The storm continued to rumble while my mate roared a warning to any other dragons nearby and circled the mast as our ship named for the messenger god slipped out to sea. I didn’t have to wonder what message the gods had for us. War was coming.
“I am ready.”
XXXIOne week later…TRAJAN
I watched Lela and Malina hanging tunics on the drying racks with my sisters Junia and Marilla. The four of them had spent the morning washing clothes together in the brook near my home in Britannia. It was far colder here than in Rome, but my sisters had lived in Pannonia for so long, the brisk, cold weather didn’t seem to bother them.
I was supposed to be mending a fallen timber in the barn with Julian. But instead I was sitting here propped beneath an oak tree in the shade, watching my beautiful mate talk and laugh with my sisters. I couldn’t seem to leave this sight.
The house was overfull. If we had time, we’d annex another section for a bedroom for my sisters and Grandfather. But we would be leaving soon, so there would be plenty of room for them. We’d be heading to Dalmatia to meet Alaric and plan our assault on Rome.
Julian and I had originally planned to bring Caesar and his regime down from within. Alaric had planned on doing the same but from without. We now realized it had to be both. We needed a new way to get messages into the city, to discover what was happening on the inside, to organize with our allies, and assure them we hadn’t abandoned them.
Julian and I had a few ideas. So did Lela and Malina. And Julian and I listened. After watching what Lela did to Quintus, and knowing what Malina was capable of, we were sure they must play a key role in this final push toward the razing of Rome. Besides, I wouldn’t part from Lela now even if the world depended on it.
Lela caught me staring and smiled. She then said something to Junia, who glanced over at me then nodded and laughed. Malina and my sisters waved then laughed, muttering something awful about me, I was sure.
I didn’t care. I had the best view in the world from here. So I watched Lela walk to me in her short linen tunic, her bronzed skin warm from the sun, her blue eyes the color of the noonday sky.
As she approached nearer, she shook her head at me. “How naughty you are. We’re all working, and you’re lazying about in the shade.”
“Come over here and be naughty with me.”
She scoffed. “You need to go help Julian in the barn and stop wasting the day.”
“Julian is a fine, strong Roman. He can handle the barn, while I much prefer sitting in the shade staring at my beautiful woman.”
She propped a hand on her hip. Oh, now it was serious.
“Come here. Relax with me on this fine day,” I told her, holding out my hand. “You should join me.”
“It is not a fine day. It is freezing. I’ve already baked three loaves of bread and washed the clothes while you sit here and laze about.”
“I can’t wait to eat your bread,” I teased, grinning. “I bet it’s delicious. Just like you.”
“Trajan—”
Before she could say another word, I reached up, grabbed her arm, and hauled her down into my lap, catching her about the waist.
“Trajan!”
“Stop fighting me and sit in my lap and enjoy this beautiful day in the shade with me.”
“You’re ridiculous.” She squirmed then finally wrapped her arms around my neck, sounding completely annoyed with me while also trying to hide her smile.
“If you keep squirming, I’ll be taking you behind this tree to show you how I truly would like to spend the day.”
“That’s all you ever think about,” she chastised me.
“Correct me if I’m wrong, but it was you who put her mouth around my cock last night when all I wanted to do was sleep.”
She swatted me across the head. “Stop that,” she teased. “You know very well I was only thinking of your well-being, not mine. You seem so worried lately. I thought I’d help distract you.”
“You’re right.” I sighed. “You’re always thinking about me first. I wish you’d distract me every single night.” I brushed my nose along the line of her jaw.
“Mmm. All right. It is lovely here.” She angled her neck, exposing her throat for me to kiss.
My dragon immediately growled, rumbling low in my belly. “You do know what that means, don’t you?”
