Chapter 38
A beast’s claws are easy to see. A human’s ambition hides beneath a smile.
~ Rebel Beast
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“Good morning, ladies,” Rhydian said, smoothly sliding his arms around the waists of two female beasts.
“Rhydian p>
Both females cooed, one of them even playfully slapping a hand against his chest for the way he had snuck up on them.
Valerie and Variant were two of his favorite girls from House Therion, if you knew what he meant.
The girls weren’t twins, but two best friends who liked pretending they were. Probably because they were distant cousins. Valerie was a squirrel while Variant was a chipmunk. Neither ranked particularly high on the power scale.
Tamara had often looked down on him for “schmoozing” with the lower beasts. In her language, if he was going to fool around, then he should do it with beasts of his own standing.
Except Tamara didn’t understand that the lower beasts were far more fun to be around than the stuck-up powerful females.
One conversation with a dragoness and they were already imagining wedding ceremonies and dreaming of becoming the next Lady Drakhar.
It wouldn’t even be beneath some of them to try trapping him with a pregnancy if they thought it would improve their chances. So no. That was not happening.
He would rather dirty himself in the mud with the lower beasts. At least Valerie and Variant had no expectations whatsoever. They knew exactly what this was. Fun. Nothing more.
Dragons were proud, majestic creatures who almost exclusively intermarried within their own kind in order to preserve their bloodline. They were fiercely traditional when it came to mating and family lines.
A dragon prince could never marry a chipmunk or a squirrel. The thought alone was laughable. He knew it. They knew it.
Which was why they enjoyed themselves without unnecessary complications, knowing every day together could easily be the last. Not that Rhydian was exclusive anyway.
Rhydian Drakhar had proudly carried the title of dragon-whore for years.
He guffawed at their reaction.
“Well then, we’d better get breakfast. This dragon, for one, is quite famished p>
It was an innocent comment. However, it came from Rhydian and the dragon prince somehow managed to say it in a way that immediately brought color to both girls’ cheeks.
“Oh, come on, stop already, Rhydian!” Valerie, the more reserved of the two, rolled her eyes while trying—and failing—not to smile.
Rhydian smirked. The quiet ones were usually the most dangerous in bed. J
Just like that, they fell into step and headed toward the breakfast hall. As usual, students stared. It had been years, yet none of them had ever gotten used to seeing the dragon prince surrounded by lower beasts.
Rhydian simply didn’t discriminate. Except House Ophidian. He’d rather die than have anything to do with those worms.
They made it to the hall where he headed straight for his table. The moment he sat down, several members of his house stepped forward and began serving him. It had been that way for years. Rhydian rarely had to lift a finger unless he wanted to.
Within minutes, the table was filled with steaming platters of food. Roasted venison, fried chicken, stacks of warm bread, bowls of thick stew, and vegetables. Dragons required enormous amounts of energy to sustain their size and power. As a result, they ate accordingly.
Then came the food tasters, Jaxon and Ajax. The two vulture-shifter brothers approached the table and sampled each dish individually. It had been standard procedure since Rhydian’s first year at the academy.
As long as the food hadn’t been prepared by dragons, there was always the possibility of serpent interference. The Ophidians were masters of poison.
Paranoid? Perhaps. Alive? Also yes.
Good thing vulture shifters possessed an uncanny ability to detect toxins. Their species could survive poisons that would kill most creatures outright, making them ideal food tasters.
After several moments, the brothers exchanged a look. Then they nodded.
“It’s safe, my prince,” Ajax announced.
“Well then, let’s dive in, girls.” Rhydian rubbed his hands together, genuine excitement lighting up his face at the sight of the food.
Everyone knew that aside from women, food was the second greatest love of the dragon prince.
They ate in relative silence, though the girls couldn’t help noticing that Rhydian was in an exceptionally good mood.
“Something good must have happened, Your Highness,” Variant pointed out. “You seem unusually happy today p>
“Ahh, yes.” Rhydian answered through a mouthful of food. He swallowed before looking at the girls.
“Technically, I’ve been in a dark place for an entire day.” His eyes gleamed. “Then a certain big-headed worm gave me the best advice imaginable p>
His grin widened. “I intend to follow through with it p>
Valerie and Variant slowly turned to look at each other. Neither had the faintest idea what he was talking about, but dealing with Rhydian had taught them one important lesson. Sometimes it was better not to ask.
The girls simply nodded and continued eating. A few moments later, Variant spoke again.
“Well, good thing you’re happy. We can’t have our two most favorite people on campus in foul moods p>
Rhydian lifted a brow. His mouth was already moving again as he attacked another plate. Honestly, it was a miracle his uniform remained spotless.
“Who’s in a bad mood?” he asked curiously.
“Professor Maverick,” Variant answered immediately.
Valerie chimed in. “On our way here, he looked like he was about to kill someone p>
Rhydian paused briefly before continuing to eat.
Valerie leaned forward conspiratorially.
“There are rumors going around that the humans were attacked p>
The fork froze halfway to Rhydian’s mouth.
The movement was so abrupt it would have been funny under different circumstances.
The girls immediately noticed. Variant frowned.
“Shouldn’t you know about that?” she asked. “I heard it had something to do with the birds or something p>
A sharp breath left Rhydian. For the first time that morning, the amusement vanished from his face.
“Thamas.” The name came out as a growl.
Heat rolled off him and a thin stream of smoke escaped his nostrils. His hand tightened around the fork until the metal bent.
“Rhydian?” Variant called cautiously.
The playful dragon prince was gone, and when Rhydian finally turned toward her, the girls felt a chill crawl down their spines.
Because it was the exact same look they had seen in Professor Maverick’s eyes earlier.