"Better?" he asked quietly.
I nodded, not trusting my voice yet. The cold water had done its job—the unbearable need had faded to a manageable ache, still present but no longer consuming. I could think again, could separate my own desires from the mark's compulsion. The clarity was almost as disorienting as the arousal had been.
Caelus took a breath, like he was preparing himself for something difficult. His thumb traced another circuit on the back of my hand, and I wondered if he knew he was doing it.
"I believe that a completed bond sealed with the Caretaker Pact will burn out the Unnamed's mark," he said, his voice taking on that careful, controlled quality from before. "It's the only way I can think to save you. I will check with my brothers when they arrive. The bond-magic, once fully consummated and sealed, becomes powerful enough to purge foreign corruption from your body. Like a fire burning away infection."
"You said we can't consummate while the mark is still there," I pointed out. "So how—"
"The Pact can be established first, separately from consummation. It lays the foundation, creates the framework of our dynamic. Then, once the mark is removed, we complete the bond physically and the Pact activates fully, burning out any remaining corruption." He paused, and through the bond I felt his nervousness spike. "But you need to understand what you'd be agreeing to. This isn't just . . . it's not temporary. Not a game we play until the danger passes."
I waited, watching his profile. He still wasn't looking directly at me, though whether that was respect for my nakedness or his own control I couldn't tell.
"The Caretaker Pact establishes a permanent dynamic between mates," he continued. "Daddy and Little. Dominant and submissive. Caretaker and cared-for." The words came out measured, like he'd practiced this explanation but never expected to give it. "It's fundamental to how Dragon Lords bond. We need—" He stopped, searching for words. "We need absolute authority over our mate's safety and wellbeing. Our protective instincts don't work any other way. We have to know you're cared for, protected, following rules that keep you safe."
"And in return?" My voice came out smaller than I'd intended.
"In return, we provide total protection, structure, care. A safe space where you can be vulnerable without fear. Where you don't have to be strong all the time, don't have to carryeverything alone." His hand tightened on mine. "It means rules, Wren. Real ones, with real consequences when they're broken. Discipline that might involve spanking or other physical correction, though never anything that truly harms. But it also means tenderness, playfulness, someone who will treasure every part of you—even the parts you think are too much or too needy or too broken."
The words should have frightened me. Three weeks ago, they would have. But something in them resonated like a tuning fork finding its frequency. After weeks of being strong enough to survive, of making myself small and quiet and unnoticeable, the idea of having someone else carry that weight felt less like loss and more like relief.
"There's a space I prepared," Caelus said softly. "Years ago. Centuries, really. I gave up hope of ever using it, but I couldn't bring myself to unmake it either."
"What kind of space?"
"A Nursery." The word came out almost shy. "On the monastery's highest floor, where the clouds press closest to the windows. I filled it with things I thought my mate might like—stuffed dragons I made myself, terrible at first but I got better with practice. Books for children and adults both, because I didn't know what you'd prefer. Soft things, comfortable things, spaces for both playing and resting. There's a rocking chair by the window where I imagined reading to you. A toy chest full of wooden puzzles and painted blocks. Art supplies, because maybe you'd like to create. Instruments, because maybe you'd like music."
Through the bond, I felt the depth of his longing—centuries of preparing a space for someone who never came, adding to it year after year, keeping hope alive through steady small actions even when belief had faded.
"There are rules posted on the wall, though they're flexible until we learn what works for us. Things like bedtimes and checking in and using words instead of hiding. A discipline corner for when you need help resetting. But also rewards—star charts and praise and special treats." He finally turned to look at me, and his eyes were vulnerable in a way that made my chest ache. "I wanted it to be perfect for you. Whoever you were. Whenever you came."
Something hot and tight lodged in my throat. He'd been building me a home for aeons.
"If you accept the Pact," he continued, voice barely above a whisper, "I become your Daddy. You become my Little. Mine to protect, mine to guide, mine to treasure. I'll make decisions about your safety and wellbeing. I'll enforce rules that keep you healthy and whole. I'll provide structure when you're floundering and comfort when you're hurting and discipline when you need help finding your way back to center." His free hand came up to cup my cheek, thumb brushing away a tear I hadn't realized had fallen. "And you'll trust me with that authority. You'll follow my guidance even when it's hard. You'll be honest about your needs and accept my care even when you think you don't deserve it. You'll be mine, and I'll be yours, and we'll build something beautiful from that foundation."
I wanted it. The realization hit me with crystal clarity. Not because the bond demanded it, not because the mark was pushing us toward completion, but because something in me recognized the truth of what he was offering. I'd been alone for so long, carrying everything myself, that I'd forgotten what it felt like to let someone else help bear the weight.
"Yes," I whispered. "I want that. All of it."
Relief and joy flooded through the bond so strongly it stole my breath. Caelus's eyes went bright, his smile transforming his face from beautiful to incandescent.
We sat in silence for a long moment, hands still linked, both feeling the weight of what we'd agreed to and what still stood between us. The water had warmed slightly from my body heat, but not enough to be comfortable. I was starting to shiver again.
Caelus stood, reaching for a towel—keeping his eyes carefully averted as I climbed out. Even now, even after seeing me desperate and out of control, he gave me the dignity of privacy. The consideration made something warm bloom in my chest that had nothing to do with arousal.
Maybe this could work. If we could just survive long enough to try.
He'dgivenmeprivacyto dress—soft leggings and an oversized tunic that Meredith had left folded on the bed. The clothes smelled like cold wind and clean cotton. By the time I emerged, he'd changed too, traded sleep clothes for dark trousers and a gray shirt that made his eyes look like gathering storms.
"We should put distance between you and the bed," he said, not quite meeting my eyes. "My study. It's more neutral territory."
I followed him through corridors I was starting to recognize, trying not to notice how his shoulders filled out the shirt, how his hair was still damp at the ends from where he'd splashed water on his face. Trying and failing.
The study was exactly what I'd expected—organized chaos held together by some internal logic only he understood. Books overflowed from shelves onto every flat surface. Crystals suspended from the ceiling at specific points created patterns of refracted light across walls covered in maps and diagrams. The massive desk by the window was buried under scrolls andloose parchment, weighted down by rocks that hummed with contained magic.
He gestured me to a chair upholstered in soft blue fabric while he leaned against the desk, maintaining careful distance between us.
"The other Dragon Lords will arrive tomorrow morning," he said, slipping into what I was starting to recognize as his business voice—controlled, clinical, safe. "Davoren confirmed by crystal message an hour ago. Garruk and Sereis are coming as well, with their mates. They'll want to hear everything you learned about the cult's plans."
