Willow knew she should have been happier than she was. She was going home. Even if she left right away, at least she would be going somewhere on her own terms. She could go to whatever city or village she wanted. She wouldn’t be kept as Asa’s property. If there was one thing she certainly was not going to be, it was a slave.

But leaving . . .  It wasn’t as exciting as she had hoped. In fact, she was feeling downright miserable about it. So what if it had only been a few days since she was taken from her own village? Minus the whole dragon kidnapping thing, she had felt better in the dragon city than she had in months. Maybe even years. If she had had the chance to talk to Asa, she would have told him that she didn’t want to be sent back, that she’d gladly stay on as a paid worker. She’d even consider helping them with the sheep.

The thought of having to train a new puppy, though . . . She had lost Jax so recently and she didn’t want to replace him. She knew she’d love the puppy, but . . . 

She shook the thoughts from her head and peeked at Asa from the corner of her eye. He had driven her down with Shante in a sleek black vehicle, and now they waited in a large plaza where all the ransom exchanges took place.

Willow licked her lips. “Asa?”

He didn’t look at her.

“I know that it’s . . . it’s not exactly the best time or . . . whatever.” What did she even want to say to him? “I guess I just wanted to thank you . . . for setting me free. You’re a good man.”

Asa glanced at her, surprise clear in his eyes. “Well . . . for what it’s worth, you’re still under my claim, even if I’m sending you back. No other dragon will be able to take you again. Next time, though, maybe don’t put yourself in danger for a bunch of sheep.”

“The sheep keep us alive. I did it for the village.”

Asa didn’t respond to that. A puttering blue car came into view and Willow’s heart lurched. A sense of relief washed over her and she ran forward. It wasn’t until she actually saw her parents that she realized she had missed them. With the adrenaline of being captured and the wonders of the city, she had only thought about everything that they had done to make her want to leave.

Now, though, as her mother rushed to embrace her, Willow’s eyes burned with tears. Why had she wanted to leave? They needed her. She had an important role in the village, looking after the sheep. Her father’s strong arms wrapped around her and she buried her face into his shoulder.

“There, there.” Her mother stroked her hair with a trembling hand. “Are you alright? Did they treat you poorly?”

“If they’ve hurt you, I’ll gather the warriors of the village and bring back their heads on pikes,” her father growled.

They all knew that there were no warriors in the village and even if there were, humans simply couldn’t fight against dragons. She shook her head, though, touched by the thought. “I’m fine, Papa. They were very kind to me.”

Her mother cupped her face in her hands. “You are sure? They did not treat you badly?”

Willow shook her head. “The dragon who took me, Asa,” she gestured back to him and gave him a watery smile. His expression was stoic in response. “He was very good to me. He wasn’t going to ransom me back to you. He was going to keep me as a maid, but when he saw how miserable I was, he decided on this ransom.”

Her father sighed. “You sound . . . taken by him.”

Willow’s eyes widened. “No, Papa. I’m not. But I think he’s a good man.”

“Good.” Tears flooded his eyes. “I am glad. I pray he continues to treat you well.”

Continues? Willow’s heart dropped.

“The ransom was too great a price,” her mother whispered. “My darling little girl, we can’t buy you back.”

She couldn’t breathe. Her lungs weren’t working and she backed away from her parents. The tears ran down their faces and she knew they weren’t that good of actors. But were they really upset that they had to send her back, or were they upset because of guilt? She hoped it was guilt. She hoped they would choke on it.

“You can’t pay the ransom?” she repeated, her voice raised. “Why? I’m your daughter. What sort of price is too high for you to pay to get me back?”

She had thought she was needed. She thought she was wanted. But apparently, neither was true. She thought of all the times she was left alone, thinking that she had wanted to be – or at least that she didn’t want to be around them. At the time, she thought that was just how she was built, but now . . . Now she had to question everything.

“Don’t be angry,” her mother begged her, but the familiar flash in her eyes was really saying ‘Don’t be unreasonable.’ “You know that your brother is getting married and your sister is pregnant. And since those dragons have stolen half the flock, we have nothing to fall back on this winter. Darling, we just don’t have the funds.”

Shante came forward. “If the price is too high for you to pay all at once, we can put you on a payment plan. A little a month with Willow working in Asa’s manor to help pay for it as well. As for your flock, we haven’t taken any sheep from you all year. Willow made sure of that. Certainly, you owe her that much to take her back . . . Although it will be much easier to take your sheep once she’s gone.”

Willow didn’t know what exactly Shante was doing – probably trying to make the sale to get her parents to take her back, but Willow knew she needn’t have bothered. She could already see that her parents’ minds were made up.

“You never saw me, did you?” Willow backed away a step. “I have given everything to you. I should have left years ago. You don’t care about me. You didn’t care when I first started working with the flocks, you didn’t care when people came praising my training techniques, you didn’t even care when you let my dog get killed . . . and don’t you dare pretend that you care about the sheep. If you did, you would have—”

To her horror, she started to cry. All her childhood fears were realized. Her own parents didn’t love her. She turned on her heel and rushed back to the dragon’s car.

“We can’t afford—” her father started.

“Shut your mouth.” It was the first thing Asa had said. The fury in his voice almost made her wince. “Both of you are disgusting. I have watched this village for a long time, and even I, coming to steal and plunder, have seen your child do far more to protect this village than either of you. As for price? No price is too high for a child that you love. You should be willing to sell your souls for her. And instead, you can’t even pay fifty gold a month to have her back someday?”

Willow couldn’t even look at them. She was too heartbroken, too humiliated.

“These negotiations are over,” Asa continued. “And you’ll be lucky if I don’t take all your children and all your possessions. Next time I come, I will burn you to the ground.”

He threw himself into the driver’s seat of the car. Willow climbed into the back, Shante climbing in behind her. She held her breath, trying desperately not to cry as they drove away. She didn’t hear her parents protest at all.

I should have known better.

Her body was wracked with sobs by the time they were back in the city. Shante left the car and Willow stayed where she was. She let herself completely break down. Hating them. Hating herself. They didn’t love her. That’s all there was to it. She was the unwanted child, the disappointment. No matter how hard she tried, they didn’t care. Everything she had done seemed so empty and hollow.

I should have just left. I should have turned my back on them and left.

The seat shifted and she jumped. Asa slipped in next to her and abruptly all her sorrow turned to fury. She started to beat on his chest. What amount had he demanded? Probably more than all the village was worth combined!

“It’s your fault,” she shouted. Who else was she supposed to blame? “They do love me – they just couldn’t pay your price! I hate you!”

Asa didn’t speak. He didn’t move to stop her from beating him. Another sob ripped up her throat and she collapsed into him, not caring if she was seeking comfort from the man she had just been accusing. After a moment, he wrapped his arms around her and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

“You are worth more than all the gold on the earth,” he whispered. “I didn’t ask for even a fraction of your worth. They know nothing, Willow. Parents rarely see their children for what they are instead of what they want them to be. You are worth the world. But them? They’re not worth a single tear.”

“They’re my parents.”

Asa kissed her forehead and enfolded her in his arms. “I know. You will be the queen of my household, Willow. Or I will take you wherever you wish to go. From this day forward, I am yours to command.”

She buried her face in his shirt, breathing in his smoky scent. Even though her heart still ached, the pain eased a little. She closed her eyes, letting his strength warm her. Odd that her capturer would be the most comforting person in her world right now . . .