, and that's saying a lot given my family,” he said, and glanced down at her. She briefly made eye contact with his sparkly blue eyes and couldn't help but let out a dreamy sigh.

  He frowned. “You okay?”

  “Never better.”

  “All right.” He shrugged. “Let's go cause some trouble.”

  His cousin Brad must have taken him seriously, because his dark blue eyes narrowed. “Are you kidding me? I told her I'd watch you, but I didn't think I'd actually have to babysit you both. Nor did I think you had a death wish.”

  Ethan rolled his eyes. “Sometimes I think you're more uptight than the parents.”

  “Am not,” Brad protested.

  “That's right, I'm the responsible one. You try not to get into too much trouble while we're here,” Ethan teased with a wink, then clapped his cousin on the back. Maya noticed the large scar on Brad's jawline. It disappeared under his shirt and then she could see it once more running along his arm and down to his elbow. There was a break between his face and his shoulder, but Maya got the feeling it was all caused by the same swipe. Whatever had made the scar, it had missed his neck and anything else vital.

  Brad smirked. “And what are you going to do while I go meet up with my lady?”

  “What I said I was going to do. Help with the wedding plans,” Ethan said. “I'm a man of my word.”

  “That you are. You try to do something to relax too. Maybe check out some of the Inero ladies for yourself, since your search for Oceina women isn't going so well.”

  “Dad would never let me marry an Inero,” Ethan mumbled. He tensed and slipped both hands into his pockets.

  Maya's heart sank. She was part Inero, and she hated seeing how cold Ethan became at the mention of finding a woman. Would his father approve of Ethan being with someone like her? No wonder he had such a hard time finding a bride. Were there other conditions she would have to meet? Maya would find out, and she would find a way to go above and beyond every standard given to her. Ethan would be hers.

  Chapter Nine

  Danielle rubbed her arms and stared out at the ocean. Ever since the bomb had been dropped about the wedding, she'd been spending most of her time at the beach. She didn't quite understand why, but it probably had a lot to do with how quiet the place was. Nobody followed her out there to bother her, so that made everything all the more appealing. It was different when Ethan came out to find her. She didn't feel as though his presence invaded her privacy. He only stood beside her and gazed out at the ocean, waiting for her to make the first move.

  She glanced over at him. “They let you stay.”

  “You need me.”

  “I do,” she whispered, and immediately bitterness followed those two words. Soon they would be sealing her fate, forever binding her to Tyson.

  Ethan must have picked up on it too, because he smiled sadly. “I know this isn't what you want to hear, but it'll be easier if you can get excited about it. Even just a little bit.”

  “I know,” she said with a sigh. “I should be excited, shouldn't I? This is my wedding. And Tyson is a great guy… a really great guy.”

  “I know you're not, like, head-over-heels for him. But do any of us marry for love? That's never been in the cards for our kind. In all honesty, you should consider yourself lucky. You’re marrying one of your best friends. Most dragons would kill for that opportunity. The humans often describe being in love as the chance to be intimate with their best friend.”

  “Yeah, so true,” Dani said. She knew all too well what that felt like, being in love with her best friend. Unfortunately, it was the wrong best friend. “You do have a point though. In Inero, marrying for love hardly ever happens. Even love after the wedding is rare. My parents were lucky. They were childhood sweethearts, and so were yours.”

  Ethan shook his head. “The story I hear is, my mom hated my dad for a while after marrying him. Wished she'd never met him, let alone mated with him, and they almost didn't make it. But they kept trying, and fell in love too. Even in the most un-ideal of situations, they made it work and grew together into something that I think is pretty amazing. It's about the only thing that gives me hope that maybe I'll get that too. You've got a leg up on the whole process already, Dani. Be excited. What happened with your parents was a fluke, and you know it. Had you been a normal Inero, you'd be doing things very differently.”

  Why did he have to be so good at being the voice of reason? Dani closed her eyes for a moment, and then focused her attention on the ocean waves.

  “I know you're right. The thing that makes this so hard, I guess, is the lack of control I feel.”

  “Then take it back. From what I understand of Terran weddings, it's all about the bride anyway.”

  “That doesn't seem okay to me.” She crinkled her nose.

