But the sky as dragons knew it.
The clouds lay far below them now, a soft, endless ocean of white, tinged with silver where the moonlight kissed their edges.
And above?—
The stars.
A thousand, a million, an infinite sea of diamond-bright constellations, burning in the deep, endless void of the universe.
She had never seen them like this.
Never seen them so clear, so endless, so free.
Raven’s eyes burned.
He had saved her.
Fought for her.
Burned the world for her.
And now?—
Now, he was giving her this.
This moment. This gift.
A view of the world no human had ever seen.
Perfect.
Endless.
Bliss.
Something in her broke open, something deep, something vast and overwhelming, something she had never felt before.
Love.
Not just love. More than love.
A love so deep and unshakable, so absolute, that it settled into her very bones, into the very fibers of her being.
She pressed a hand against his scales, feeling the heat of him, the life of him.
And she whispered it.
"I love you."
The dragon rumbled beneath her.
A deep, low vibration that traveled through his entire body, wrapping around her, through her, inside her.
Warmth—pure, red-gold warmth—poured into her.
A rush of love, protection, devotion, waves of pure emotion and power, so raw, so overwhelming, it nearly took her breath away.
She felt it—all of it.
