"Mate," the dragon repeated and brought Lachlan up to hold against the large golden chest plates.
"He's good to be able to talk so soon," Killian said, slowly making his way across the grass. "About time he told you, though his delivery could be better."
Lachlan was still dazed, his heart in his throat. "I can't... He would have known..."
"He did. For fucking months," Killian replied. "Of course he couldn't just say it because he needed to shift into a dragon and be dramatic about it."
A golden tail whipped about to swipe at the Night Prince. He just launched himself in the air on black wings and landed again. "You did too, you little shit! Now, shift back."
The dragon only made a rumbling sound and kept its grip on Lachlan. "Mate."
"Oh, you are the fucking worst, Apollonius Greatdrakes," Killian bitched as he pulled out his phone. "You wait until Taranis gets here, then you'll be in trouble."
It turned out that Apollo, the dragon, cared for orders about as much as he did as a magician. In the end, Killian, Valentine, and Taranis had to create a portal large enough for a dragon to get through. Lachlan dozed in the warmth of Apollo's paw as the portal to Kian's castle in England finally opened. Taranis looked pissed, but Apollo refused to shift back no matter how much he was threatened.
"Why can't you boys follow orders for once!" Taranis complained. He spared a glance in Lachlan's direction. "You okay there, lad?"
"Good enough. He just won't let me go," Lachlan replied.
Taranis snorted, his red eyes glowing. "You're his mate. Of course he's not going to let you go."
"Did everybody fucking know about this but me?" Lachlan demanded angrily.
Taranis only shrugged. "Not our fault you are dense. Put him down, Apollo. We need to go home."
Apollo refused to put him down and instead lifted Lachlan onto his back and walked through the portal. Lachlan felt the air shift and cool, and suddenly, they were behind Kian's castle. He could have wept with relief. He could only watch as the wounded were helped through the portal and handed over to the fae healers.
"Should we put the fire in the Château out?" Lachlan shouted.
"Why? It will burn away any evidence that Apollo didn't get to," Valentine called back.
They closed the portal, and Apollo began to move. Lachlan hung onto his golden scales, worried that he was about to fly off again.
"Where are you going?" Kian called, looking tiny from so high up.
"No idea. I'm not driving this thing," Lachlan shouted back.
Some of the magician inside Apollo must have been conscious because they headed for the dragon keep behind the stables. They had been built for Taranis's knights to use if they wanted. Apollo found the largest pen and scratched about at the clean straw. He plucked Lachlan off his back and curled around him like the world's biggest cat.
"We are sleeping? Okay, that's a good idea," Lachlan said, pulling off his weapons and boots. Apollo lifted a wing, and Lachlan took the hint and climbed under it.
"When we wake up, you sure better have a good fucking excuse why you never told me I was your mate," Lachlan said and curled up into the hay.
Post-battle exhaustion claimed him, and he curled into the warm bulk of Apollo's side. It wasn't long before the dragon was snoring softly, and Lachlan finally shut his eyes.
35
Apollo woke in an unfamiliar building. It was the third time in a fortnight, which seemed extreme even for him. He was naked, itchy, and sticky.
Hay. I'm sleeping in fucking hay. Just great, he thought groggily. The only thing that made sense was that he was curled around Lachlan's back. But he smelled like blood and sweat and something icky.
"Hey, wake up. Where are we?" Apollo said, gently shaking Lachlan's big shoulder. He rolled over, and Apollo shrieked at the fresh cut down his cheek. "What the fuck happened to your beautiful face?"
"What are you screaming about?" Lachlan grumbled, and then his eyes snapped open. "Oh, gods, you're human again. Thank fuck. Am I your mate?"
"Ahhhh...I'm so disorientated," Apollo said, leaping to his feet. He looked down. "And I'm naked."
Lachlan's blue eyes narrowed at him. "You don't remember?"
