Eventually my tiger nudges me, wanting pets from our dragon. I smile into Bryn’s chest. That’s a fantastic idea. I finally start to get up, wincing at the way our drying cum is sticking us together. As much as I want us to carry each other’s scents, a bit of cleaning up is probably in order.
‘What was the red mist?’ I ask gently. I know what I want it to have meant, but I need his take on it.
He gets to his feet as well and brushes mud from his legs, a quirk to his lips as he rolls his eyes. ‘That was my dragon deciding that if we were going to bond, we needed to do it properly. I honestly don’t know if that means we’re fated and my dragon and I weren’t strongly connected enough before today, or if that side of me chose you as well.’
The sensation through the bond holds a hint of uncertainty, and that’s the last thing I want him to feel. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter. Fated or not his dragon wanted this too, and now we’re fully bonded, exactly the way we should be.
I smile, my hand movements as soft as the mushy feelings inside me. ‘Either way, I’m happy. I love that your dragon wanted to make the bond even stronger.’
He smiles and tugs me in for a kiss. When we part, I hold out my hand and jerk my head at the nearby lake. The water is stunningly clear thanks to Ayo’s hard work, so it’s perfect for getting clean before redressing.
His eyes widen, and not in a good way. ‘There’s something you should know, treasure.’ He looks unusually hesitant. ‘Fire dragons can’t swim. We’re too dense. We literally sink like a stone.’
I blink. ‘Didn’t you say your mum’s a water dragon?’
He cringes. ‘Yes, she’s got this long, serpentine body without wings, stunning black and gold scales, and swims like a dream in her dragon form. Unfortunately, I didn’t inherit any of that. She tried for years to teach us all to swim, but it just wasn’t possible.’
I side-eye the lake. ‘That’s fine; we’ll head back to the manor to clean up.’
I’m turning to gather my strewn clothing when he touches my shoulder gently, his hand warm. ‘How about if we stay in the shallow parts? We can still wash off.’
I smile, really liking the idea. ‘Let’s do it. And any future wet sexy times can be limited to the shower.’
Not that I was thinking about having round two in the lake. Honest.
His shoulders relax and he smiles, the mood through the bond one of slightly horny relief—probably at the thought of showering together.
‘Perfect,’ he signs.
We clean up in the frigid water and as soon as he steps safely onto the shore by himself, I shift. I absolutely love swimming in my tiger form, but I’ll save that for another day.
I crouch low in the water, only my eyes above the surface, ready to pounce. I wait until he turns towards me—a sensation ofsuspicion reaching me through the bond—and leap out at him, knocking him flat onto his back with a paw planted firmly in the centre of his chest.
I delight in his laugh and demonstrate this by shaking the water out of my fur, all over him. He grabs me and rolls us, and it’s the best thing ever to roll around on the bank of the lake, tussling with my mate for dominance.
Eventually the play fighting turns to petting and I immediately settle down, loving his hands stroking my fur and scratching in all the right places. I chuff and lick his face, making him grin, before he leans forward and presses a kiss to my nose.
My tiger is delighted with our playful dragon. I love every part of him—his intelligent mind, his determination, and the way he’d do anything for the people he loves. It’s the best feeling in the world to know I get to spend the rest of my life with him.
Epilogue
BRYN
I pick up a huge box from one of the many moving vans, check the name on the side, then head into the manor and up the stairs. Ayo is on the first-floor landing, levitating a mattress up through the central column of the grand staircase. The box I’m carrying is Kit’s, so I make my way up to the second floor and along to one of the rooms that’ll be theirs for now.
There are so many rooms available that each person or couple has been allocated several to do what they want with. It’s a temporary arrangement until the manor gets converted into separate apartments on the upper floors, and everyone seems relaxed about making do in the short term. I’m expecting it to be a bit of an adjustment for me personally, because the only time I’ve lived with a lot of people was in Wargate, but every member of the pack has gone out of their way to make me feel welcome so I’m not too worried.
‘Thank you,’ Kit signs as they unpack some of their computer equipment.
Once I’ve placed the box on a stack of others, I head downstairs again. I’m just passing Ayo on the first floor when I feel irritation through the bond. Seconds later, Jet races down the hallway in his jaguar form, his tongue lolling out of his mouth in a kitty grin as he’s chased by my tiger, whose striped fur is covered in packing peanuts.
‘What the…’ Last time I saw Raj, he was fully dressed and intently focused on hanging up his suits.
When they disappear around a corner my dragon nudges me, wanting to shift and play chase with the pretty cats. I remind him yet again that our winged form doesn’t fit indoors and promise we can play outside another day instead. When I head back out to the vans Zara is there, hands on her hips, talking to Ethan who has his arms folded and a scowl on his face. I’m not too worried since that’s his default expression, but I tap her shoulder to get her attention anyway.
‘Everything okay?’ I ask.
She lifts her chin. ‘I was explaining to him that he can start training me up now that I’ve passed my Independence Exam.’
