Chapter 161: Episode 160: Because you are mine

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Rue asked. Her voice was just a soft whisper.

Drax’s sharp face softened. He didn’t answer with a long speech. He didn’t need to. He just smiled. It was a slow, warm smile that reached his dark eyes. He reached his large hand out. His rough fingers gently tucked a wet strand of silver hair behind her long rabbit ear. He looked at her like she held the sun and the moon in her hands.

"Because you’re mine," Drax murmured. His deep voice vibrated in the crisp mountain air. "And you’re beautiful."

Rue felt a fresh blush warm her cheeks. This time it wasn’t from embarrassment. It was just pure, happy affection. She leaned into his touch for a brief second. Then she turned her attention back to the turquoise pond.

Zale was still floating near the grassy edge. The merman watched them with a bright, easy grin. He didn’t seem bothered by Drax’s sudden possessive growl from earlier. He was just happy to have company.

"You’re a really good artist, Zale," Rue said kindly. She stepped closer to the water’s edge. "Perhaps one day you can do a painting for my children?"

She thought about her wild little family. She wanted a big picture of Theron showing off his silver snake scales. She wanted a painting of Seika sleeping with her fuzzy panther ears poking out of her blankets. She wanted to remember them exactly as they were right now.

Zale lit up. His sea-green eyes sparkled in the late afternoon sun. He splashed his massive blue tail, sending a wave of warm water washing over the mossy rocks.

"Anytime, sister-in-law," Zale responded with a massive smile. "And I hope I can have my mate soon."

Rue smiled back at him. She felt a deep, genuine fondness for the bubbly merman. He was so open and honest about what he wanted.

"Surely you will," Rue said.

Zale waved his wet hand. He pushed off the bank and floated backward into the deep center of the hot spring. "Have a safe flight back! Tell Axel I found his missing hunting knife in the mud! I’m keeping it!"

Rue laughed. She waved goodbye to the merman.

Drax wrapped his arm securely around her waist. He guided her away from the hot spring and back toward the dark stone walls of Ironwood Manor.

The sun was starting to sink behind the tall mountain peaks. The sky turned a deep, bruised purple. The shadows grew long and sharp across the grass. The air grew much colder. Rue shivered in her dry green dress. Her soft rabbit body was running out of energy fast. The excitement of the day faded, leaving behind a heavy, bone-deep exhaustion.

She just wanted to go home. She missed Seika’s soft baby smells. She missed Theron’s bossy little frown. She missed Mochi’s loud purrs. The new stone fortress felt like a real sanctuary waiting for her.

They walked back through the dusty east wing of the manor. They crossed the massive, empty main hall. The silence in the ancient castle felt heavy and sad. Drax kept his pace slow, matching her tired steps. He was a solid, warm wall next to her.

They finally head for the front gates.

Rue expects Onyx to stay behind. She thought the moody white wolf would go hide in his dark room. She thought he would stay by the pond to yell at Zale. He hated her scent. He hated the mate bond forcing its way into his brain. She figured he wanted to get as far away from her as possible. He looked so miserable bleeding on the grass earlier.

But he didn’t stay behind.

Heavy leather boots crunched on the stone floor right behind them.

Rue stiffened. She glanced over her shoulder.

The moody wolf follows them in dead silence.

Onyx kept his head down. His messy white hair fell over his icy silver eyes. The dark blood on his chin was gone, wiped away by a rough cloth. His pale skin still looked flushed and feverish. He walked exactly five paces behind them. He matched Drax’s long strides perfectly.

He didn’t speak. He didn’t look up. He just followed them like a dark, brooding shadow.

The tension in the air spiked. The crisp evening breeze suddenly felt thick and hard to breathe. Rue squeezed Drax’s hand tight. She didn’t like this. She didn’t like being stalked by a feral predator. The magical system inside her head wanted them to bond, but he acted like he wanted to bite her head off. His silent presence made the hair on the back of her neck stand straight up.

Every time she took a step, he took a step. If she slowed down, he slowed down. It was unnerving. She could hear his harsh, ragged breathing. He sounded desperate. He smelled like bitter pine and raw panic.

