Page 67 of Dragon King’s Bullied Mate

Every muscle in Lyra’s body tightened instinctively. Dag descended the stairs slowly while his gaze dragged across her with open contempt. “Still hanging around where you’re not wanted, I see.”

Lyra’s pulse thundered painfully. Beside her, Beckett pressed closer immediately.

Dag stepped nearer. “You know, Mikael always did have a habit of rescuing strays.”

“Stop it, Dag,” Malaya warned sharply.

Dag barely acknowledged her. His attention remained fixed entirely on Lyra now, and the smile spreading across his face looked exactly the same as it had back in school before he destroyed someone publicly for sport.

“You really think you belong here?” he asked softly.

Something inside Lyra began shrinking automatically despite how hard she fought it. Luckily, Malaya stepped directly between them.

“I said,” the princess repeated, “shut up.”

The command in her voice visibly surprised several nearby guards. Dag finally looked at her then before laughing quietly beneath his breath. It was the exact same cruel laugh Lyra remembered hearing echo through crowded hallways while other students avoided looking at her directly.

Dag shook his head once before turning away. “This is going to end badly,” he said almost conversationally. Then he walked back into the castle still laughing softly to himself.

Lyra realized only afterward that her hands were shaking again.

“Hey,” Malaya said quietly.

Lyra swallowed hard.

“He doesn’t get to do that anymore,” Malaya murmured firmly. “You understand me?”

Lyra nodded even though part of her wasn’t entirely sure she believed it yet. The castle doors opened again moments later and then Mikael appeared. Somehow everything inside Lyra eased slightly at the sight of him.

He crossed the snowy courtyard immediately toward them. Concern sharpened his expression the moment he noticed how pale she looked.

“What happened?” he asked softly.

“Dag happened,” Malaya muttered.

Mikael’s jaw tightened instantly. “Did he say something to you?”

Lyra hesitated. “It doesn’t matter.”

“It matters to me.”

The quiet intensity in his voice made her chest ache unexpectedly. Mikael glanced once toward the castle entrance where Dag had disappeared before clearly forcing himself to let it go for now.

“You’re safe here,” he said instead.

Lyra desperately wanted to believe him. He picked up Beckett and led them to the door. Once inside, the castle felt overwhelmingly enormous. Servants moved silently through endless corridors while guards stood posted at nearly every entrance. Although everyone treated Lyra politely, she still felt painfully aware of how out of place she looked walking through polished marble halls carrying two duffel bags and Beckett’s stuffed fox.

Mikael personally escorted them upstairs.

“I’ve arranged rooms near mine,” he explained quietly.

Lyra blinked. “Near yours?”

“It’s safer.”

Something warm fluttered through her chest despite the fear that still lingered there. Her eyes widened in surprise when he opened a door and flipped on a light. “This is your room.”

The suite itself stunned her speechless. Soft gold lighting glowed across elegant furniture while thick blankets covered an enormous bed near the fireplace, and through another doorway sat a smaller connected bedroom already prepared for Beckett with warm quilts and toys waiting on the neatly made bed.