Lorne hurried down the hall of the familiar castle. He’d traveled the halls of Tatenen countless times over the past thousand years and added to the grooves worn into the stone. He’d memorized every mark and scar throughout the vast estate and couldn’t help but notice all the changes.

It wasn’t the electric lights or extremely sensitive security scanners. The modernization of the building began centuries earlier. The changes went beyond the crystal vases Keira filled with flowers from the garden. It was more than little Blaze, heir to the throne, running rampant from room to room. It was the sensation that surrounded Lorne the second he stepped inside Tatenen. The atmosphere among the staff and Maáhes permeated the very walls and was something they hadn’t had in millennia. Hope.

With the return of their king, the Cuelebre of Khoth were renewed mentally and physically. Angus’s connection to the land, water, and air breathed new energy into everything and everyone. Lorne hadn’t realized how diminished he was during Angus’s absence, but he certainly felt his regenerated vigor since his return.

As a Maáhes, Lorne was among the strongest dragons of Khoth, but their king’s exile from their realm left their army considerably weakened. It never dawned on Lorne that their struggles with the Buggane and Red Caps were more significant because of depleted strength. If the dragons expected to defeat their enemies, it was crucial for Maáhes to receive power through Angus’s connection to Gaia.

Lorne pushed open the massive double doors to the throne room and felt like he entered another century. This was the only room in the castle that remained primitive. The citizens, along with the King’s advisors, insisted on keeping this room intact. The massive gold throne sat on the dais like a lion protecting its pride. Although Angus refused to sit on the throne, preferring the large wooden table to conduct business, it was a symbol of their culture and history. The tapestries on the walls had been there for hundreds of years, but were in pristine condition. The overhead candle-lit chandelier cast a soft, inviting glow throughout the room. It was those familiar objects that reminded Thorne of days gone by, and part of him wished they could go back to the simpler time in Khoth.

A laugh reverberated throughout the room before Lorne made it ten steps, infiltrating his ruminations. The sight of Angus playing on the floor with his son brought a smile to Lorne’s face.

“You called for me?” Lorne murmured and winked at Blaze.

“I am Prince Blaze, the mightiest Maáhes in Khoth,” the boy yelled as he took a small stone dragon and smashed it against a metal Buggane creature.

Lorne laughed at the boy playing with the toys he made for him. He remembered having a similar set growing up and offered to make one for the prince. The small figurines were Blaze’s favorite toy, and Lorne puffed with pride, knowing he brought great joy to the child’s life.

“I can see that, Prince Blaze. It won’t be long before you are slaying Buggane,” Lorne replied and slashed out, pretending to kill the enemy.

“Over my dead body,” Keira countered, and Lorne gulped at the glare she shot his way. It was deadlier than any sword, and he knew he’d hit a sore spot with the female.

“My love, that is a long way off. We needn’t go there today,” Angus reassured and pinned Lorne with a shut-the-fuck-up-before-I-kick-your-ass.

“Absolutely, Keira. Don’t even listen to my nonsense. You know I talk out of my ass most of the time,” Lorne added with a forced smile. Keira rolled her eyes, but he didn’t miss her slight grin at his comment.

Lorne averted his gaze and watched the child play. His bright green hair fell with his vigorous effort of destroying the metal army. Blaze’s hair and turquoise-colored eyes matched his mother’s, but the boy was a mini-replica of Angus, especially his commanding presence.

“Thank you for coming, Lorne,” Angus stated, quickly changing the subject. He took a seat next to his assistant, Declan, and motioned for Lorne to join them at the table.

“Has there been news of Cyril?” Lorne asked.

His hands clenched into fists as he gritted his teeth at the threat to the royal family. Lorne and the other Maáhes searched day and night for the bastard, to no avail. They needed to eradicate the danger Cyril posed to Angus and Keira. No one knew if the Unseelie King was aware of Blaze’s birth, but if so, the Prince was in danger, as well.

“Nay. I spoke with Zander earlier. He said they havena seen evidence of Cyril on Earth, either. For a brief time, there was an insurgence of Fae, especially hobgoblins and barghests, but the Dark Warriors have that under control, so I doona believe he is procreating with the humans any more. But this isna aboot Cyril. I need to discuss problems with the Tuya,” Angus informed him as he signed a document Declan handed him.