"Drax," Rue whispered. She leaned closer to his side. "He’s following us."

Drax didn’t answer right away. His jaw clenched tight. The smell of burning wood leaked from his hot skin. He hated another male tracking his mate. He tolerated a lot of bad behavior from his family, but his patience was gone. His dragon instincts demanded he protect his territory.

They stepped out of the manor and into the wide stone courtyard. The tall statues of ancient beasts stared down at them with blank, dead eyes. The massive iron front gates stood open, offering a clear runway for Drax to shift and take off into the sky.

Drax stops and turns around.

He let go of Rue’s hand. He stepped smoothly in front of her, shielding her soft body from the wolf’s intense stare.

He glares at his brother.

The Dragon King didn’t yell. He didn’t roar. He used a low, deadly tone that promised absolute violence if he was ignored.

"Stop right there," Drax ordered.

Onyx froze. His heavy boots skidded on the loose gravel. He snapped his head up. His silver eyes met Drax’s burning dark stare. The wolf looked wild. His chest heaved up and down with fast, shallow breaths.

"Go back inside," Drax told him flatly. "You’re acting like a starving stray dog. It’s pathetic."

Onyx bared his teeth. A harsh, rattling growl built in the back of his throat. His hands curled into tight fists. The leather of his gloves creaked under the immense pressure.

"I can walk wherever I want," Onyx shot back. His voice was rough and grating. "This is my courtyard too."

"You aren’t walking," Drax corrected him. "You’re hunting. You’re tracking her scent. I won’t allow it. You’re making her nervous."

Rue peeked around Drax’s broad shoulder. She saw the wild, frantic look in Onyx’s eyes. The wolf was fighting a losing battle against his own biology. The system pushed the mate bond on him hard. He wanted her, but his stubborn pride hated her. It was a messy, painful mix. He looked like he was being torn apart from the inside out.

"I’m not doing anything," Onyx lied. His voice shook. A muscle twitched violently in his jaw. "I just need some fresh air."

"You need distance," Drax growled. He pointed a thick, scarred finger toward the jagged, snow-capped mountains in the far north.

He telling him to go back to the Dragon Peaks and collect his thoughts before he ruins things further.

"Go up the mountain," Drax commanded. His voice left no room for argument. "Stay up there in the freezing cold until you learn how to control your beast. You’re a danger to yourself and everyone else right now. You left us to rot in the dark for years, Onyx. Don’t act like you care about family now just because you smelled blood. If you come near my mate again looking like that, I’ll break your legs."

The threat hung heavy in the cold evening air.

Drax was offering him a way out. The Dragon Peaks were Drax’s old, isolated territory. It was a freezing, lonely place. It was the perfect spot for a wild wolf to cool off and clear his head. It would give the wolf time to process the sudden, overwhelming mate bond without Rue’s scent driving him crazy.

But Onyx didn’t want a way out.

He didn’t want to be told what to do by his older brother. He was a proud triplet. He fought bloody border wars for years. He shed his own blood to keep this ancient family safe. He refused to be banished to a snowy rock just because he couldn’t stop staring at a girl in a green dress. The harsh command snapped his last thread of sanity.

The heavy pressure broke.

Onyx loses his temper.

His icy silver eyes flashed with raw, feral rage. He threw his arms out wide. His dark leather armor creaked loudly. The wild beast inside him tore free from its mental cage. He didn’t care about respect anymore. He didn’t care about peace.

"I AM NOT THE KING OF THE DRAGON PEAKS!" he shouts.

His voice echoed like a crack of thunder across the stone courtyard. A flock of black birds scattered from the ironwood trees, startled by the sheer volume of his roar. His chest heaved. He glared at Drax with pure, unhinged hatred. He wanted to fight. He wanted to shed blood right here on the gravel.

Drax didn’t flinch. He didn’t argue back. He didn’t care about the wolf’s hurt pride or his loud, messy tantrums.

Drax just ignores him.

The Dragon King turned his back on the angry wolf. He didn’t say another word. He just bent down and scoops Rue up into his strong arms. He held her tight against his chest.

Black smoke erupted from his skin. The massive heat washed over Rue’s face. The giant black dragon took off into the dark sky.