EPILOGUE
Thirty years later
– LILLIANA –
“We should leave them at home.” I wince when those words tumble from my lips.
Where my mother forced me to show my face at a gathering, I’m suggesting keeping my daughters away from the one happening tonight. Crazy, I know. Especially when you think about the fact that my parents, my brother, and I found our fated mates at one of these gatherings.
Yes, daughters. Dragons don’t know and can’t predict everything. Ernestino’s inner dragon might have thought I was pregnant with a son, turns out I was pregnant with twin girls instead. Ugh. Even after thirty years, with them being full adults, I still want to make decisions for them to keep both girls safe. As if they need protection. Well, maybe Grazia, she’s a few minutes younger than her twin sister, Velenza.
Where Velenza is fierce and is obsessed when it comes to combat training, Grazia is more into ballet. Needless to say, our twin girls are the complete opposite of one another. Yet, they are inseparable when it comes to spending time together. They have a studio designed to fit both of their training needs and have been living together in one home for a little over ten years.
“We could,” Ernestino rumbles and turns to face me.
My mouth runs dry at the sight of my mate. Three decades together and our passion is still flaming hot. He’s wearing a tuxedo; the fabric is stretching his large, muscled biceps.
“Keep looking at me like that and we’ll stay home as well.” A satisfied grin slides across his face.
My heart flutters. “As if I would take it as a threat.”
I brush away both straps of my black dress and once it’s not held up by my shoulders, it’s easy to let it shimmy off my body and onto the floor. Ernestino’s eyes overflow with pure lust as he takes a step forward. His pupils flash to slits and back, making me aware his dragon is right at the surface.
Being loved by one man is enough, and if that man shares his body with a dragon, it multiplies the love. Every day he spoils me with an overload of it, allowing me to feel worthy, respected, and treasured.
A low rumble of approval vibrates through his chest. His arm comes up and his finger traces the lace covering my breasts. My nipples are hard and pushing against the fabric. He lets his finger glide down over my stomach until he hooks it on my panties and shoves them down.
My breathing picks up. The hot desire in his eyes is allowing my veins to fill with a tingling warmth only he can release inside me. I gasp when he teases my clit before sinking two fingers inside me.
“Wet for me, are you, darlin’?” he croons.
I grab the fabric of his suit jacket to ground myself. Man, does my mate look hot in a full suit. He looks good in anything, and especially when he’s in his birthday suit; completely naked. Naked or not, I just need him inside me right now.
“Why don’t you check with your dick to make sure it’s all for you?” I ask with a hint of challenge in my voice, knowing it’ll speed things up.
My gasp switches to a long moan when he slaps my pussy and sinks three fingers right back inside. “Don’t rush me, Lilliana. I like to savor the moments with my mate. We rush through life as it is, and at this moment, I chose to pause and focus on what matters.” He slowly pulls out and instantly fills me back up. “Wet. Warm. Tight. This pussy is mine to play with and I damn well will.”
No complaints. None. All I want is the pleasure only he can give me. Our connection intensifies the bliss and there’s nothing I want more than to float away together. All I have is a moan as an answer, one he understands and rewards me with a brush of his thumb over my clit.
My orgasm builds, and when he places his mouth against the crook of my neck another spark of electricity zings through my body. Lips brushing my skin, teeth nipping, fingers pumping; it’s an overload of attention. He presses down on my clit while simultaneously burying his fingers deep as he bites my neck.
The pull of blood leaving my body, entering his mouth, causes me to scream in ecstasy. The craving for blood to heighten the bliss is too much, and in a desperate need to taste him as well, I rip down his shirt to expose part of his shoulder to sink my teeth into him.
It’s a power trip. The ultimate high. Feeding on my mate, to taste the pleasure he experiences by giving me an orgasm. I let my head fall back and have my eyes still closed when I let my tongue travel over my bottom lip. I can feel his blood drip down my chin when his growl makes me open my eyes.
He’s staring down at me with guttural hunger. His fingers leave my pussy and I faintly hear the rustling down below, letting me know he’s unleashing his dick. His mouth slams over mine and at the same time he fills me with his hard length.
He swallows my scream of pleasure. His hands are on my ass, easily keeping me pinned to him without effort. He takes me while standing in the middle of the room, bouncing me on and off his cock with a hint of the strength he possesses.
I keep my hands on his face, drowning myself in our heated kiss with the taste of our mixed blood on our tongues. Bliss. I could live in this moment for an eternity, and yet it’s exactly what we can do. The ups and downs, the good and the bad, we can deal with all of it due to moments like this.
