Govam’s hands tightened on my elbows as all the guards around us bowed, lowering their heads. His grip forced me to match the subservient posture.
Fuck this. My dragon thrashed against my hold, trying to steal control. I will not bow to that donkey fucker.
That’s an insult to donkeys. I gritted my teeth but held the deep bow, looking up through my lashes with a bowed head.
Dolion watched me with an acute gaze, one elbow resting on the arm of his chair. He wanted to see me submit.
Fire raged through me. I could kill him; I knew I could. I had the power. I had the strength. More importantly, I had the anger. The history of anger, for what he’d done to my family. My village. For the people he had killed. For the injuries he had dealt my mate.
For the suffering he’d caused.
My animal pushed up, right beneath the surface. I felt Govam’s fingers dig into my skin—a warning. Or maybe he was preparing himself.
Now is not the time, I barely got out, my thoughts tinged as red as Dolion’s eyes. I could kill him, but I couldn’t kill them all. They’d take me down.
I know, my dragon snarled. But we will kill him one day. One day, we will rip his head off his neck, hollow out his eyes, and piss on his remains.
A bit much, that. But in this case, I agree.
With incredible effort, I dropped my eyes. I bent my knees just a bit more. I feigned submission.
“Good,” I heard from Govam, barely more than a whisper. His hands loosened on my elbows, his touch barely there now. The only thing that kept my anger from increasing was that he didn’t sound smug or authoritative—he sounded supportive, like he knew the effort it had taken me to get through that.
Before I could wonder at it, I felt the tug of his hand, and everyone was standing once again.
“So.” Dolion crossed a thin leg over the other. His gaze roamed me before he gave Jedrek the same assessment. “The happy couple has stepped before me. What do you think of your new home?”
Jedrek squirmed, drawing Dolion’s eyes. I wondered why I hadn’t pulled his animal loose yet. Then again, maybe he was still affected by Sonassa’s magic. I wasn’t sure whether I could pull the animals free if they were under any kind of demon influence.
“My goodness, shifter,” Dolion said, tapping his thin lips. “I’d forgotten how nicely you clean up.”
“He sure does,” the demon to Dolion’s right said, her horns thinner and a little more curved. “What is his animal?”
Dolion narrowed his eyes. “This one came from the villages. He wouldn’t know.”
“Submissive,” Govam said.
“Hmm. I like the submissive ones,” she replied.
“I’m not submissive,” Jedrek grumbled.
“And delusional,” Govam added.
The demons on the dais laughed delightedly, except for Dolion, whose eyes gleamed. “A handsome and delusional ‘alpha.’ He’ll be a great favorite. How does he respond to your magic, Sonassa?”
“Like a little pussycat, your majesty,” she replied, adding a little bow. “He welcomes it. I get the impression he was fond of the demons in his village.”
“Yes, that was the impression I got when I first met him.” Dolion tapped his lips again. “Get a suit that actually fits him. Bring him to dinner tonight. No other shifters. Just him. I want to see how he does. Sonassa, you take charge of him. You’ll be more useful than Denski.”
“My pleasure, sire.” Her hips swung as she took Denski’s place, offering him a smug smile as she did so. Apparently handling the prisoners was usually reserved for the higher tiers of demons.
Dolion leaned forward a little, peering down at Jedrek. “Remember, if you cooperate, you’ll be treated well. Please me, and you’ll be pampered. Displease me, however, and you’ll find yourself in a worse place than that dungeon, do you understand? The pain you experience will have no comparison.”
“Yes, sir—sire,” Jedrek said, straightening up a little. He looked at me out of the corner of his eye, and I could just see his cheeks rising. He thought this was a hand out of his current hell. Or maybe he figured gaining Dolion’s favor would get him married to me that much faster. Whatever it was, he had absolutely zero worry about what sort of duties would come next. He probably looked forward to them.
I kept myself from hunching, worried about my own fate. Worried about what duties would be coming for me. I’d be damned if I was passed around his demons. A great many of them would die before that happened.
Dolion flicked his fingers. “Sonassa, go find temporary quarters for him until we know where he will go.”
“Of course, your highness.” She offered a bow, and her magic swirled around us, licking down my body and attempting to settle between my legs.