She should be here. This was supposed to be when we exposed her.
Harper frowned, following Lila’s gaze. “Maybe she got word and fled?”
Or maybe she’s planning something even worse.
Veyra’s words from yesterday echoed in Lila’s mind.This isn’t over.A chill ran down her spine despite the warm morning air.
We should have arrested her last night. Draven’s need for public justice might have just put everyone I love in danger.
But as Draven’s golden eyes found hers across the garden, as that familiar surge of love and desire crashed through their bond, Lila forced herself to breathe.
Today, I become his queen. Everything else can wait.
The silk of her coronation gown whispered against the stone pathway as Lila approached the ancient fountain. Every step felt momentous, weighted with centuries of tradition and the promise of a future she’d never dared imagine.
I’m about to become a queen.
Draven’s golden-brown eyes locked onto hers as she drew near, and their mate bond hummed with a fierce intensity. Even with his crown gleaming on his dark hair, even surrounded by the formal pomp of nobility, he gazed at her like she was his entire world.
My king.
Lyric stepped forward, his voice rising above the assembled crowd with the weight of ancient ritual. “We gather today to witness a miracle that has not graced the Southern DragonDominion for over a century—the crowning of the Queen of Fire.”
“For generations, our kingdom has waited for this moment,” Lyric continued, his weathered face solemn yet radiant. “A queen whose very essence can stabilize the dragonfire that runs through our king’s veins. A queen whose heart burns with the same intensity as the flames she commands.”
Lila felt the collective gaze of every noble, every council member, every witness pressing against her like a physical weight. But Draven’s presence steadied her, his love flowing through their bond like liquid courage.
“Lila Reyes,” Lyric intoned, “descendant of our ancient bloodlines, healer of hearts, stabilizer of flames—do you accept the sacred responsibility of ruling beside our king? Do you vow to protect this realm and its people with your life, your heart, and your fire?”
“I do.” The words emerged clear and strong, surprising her with their conviction.
Draven stepped forward, the delicate tiara catching the twin suns’ light in his hands. The rubies and crystals embedded in the gold seemed to pulse with their own inner fire.
“You are my heart,” he said quietly, his voice meant for her alone though the crowd could hear every word. “My anchor. My queen.”
The moment the crown touched her head, something profound shifted inside her. Power, ancient and wild, awakened in her veins. The world seemed sharper and more vivid—she could feel the heartbeat of every dragon in attendance and sense the ebb and flow of their collective energy.
Rightness.That was the only word for it.
Draven’s hand found hers, their crowns gleaming side by side as he faced the crowd. “Behold your queen!” His voice rangwith pride and possession. “Queen Lila of the Southern Dragon Dominion!”
The cheers erupted around them, but Lila could only focus on Draven’s face as he leaned down to claim her lips in a kiss that sealed their bond.
This is forever.
The world faded to nothing but the taste of him, the strength of his arms, the?—
Two massive shadows passed overhead, blotting out the twin suns.
Lila’s eyes snapped open just as emerald and blue dragons swooped down like vengeful furies. Veyra’s claws closed around her mother’s waist, lifting her from the crowd with brutal efficiency. Marvin’s blue dragon seized Liam, her brother’s shout of alarm cut short as he was yanked skyward.
“No!” The scream tore from Lila’s throat.
How did she know they were here? She must have been watching, waiting for the perfect moment to destroy everything.
Veyra’s telepathic voice slithered through Lila’s mind like poison.Get ready to watch everyone you love be murdered. Then, you’ll have no one and you’ll be destroyed. You will never be the queen of Southern Dragon Dominion. I was supposed to be queen, not you.
Movement in her peripheral vision caught Lila’s attention. Corin Vale emerged from behind a cluster of ornamental trees, a gun gleaming in his hands as he advanced on Draven with predatory focus.
