He cupped her cheek and his thumb brushed lightly across her lip. “We caught one of the threats.” He told her about Magnus. “Whatever happens now, we face it together. Always together. Especially now that you seem to be their primary target.”
“Alitta is the threat now.”
He nodded. “But first, we talk to my mother.” He paused before he knocked. “Bryn, please keep an open mind. I know everything between us has been very unconventional, but we’re trying to get back on track the way things should be.”
She frowned but nodded. “As long as you’re not sending me away, I’m good.”
As it turned out, his worry was for nothing. Within an hour, they had the wedding date set in two weeks, and Freya had made an appointment with a seamstress for a wedding gown. They all agreed that the official ceremony should be before any pregnancy was known.
“Can I invite my sister?”
“Of course, sweetheart. She can stay right here in the castle. Invite anyone else from your family.”
“No, just my sister. My parents would not fit in here.”
Sven agreed. After the way Bryn had been treated her whole life, he couldn’t help but wonder how her mother would feel surrounded by dragons. It might be more than the woman could handle, and she had already punished Bryn enough throughout her lifetime. He also made a mental note to check with Martin. He would bet that the doctor had already done a pregnancy test with the blood he drew from Bryn.
They left Freya in a tizzy of wedding preparations. Bryn laughed as they went back to their room. “I think I’m very happy that she is willing to take on the bulk of a royal wedding.”
“This is Stagholt,” he laughed. “Not England. We’re nowhere near as formal or as big as that royal family.”
“Still, it’s nice that your mom is so involved.”
He ran a finger across her cheek. “I never would have thought that a woman who shut herself away from the world for so long is suddenly so very much alive. Same with Grandma. I honestly thought she was nearing the end and suddenly she’s very much alive again. And it’s all thanks to you.”
She kissed his finger. “My pleasure.”
“Speaking of pleasure.”
Sven bent his head, his lips brushing hers with the tenderness he reserved only for her.
The world narrowed to the warmth of her body against his, the scent of her hair, the spark of her gift humming between them. Everything was forgotten and danger was momentarily distant. He picked her up and carried her inside their room. He set her down long enough to secure the door.
Clothes were shed in a trail behind them and he lifted her onto the bed. For now, there were no enemies, no kingdoms at stake. All that mattered was the bond between them, fierce and unbreakable.
He laid her on the bed and took in her naked beauty. He leaned over and kissed her with love and passion before he moved to her neck. He ran his tongue down her chest and around her breasts before moving across her stomach and down to her hips. He found her tender spot between her legs and let the sounds of her pleasure take over his senses.
When he felt her climax, he moved up and entered her with a single thrust. Their bodies moved as one and he lost himself in the sensations they created together.
Sven’s last thought before surrendering to her completely was simple and certain.
She was his future.
The world faded into darkness as love consumed them both.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Bryn
Bryn lay against Sven’s chest, her body still tingly and sated with the afterglow of their lovemaking. His arm curved protectively around her and his breath slowed into the steady rhythm of sleep. She felt at peace, at least for the moment. She let her eyes fall shut and let the beat of his heartbeat pull her into sleep.
But the peace was disturbed once she began to dream.
She flew again. Like the first dream, she had the same sensations of weightlessness and air rushing around her. She had the freedom of endless sky. She tried to move her arms, but her body was different. She had wings. She banked and flew over a calm lake so she could see her reflection. She almost flew right into the lake as she got a good view of herself. She didn’t just have wings. She had everything.
Scales gleamed along her body, creamy pearl with silvery blue tips. Each one shone in iridescent hues as she flew along the water’s surface. Her wings stretched wide and incorporated more shades of blue, but she still looked like a mountain top covered in snow and ice. Each wing was immense and powerful, and they cut through the air with effortless strength. The air rippled beneath her as she glided along before she climbed higher. Every motion was natural and instinctive. Her heart raced as knowledge set in. She wasn’t riding a dragon. Shewasthe dragon.
The wind lifted her higher still, but the horizon dimmed as she flew and the bright sky darkened into shadows. The light faded until the air grew heavy and cold, and she knew where she was heading before she even saw it.
