A Dragon Revealed by Dahlia Rose Page A

between these two.”
    Hawke took his place next to Orin. “If you recall, Mursi wants no part of his destiny. I say Bior is a fine choice if Michelle chooses him. They would make a strong lineage of children.”
    “Can we stop discussing this please, and get down to business?” Mursi said. Hearing about any prospective children Michelle could have with Bior was not doing anything to improve his mood.
    “Mursi is right, whomever Michelle chooses to be her mate or her personal business is none of our concern,” Aki said quietly from his seat. “We are the warriors of this court, bickering and dissension between us cannot happen.”
    “Thanks for having my back, Aki,” Mursi said gratefully.
    Aki smiled and inclined his head. “You are by far more like my brother than anyone, but you’re being a fool when it comes to this area. Tread wisely when thumbing your nose at the gods and a destiny that is bigger than you. I know how it feels to succumb to desolation, and you’re suffering Larissa to the same fate. She meant a lot to all of us and you do her a disservice.”
    Aki’s words hit him with the force of a punch and ate through his anger down to the core of his guilt. It was so easy to judge because none of them were in this situation, to know what it was to feel loss and be thrown into a tailspin. But he was so wrong, Mursi understood that when he looked at his warrior brothers, Kalv, Orin, Aki, Raul, Hawke. They’d all suffered the loss of someone and Aki saw his mate killed in front of his eyes. He was selfish but by the gods he didn’t know what to do. He didn’t have a chance to ponder anymore because Michelle walked in. She stood there as they all looked at her until the silence dragged on too long.
    “What the hell, do you need me to leave or something?” Michelle demanded. Her eyes went to everyone in the room and no one would meet her gaze.
    Orin cleared his throat. “No, and I apologize. We had some hard words to digest a moment ago.”
    “Since everybody was staring at me, I assume I was the topic of conversation,” Michelle said.
    “In a roundabout way, but there’s nothing to worry about. This is the warrior court and we are honored to have you in our midst,” Orin said.
    “Okey doke, thanks.”
    She sat in the empty chair that used to be Orin’s. She didn’t know that of course, and Mursi kept his mouth shut. It seemed lately everything he said came out wrong or made things worse. He was going to be quiet.
    “So I’m assuming we’re here to discuss the Shen threat and what we know,” Michelle said.
    “That and to offer you the twelfth seat at this warrior’s table,” Orin smiled. “You are one of us, you’ve come from a long line of warriors and with my ascension to King the seat has been left vacant for far too long.”
    “I thought you fought with them?” Michelle said.
    Orin nodded. “I do, but as Hawke likes to point out, there is more risk each time I leave Paladin, and while I want to fight my place is here for my people. This is your home and we are of the same blood, this seat is rightfully yours.”
    Mursi gave an incredulous laugh. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
    She faced him and raised an eyebrow. “You have a problem with me because I’m a woman or because I kicked your ass?”
    “Mursi, this is my decision and that of Hawke who leads the court now,” Orin said coldly. “I’ll ask you to hold your tongue.”
    “I will not. First, you tell me to follow my destiny and all that comes with it, and that happens to be her.” Mursi stood and braced his hands on the granite table. “Then, in the next breath you people put her in the seat on the warrior court. Into inherent danger and possible death. So in essence I’m supposed to be mated with her and watch her go out to fight and worry about if I’ll watch her die.”
    “Wait, whoa, I don’t know who makes this destiny crap, but seriously, as you can see he doesn’t want me and I sure as hell do not