Abandon by Viola Grace Read Free Book Online Page B

Rikard’s embrace.
    So, now the two men she wanted would battle for her hand. And the rest of her. This day had taken a freaky turn.
     

 
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 9
     
     
    There was a crowd gathering outside the Dragon council hall. It seemed that the news of a challenge was one of the greatest draws in Realm.
    She stood between her parents on the walk on the wall and looked down at the field where they would fight.
    Swords were standard, armour unnecessary. They faced off, waiting only for the signal to begin. All forms were available for the battle, but shifting lost points in the judgement and in the eyes of the watchers.
    It was the weaker opponent who would shift first. Or the one with a strategy. One never knew in these things.
    “This will not be a battle to the death! But rather to exhaustion! Take your places, and begin!” Matthias dropped a white handkerchief to the ground, and the instant that it ceased fluttering, the warriors collided.
    With endurance in mind, they circled slowly, each looking for a weakness in the other, an occasional feint made the onlookers gasp, but it was only when they both engaged in hacking and slashing that the cheering and betting started.
    She sighed and looked around. It was bizarre, but ninety-eight percent of the crowd was male. It seemed that they enjoyed watching other guys bashing each other around.
    Each time that the dragons connected a roar came from the crowd. They were so equally matched that it seemed that hours would pass before a winner was declared. Graylin turned to Matthias and was about to ask if she had to watch the whole battle when a talon scooped her up and she was suddenly airborne.
    “What the hell?” She looked up and only saw a metallic blue underbelly, no clue as to whom it belonged to from her recent suitors. This was ridiculous. “Who are you and what do you think you are doing?”
    “I am Icarin , and I am claiming you as my mate.” He banked suddenly and it was then that George realized that they were being followed. A blast of fire struck Icarin’s neck, near his head and he shook it off and continued flying.
    She craned her neck around and saw a furious Rikard leading a pack of dragons, the one nearest to his size must have been Khiron .
    A second blast from Rikard and the kidnapper dropped her. She gasped in surprise, but before she could shift her own form her lover had her carefully in his grasp. The remaining flight of dragons was knocking her abductor about.
    “Are you alright? He didn’t injure you did he?” Rikard was flying as if she was made of porcelain. He returned to the council hall and set her delicately on the parapet before shifting his form back to human.
    “No. I am fine. He just surprised me is all. ”
    Matthias was approaching rapidly. He looked furious and as the dragons returned with Icarin , he took out his fury on the now-human form. He began to beat the hapless male with an aggression that George found appalling.
    “What are you doing? Stop it!”
    He whirled on her as her hand tugged at his shoulder. “He defiled you! Taking you after he had already lost the right to a mate.”
    “You are the idiot who made me a prize! What did you expect? That you would get them all hot and horny, then leave them with nothing?”
    Her father’s mouth opened and closed in surprised. “It is the way things have always been done.”
    “I beg to differ.”
    “What?”
    “My mother found another way, Marcus and Lia , Alethea and Rhys, Devon and Vinya . They all found away around the Dragon Council edicts. They mated and bred without these trials.”
    He looked like a gaffed fish. His mouth opened and closed in amazement. Then he turned to Arabel , “You told me that she didn’t know of the other families.”
    “Don’t blame her. Rikard had a family history in his horde. I can read.” She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at her parents. “I choose Rikard . I selected him, he selected me, and we choose