  Ethan laughed. “It's only a rumor I hear. But take advantage of it. Take control. Make it your own, and I bet you'll start to feel better about everything.”

  “I know you don't like hugs—”

  “I like hugs.”

  “Well then, maybe just not from me,” she mumbled. “But I want to hug you. Can I?”

  He nodded, smiling so beautifully, before collecting her into his arms. “Dani, your hugs are probably my favorite.”

  She wanted to point out how every time she tried to hug him he'd tense up and flinch a little. In fact, he only seemed comfortable with touch from members of his family or the boys. Not her. It was the only complaint she had with him. If her hugs were his favorite, why didn't he try to get them more often?

  “So what about the wedding are you most looking forward to?” he asked, his face buried in her hair.

  None of it. Dani tried so hard to think of something. “Um, the cake, I suppose? Or maybe the flowers.”

  “Then we'll start there tomorrow, and we're going to have fun,” he said.

  “Do you even know anything about planning a wedding?” she asked.

  “No, but this will be good practice for me.”

  “Plan on doing a lot of them?” she teased.

  He shook his head. “Just this one, and my own.”

  She nodded. Too bad they can't be one and the same.

  Chapter Ten

  After her talk with Ethan, Dani started to feel much better about things. His logic put a lot of things into perspective. While the situation wasn't everything she'd ever dreamed of, she was willing to put her feelings aside and be open to the possibility of enjoying the process. He was right; among the Inero people, women don't get to have grand weddings. Hardly ever, at least. On Shanrea, weddings were common amongst the human people. The dragons, not so much. Most of the dragons on the island went to the city to find a mate. The eldest of her brothers was scheduled to leave and do just that in a couple of months.

  The Inero practice of picking from the Elite was still a common thing for the fire dragons. Essentially, all of the eligible women would be chosen, lined up in front of all the eligible men, and then auctioned off. It disgusted her to think about it, but most of the women wanted to be a part of this for the sole purpose of the promises of glory, wealth, and security. Shallow things that didn't appeal to Dani.

  Her parents had been wed that way, but they also had known each other for a long time beforehand. Before the selection of her father's group had been made, he had gone out of his way to beg for a special favor, so he could be with her forever. It was a sweet story. Dani did not understand why all of the Inero didn't behave this way.

  Then again, under the new Inero Lord's leadership, a lot of changes were in the process of being made. One of them was the way Inero dragon marriages were performed, as well as the expectations for such a relationship. Programs were being put into place to help marriages last and for the women to be more respected as people instead of simply being breeding tools
. Inero men now had the option of waiting and falling in love instead of being forced into marriages for fear of losing respect. Her grandfather, Lord Oliver, made her so proud to be related to the Inero hierarchy line. After all of the drama from the war, and all of the tyrannical things her Great-uncle Lynx had tried to do, it was good to see so much hope for her people. Change would be slow. Lord Oliver constantly worked on smoothing over the relationships within the country, as well as the Inero's relationships with the other nations.

  For the most part, the consequences from the Great War between the Oceina and Inero had been manageable. The Inero were not allowed to keep a military faction greater than a few hundred soldiers. This was probably one of the biggest changes, and it put a lot of dragon men out of work. New jobs weren't hard to find, outside of the city at least. There were other repercussions of course, but most were things Dani didn't quite understand. Politics had never been her thing. Her father loved to keep up with what was going on. He would have made a great leader if he hadn't gotten tangled in his Uncle Lynx's web of lies. The man had posed as his father for so long and manipulated him into doing terrible things.

  This was another reason Dani's marriage to Tyson was so important. It would be a good way to bridge some of those gaps between the nations. It sent a message of peace and unity. Even though it was a promise made in war to bring about some horrible things, the wedding would be spun as a way for the Inero and Terran people to submit to the Aero and the Oceina. Everyone was going to be there. It was also why her relationship with Ethan and his family was so important. He would be a part of the wedding. There was no way around it, and that would also send a huge message, especially of forgiveness. Ethan's father, Lord of the Oceina, may not have forgiven Dani's father for his crimes, but it would look like he had to the rest of the world.

  Tyson was a good man. He was one of the gentlest people she'd met. They hardly ever fought, and he was so respectful. The hang-ups Ethan was causing for her had to be subdued. Silly crushes caused from rebellion were not something she needed.