(Vera Rhys)
Pulling down a soft blue dress fit for Royalty and smoothing it down my body, I stared at myself in the mirror, my violet eyes glinting in appreciation as I stared at the gown and the gold necklace I had just stolen yesterday.
I had always loved beautiful things. No, not just love. I had an unhealthy addiction to beautiful, shiny things, and no, I'm not ashamed to admit that. As far as I was concerned, when you liked something, you didn’t have to be shy or apologetic about it.
At the end of the day, you were the only one who was responsible for your own happiness. My happiness was exactly here in this little cottage that had been dying for years now, but still standing, with my merry band of six people. I was unofficially the queen here and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I quickly shot a text to my boss, Alonso. I had a day job too, in the most perfect place in my little world. The Gery’s Gallerie. And it also helped satiate my obsession with beautiful things.
I brushed my short black hair behind my ears and smirked. Oh, they wouldn’t know what hit them, I thought, with a wicked glint in my eyes.
But thinking about what I was going to do and where I was going also brought another memory to my mind. Again. It was not like I had ever forgotten him. I couldn’t get that stupid kiss out of my head even though five years had passed and even when I had tried a million times to erase that face from my mind.
The prince. Mateo Storm. Shy and flustered and unassuming. Oh, and a f*cking ghost, who still haunted me to this day, that sometimes I went as far as stalking him in the royal newsletters and Draconian Herald.
Up until the point his lips met mine, he was kind of obscure. Nothing about him was distinguishing. He was predictable, and a safe bet. He was the most boring seventeen-year-old I had ever met in my exciting life.
And Mateo, totally not my type, not at all. He was shy for a Royal, so unlike his wild brother, Prince Blaine Storm, and that was why I chose him as my target. He was an easy mark, and my con needed an easy mark at that time.
I had watched Mateo for a while to make sure he was who I thought he was, and didn’t have any unwanted surprises.
"Stalked him.” My dragon, Nova, corrected me. I rolled my eyes.
"Technicality, Nova,” I said to her as I painted my lips... the same bold red color I had painted them for the first and the only time I ever went to the dragon ball.
"And boy, you have no idea about the surprise he had...” Nova was enjoying this shit.
Nothing about Prince Mateo excited me until my freaking lips met his. And boy, was I surprised. I almost forgot why I was there and I wanted to stay right there and kiss him until we both fainted from the kiss.
Oh, it was tempting to the point of madness. The unassuming prince turned into someone who could distract the great Vera Rhys from her target. Even with the Eye of Sabius clutched in my hand, I took a long, long time to finish that kiss. I could have handcuffed him the moment we started kissing, but hell, I didn’t want to stop kissing.
His lips were soft and gentle, but it wasn’t the way he kissed. It was what his kisses did to my stomach. There were wild dream birds singing inside my stomach and no, that wasn’t my first kiss. I had kissed many before him, and had kissed many after him, but nothing came close. Mateo would forever be the frog that turned into a prince when I kissed him!
And that was five years ago. This was going to be the second time I was going to Dragon Ball, and my job now... it would put a shame to what I did that night five years ago. I winked cheekily in the mirror.
“Are you sure you want to go there? What if the prince recognized you? Also… this man we talked? What do we know about him? What if he is a bad guy? What if he cheated us out of money and then-”
“Oh, it has been five years, and I have changed a lot, a lot,” I said as I appreciated my look in the mirror. “Also, I won’t be going anywhere near the prince this time. And stop worrying about this guy. I will deal with it once I actually have a solid plan. There isn’t even a plan yet.”
“You still remember the prince, so what if he remembers you too, Vera? I mean... you are you and you are unforgettable. This is dangerous. We are- we could do without the crown,” Ezra said with a frown.
“We both know we can't, Ezra. After this one time, I feel like we could stop, completely stop if we want,” I said with a shrug. “Don’t you worry. I am untouchable. Once I do this, we can easily live off of this payout for years. We can finally send Lili and Hayden to a private school in Zeyro. I don’t want this life for them,” I said with a sigh.
Of course, I liked this life; I liked the thrill, the adrenaline, but Lili and Hayden were only seven and nine respectively and they deserved to try something else first.
If they wanted to come back, we would still be here.
“God, you have always been fearless, but I am- I am scared for you. I understand that you want what is best for Lili and Hayden, and that is why there is no one like you in this world, but... I want what is best for you, Vee,” he said as he pulled me flush against his marvelously carved body. Running and climbing on things to get into places you were not supposed to be was one way to get a toned body. I sighed as I gripped his ass in my hands and squeezed, making him moan. His hands went up and down my back.
