Raven’s scent floods my senses—sea salt and night air mixed with something uniquely her that makes my dragon purr with recognition. I freeze completely, every muscle in my body going taut. My heart pounds against my ribs like a caged animal as I watch Mina and Thauglor stare at us with knowing expressions.
I feel Raven’s warm breath against the sensitive skin of my neck, and instinctively I roll my head to the side, exposing the column of my throat. Before I can process what’s happening, she bites me. Her teeth pierce the skin with sharp precision, and liquid fire floods my veins as the mate bond snaps into place with devastating force.
The sensation is indescribable—like every nerve ending in my body has been set ablaze while simultaneously being flooded with the most intense pleasure I’ve ever experienced. She purrs deep in her throat;the vibration travels through her teeth into my skin, and the sound makes my silver scales shimmer involuntarily.
She reaches her arms under mine, her touch burning like brands against my skin, and uses her powerful wings to lift me from my seat and into the evening sky. The ground falls away beneath us, and I can hear the surprised shouts from the family below. Her tongue laves over the fresh mate mark, soothing the sting while intensifying the fire in my blood, before she releases me and I fall.
The sensation of falling triggers every instinct I have. I shift out of pure survival response, my dragon form exploding into existence as I chase after Raven. Her black dragoness blots out a significant portion of the star-studded sky above us, her massive form both beautiful and terrifying in the moonlight.
It’s our mating flight, and the realization hits me like a physical blow. After twenty-one years of waiting, of watching, of hoping—this is finally happening. The wind beneath my wings feels different, charged with purpose and destiny. I’m going to enjoy every minute of this dance in the sky, this ancient ritual that will bind us together for eternity.
The bond pulses between us like a living thing, and for the first time since I was seven years old, Raven knows exactly what I am to her.
Chapter 22
Raven
I just markedmy mate and stole him from the family table in front of everyone. The memory of their shocked faces makes me laugh despite the nervous flutter in my stomach that feels like a thousand butterflies taking flight. I can only imagine what was said after we left—probably a mixture of pride and exasperation from the adults. Maybe some betting on how long we’d be gone.
My heart hammers against my ribs as the reality hits me: I’m finally alone with Corvis. After years of stolen glances, of watching him from across training yards, of memorizing every expression that crossed his handsome face—this is actually happening. The excitement coursing through my veins is so intense I feel dizzy with it.
We glide through the night sky, the cool air rushing past my face as I lead him back to my cavern. Stars wheel overhead like scattered diamonds, and the moon bathes our wings in silver light. Part of me still can’t believe this is real, that the male I’ve dreamed about since I was old enough to understand what wanting someone meant is finally mine.
I’ve been in love with Corvis since that first day at the gathering when I was just a hatchling. Even as a baby dragon, something in me recognized him as special, asmine. As I grew older, that innocent attachment deepened into something more complex, more consuming. I used to lie awake at night thinking about his silver eyes, the way his hair caught the sunlight, how his voice could calm my most violent moods with just a few words.
I can’t take him home. The thought is horrifying, knowing what’s about to happen and being in the same house as my parents and siblings. No, I am not about to traumatize myself like that—not when I’ve waited my entire life for this moment.
The oasis appears just ahead, its palm trees swaying gently in the night breeze. I circle over it, my wings catching the updrafts from the warm springs below. My talons are actually shaking with anticipation. Just before the great gathering, Mom, and Dad gifted the oasis to me, the deed signed with ancient ceremonies and blood. They figured since my dragoness had decided that digging her lair here was a good idea, it should be mine.
As I prepare to land, memories flood through me—every interaction we’ve ever had, every moment I treasured and replayed in my mind. The way he’d smile at me during lessons, how he always seemed to know exactly what to say when I was upset, the protective way he’d position himself near me during dangerous training exercises. Had he known even then? Had he been waiting as long as I had been waiting?
I shift and glide down to land on the sandy shore close to my cavern entrance. The sand is still warm beneath my feet from the day’s heat, and the air carries the sweet scent of night-blooming jasmine mixed with mineral-rich spring water.
I turn and watch Corvis circle overhead before landing with graceful precision. His dragon form is breathtaking—silver scales catching the moonlight like liquid metal, powerful wings that span wide. He’s sobeautiful that jealousy spikes through me at the perfection of his scales.
This is the part Mom warned me about—the inspection. My heart pounds so hard I’m sure he can hear it. She told me what his dragon would expect, so I walk slowly around him, trying to project confidence while my insides feel like they’re melting. Examining every inch of his magnificent form feels both clinical and incredibly intimate. I’ve dreamed of touching those scales, of running my hands over his powerful frame, but this formal ritual makes it feel surreal.
His scales shimmer with health and strength, each one perfectly formed and gleaming like precious metal. When I pull a blade from my belt and tap the pommel against them, they ring like struck silver, the sound echoing across the water. They’re just as hard as mine are, so at least I know he’s strong enough to be my mate. The thought sends a thrill through me—he’s really going to be mine.
I back away and spread my wings out wide, remaining standing so he can inspect me in return. The position leaves me vulnerable, exposed, but also excited. My whole body thrums with nervous energy as his silver eyes travel over every inch of me. This is the moment I’ve fantasized about countless times, but the reality is so much more intense than my imagination ever conjured.
He already knows the strength of my dragoness from our earlier encounters, but now he’s seeing me as his potential mate rather than just the girl he’s watched grow up. The shift in his gaze makes my breath catch—there’s hunger there now, and possessiveness, and something that looks like wonder. From what Mom shared with me when I confessed I’d figured out what he is to me, he’s been waitingtwenty-one years for this moment. Twenty-one years of patient devotion while I was too young, too blind to see what was right in front of me.
The guilt of that realization wars with the excitement flooding my system. How many nights had he gone to sleep thinking of me the way I thought of him? How many times had he watched me date others and wanted to tear them apart? The possessive thrill that shoots through me at that thought should probably worry me, but it doesn’t.
Warm fingers touch the scales between my wings, and my breath catches in my lungs like I’ve been struck by lightning. His touch feels like fire spreading wherever his fingertip traces, sending heat racing down my spine and through my limbs. I have no idea how Mom waited almost six months before fully bonding with Abraxis. Every minute he makes me wait is killing me slowly.
“I’ve always been jealous of your wings,” his voice comes out rough with emotion as he stops and stands in front of me. He brings his hand up and cups my cheek, his palm warm against my skin. I stare into his pale silver eyes and feel like I could get lost in their depths forever. These are the eyes I’ve been dreaming about, the ones that have haunted my thoughts and filled my fantasies.
“They get in the way a lot, to be honest.” A smile crosses my lips as nervous energy builds in my chest, mixing with an excitement so pure it makes me feel drunk. He’s my mate—the male made just for me by fate and destiny. Corvis has seen me at my best and worst, witnessed my triumphs and failures. He’s been there through everything, a constant presence I took for granted until tonight.
The memories flood back—how safe I always felt when he was near, how his opinion mattered more than anyone else’s, how I used to find excuses to be in the same room as him just to breathe the same air. I thought it was hero worship, or maybe just comfort from a family friend. I never imagined it was love growing inside me like a seed waiting for the right moment to bloom.
Then it dawns on me, hitting like a physical blow that steals my breath.
I dated...
He knows I dated other people.