That grabbed Lorne’s attention more than hunting Cyril. Tuya were the Cuelebre’s most precious resource. Without the females, their species would become extinct. In fact, before Angus returned to Khoth, the land dragons were an endangered species.

Only the king possessed the power to perform the Civappu, the ceremony asking the Gods to identify Tuya. The Tuya were chosen females that could breed with Cuelebre. During Angus’s absence, the birthrate dropped critically low. For some males (Lorne’s friend, Blaine, was a perfect example), the fact that they couldn’t get anyone pregnant was somehow permission for them to bugger any female they encountered. Blaine was still a sket but was more careful now that Tuya were walking around the city.

“What can I do? Do you need extra security around Heqet?” Lorne inquired, referring to the ceremonial site.

The Civappu ceremony was held on the first full moon of the month, and once Angus returned, the Unseelie defiled Heqet. After cleansing the area, the Maáhes added the location to their rotation of patrols.

Nothing could happen to the revered site. The next ceremony was in a couple weeks, and they needed the females to feel safe enough to attend. Without them, the ceremony was pointless, and their dying species required more Tuya to survive.

Despite several ceremonies, there weren’t many Tuya. Blaze’s birth ushered in a new wave of babies, but their numbers were still low. Males throughout Khoth clamored to win the hearts of the two-dozen available Tuya.

“I need a guard, of sorts. ‘Tis no’ an assignment I can trust with just anyone,” Angus said and looked at Lorne with a pinched expression.

His hesitation told Lorne that Angus didn’t think he would like what he had to say next. Their relationship was closer than most because it was Lorne who stood by Angus’s side as he searched Earth for Keira when she was missing, and they knew each other’s personality well. What had his king so discombobulated, and why did he need Lorne’s assistance?

“Just tell him already, Angus,” Keira persuaded. “You’re making him nervous for no reason.”

Lorne’s senses spiked at hearing her words. Keira never called him Angus unless it was serious business. He appreciated that she was trying to calm him, and it might’ve worked, had she used one of her common endearments like Dragon-Breath or Hottness.

“He needs to know I chose him because I trust him the most, Turquoise,” Angus told his mate before turning to Lorne. “There’s a Tuya that needs your protection,” he stated in a rush.

“What?” Lorne scoffed before the King could continue.

As much as he understood the importance of Tuya, this was total bullshit. His talents would be wasted by following a female around as she shopped and dated, or whatever it was females did. The more he contemplated the job, the higher his frustration rose.

“I’m a fucking knight, not a babysitter,” Lorne barked as he watched Angus’s gaze dart toward the double doors. He glanced sideways to see a male and two females enter the room.

“Ah, Godrich, Trina. ‘Tis good to see you again. And, Cambree,” Angus greeted as he stood.

The couple and their daughter stopped several feet then bowed. Lorne saw Angus’s eye twitch at the genuflection. Keira tried to mask her snicker by nuzzling Blaze. Declan’s gasp filled the room and Lorne couldn’t stop his chuckle as the eccentric assistant clutched his chest.

Angus was gone for over a thousand years, and during that time, spent two centuries as a servant to the Vampire King of the Tehrex Realm. As a result, Angus was still adjusting to subjects paying him respect and pledging their fealty to him. Lorne was positive Declan would develop permanent seizure disorder from Angus insisting the citizens not bow to him.

Angus glanced to Declan then touched the shoulders of his subjects before telling them to rise. Declan sighed his relief and smiled broadly. Baby steps, Lorne surmised.

“I was just informing my most trusted Maáhes, Lorne, about his next assignment. Your daughter,” Angus stated to the family.

The female stood close to her parents and trembled as she gazed warily around the room. The unfortunate thing was nervous and twitchy, biting at her nails like they were her last meal. Lorne noticed deep lines around her mouth and dark circles beneath chocolate-brown eyes and wondered what caused her obvious distress.

“Yes, I overheard his reaction,” Godrich grated as he turned his head with narrowed eyes toward Lorne. “Our daughter is our top priority, and, need I remind you, invaluable to the Cuelebre.”

