When it was my turn, I removed my clothes and walked into the middle of the clearing and told my dragon not to linger on the shift. Once my beast had his scales, Garrett attached the GoPro to my dragon’s horns. Pax already had the app, and when my beast soared upward, my mate waved and cheered.
My dragon circled the clearing, and Garrett was showing off with a slow partial shift before transforming, while my cousin’s dragon did a barrel roll and then breathed fire.
What a showoff!I can do better than that.
My dragon dived toward the ground and pulled up at the last second. There was a rush of air under our wings, and Pax squealed as we came so close to the ground. Launching himself upward, my beast joined my family, and we flew in formation, weaving in and out of each other’s paths.
Flying had always been freeing, but now that Pax and I were mated, I was glad he was experiencing a tiny snippet of it.
My dragon peeled off from the group and flew lower. When he landed, Pax bent his head as people did when they got on or off a helicopter and came over. He placed a hand on my beast’s scales. Smoke curled from my dragon’s nostrils, signaling he was as content as I was.
“If you want to fly more, go. I’m fine here.”
My dragon was itching to soar, so he rejoined the family. We flew for another hour, burning stuff and racing, and when we landed, Pax was lying on the grass with his head tipped back and his eyes closed. I pulled on my jeans and sat beside him.
“Your verdict?”
He shuffled over the grass until our thighs were touching. “That was amazing. People often use the expression, ‘I’ve never seen anything like it,’ but in this case it’s true. Thank you for letting me be a part of it.”
I wrapped an arm around him, and the family gathered around. My folks passed out drinks and snacks because flying was thirsty work.
Garrett plopped down on Pax’s other side. “So when are you moving in with Dray?
I growled at my cousin and allowed my beast to the forefront of my gaze. Not that it bothered Garrett.
“What? It’s a reasonable question.”
Pax laughed. “We just marked one another. Give me a minute to catch up.”
My place was a rambling old farmhouse that was bigger than June’s place, but I didn’t have a particular attachment to it. I’d be fine with moving.
“Fair enough.” Garrett nudged me, but I shoved him and he fell backward onto the grass.
“Ignore him,” I told Pax. My mate had not been to my house, and we had a lot to work out before we made a decision about where to live.
“I’m not ready to leave Aunt June’s place. I might never be.”
“And I’d be happy moving there, assuming you want to live with me.”
He tapped his lips. “I might have to draw up pros-and-cons columns.”
“Dray can always live in the garden.” Garrett smirked. “I heard he’s good at that.”
I tackled him, and we rolled over the grass as we used to as kids.
When the family left, it was just Pax and me in the clearing.
“This is my life now, isn’t it?” He rested his head on my shoulder.
“As long as you want it to be.”
“I do.”
On the way back, I suggested we eat dinner at the café. “It’ll bookend our meeting, or rather me scenting you, and our mating.”
“And then you’d better grab your toothbrush because I don’t want to spend another night without you.”
Arthur had the thermostat way too high, and we removed our coats. Pax entwined his fingers through mine.
