Page 21 of Dragon King’s Bullied Mate

Who was she?

The harder he pushed for details, the more his head throbbed in protest until nausea twisted sharply through him and forced him to stop before the pain became unbearable.

A knock sounded against the chamber doors moments later before Dag entered without waiting for permission. He appeared all broad-shouldered and composed as always despite the exhaustion lining his face.

“You’re awake.”

Mikael studied him carefully. Dag showed relief but it felt restrained somehow, dulled beneath something Mikael could not quite place. His captain bowed appropriately but there was tension in the gesture that immediately sharpened Mikael’s suspicion.

“What happened?” Mikael asked.

Dag hesitated. “You were found injured near the base of the mountain.”

“By whom?”

Another pause.

“A villager.”

Mikael frowned instantly. “That’s all?”

“You were unconscious when my men arrived.” The answer felt intentionally empty.

Mikael leaned back slowly against the pillows as he studied Dag with narrowed eyes while his dragon prowled restlessly beneath his skin. They were both growing increasingly agitated by the lack of answers.

“I remember snow,” Mikael murmured. “And a woman.”

Dag’s expression did not change, but something flickered behind his eyes quickly enough to catch Mikael’s attention.

“A fever dream,” Dag said flatly. “You were found in the snow.”

“No, I was not.”

The word came harsher than intended because even without memory, Mikael knew with absolute certainty that she had been real. He could feel it just as he felt like Dag was intentionally lying to him.

“Mik, you’ve been unconscious for some time. Dreams were bound to happen.”

“Why couldn’t my dragon heal me?” That question finally produced visible discomfort.

“We don’t know.”

“You expect me to believe that?”

“The poison interfered somehow.”

Poison. The word struck hard enough to silence the room.

Mikael stared at him. “I was poisoned?”

Dag nodded once but didn’t say anything else.

Rage rose immediately beneath Mikael’s skin, but confusion followed just as quickly because dragon healing should have burned through almost anything short of poison.

“I want every physician consulted,” Mikael said coldly. “And send for the doctor who treated Sven of Stagholt after the Skelvarns poisoned him. Perhaps it was the same toxin.”

Dag exhaled slowly through his nose. “You’ve barely regained consciousness.”

“Do it anyway.”