Lorne took a deep breath, trying to calm his frustration. He understood the male’s concern. While Lorne didn’t have a child of his own, he knew the importance of family. His brother and parents meant the world to him.

“Lorne hasn’t been given all of the information, Godrich. I believe his opinion will change once he hears what Angus has to say,” Keira quickly interjected, attempting to appease the male.

Lorne acknowledged Keira had matured dramatically since her days as an impulsive Stoorworm that swam ashore, seeking wild adventures with land dragons. Now, she was a headstrong queen that was admired and respected by land and sea dragons alike. Lorne was proud to call her his Queen.

“True. I havena addressed the pertinent part,” Angus began as he took a seat at the table.

Blaze raced from the room, spouting the mighty prince needed food. Declan jumped up, running after him. Angus’s assistant had lost a considerable amount of weight, and now Lorne knew the reason. Nothing burned calories like chasing a three-foot dragon shifter around a castle.

“I apologize for my hasty response, Sire,” Lorne murmured respectfully as his gaze returned to Angus.

No doubt he looked like he’d been on the beach all afternoon as his skin heated over the subtle chastisement. Red was not his color. He needed to break his nasty habit of speaking out of turn. Under Legette’s rule, it hadn’t been a big issue because Legette was more colleague than monarch. Angus led with a heavy hand, and there were consequences to insubordination.

“Cambree is invaluable, no’ only because she is a Tuya, but because she is Cuelebre. There are too few of us. Our recovery is happening too fast for some and too slow for others, it seems,” Angus admitted, and his eyes roamed from Godrich to Lorne.

“Cambree was attacked three nights ago,” his king continued, “and was nearly kidnapped by a male hell-bent on claiming her. I am ashamed that some of our males have gone to such extremes in hopes of producing an heir. ‘Tis no excuse for such behavior.”

Lorne winced as guilt assailed. He presumed this was a family whose daughter refused to stay home and didn’t like the attention of drooling males drooling. He could be a real jackoff sometimes, he thought with a shake of his head.

“What exactly happened? And where?” he asked, wanting to understand the events leading up to the attack.

“I was shopping with a friend, and we wandered into Made With Sass. I was so caught up in trying on t-shirts that I didn’t notice the male until we left the store. He was leaning against the building, staring at us as we walked away. The next thing I knew, he hit Scarlett over the head and grabbed my arm. He dragged me to a nearby alley, ranting about me conceiving his young,” Cambree sputtered with a sob. Tears brimmed her eyes and her shoulders hunched as she relayed the story.

“My daughter barely escaped. Fortunately, Scarlett wasn’t unconscious from the blow to her head,” her father added.

“Do we have the sket in custody?” Lorne growled as his anger rose at the thought of the male’s intent.

“Aye. Several citizens came running when they heard Scarlett scream for help. A couple of males detained him while others called headquarters for assistance,” Angus explained.

Headquarters received all sorts of emergency calls, but most of them were theft or Unseelie attacks. Rarely did they get calls about violent attacks against their own. Over the centuries, Legette contemplated having a dedicated section of the Maáhes to investigate and solve various crimes that weren’t related to Unseelie, but decided it wasn’t warranted. Instead, the dragon knights made it part of their duty to patrol the streets, ensuring the people’s safety. It had worked until now. With Tuya being targeted, the kingdom needed a new game plan.

As dragon knights, none of them were complete without fighting to protect their realm. It was the basis for their existence and where all their power was derived. The destruction of land and poisoning of the waters by the Buggane was felt soul-deep by every Cuelebre and Stoorworm in Khoth.

Lorne prayed this misconduct didn’t mean their society was heading toward a full-time force like most societies on Earth.

“Are we dealing with a sociopath here? You mentioned him wanting an heir. Why try and force Cambree when more Tuya are identified every month?” Lorne speculated and looked at the female.

The truth was, Cambree wasn’t all that attractive. Simple came to mind. He was shocked she mentioned shopping at Made With Sass. The store carried t-shirts with bold and brash slogans. Their human friend, Mack, was the designer of the collection and the type of female who sported such cocky attire. Not this soft-spoken-baggy-clothes-wearing Plain Jane.

