Dragonkin 2: My Persistent Mate

Part 9 Stirrings

I bide my time on the balcony until I am sure Karalian was swallowed up by the crowd in the ballroom. I don't think I can withstand another close encounter with him tonight.

Closing my eyes, I take a few minutes to gather my scattered thoughts before braving the ballroom with a feigned calm expression.

Upon entering the ballroom, I was intensely aware of Karalian, always keeping him in sight from the corner of my eye. The mere sight of him causes my pulse to race wildly and I shudder to think what I would do if he were to accost me again. The wayward thought sends conflicting emotions coursing through me – a sense of both exhilaration and trepidation.

Throughout the ball, he effortlessly mingled with the attendees, making small talk with the foreign dignitaries and our members of the court. Wherever he goes, his audience hang onto his word attentively and are charmed by him. The females especially, are paying very close attention to him. The brazen ones unabashedly display their wares to him and touch him suggestively. I can't keep track of how many times I rolled my eyes at the obvious ploys played by the females – the flirtatious batting of eyelashes, the casual placement of their hand on his chest, and the extremely low décolletage of their gowns, which I worry their breasts could fall out of their tight confines any time soon. As I watch, I observe Karalian to be a smooth operator. He always manage to brush his persistent suitors off without slighting them and smoothly extricate himself before they sink their claws into him.

"Earth to Guinevere. Earth to Guinevere," a male voice insistently asks, "Are you listening?"

Pulled back into my current situation, I respond apologetically, "Sorry Magnus, what were you telling me just now?"

With a put-upon sigh, he grumbles, "You have been out of sorts since you returned to the ballroom. You mingle around the crowd, greeting everyone perfunctorily and splendidly. When you've performed your duties, you sought me out and interrupted my self-imposed solitude in the corner". Folding his arms, he scowl, "I'd thought you wanted my company but you weren't listening to me at all, despite how entertaining I am".

However, despite his sharp words, he softens his expression. Casting his gaze pointedly towards a group of females who are blatantly trying to seduce Karalian, he teases with a hint of concern, "Did something happen between you and Crown Prince charming?"

Heat creeps up my face at his question, threatening to turn it beet red. "Nothing out of the ordinary", I answered emphatically.

His brows arching quizzically in disbelief, "Nothing? Prince charming there nearly took off my head earlier when he saw me monopolizing your person. It's obvious he has taken an interest in you. Even now when his royal highness is occupied with the simpering females, I can still sense his death glare boring holes into my person. Just because I'm lurking in your vicinity and even though I'm not touching you". Gesturing to Karalian, he asks, "If there's anything between the both of you, I would greatly appreciate an early heads-up so I can make good my escape before he comes to bite my head off again. I begin to fear for my wellbeing if I were to continue to stick near you."

Crossing my fingers across my heart, I emphasize, "There's really nothing between us, I swear," then impishly add with a laugh, "I'll let you be the first one to know if something's up. I can't bear it if my best friend is chewed and spit out like a wad of chewing gum by the fierce fire breathing silver dragon. That would just be plain disgusting".

Rolling his eyes at me, "Great, my best friend is likening me to chewing gum and finding me disgusting," suppressed mirth in his voice. His tone turning serious, he comments, "I felt your mating call earlier. Heck, I think all of the unmated males here sensed it, but can't pinpoint the culprit. It's only because we were lovers before that I knew it was you. Then all of a sudden the mating call was suppressed and the ball resumed. Did the Prince claim you for his?"

His eyes scrutinize my neck for marks. "I don't see any mark on you, but I smell his scent all over you. Did you shake him off? I don't want him to mistake me for stealing his mate-to-be. You know how possessive and protective drakos can get regarding their mates". Putting his hand on my shoulder, he opines, "I'm your best friend but I do not want to mess with your mate. Despite how I look, I still have a shred of self-preservation left in me". Then spreading his hand to encompass the females in the room, he randomly winks at a draka who is openly admiring him, before declaring shamelessly to me, "How the women will mourn my departure from this world".

Grinning at his statement, I chime in, "Yes, Oh Great Casanova. I get your point. Let me reiterate this in case it didn't penetrate your thick skull. I'm neither Karalian's mate nor lover. There's nothing between us and I would like to keep it that way". I certainly hope it stays that way, I fervently wish while crossing my fingers.

In response, I catch Magnus muttering under his breath, "You'd have better luck if you start running away now".

Deciding to ignore his pessimistic remark, I smile brightly and forcibly changed the subject.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the ballroom, a scowl starts to form on Karalian's face as he chats with the circle of foreign dignitaries. She's too damn beautiful for her own good. If I didn't have to make small talk with the guests, I could have pulled her with me from the admiring eyes of the unmated males in the ballroom and into my bedroom. His eyes narrowing into thin slits as he catches sight of Magnus' hand on Guinevere's shoulder. And why is that scoundrel putting his hands on her again? I thought the warning earlier was clear. She's mine.

A dainty hand on his sleeve draws his attention back to the present. Smoothing his furrowed brows, he smiles congenially at the female draka batting her eyelashes at him while conversing about the weather with her. Arghh! I'm not the weatherman, why am I talking about the infernal weather? The topic of the conversation bores him and he is irritated by the casual flirting of the drakas. The females are getting bolder with their advances and it now grates on my nerves. He gently removes the hand on his sleeve.

As soon as one well-manicured hand was removed, another takes its place on his other sleeve. I would have welcome it in the past and may even occasionally have taken them up on their offer of a fling. But I'm not ready to settle down, they interfere with my work. They try to get into my bed, then progressively demand to spend more time with me, wasting my precious time which is better off used for work. Then finally forcing me to choose between making them my mate or they'll threaten to leave me for someone else. They only want me because of my status and power. Such mercenary drakas are not worth my time and good riddance to them if they willingly pack up and leave on their own. But they rarely do, unless I evict them forcefully. A litany of complaints swirling in his mind, he absently pulls another hand away from his person.

When he cannot stand the constant harassment on his person anymore, he excuses himself and joined another group for small talk. While holding a conversation on economics, his mind wanders again. After breaking up recently with a possessive lover who insists on being mated to me, these persistent drakas turn me off. I'm not getting younger and Father and Mother have been pestering me to get a mate. To not waste time, my new lover would eventually become my consort and mate. She has to be compatible with me in terms of work and temperament. Why can't they be as demure, knowledgeable and professional like Guinevere?

While chatting amiably about inconsequential topics, Karalian decides to focus his restless mind on more fascinating matters, like devising a strategy to win over the hard-headed Guinevere.

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