“If you are done dry humping, it is time, Vera,” Faye, my best friend, said with a frown on her face. I could see she was still not fully assured.
“I am not done yet, but for now, I think I will take a sabbatical,” I winked at Ezra. I pressed a finger against his brows. “Don’t worry, Ez. I will be back.”
He had a hesitant look on his face as he let me go. I pressed a quick kiss to his lips before walking out with Faye.
“Here is a mask for you, my lady,” Owen handed me a black mask, with silver and blue trimmings. It was beautiful.
“Thanks, bro. I hope it wasn’t difficult to lift,” I winked and he frowned a little. “Oh, what?” I teased him. I knew it, of course.
“I didn’t lift it. I paid for it,” he said with a shrug. He paid for it. He always did. My brother was the complete opposite of me. At nineteen, he would put any morally upright person to shame. Among the thieves, he was the only one with honor, but we loved him anyway. We had to.
This was family. And he was my only family by blood.
“You know him,” Bianca sighed as she snuggled closer to him, looking lovingly up at him. Bianca was his mate and they found each other when they both turned eighteen, during a heist. Bianca was the complete opposite of Owen, but she made him happy, and she complimented him.
“Of course, I know him,” I said, ruffling his hair, and he slapped his hand away. I pouted. “Okay, then, it is time for an adventure.”
Owen’s face fell.
“Be careful, Vee,” he said as he hugged me. “Promise you will get the hell away from there if anything goes sideways!” he looked at me. His eyes, the color of soft morning skies, were so troubled. “Or better yet, let’s stop this stupidity right now!”
“No. No one is stopping anything,” I said as I smiled at him. “And don’t worry, Owen. For now, I am only going to case the joint, Owen. I have two days. The real fun would be on the third day. So you don’t have to worry about anything going sideways, at least not today,” I said with a smile. I was very confident that this night would go exactly as I planned it.
After reassuring everyone, including little Lili and Hayden, I was off to Dragon Ball.
The royal crown awaits!
***
The castle looked as majestic as it had once been. There were slight modifications here and there, like the newly painted walls, the small patch of garden at the side, the extra guards... The whole place was decked with beautiful twinkling lights. Trees were jeweled with strings of laces and lanterns.
The night was magical. Unfortunately, I wasn’t here to enjoy the ball. I was here for only one thing.
Dragon Ball was for everyone. For the first two nights. The third night would be exclusive only to a chosen few. It was the third night the real fun would begin.
Now, I had two jobs. Case the castle, because in five years, it would have changed a lot. Also, five years ago, I had someone to chauffeur me to exactly where I wanted to go.
Two. Fishing.
"If he catches you tonight, you are dead meat, Vera,” Nova said with a deep sigh. ”Do not f*cking get caught.”
“When have I ever gotten caught?” I said with an arrogant smirk.
"Your arrogance is going to be your downfall...”
I shrugged, ignoring the dragon.
I walked towards the entrance, and the number of guards in the entrance had tripled. Five years ago, there weren’t these many guards.
"Five years ago, they didn’t get robbed,” Nova said. ”These guards are for keeping the likes of you outside. Well, good luck to them. You are already here.”
She knew me. Oh, yes.
I walked towards them and showed them a charming smile. Even with the mask on, no one could resist my charming smile or my innocent demeanor.
“It is a chilly day,” I said with an angelic smile, and the guards looked at me with a nod. I knew what they would see when they looked at me. This harmless girl with beguiling eyes.
Listen to me folks. Looks are deceiving.
“Oh, yes, miss,” one of the guards said to me with a bow. “Go right in.”
“Of course. Thank you. It is such a shame you guys have to be here.”
“Oh, don’t worry miss, when this is over, we have a ball just for us who have to work tonight. It isn’t as big, but it is fun, and the queen and the king, the two princes and the princess, will all be there.”
They didn’t sound like a snobby bunch. I mean, not many cared about the paid workers, but it looked like the Storms did. Good for them.
I walked inside the softly lit walkway to finally reach the castle hallway. It was filled with people eating and talking over each other. There were so many guards in there, too.
"You must have really done a number on their trust,” Nova harrumphed.
"They needed the lesson. I think I have helped them honestly. I mean, the prince was naive, and he needed a full dose of reality check.”
