“If you didn’t respond so intensely—” he started to say.
“But you made me feel wanted, desirable, when you made me dance with you. Travelling to the tomb, seeing you with your family, I saw another man. One who cares deeply for those he is bonded with.” The smile faded and something unfathomable rose to replace it. “You would do anything for your family, including go to war with the Royal Riders of Nevermere.”
“They’re all a bunch of idiots in uniform,” he croaked out. “Pretty sure they wouldn’t have made it through the first clash with our beasts. But yes.” edging closer, he took my jaw in his hands. “I’d do anything for you, Fern. Name it and it will be done.”
“Kiss me?”
“You don’t have to command me to do that.” His head drew down far too slowly, ensuring I caught the way his eyes flared brighter and brighter blue as he drew closer. “When it’s taken all of my will to stop from kissing those pretty lips since the moment I met you.”
Before I could say another word, his mouth crashed down on mine. Where Lorien was far more gentle, Kael claimed. Notcontent to passively allow myself to be ravished, my hands sank into his hair as I kissed him right back. He wanted more, didn’t want to let up for a second, but I turned in his arms to look upon a very pale Dain. His eyes were everywhere but on me, though finally they settled on meeting my gaze.
“You saw me, have always seen me.”
My focus shifted to his jacket pocket where that journal had to be.
“Will always see you,” he croaked out. “Didn’t anticipate this, though. How the hell I missed…” Reaching into his tunic, I thought he would draw forth the sketchbook, but instead he produced a thick gold signet ring. “A lady doesn’t lay with men of her acquaintance, but her husbands?”
“I’ll be damned,” Kael said. “A gold ring.”
“Become our wife,” Dain said, blinking furiously. “We’ll get a better ring, one more suited to a woman, but?—”
“It’s perfect.”
My eyes burned as I took the band from his finger. The thick band and a raven crest emblazoned across the top made clear it was a man’s signet ring, and yet I couldn’t have loved it more. My so-called suitors would’ve presented me with a pretty diamond solitaire if I’d agreed to marry them, and what kind of life would’ve I enjoyed?
“Well, then…” Dain slid it onto my ring finger where it was hopelessly loose, then as I let out a little giggle, he tried a few others, finally settling on my thumb. My hand closed around the band, around his hand, to keep both of them in place. “Will you become our wife?”
I had longed to hear those words because it was expected of me, so my lips moved, ready to say yes. Pausing for just a moment, I considered what that would mean.
“To stay at home, keep your house and raise your children?” The look of hope burning in all their eyes made me want to stay silent, but I couldn’t. “No, not that.” Dain’s face fell, starting to become a familiar smooth mask. “But adventures? Flying high and far, seeing the breadth and width of Nevermere? Discoveringnew tombs, libraries, investigating ruins…” Suddenly I could see it clearly. All five of us scrambling over the remains of some long-forgotten city, our dragons resting in the sunlight beyond. “If that’s what you had in mind, then?—”
“Whatever you need, remember?” Kael smiled and then glanced at the others. “Someone has to come along and keep the females out of trouble.”
“Females—?” I spluttered.
“I’ll get a map from that university professor,” Lorien said. “Work out where to go next.”
“You’ll have my sword to protect you from any monsters we might find,” Lance said with a wink.
“And I will master my gift, foresee any danger we might face to keep you safe.” My hand gripped Dain’s and he returned the pressure as he pulled me closer. “So, yes?”
I sucked in a breath and smiled.
“Yes. Of course, my answer is yes.”
Chapter 65
Lorien
“Well, then…” I had Fern up in my arms within seconds, then was carrying her over to the bed.
“Lorien, what are you doing!” she cried as I tossed her onto the mattress. Following her moments later, I had my answer.
“Making you my wife.”
For a minute, I could see it. All the theoretical knowledge my sisters had instilled in me put into practise until my girl was gasping.
“I’m going to get the bed rolls from our packs,” Dain announced, right before he made for the door. His abrupt exit had Fern’s head popping up off the bed.