Cambree wasn’t ugly, he amended as he stared at the female. Her black hair was twisted on top of her head so he couldn’t tell if it was short or long. She had flawless skin and full lips, but she needed a little makeup, in his opinion. Maybe she had a rocking bod beneath her loose clothes. Lorne acknowledged he liked a little more meat on his females, not that he was interested in Cambree. At least he wouldn’t be distracted by unspent lust for her. Part of him was pissed he was taken off the Maáhes rotation, and the other part was already bored with his new assignment.

“Nay. He isna crazy,” Angus snarled, capturing Lorne’s attention. “He’s tired of waiting, like so many other Cuelebre, and decided he was going to take what he wanted.”

“How will this assignment work?” Lorne inquired, hoping he didn’t have to move into this family’s home and be scrutinized by her father every night.

“Starting today, you are Cambree’s bodyguard. Where she goes, you go,” Angus informed him. “And, you will need to stay at her place. With as much harassment as the Tuya are getting, I doona want to take any chances. Cambree is the last female that has yet to start dating. It seems once the females start actively looking for a mate, the other males back off.”

That made sense to Lorne. No one wanted to incur the wrath of a pissed off dragon. “Am I able to continue patrols? I don’t want to leave the west side vulnerable.”

“We can work that oot as we go along,” Angus responded and looked to Cambree. “Do you have a job?”

“Yes. I’m an accountant downtown,” Cambree answered, but her eyes remained downcast. She was as broken as they came, Lorne thought.

“Is it in a secured building?” Lorne asked, and she nodded.

“Good,” Angus replied. “Knowing that she should be fairly safe while at work so you might have some free time.”

Yipty-fucking-do, I get a break from 9-5. What the fuck could he accomplish during those hours? Maybe catch a male trying to steal a cup of java from Nolan’s Brewhaus.

“What are you going to do to the asshole that tried to take my daughter?” Godrich barked, a muscle jumping along his jawline.

“Oh, he will be severely punished,” Angus vowed then quickly added, “I plan on making an example of the male. He will deeply regret his actions.”

Cambree hiccupped, sobbing at the king’s words. The way she trembled and cried told Lorne all he needed to know. She was terrified and traumatized over the ordeal.

“I agree,” Lorne blurted. “We need to send a strong message that this type of offense will not be tolerated.”

“Aye. You’re right aboot that. We have a council meeting in an hour to discuss options,” Angus informed them.

“That’s not the only concern here,” Keira interjected as she sat forward and clasped her hands on the table. She stared at Cambree until the female looked her way. “Tuya need self-defense skills. I teach a class every Thursday and want to see you at the next one. Lorne will know where to bring you,” the queen informed Cambree.

“Yes, your Highness. I will be there. Thank you, both. I wasn’t sure coming here was the right decision, but my parents insisted. I owe you more than I can say. Moving back into my parent’s home and quitting my job would’ve destroyed everything I’ve worked to achieve,” Cambree replied with a low bow.

Nice. Cambree was a workaholic. Maybe he would have more free time than he originally thought. Lorne hoped the council came up with a solid plan, and fast. He didn’t want to play babysitter to this female any longer than necessary. Already his dragon was itching to get out and soar through the skies, searching for Unseelie to kill.

Putting aside his crappy assignment, the Cuelebre didn’t need females to stop attending the ceremonies. It had been a battle to get them to come at all. Many were afraid of not being identified and thus shunned, so they already faced an uphill battle of recruiting females each month.

Perhaps he could encourage Cambree to start dating in earnest. Not that it would do her any good, he amended as he glanced again at the homely female. Lorne wondered if her parents forced Cambree to attend the Civappu in hopes of procuring a mate for her. Most females showed up because they wanted to find out their chances of having dragon babies.

He shouldn’t be so judgmental. Cambree certainly didn’t deserve what happened to her. No doubt she was a loving female.

Lorne walked Cambree and her parents from the throne room after getting her address and promised to be at her place as soon as he packed some clothes. At least he shared Angus’s opinion regarding punishment of the attacker because it didn’t look like he wasn’t going to be attending the upcoming council meeting.

Let the babysitting begin, he thought with a sigh.