An extra long chapter that I couldn't finish yesterday. I can't wait for Kenna and Yhendorn's story.
I’m talking with Kaylani and Everett about getting Ajax and Kano to agree to trying the DNA bonding when Merethyl comes rushing in. “They’re coming home! They found another one, a male this time, but they’re coming home, and Avani says they’re going to stay because we’re so far along in our pregnancies. Well, you are at least,” she says looking at my bulging belly. Nova can no longer curl up on my lap because Cyrene has grown so much. However, Nova and even Naida enjoy touching my stomach and feeling my little kitten moving around inside me. “When?” I ask, beyond excited that my mate is coming home. I’ve missed him terribly and I hate being away from him. It makes my scales feel all twisted and I can’t sleep without Ishir now. “Late tonight, Avani says.” “What do you know about the one they are bringing in?” Everett asks. “Older male, primary DNA is elf and secondary is fire dragon. His name is Keagan,” she tells us. “Older than Ajax and Kano?” Kaylani asks. “Avani isn’t sure, b
As Avani flies Keagan and I home, I close my eyes and reach out for Zephyr’s mind. I’m careful, knowing she’ll be asleep when we get there, but I’m too excited about reconnecting with her to wait until we’re home. I’m surprised when we get close enough that I can finally touch her mind and I find her awake. I immediately wrap my mind around hers, as she wraps hers around mine. I never realized how lonely my life was until this last month without Zephyr. I push into her mind, making sure that she’s not having any depression or anxiety and that the voices are still quiet. They aren’t quiet, but they aren’t angry, they almost seem…content. ‘Why are you awake, my love?’ I ask her, going through her memories as she goes through mine. I want to know every little thing I’ve missed while I was away. ‘I was waiting up for you,’ she says, but I see the truth. ‘You haven’t been sleeping.’ ‘I missed you. I don’t sleep well without you.’ ‘I didn’t sleep well without you either,’ I tell her t
After everything settled back down last night, I tucked Nova into bed and then I finally had time with Ishir. He picked up right where we left off when we were interrupted and showed me for hours how much he missed me. Then, he had entered my mind, walking through the long hallway of the ghosts of those I killed. “It’s not as dark in here now,” he comments as he looks around. “I’ve been working to make it a better, a nicer place in my mind,” I tell him, looking around. Tana had described it as cleaning out a cluttered bedroom and making it feel fresh and homey. So, I’m going with that. Ishir pulled me to him in my mind, kissing the side of my head. “I’m so proud of you. You’re doing an amazing job.” I had fallen asleep with him holding me in our bed and in my mind. It was a deep, much needed sleep that I haven’t had since he left. So, it’s late in the morning when I finally get out of bed. Ishir’s side of the bed is cold, so I know he’s been up for awhile. When he feels my mind w
I love feeling Zephyr’s happiness. Ever since we’ve been mated and I became her rider, her mind has been in turmoil. To feel her utter happiness and to know that I have a hand in it, makes me feel like a king. Knowing that I’m making Nova almost as happy, is just the icing on the cake. Zephyr comes to me, wrapping her arms around me and Nova who is still riding on my back. “Don’t you think this is a perfect place to build a home, Nova?” she asks her, but she’s looking up at me, opening her mind and letting her love and adoration of me flow through our bond. I know I have Nova on my back, but I can’t help myself. I love this woman with every part of my being and feeling her love for me makes it impossible for me not to touch her. I lean in, hearing Nova say how perfect it is here as I kiss Zephyr deeply. “Ewwwww, are you two going to kiss all the time once we’re all living together?” Nova asks. “Every chance I get. Someday, you’ll have someone that you adore as much as I adore Zephy
The atmosphere that night is incredible, there’s a lot of laughter, the dragons are bugling in happiness and everyone is excited. I’m not sure I realized how much Nova expected to die when she shifted, but watching her with Amne, I realize that now she can relax and begin to really think about what it will mean to be a fire dragon. I knew Ajax and Kano had given up already and Naida and Keagan were too new to have let it sink in, but watching Nova’s excitement makes my heart soar. As we cook food and roast marshmallows, everyone is talking about happy things. Everett and Kaylani tell everyone about their plans to open a boarding school for all dragons, shifters, and hybrids to come and learn about themselves and each other. “It will be a place for those who don’t have homes, to live until they decide they are ready to leave,” Everett says, smiling at Kaylani. “So, Nova and I can live here?” Naida asks. “Oh, I have a home,” Nova says, coming to sit in Ishir’s lap. “You do?” Ajax a
Kano and I are sitting in our living area playing video games. “Sucker!” I say as my player on the screen kills his player. “Son of a bitch!” Kano says, tossing his controller aside and slumping back into the couch. It’s been two weeks since Doc Everett told us we were going to live. Honestly, Kano and I had both given up on life, but now…now we’ve had to really start rethinking what we’re going to do with our lives. I still don’t truly understand what it means that I’ll become a dragon. Kano and I had talked about it after that night at the bonfire. He is my best friend, and going through all of this together has made us more like brothers. We both want to stay here. I don’t know what that will mean in the long run, but living here is way better than living on the streets and there’s no comparison to that hellhole of a laboratory. “Lights out in one hour guys,” Kaylani calls out to us. I look at Kano and he smirks at me. We’ve both been on our own, taking care of ourselves for a
This last month of my pregnancy has been very busy. Ishir found Nova’s real birth certificate and the missing person’s report for her two years ago. It broke my heart to see the sweet smiling face of what must have been Nova's school picture. “What happened to her parents?” “Car accident. Then she was sent to live with family that, from what I can tell, didn’t realize she’d gone missing for several weeks. They did put in the missing persons report, but they haven’t really done anything to search for her,” he told me. “Do you have pictures of her parents?” I ask him. “Yeah, I knew you’d want them. I’ll send them over to you. We could make a photo album, or get her one of those picture frames that uses electronic photos in a slide show,” he tells me but I just look at him. I have no idea what he’s talking about. “I’ll take care of it. You just worry about bringing our healthy daughter into the world. There is one more thing,” he says, his voice grim. “What?” “I think I found Olive
I carry my daughter in one arm and wrap the other around Zephyr as I help walk her inside. Ancalagon is anxiously flying in circles over our head. “Let me get your mother settled and then I’ll bring your sister out to meet you,” I tell him. He rumbles a thank you and flies over to the dragon area, impatiently waiting. I help Zephyr get inside to the medical room we started in. “Do I have to be in this room?” she asks. “Let me check you out, get an IV in you and just make sure that there aren’t any complications. You dragons are pretty sturdy animals, but I want to be sure since I’m here and you haven’t delivered your afterbirth yet either,” Everett says. Merethyl’s lip curls. “Avani ate mine, both times. I can handle a lot, but that was gross,” she says. “Animals in the wild frequently eat their children's afterbirth to hide the scent of the placenta and therefore the smell of a newborn child from predators. So he was just trying to protect you and your newborn,” Everett says.