I smiled, and the flames in his eyes seemed to dance with the pride I felt in his bond. “I love you, Rowan. And for the record, I’m proud of everything you’ve accomplished and everything you continue to accomplish.”
Smoke plumes blew out of his nose as he chuckled. “Not many people have ever said that to me. I love you. You’ve brought such a light into my life. I… Ican’tlose you, Wren.”
“You won’t,” I leaned closer and kissed his lips softly. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“I haven’t told you everything about the dragons’ belief, pertaining to when they find out about their mates.”
“Tell me now. I already know they’re deranged and evil.”
His eyes blazed. “Worse than that. There aren’t many female dragons or drakes. Not sure why, but I’d never questioned it much until I was away from Blezen. I had a friend who was an icedrake… it was actually Norman’s blood brother.”
“He found his mate?” A bitter taste coated my tongue as he nodded.
“She was another icedrake, and she’d just come to Blezen to see more of her kind. She’d been taken from Blezen as a baby—the only true success story of a drake leaving Blezen. Her parents staged an escape, but her father was killed in order for her mother and her to be able to leave.”
“Why did she go back?”
“Her mother didn’t tell her of the horrors that happened there, and she left Fate Hollow to find more of her kind. From what I understood, her mother kind of checked out mentally.”
“That’s terrible…” My heart ached. The sacrifice they’d paid had been for nothing if she went back.
“Drakes mating drakes is rare due to the low female population, and Flynn didn’t believe she needed to be bred because she was one of us. He pushed for his mate to be his and only his, and Roak killed him before they finished their matebond. Then, he…” Fire erupted in his hair, making each strand glow like embers.
Disgust coiled in my gut as the realization dawned on me. “Herapedher?”
“Yes. In front of all the dragons, with Flynn’s body a few feet away. She morphed her hand into a claw and tore her own throat out during it. Roak didn’t stop.”
Horror slammed into me. “You and Norman…”
“We saw it all. It happenedsoquick. Flynn was arguing one minute, and the next, they were both gone.” Anguish twisted his face. “The only reason my mother wasn’t subject to Roak’s sick ideals was because my father impregnated her when they mated the first time. Then, her uterus ruptured having me so she couldn’t have anymore—thank Fates.”
“Blezen is truly the home of evil.”
“I’m sorry. You don’t want to hear about this stuff.”
“No, but if it’s something that’s been weighing you down and talking to me about it lessens that pain, I’ll bear it. I’d bear anything for you.”
“Do you see why I can’t let them get anywhere near you?” He let go of me before cradling my head between his two large hands. “I wouldn’t survive it.”
I blinked the tears away. “I understand.”
I didn’t want to think about all the horrors my mate had seen while living in that territory. But I was so thankful he was here now—with me, and the headmaster of this academy.
The door to the bedroom cracked open, and we turned to see Kian stumble out of the room and shut the door with a dull thud.
“I had a vision.” He shuffled across the floor and leaned against the armrest of the loveseat closest to me. A throb of pain skittered through the bond, and his eyes were glazed over. “A dragon found his mate in Blezen. She’s a siren, and their bond snapped in place in front of their cult leader, Roak. They’ve locked her up, and the dragon is pretending to go along with Roak’s guidance since he’s allowing him to be the only one with her for her first cycle. He’s out of his mind with worry.”
“Fuck,” Rowan growled, his chest rumbling as smoke plumed out of his mouth. “I’ll get in touch with my contact there immediately.”
Kian nodded, pressing his palms against his temples. “Shade’s snoozing away in there… but I could’ve used his help with this vision.”
“Sleep would do you good,” Rowan told him, gripping me and lifting me up as he cradled me to his chest. “Let’s go, Kian. Grab your familiar and sleep with him on your chest. It’ll replenish your magic, and touching our mate will help.”
“Touching her always helps,” he mumbled, trailing behind Rowan as he took us both back to bed with the rest of my mates.
FOUR
Wren
