Page 66 of Ashborne Forged

Then I went still, waiting. Heart thudding in my chest.

Donavyn stalked toward me, his upper lip curling back, and his hands in fists. He was in flying leathers too—had they just arrived back from their wedding trip, or were he and Bren already being sent back out? I couldn’t remember if this was the day they’d been scheduled to return. There were dark smudges under his eyes like he hadn’t slept.

I knew the feeling.

“If you ever speak to my mate in that way again, if I ever catch you using your rank to manipulate your personal circumstances with anyone, ever again, I will show you what true leadership looks like and you will deeply regret it. Do we understand each other?”

I bristled, but nodded, eyes still fixed on that wall. “Yes, sir. I’m sorry, sir. I don’t make a habit of—”

“I don’t know what the hell is festering under your skin, son. But you lance that fucking boil, because I am finished letting you snarl and intimidate like a wounded dog when anyone speaks a word of disagreement with you. That is not the man I called to Fyrehold to help me.”

“Sir, I didn’t—”

“You will stand right here, until you’ve told me precisely what is going on—and you leave nothing out. Or, so help me, Voski, I will put you on formal discipline so fast, your head will spin.”

I closed my eyes and made some fists of my own. “Sir, it wasn’t as bad as it appeared—”

“I didn’t ask for your commentary. Tell me what’s happened while we’ve been gone, and your role in it. Now.”

Heart sinking, cursing in my mind, I knew I had no choice. I had to tell the truth.

The dragons mated.

We were sucked into a bond.

I resisted. Refused to complete it. Endured the fire of Koa’s heat.

Grace didn’t understand that there was a bond between us. She thought the feelings came from the dragons.

I’d been fighting it ever since. But the night of their wedding it all came to a head.

I swallowed hard. “I didn’t want the others to know, sir,” I said quietly. “Like you and Bren, it seemed prudent to keep this to ourselves until things were more settled.”

“Prudent? You mean to tell me you’ve been sneaking up here with her, and no doubt everywhere else, and you’ve managed to hide this?” He looked genuinely surprised. “How?”

Alarm screamed in my head. “Gil knows. He discovered us. But no one else. Grace agreed when I told her that I didn’t want the others interfering—”

“You’re hiding this from your squad?!”

I cleared my throat. “So far. Not forever, but—”

“Wait… Ronen doesn’t know? You didn’t tell your Squad Captain?”

I was suddenly glad I wasn’t meeting his eyes anymore. “No.”

“You idiot!” he snarled. “You’re lying and hiding from the very men who need to be at your back and protecting you. You saw how they were with us—why would you even question their ability to help you?”

“With all due respect, sir. They will not support me the way they supported you.”

“Can you blame them, if you’d hide this from them?”

“Sir! You hid yours!”

“I hid for my mate—not because I feared her!”

“I don’t fear Grace!”

“No, just the bond that ties you to her for the rest of your life,” Donavyn said dryly. I wanted to protest, but he didn’t give me time. “You keep your mouth shut, and you listen, son. Because it’s time for some training.” He strode to stand at my toes. We were virtually the same height, but he outweighed me, and outranked me. I knew I could take him in a fight with blades—I was faster. But I also knew, I wouldn’t.