Epilogue
A Few Days Later
Zamir
"I've never seen adragon before," Touya said as he stuck a piece of chicken into his mouth, his eyes on my mate.
"Me neither," Silas chimed in, and the two mates shared a glance before turning to Nolan. "Can you shift inside the Sanctuary?"
"Of course. I already did it once when the snowstorm occurred."
"Oh right. Things were so hectic I almost forgot. I didn't even get a good look at you. Can we see?" Silas asked as he leaned forward, the table creaking as he put more of his weight on it.
"Of course," Nolan said, and I grinned at the way his lips curved up. He looked happy.
The headmaster still hadn't left his office, and he had refused all of Nolan's attempts to talk. Nolan hadn't given up, though, and he still knocked on his door once a day, not wanting to push but wanting Zephyr to know he would wait for him.
Once we'd finished lunch, Silas made the announcement. "Nolan's gonna shift, so anyone who wants to see a dragon, come to the Forest."
Nolan's cheeks looked a little pink at the sudden attention, and I linked my arm with his, leaning up to kiss his cheek. "Okay?"
He met my eyes, his green ones sparkling with a mix of nerves and something lighter. "Yeah."
We made our way out of the Dining Room, and my eyes were drawn to the end of the hallway as I spotted some movement in my peripheral vision.
I turned my head, watching as Keoni pushed open the office door, a plate of food in one hand. He disappeared inside, and I bit back a smile as I looked away. Keoni and the headmaster hadn't talked since their argument either, but it seemed like Keoni had decided to change that. I was glad.
The clearing near the entrance was the best place for Nolan to shift without knocking down trees, so once the others stepped back, I gave him a quick kiss before stepping back, and he smiled, then shifted in a matter of seconds, replacing his human form with his gorgeous dragon form.
His red scales sparkled in the sunlight, and murmurs of "Ooh"s and "Aaah"s filled the clearing as I went up to him. Heturned his head to look at me, and I grinned as he lowered it so we were face to face, though his face was as big as my whole body.
Leaning forward, I kissed the spot between his eyes, chuckling when he went cross-eyed in his attempt to keep his gaze on me.
"Um, can I?" Touya asked with a hand raised toward Nolan's flank, and it took me a moment to realize he was askingme. I met Nolan's gaze, and his head twitched like he was shrugging.
"Sure," I replied, knowing Touya would be respectful about it.
A fair crowd of people gathered to admire my mate, and I felt slightly smug about that. My mate was one of the rarest beings in the world, and he was all mine. I trusted my friends and family enough that I didn't feel jealous when they touched my mate. Even when Jacinta's tentacles took a few liberties, her sparkling eyes told me she was trying to get a rise from me, and I held firm until she gave up with a huff.
After what felt like hours, the crowd slowly thinned as people got their fill and drifted off to do their afternoon chores or go back to their areas, leaving the two of us in the clearing.
Because they were the best people in the world, everyone had decided that Nolan didn't need to contribute to the chores for his first week here. Not only that, they'd also givenmethe week off so I could get Nolan settled in and have a 'honeymoon period.' I didn't know if we needed it, but I wasn't dumb enough to decline the gift.
Resting my head against Nolan's side, I soaked in his warmth. He ran hotter in this form, and I felt all warm and cozy as I leaned against him.
"You wanna stay in this form for a while?" I asked, since I knew he hadn't shifted since our date.
Nolan nodded, then started walking, and I realized I had to run to keep up with his giant strides.
When he stopped I realized we were in a smaller clearing that was shielded by trees on most sides, hiding us from view. Nolan turned his head to look at me, then rolled over so he lay on his back. He glanced over at me, then toward his belly, and my eyes widened.
"You want me to... lay on you?" I asked, and he nodded. I blinked, then walked closer to him. It took a bit of effort to climb up his body, but then I was on his belly, and I realized it was softer than I'd thought it would be. The leather was warm, and I felt like I was sitting on the world's softest mattress.
Carefully, I spread myself out, resting my head on his chest. I could hear his loud, steady heartbeat. The rhythm was different from a human's or even mine, but it was strong.
Wings enveloped me, surrounded me in warmth, and I sighed as I pressed a kiss into his warm skin. "I might fall asleep if I lie here too long," I murmured, and Nolan made a chuffing sound that I translated as, "You can. I don't mind."
Smiling, I gazed up at his wings, then reached up to trace the edges with my fingers. With the sun shining through them, I could see the slim veins crisscrossing through the wings, carrying blood and energy to every inch of his leathery skin.
