Page 76 of Maleen

My eyes meet his. “My instincts pushed me. It was something I needed to do—to show I see her pain. I am sorry for worrying you.”

His gaze softens a fraction. “I’ll figure out some way to punish you. No more getting off; there are too many dragons. I’ll feel better once we are out of their den.”

I nod, giving him a small smile. Focused on the Queen dragon, I only now notice the tension brewing amongst the others who are not used to outsiders.

Rozen shouts, “Em, watch out!”

I spin and my heart falls into my gut as a white dragon knocks a red out of the way, making right for Thornwing who stands at his full height. Ember loses balance trying to dodge as Thornwing stands on his hind legs and misses Rozen’s hand reaching for her, barreling the long distance towards the ground.

The red dragon takes the opportunity to blow flames her way. A scream lodges in my throat as I watch on in horror, the scene unraveling so quickly that I can’t do anything.

A loud roar sounds, shaking the cavern, as the white dragon throws up a wing stopping the flames and shielding Thornwing’s body from view, and a blast of magick explodes out from it.

Rozen scrambles from his dragon’s back, and as I go to jump into the shadows to get to them, Aemon appears behind me, tethering me to him.

“Look Rav, she’s okay,” he states urgently, holding me tightly.

“More than okay,” Jesper chuckles, standing on Tisur’s saddle so he can get a better look. “Seems like we have another mate bond!”

“And dragon bond,” Talyn chips in.

The white dragon—a gorgeous female—is holding Ember in its talons, placing her on the stone floor in front of Rozen before growling deeply at the red who attacked.

The red dragon snorts but backs off.

Roz frets over Ember who seems to be unconscious.

His words finally seem to register. “What… Did you say mate bond? How do you know?”

Jesper smirks. “The magick blast, obviously. Although yours, Rav, was much more spectacular—gave me chills all over my body. Although please don’t ever fall from dragonback again unless you know for a fact your dragon can catch you. You took ten years off my life.”

I blink at him before focusing back on my friends. Ember was the only one unbound to a beast. I should have realized and made sure she stayed back, but I didn’t think. What if she died because I brought her into a dragon’s den? Mel already died fighting for me; I can’t lose anyone else.

“She’s safe, Little Dream,” Aemon whispers. “Mel would be excited she found her beast, and mate.”

I nod, hearing and agreeing, but the adrenaline coursing through my veins hasn’t calmed yet. I’ll feel better once we are out of the cave and back at camp.

“Come on, I’ll ride with you. Let’s get the newly mated out of here, shall we?” Aemon states a little more loudly and Vasari begins to make her way out of the cave.

“I’ll make sure the lovebirds get out safely!” Jesper yells from behind us. “Oh, nevermind! It seems like Roz has everything handled!”

I twist my body in Aemon’s hold and see Thornwing following us—well, following the white dragon who is following us. And on his lap is Ember, curled against his chest. He peers down at her with more awe than I’ve ever seen before, like he’s going to spend the rest of his days worshipping the ground she walks on.

A soft smile pulls at my face as I lean back against Aemon. It seems mate bonds are coming back. I hope the realm is ready.

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

I LEAN BACK AGAINST ZADDRO'S leg, his familiar black scales digging into my back. The tip of my blade scrapes under my nail, digging out the dirt that collected there from the day, as I watch everyone—my chosen family—muddle around the encampment we set up for the night.

​Aemon and Killian have taken the first watch of the perimeter, their shadows barely noticeable in the distance, while our dragons have made themselves comfortable just on the outside of our circle of tents.

Ravina is sitting near the fire with her friends, lying in Jesper’s lap as they talk about everything that occurred with the dragons, marvelling over Ember’s newly bonded beast. The newest addition to our makeshift family—a family I never thought I would truly embrace. I always had the males I call brothers, but it was never so…warm. No, the warmth was brought by the presence of my mate. I still don’t fully accept that I deserve all of this, her love especially, but I know now that I would be one stupid male if I didn’t continue to try to earn that worthiness.

Her bond burns brightly in my chest, and I can’t help but rub my scarred stomach where her mark now sits restored amongst the damage. And next to her bond, I can feel all the others connected through her, including our creatures—besides Zaddro’s. I’ve never felt less alone in my life and I wouldn’t want it any other way.

“Just how it was always supposed to be,” my dragon adds. “Bonds… Mates of both fae and beast were always supposed to be symbiotic. Without one, the realm falls into chaos, and now…” His long head swivels to peer at our group. “Things are starting to be righted once again. I feel it in the hollows of my bones.”

“We just need to defeat the evil that is my father and figure out how to destroy an indestructible magickal artifact that can control the minds of anything that breathes and summon an army vulnerable only to shadowflame.” I glance over at him with a smirk. “Easy, right?”