CHAPTER 51: THE SCANDAL

Riley seriously wanted to blow up.

Not only did he look ridiculous, but it was becoming painfully clear that even if he threw everything he had into getting rid of the dragon, it would be impossible.

So, fine. Time to settle this like adults.

Or at least like those pretentious "mature" adults who were only called that because they had been alive far too long to get away with tantrums in public.

Because honestly, it didn’t look like they were getting anywhere.

Not when every single thing Riley said got twisted into something entirely different.

And yes, maybe it was partially his fault for picking that word, out of all possible words, in all possible languages. But surely he didn’t deserve this much punishment for it.

"My Lord, I believe it would be better to figure out a way out of this," Riley said carefully.

"Like you said, it would diminish your chances of getting a proper mate. And as the Dragon Lord, it would be beneath you to have a mere human as a partner."

He went with "partner" because there was no way he was using the word "mate" again. Not with this temperamental boss. One could never predict when Kael might take it and start using it in casual conversation, possibly during a council meeting, with absolutely no shame.

"I already explained it to you," Kael replied flatly.

"But, my lord—"

"And if earlier it might have been possible to come up with some nonsense like faking your death, that isn’t an option anymore," Kael cut in.

"Not with you being connected to me in that way."

Before Riley could ask what in the world "that way" even meant, Kael tossed a small container at him. Riley caught it purely on instinct, blinking down at it in confusion.

"What?"

"So, unless you want to walk around showing everyone just how favored you are," Kael said smoothly, "I suggest you start fixing all of those, honey."

He gestured at Riley’s skin, and Riley’s head whipped down to look at himself, eyes going wide.

Blink. Blink.

It wasn’t because Kael was standing there being breathtaking in all his golden-dragon glory.

It was because Riley had absolutely no idea where things had gone so horribly wrong.

Somewhere between "let’s investigate" and "please stop pinching yourself," the situation had spiraled into a disaster of cosmic proportions.

If only he could see inside Kael Dravaryn’s head.

Not that it would make anything make sense, but still.

Because in truth, Kael had never intended to exploit such an irritating loophole. He had sworn off the idea of mates entirely after that incident centuries ago.

This wasn’t part of the plan.

All he had meant to do was show Riley the consequences of his actions.

Then Riley went and interacted with that elf like that.

And Kael... had momentarily seen red.

Now here they were.

The thing he had originally planned to revoke after finishing the investigation into Orien’s case could no longer be taken lightly.

Kael’s mind flicked back to the old text about the sigil. Nothing in it had suggested there would be a sharing of sensations.

Had he made a mistake?

Impossible.

Or was the document incomplete?

Tsk.

Either way, there was no better way to ensure their safety than this.

A faint unconscious smile crept over Kael’s lips.

They were just going to have to stay like this for a while.

That night, the golden dragon slept like a stone statue that happened to breathe fire in its dreams.

The other dragon, who had almost been forgotten entirely, decided it was safest to be nowhere near the two insane beings sharing the room. He retreated, wisely choosing to avoid whatever new form of chaos they might generate in their sleep.

Meanwhile, the human who had sworn he would stay up all night devising nefarious plans to put an end to this disaster... passed out.

Completely.

Yes, he was just tired. That was all.

And absolutely not because the mattress he had been given was definitely the kind that belonged in royal suites.

Definitely not.

...Probably.

Outside the quiet den, however, Eryndra was not faring so well.

"BREAKING NEWS!"

The continent was still in uproar.

As the night wore on, new information—mixed liberally with wild speculation—kept spilling out until the wee hours of the morning.

Reactions were extreme. And while the public seemed split in their opinions, those who truly understood what kind of being Kael Dravaryn was all seemed to agree on one thing: Riley Hale must have been under some kind of spell.

Just as the crowd had swarmed Riley’s apartment the night before, they lingered well into the next day. And if they could have swarmed the Ministry itself, they absolutely would have.

Not that it would have helped. Even if they had stormed the place, they wouldn’t have found Riley.

Not because he was hiding in fear, but because he was... preoccupied.

Preparing for their upcoming trip to the Dravaryn clan’s main estate.

Why was he cooperating?

Well, two reasons.

One, this "fieldwork" was going to come with a bonus if they could tie it to the Orien investigation.

Two, there wouldn’t be many other chances to research their... new sigil problem without drawing attention. And the very last thing Riley wanted was for anyone to find out that hurting him would hurt Kael. Because if that little fact slipped out, there was a high chance he wouldn’t make it to lunch.

So they had to deal with it quietly.

Privately.

Covertly.

Kael had made it clear: the only way this connection was coming off was if they could eliminate the shared sensory link entirely.

Of course, they might have to get out of the Ministry first.

Because just how big had this entire mess exploded?

Well, apparently big enough that Ministry workers themselves were now plotting evasive maneuvers to avoid the paparazzi camping just outside the Ministry’s barrier.

Reporters pounced on any staff who so much as poked their heads out. Questions were flung like spears.

The hottest rumor?

That Riley had been secretly beguiling the Dragon Lord for years, and who knew—maybe there was even a possible offspring involved. After all, humans were considered the most fertile of all humanoid beings.

Now, if Riley, a bona fide male, had heard it himself, he would have keeled over on the spot.

But his coworkers? They had their own take.

They loudly and proudly countered with the truth: Riley’s brutal, soul-crushing schedule would scare any possible offspring back into whatever celestial waiting room they came from.

That theory didn’t last long, though. The public moved on to the next piece of "evidence"—the fact that Riley and Kael were practically inseparable.

Maybe the insane work schedule was just an excuse for them to spend all their time together.

But that speculation didn’t survive either.

Because even the other race leaders—those who had seen the two work side-by-side for the past five years—couldn’t fathom anyone choosing to bond over paperwork and assassinations.

In the end, all the public really learned was that work at the Ministry of Balance and Enforcement was a nightmare.

And apparently... very bad for your love life.