He was silent for a moment, his fingers tracing gently over her stomach, soothing her pain.I don’t believe so. There’s no evidence of any strain now we’re all bonded in a complete quintet. With the ability to communicate and share energy fully in our grasp, we’re never really at a distance.
His logic was undeniable.You have sensed the way we can share our essences now too? Her magic feels similar to the energy our dragons use to control matter around us.
Slade’s green eyes flashed, the darkness of the room not enough to restrict my sight of him.Agreed. Our essences are all flowing together, along with her magic. I’ve experimented and pulled a little into myself, and it tasted like all of our beasts. Emme hasn’t fully figured out how to control it yet, and when she does, she could possibly block the share, but none of us could block her.
We would never want to block our heart.
The silence extended, and it was comfortable and warm. Warm was the oddest concept for one who’d lived such a cold life.
What if the witch is there?Slade asked, a flicker of concern bleeding into those words.Maybe I should come with you. The others can keep an eye on our mate while we’re gone.
My beast reared up at the thought of one of us not being here with the pack.In this situation I don’t think it’s necessary. It’s only scouting. If I was planning on attacking, then it would be worth the risk to remove us both from the pack.
Slade wanted to argue, but this time I had logic on my side. My twin loved logic.Yeah, that makes sense. I’m also not ready to fully trust Constantine. Not yet. Still, I find myself uncomfortable with you leaving.
There was that damn warmth again.I’ll be careful, I assured him.This is just a scouting mission. I shouldn’t have to get close enough to trigger any magical alarms.
Long before the light of dawn filled the room, I dragged myself from Emme and Slade. As she slept, I brushed my lips lightly against hers, relieved that she already felt less exhausted. She’d needed this healing sleep—we all had.
The strength of our quintet pleased me, and I enjoyed the magicflowing through our beasts now too.I thought I’d hate the foreign feeling of magic inside her, but it feels like ours. She is ours.
Slade’s words resonated deeply within me and my dragon.
Always ours. We have magic too, and all of it works together.
Yes.
When I’d first met my twin, there’d been a strong rift between him and his beast. This volatile, roaring chasm of pain that neither of them were able to cross. Now that we’d reformed our twin soul bond, that chasm was gone, and in its place a sea of tranquility.
My rift with my dragon had never been as deep or enraged, but it existed all the same. We both enjoyed this new feeling of power andpeace. I’d never experienced anything like it before, and I would not give it up easily.
After drawing the covers over Emme’s bare shoulders, I forced myself into the bathroom to get ready for the day. On the street, in the predawn chill of the winter day, there was no sign of shifters. A light dusting of snow had fallen overnight, and as I glanced around at the picture-perfect scene, it was hard to believe our world could be torn apart in a matter of weeks.
Thank the goddess I hadn’t ended up helping Fletcher with his master plan. While part of me still saw the reason in what he wanted to do, a stronger part now knew that it wasn’t my place to make a life-altering decision for all shifters.
Even as a dragon, I never would.
Shedding my clothing, I placed them into the small bag with elastic sides attached to my leg. It was specially designed shifter equipment that would expand during my shift, allowing me a change of clothes when I reached my destination. I’d used theseExpanbagsmany times in the past and had no fucking idea they’d been invented by my entitled alpha. Hunter created the prototype four years ago, and it was one of their best sellers.
For all of Fletcher’s complaining about his son’s company, which had surpassed his by hundreds of millions of dollars, he’d certainly taken advantage of their products. Especially their weapons and defensive items.
Just as I was calling on the energy to shift into my dragon form, I felt the spark of my mate through our bond. When she burst through the front door, I was ready and waiting for her. Slade must have gotten one of his shirts over her head to hide her nakedness from pryingeyes, but her arms weren’t through the sleeves yet as she sprinted forward and launched herself at me.
“You can’t sneak away to do dangerous scouting and not say goodbye,” she choked out against my chest, which felt like it was caving in at the devastation in her tone.
“I’m always with you, Honey,” I said, breathing in her sweet scent. “We don’t think you’ll get any kickback or bond strain now that we’re a completed quintet, but I’m going to keep an eye on it. Let me know if you feel any unease.”
“I will,” she said, her gaze piercing as she pulled away to examine me in a way that had my alpha roaring. “Please be careful.” She shivered when the breeze drifted between us.
Slade appeared in the doorway, and there was a surge of his beast heating the air so Emme didn’t freeze.
“I will return to you,” I promised. “No matter what it takes. You don’t need to worry. There’s very little in this world that can threaten me.”
Emme didn’t look convinced as her bottom lip trembled. “Just remember that magic has taken you down before. Don’t be overconfident. Scout and return, and we will face whatever is there as a pack. That’s where we’re truly strong, now our essences have joined.”
Reaching out, I helped her get her arms through the sleeves of the shirt, wanting to feel them wrapped around me. “Was in a bit of a rush,” she mumbled, her cheeks pinkening to match the end of her cold nose.
My dragon growled, pushing once more to snatch our adorable female up and steal her away to a cave high in the mountains, safe and hidden from the world. Where no one could touch her again.