“You are such a snobby bītch, Vera.”
“And you love me... Now, let’s do what we have come here to do.”
I scanned the crowd. I was going fishing now.
I remembered the details I had memorized. Having a brain that never forgets anything, well, it was a blessing indeed, except when it came to that one kiss I would rather forget.
" Let’s see the first fish,” I said to Nova as I walked towards the bar and ordered myself a Fae Frost Mead. The beautiful, glittery pink cocktail was from Elyria, the Fae realm and this shit was costly and when they offered it to you for free, you had better guzzle it down like your life depended on it.
"Kalen Blue. Son of Erick Blue, the Queen’s brother. The Prince’s cousin. And not bad to look at. Not at all.”
“Let’s find him then...”
After five minutes of searching for him, I finally found him. I was good at finding things...
I “accidentally” bumped into him.
“Oh, I am so sorry, I think I am already drunk,” I smiled flirtatiously as Kalen gave me a smile.
“It is okay. I remain unbroken” he said as he ran his fingers through his bright red hair.
“And you are?” I took a sip of my Fae Frost Mead, batting my eyes. “I am Vee.”
Well. Just to be safe.
“Hi, Vee. I am Kalen and-”
“And you stay the f*ck away from him.” A voice growled out and I knew that voice very well.
He gripped my wrist in his broad palm, sending ripples of shock through my body.
Before I could understand what was happening, he dragged me away from the party and pushed me inside a secluded room.
My heart thundered, but I maintained my calm facade. The adrenaline rush... it was quite dizzying.
When my head cleared, though, the prince was glaring at me with fierce eyes and my dragon was moaning.
"Hello there Mateo. Nice to see you again,” Nova smacked her lips together as I scanned his hard, tempting body. This wasn’t the gangly seventeen-year-old, shy prince I once kissed. This was a f*cking man, and he was not at all pleased with me.
His growl was proof enough. But the problem was... when he growled, I wanted to strip naked and submit myself to him.
And let me tell you, I wasn’t the submitting type.
"Mate!”
I am in deep, fūcking boatload of trouble.
-----
(Faye) I kept biting my nails as Owen stared at me with a frown. "She will be alright, but if you keep biting your nails, you won't be," he said with a smile as he sat down next to me, wincing as he looked at my bitten nails. "I am worried about her." "And I am, too, but you know her. Nothing is going to convince her. She has to do what she has to.""I know she had been doing things on her terms since she was a child, and it made her... kinda stubborn.""Kinda?" Owen winked, and we laughed together and some of the tension in my stomach reduced. "Okay, very stubborn, but we are all in this together, and I wish she won't recklessly run into things," I said, taking in a deep breath.Vera and I had been friends for a long time. No. We were more than friends. We were sisters. And I knew she would be the one I would go to if I had to bury someone, and she would come to me. But sometimes, it worried me, the way she thrived on danger. Sometimes I had a feeling that she was trying to fil
(Mateo) The moment she pressed her lips against mine, I knew it was a game. The same one she had played once, but this time... well, this time I was a little bit less distracted than before."Oh, you are still very much distracted." Okay, I admit Shade was right. I was already aroused and aware of her softness pressing against me... deliciously teasing and tempting me to forget who the hell she was and to take her against the wall... but I knew I couldn't let her distract me again. I just couldn't."You can let her distract you, I mean look at her." My dragon was a horny little shit."Can you blame me?" I was going crazy. She was so beautiful and she made me feel things I had never felt, not for anyone. She did it the first time, too, even when there was no freaking bond to pull me to her, she pulled me in.Her lips were soft and masterful as she kissed me with everything she had and oh, she would destroy me.My heart was thundering, my breath was coming out in a sharp gasp and my
(Vera)"Wait? What the hell are you doing, Nova? I am trying to get the f*ck out of this place. Not hug the prince prickly. Stop rubbing his ass with your perverted tail," I said with a frown, but my dragon was busy wrapping her perky tail around the handsome-looking prince, a look of pure delight in her traitorous eyes, and the prince looked quite besotted as he tenderly traced her scaly head with his hand. She purred. Nobody in their right mind would call this kitty-fucking-cat a dragon."He was so damn angry with me, and he is petting you?” I frowned. I was kind of jealous of my own freaking dragon.“Don’t be bratty, Vera. It is not becoming,” my dragon said with a huff before she finally unwrapped her tail from around him. He looked hesitant and I could see his beautiful green eyes looking at her with gentle adoration."About time. Now, let’s get the hell out of here before he calls the guards and really sends us to the dungeon,” I said with a frown. She huffed before she walked t
