The sound of a metal vase tumbling across the hall was enough to let anybody guess that Lucian was not in a good mood that day.
He was seething with anger as he heard the news that his brother Draco was playing family with the human and his child in the human world. How could the Dragon King forsake his duty to their kind and consort with such a lowly creature when he did not do so for his dragon wife?
As he paced back and forth in his lair, Lucian's mind raced with thoughts of betrayal and dishonor. How could his own brother put the needs of a human woman before their own kind? Had Draco forgotten the centuries of tradition and loyalty that bound them as dragons?
Did he finally decide to show his nonchalance for a human which he refused to do even for Kiara?
How dared he? That was not happening under Lucian's watch. Draco could not get whatever he wanted and whenever he desired.
Lucian had always been fiercely loyal to his kind and their way of life, and he couldn't fathom why Draco would abandon their shared values for the sake of a human woman and whim of a child. He felt a sense of disgust and anger at the thought of his brother cohabiting with such a weak and insignificant being.
Or was that jealous at its peak?
Lucian felt a pang of jealousy and resentment towards his brother for having Liana so close to him, but he also felt guilty for feeling this way.
As a dragon, Lucian knew that their kind was not meant to mix with humans. However, he couldn't help his feelings towards Liana, and he had been trying to suppress them since they first met. Seeing her with his brother only intensified his conflicting emotions.
Part of him wanted to confront Draco and demand that he stay away from Liana, but another part of him knew that he had no right to interfere in their relationship.
Draco had already declared that she was his human mate.
Secretly,he also worried that Liana might be in danger living with two dragons, especially since she was not accustomed to their ways at that moment. He knew that she had lost her memories.
For him it was another chance. It was good news. In his eyes, Draco was but merely exploiting her at that point Feeding her pure lies.
Lucian found himself torn between his love for Liana and his loyalty to his brother. He didn't know what to do, and he felt trapped in his own thoughts. He wondered if he should distance himself from Liana and try to forget his feelings, or if he should confess his love to her and risk ruining his relationship with Draco in broad daylight. Not that they had a very filial bond. Atleast not from his side.
As he wrestled with his emotions, Lucian realised that he needed to make a decision soon. He couldn't keep living with this inner conflict, and he knew that he had to choose between his loyalty to his brother, his kingdom and his love for Liana.
Just like he had to for Kiara, then.
He was angry at his own self for being unable to control his heart which started beating for a human once more after collapsing with Kiara's death.
He growled and roared, venting his anger and frustration at the thought of Draco's betrayal.
Or was it a frustration at his own self?
The idea of his brother starting a family with a human woman in the human world was an affront to their dragon ancestry and a sign of weakness in the eyes of the other dragons.
That was what he was telling himself.
It was not about him or his own feelings, it was about what Draco was doing.
It was not about his own weakness towards Liana, it was about Draco's weakness and disgrace.
Lucian knew that he would have to confront his brother and put an end to this disgraceful behavior. He would not stand by and watch as the Dragon King squandered their legacy and dishonored their kind.
Lucian gulped down the entire content of the wine bottle in one go .
He needed determination to do what he was about to do.
Just like that day he decided to take things in his own hand when the news about Kiara's pregnancy was being talked about everywhere.
Just like that news pierced his heart to pieces, yet he had to put up a brave face.
If things were let to be, history would soon repeat itself.
Lucian would again be standing in the corridor as the maid would giggle the news of the human being pregnant with his child.
Draco's seed in Liana's womb.
That was trigger enough for Lucian to empty another bottle down his throat.
His eyes were red and flickering to amber and orange now and then.
His scales were showing and then fading on his skin as he clenched his fists.
The nerves on he forehead and around his necks were throbbing with tension as he flexed his muscles.
With a fierce determination, Lucian took flight from his lair, his anger fueling his powerful wings as he soared towards Draco's palace. He knew that the confrontation would not be easy, but he was ready to defend the honor of their kind and set his brother back on the right path.
He would give them one last chance to correct their wrong doing. Both of them.
And if that did not work,he had other plans.
Just like he had given Kiara the chance before she chose her own fate with her own hands and sealed it.
Lucian was no murderer. He never betrayed anybody or anyone.
He ony did what was right and he did it upfront.
The choices and consequences were all what they chose.
They bore the fruits of their own trees. Of their own evil.