“That’s why you asked me how I would feel about Raven having another drake in the nest,” Corvis says with dawning comprehension.
“Exactly why.” Mom pauses and looks beyond us toward the chamber entrance. I follow her gaze and see Finlay standing there, watching our family gathering with those honey-colored eyes. “Damn secretive phoenixes.” The way Mom says it makes the scales on the back of my neck stand on end with warning.
“Let’s show the girls to their suite, and then we can move Thorne across the hallway,” Balor says, taking the lead down the torch-lit corridor. His footsteps echo confidently off the stone walls as he makes several turns, finally arriving at a hallway with only two massive doors. “The one on the right used to be ours. It has seven bedrooms and a small office.”
“It has a full kitchen and a balcony as well. The garden Balor made for your mom is there—empty but still there,” Leander offers as he moves forward to unlock the door with an ornate key.
“It has a good-sized bathing chamber too,” Vaughn mentions with a grin, and Mom blushes a brilliant shade of crimson that makes everyone chuckle.
“Understood.” I step into the space and walk around silent as death itself, my enhanced senses taking in every detail. New furniture has been placed throughout the rooms with obvious care—rich fabrics in deep colors, sturdy pieces built to withstand dragon strength. As strange as it feels, the space calls to something deep inside me. I’m still not a fan of being above ground, but at least this building is made of solid stone.
Carefully, I open each door and examine the rooms, mentally cataloging sight lines and escape routes. I pick the room furthest from themain door and the sliding glass door to the balcony—the most defensible position.
“She picked my old room,” Balor says with a proud smile.
“It makes the most sense, Dad.” I put my back to the door and scan the entire apartment, noting how perfectly positioned this room is. “The entire apartment is visible from here. The bathroom is close, and both doors are within an equal distance from here.”
Lily walks across the apartment with purpose and chooses the room on the other side of the kitchen, maintaining visual contact with my door. “I’ll take this one.”
“That’s my old room,” Vaughn says with a laugh. “I enjoyed being close to the kitchen.” His admission draws good-natured chuckles from the group.
“We kind of figured that,” Ziggy says, slapping his shoulder affectionately.
Carefully, I slide the egg down into the carrier and slip the straps over my shoulders. After several adjustments, it rests securely just under my breasts; the warmth seeping through the leather and into my skin. “How long?” I ask without looking up from the precious cargo I now carry.
“Approximately two years,” Klauth answers before Abraxis can respond.
I nod, staring at the egg nestled safely against my chest. Two years of being the guardian of my mate’s prison. Two years of protecting him while he grows strong enough to emerge. I look over at Corvis as he claims the room right next to mine, his choice both practical and romantic.
Hemlocke is handling the horses and will join us later when his duties are finished. “Being my mate, does Hemlocke still have to tend to thehorses?” I look up at my birth father with concern for my second mate’s wellbeing.
“No, but he chooses to because he says they need him.” There’s unmistakable pride in my father’s voice. He approves of my mate’s choice to maintain his independence and work ethic. “I’ve converted it to a paid position. After all, he’s a mated man and will one day have a clutch of his own to tend to. Klauth and I opened the account for him the day after you accepted him.”
“Thank you.” The gesture touches me deeply. It’s important for a male to feel he’s contributing to his nest, and my father’s wisdom in giving Hemlocke paid work maintains his sense of independence and worth.
I hug and kiss my family goodbye, breathing in their familiar scents and storing the memories of this pivotal day. Then I look at my mate and sister, feeling the weight of responsibility and power settling around me like a crown.
This is my nest now. I am the dominant dragoness in this room, the protector, and provider for those I claim as mine.
I will protect what’s mine, and I will destroy anything that threatens them.
Chapter 30
Hemlocke
It’s been almosta week since we moved into Malivore, and tonight is the full moon I’ve been waiting for with every fiber of my being. My stallion has been yelling at me relentlessly to complete the bond. It’s a constant drumming in my skull that grows louder with each passing hour. The anticipation is so intense that I can barely think straight—my hands shake when I try to hold anything, and food tastes like ash in my mouth.
I hate the fact that I’ve had to make my mate wait so long—the guilt gnaws at me like hunger. But underneath the guilt runs a deeper fear, one that keeps me awake at night staring at the ceiling.What if my stallion overwhelms my human consciousness? What if the ancient instincts take over completely and I hurt her?The thought sends ice through my veins, making my pink eyes burn with the sting of unshed tears.
My older brothers warned me about this when they explained the traditions. “The stallion wants what it wants,” Marcus had said, his own pink eyes serious with memory. “Control slips away like water through your fingers.” Three of my four brothers still haven’t found their mates, despite being older and supposedly wiser. Theywatch me with a mixture of envy and concern that makes my chest tight with guilt.
How did I get so lucky?
Out of all of us, I’m the youngest, barely twenty-two, and yet I found her. Not just any female, but a dragon princess—someone so far above my station that it should be impossible. My parents can barely believe it even now, weeks after meeting her. Sometimes I wake up convinced it’s all been an elaborate dream.
I feel like I’ve been on autopilot all day, going through the motions while my thoughts keep drifting to tonight. The anticipation is so intense it’s making my hands shake and my pink eyes burn with exhaustion from lack of proper sleep. Every time I close my eyes, I see flashes of what could go wrong—my stallion breaking free of my control. My armored hooves striking her delicate skin, my massive weight crushing her smaller human form.
The logical part of my mind knows she’s stronger than she looks, knows her dragon could emerge if I truly lost control. But the terrified part of me—the part that loves her more than my own life can’t stop imagining all the ways I could destroy the most precious thing in my existence.