(Mateo)(Just before he was in the forest)When the dragon flew away through the window, it took me minutes to get my head back and I was finally awake from the spell, the woman and her dragon put me on. They were both bewitching.The woman was a menace, a freaking menace, with a mouth like... a flame thrower or something. Every f*cking word that came out of her mouth was made to make me burn.I didn’t even have the proper word to describe her. She vexed me to madness. But her dragon- oh! Now, I loved that sexy beast. Her red and black scaly body, her soft violet eyes with a slash in the middle that looked like a doorway to her soul, her soft purr."Oh, I won’t mind riding that dragon...” Shade said with a moan, and I chuckled, shaking my head. On a normal day, my dragon was usually the most level-headed creature, but with Vera and her dragon, Shade seemed to be losing his shit, too, more so than me."Yes, I know you won’t mind riding her, you dirty dragon.”“Who is this woman? What i
(Vera)Mateo’s finger was scorching as he trailed it down my throat, looking absolutely sure of what he was doing. I couldn’t quite figure him out, and it was making me confused. Perplexed. I have always been good at figuring people and things out. But five years ago, I failed once, with the prince, and he is still haunting me now.There was a smug smile playing against his lips that rubbed me in all the wrong places. I had half a mind to kick him in the family jewels and run."Do not kick him there. What if it never worked again?” Nova wondered aloud. “You will never get to taste and-”“Nobody is going to taste anything, Nova, you hussy!” I snapped as I stared at the prince.“It is a promise,” he whispered.“Game on, prince. It is a f*cking game on,” I hissed at him and he shook his head, looking quite amused at my anger.“Do not provoke me, thief. I will stop you. I will. And you will have to walk away, your tail tucked between your thighs,” he licked his lips as if he just remember
(Mateo) Shade and I flew for a long time. My anger still burned. I was usually not the possessive kind. I really was not. But knowing it was so easy for her to tell me that we should reject each other, and thinking that it might be because of her boyfriend, well, I hated it. I hated just the mere thought of Vera choosing someone else over me. Would she really do that? Could she? "We shouldn’t have left. We should have stayed and fought and-” “And what Shade? Clawed his eyes off! I don’t think that is a good idea.” “But she is ours. Freyr made her for us!” “And we will win her over. But certainly not by clawing someone else’s eyes off.” I hated feeling like this. It felt like a million weird creatures were crawling inside my stomach. After an hour of just flying around, I flew to the palace and shifted closer to the woods behind the palace, where I had a bunch of clothes hidden for emergencies. It was already too late and too dark. I listened closely and the sound from the palac
“Good girls go to heaven, bad girls go everywhere.” ― Mae West ---- (Vera) I was stupid. I was an absolute idiot. That was all I could think of right now. I handed the phone wordlessly to Ezra, and walked to my tent. We had tents. We all slept in our own tents and used the big cottage for everything else. When I closed the zipper, I knew nobody would bother me. It was our own sign that said do not disturb. I sat in the dark, thinking about everything that had happened tonight. It felt like months, but it was only a f*cking day. A DAY! I wondered what Mateo would be doing right now. I sighed and closed my eyes. "You can ask for his help. He will help you, you know...” She was right. He would help me, but... I didn’t know when I fell asleep, but when I woke up to the loud voices coming from outside my tent, I was curious as to what the ruckus was about. I quickly pulled on a jacket over my shirt and walked out of the tent to see everyone standing there, whispering something. “
(Vera) He bunched my clothes together in his hand as I growled at him to put it down... he only gave me a salacious smile that was doing all kinds of things to my p*ssy. I had never thought you could come when someone was just looking at you, but apparently, you could get close. So close. The water was slightly cold, but my body was made of fire. The way the waves softly sloshed over, teasingly... it felt like a lover's caress, but I would rather have the stupid prince's hands on my body. All over my body. Caressing. Hard. I knew I was making this harder for myself, but his eyes were giving me all kinds of crazy ideas. Could I get away with touching myself, as he stared at me? Would he know? I licked my lips, and his eyes turned so dark they weren't green anymore. Would this burning need go away if I had a one-night stand with him? Could I f*ck this lust out of my system? "You think that is a sensible idea? You will never get out of his bed, but..." Nova stopped. "I like it. I