Page 1 of Immortal Bonds

CHAPTER 1

THALRIC

Thalric blinked his eyes open, taking in the expanse of land before him. Ah, San Noctis. Home. While it wasn't his current home, it was the one he grew up in. The same one where he'd gotten into trouble and learned lessons about what being a dragon really meant. His family had come from money thanks to his great-grandmother's doing. She'd been a witch, and her magical gifts brought wealth to the family line.

She'd put her skills to use for the many, many centuries she'd lived. And the domino effect meant that his family never truly had to work in the sense that others did.

That didn't mean they were lazy, of course. In a group of overachievers, it was no wonder that his sister had gone on to marry the king and produce heirs. While his other siblings took over different hordes of dragons, he himself left San Noctis under his sister's guidance and taken up residency in one of the further towns that needed help getting situated.

Mira Saint, his beloved sister and queen — former queen now — had met her husband and fallen in love quickly. Their fated bonding paved the way for growth unlike the hordes had ever seen.

Mira had come to him shortly after her marriage, when she was pregnant with their eldest child, and asked him to help take care of a town that struggled to maintain peace. They didn't have anyone ruling over the horde. None could be selected for voting, and with her pregnancy she didn't feel safe traveling that far.

He'd eagerly taken up the mantle and gone to lead the dragons in need.

At first, it had been difficult taking over when others didn't know he was capable of the job, but he'd proved himself quickly. He'd shown where his skills were and convinced everyone that he could guide them.

It was different than he'd expected his life to go. Thalric had been somewhat of a loose character in his younger years. He'd done any and everything he could to get a rise out of his family members. It was a joy for him.

In his late teens he wised up and got more serious, realizing how important his family was and that him being the odd one out made things difficult for the others. He found his stride, and he built a life that he loved.

It was great until Mira started dating Silas, her fated mate. The roles that came with the title of being a royal shifted for everyone in the family.

There was no room for error. All eyes were on them.

People were watching him everywhere he went, and it caused the structured life he'd started to build to become even more so.

The way he carried himself became arrogant and boastful. He would preen in the presence of others, making sure their gazes were directed towards him so that the rest of his family could live in peace.

It was a self-sacrificing maneuver that worked a bit too well.

Until one day he looked up and realized he had no clue who Thalric Nyxwing was at all. He'd been living a performative life for so long that he didn't know how to claw his way out of it.

Life now was simply focused around two sets of time. The first being whenever he was around anyone: He would put on his charm and make them believe he thought himself the greatest dragon to ever live. And then the second being when he was alone. He could be quieter then, relaxing and soaking up his personal time.

Thalric shook his head internally as his dragon began to descend. The beast snorted at him, since he could tell what he was thinking. It came in handy often, but the damn animal always loved to give him a hard time when he got too introspective.

More than once the dragon had suggested they stop the ruse. He believed no one would care one way or the other how Thalric really was.

They might have even embraced it. Fear was a bitch, sadly. Thalric worried what the changes would mean for everyone in his life.

Mira was no longer ruling. It was his nephew, Romilly, who'd taken charge. And from what he'd heard, he was also mated to a human. A human that Thalric was very close to meeting.

His dragon swooped down quickly, tucking its wings, and heading towards the landing pad at the castle. He'd been so caught up in his thoughts he missed looking over most of San Noctis and remembering all his old haunts.

Hopefully, he'd have a chance to make some time to go see them in person. He wanted to remember those old times. Maybe even let his guard down a bit if no one else was around.

Unfortunately, he would not be alone for a while. Several people were on the platform, ready to greet him. His dragon crouched, and he immediately released his hold so that Thalric could transform into his human form. The deep emerald of his dragon faded away, revealing his lightly tanned human skin.

He stretched, letting his muscles get some relief, as he cast a spell in his mind to clothe himself. He knew that his sister would have something ready for him, but he preferred his own garb when out and about. It helped him perform better, if you will.

When he opened his eyes, he was sheathed in a dapper suit, and his hair was combed back away from his face. His beard and mustache made the ensemble even more potent. He noticed a few women fanning their faces and even a couple of men rubbing their chests like they wanted to eat him up.

Thalric ignored them. He only had eyes for one person.

"Sister," he said in a soft voice.

Mira didn't hesitate. She ran to her brother, looking every bit the young girl he was raised with. Not an ounce of the posh queen to be seen. He spread his arms and braced his legs, though it didn't help in the wake of how strong she was.