Through Ahya’s eyes, I see our mate pinned beneath a heavy, black-scaled cloak which covers most of her body.
The vision shifts.
A mural comes into focus: dragons spiraling around a flame-wrapped woman.
And four figures. A female with a smile like poison. Three men covered in runes.
I know them. Brax. Tael. Loriek. Lythian. I knew they were a risk to Aura when they saw our mate outside the restaurant. I know the building where they reside.
My dragon roars with fury, but before I can react, the vision shifts to—
Eggs. Black, gold, and scarlet, floating above Aura’s body like stars caught in dragonfire.
I stumble back, hissing.
Kelan growls low, stepping forward. “What the fuck was that?”
“You saw it?” I ask.
Ronyn’s eyes flash red. “Clear as fire. Those wereoureggs.”
“How,” Kelan mutters. “She’s human. She shouldn’t have been able to get pregnant. We would never—”
“I know.” I shake my head. “Not after what Gregory did. Not without giving her the choice.”
Ronyn looks shaken. “How does she feel about it?”
As if in answer, Ahya shifts in Nixon’s arms, and her hand reaches out again. Nixon stiffens as the child’s fingers graze his cheek, too.
And then it comes. A vision of Aura’s reaction.
Herheart.
Warmth surrounds us. Fierce protectiveness forms a blanket around the eggs. Our mate is full of love.
She stands in a dreamscape, embracing the image of the eggs, and her voice rings out in defiance. “I will keep them safe. They were made in love. They are mine.”
When the vision fades, the cabin is so quiet you could hear a feather drop.
Ronyn wipes his hand down on his face. “She loves them?”
“She does,” I confirm, voice rough.
Kelan breathes deeply, his frustration bubbling. “They dared to take our mate!”
I step closer, knowing he needs to be calmed. “We know where to go now,” I say.
“But how will you get close?” Nixon asks. “Aura is bound. There are four of them. And if she’s carrying eggs,”he adds, tone grim. “You can’t storm the place and risk her life or the unborn.”
Kelan nods. “We need a way in without raising the alarm.”
“We’ll find it,” I say. “We’ll strike smart.”
“She is the future of our kind,” Ronyn murmurs, eyes distant.
“No,” I say, correcting him gently.
“She’sourfuture.”