He impales me over and over, shooting sparks of fire through my veins. Pumping up another orgasm big enough to blow. And when the explosion finally hits, I take him along with me. Hot jets of cum fill me up, prolonging the pleasure and sating both our cravings.
Ernestino stumbles back. “Fuck, you slay me, woman.”
“Hmmm,” I hum. “Lilliana the dragon mate slayer.”
He smacks my ass, making me yelp while the bastard chuckles. Talk about post sex downers because my reaction makes his cock slide out. Followed by a truckload of cum sliding down my legs once I’m standing on my own two feet again.
“I need a shower,” I grumble.
I glance over my shoulder to see Ernestino snatch my black dress off the floor to wipe his freaking dick clean.
“What the hell?” I gasp. “I was planning on wearing that.”
The corner of his mouth twitches. “Wear the cream one instead.”
I narrow my eyes and place my hands on my hips, not caring at all about the fact that I’m only wearing my bra, and the semen still dripping out of me. “You did it on purpose, didn’t you?”
He shrugs. “Told you I liked the cream one better than the black.”
Yes, he did. It’s because the dress in question matches the color of his dragon hide. A clear link I belong to him. No matter how many years we’ve been together, he’s still a protective, possessive, and overbearing dragon man.
“Fine,” I huff and spin on my heels to head for the shower.
“Shall I check to make sure the twins are going?” His voice makes me stop in the doorway and I glance over my shoulder to see him holding his phone.
Strong, fierce, and gorgeous as ever in his suit…without a single wrinkle even with the hard way he fucked me a few seconds ago. Finding your fated mate, sharing a unique bond, a chance at an eternity together with the perfect match…it’s a dream come true. How am I to prevent my children from having the chance of finding happiness?
“Yes,” I firmly tell him. “Make sure they won’t be late.”
I catch his huge grin right before I disappear into the bathroom. A half hour later I’m wearing the cream dress and slide my hand into the crook of Ernestino’s arm as we enter the large ballroom. We’re the ones hosting the gathering this time and tonight will be the first time dragon shifters from Marshgloom will be present as well.
Due to the complicated history of both clans Marshgloom wanted the time and space they needed to regroup and become whole again. Meanwhile Ivano has been keeping in contact with his family in Marshgloom in an effort to keep the peace in place while respecting their boundaries. Ernestino appointed Ivano his second in command to divide tasks and have a trusted and loyal person in this position.
Marshgloom reached out a few months ago to set up a meeting and the first one went fairly well. Ivano’s younger brother, Glenn, is now clan leader of Marshgloom and Ivano has been the main point of contact through all of it. This helps to let the clan see firsthand how well our clan has been growing.
Marshgloom has managed to crawl out of the bankruptcy pit Tony got them in, but they are still struggling with fertility and finding mates. It’s why they accepted our invitation to the gathering tonight.
More clans will be present and over the past few decades dragon shifters from our clan, and others have found mates at these gatherings, and more children are being born. The dragons are still scarce, but at least they are slowly growing in numbers.
Ernestino comes to an abrupt stop and when I glance up, I notice his gaze is fixed on something. Following his line of sight, I know exactly what he’s reminded of. Ivano and Cleo’s sons are talking to our daughter Grazia.
Their three sons were born a few years apart and from this point of view they resemble some similarities of the younger versions of Ernestino, Nario, Leandro, and Cleo. It’s a harsh reminder of betrayal, of loss, of a past no one can change.
I step in front of Ernestino and place my hand against his cheek.
His gaze finds mine, and I soften my words to tell him, “Every choice is one a person should make with sane reasoning. Of right or wrong, good or bad, all while keeping in mind what the consequences might be and weighing them before making an eternal choice. Each person makes choices for themselves and is solely responsible. Also remember that choices are sometimes made for the wrong reasons, out of spite, revenge, grief, without thinking, or simply because there is no clear explanation why and at the time it feels as if it’s the only option left. Which is why you are in no way accountable for your brothers’ eternal choice which had tremendous consequences for everyone.”
He covers my hand with his and there’s so much emotion in his voice when he says, “My mind knows while my heart still grieves about their loss. Hopefully someday I can leave the past as is and separate issues to simply remember the loss of my brothers.”
I have to swallow my own emotions to give him the words, “Hopefully one day.”
He leans in to brush his lips against mine. “I’m thankful to have made the eternal choice to attend the gathering your brother hosted three decades ago. Having you by my side has not only saved my life, but it has given our clan hope along with a future for our species. You, my love, are what mirrors my dreams in our eternal existence.”
The only answer I can muster is to kiss him fiercely and let my emotions and actions make him feel what those words do and mean to me.
The sound of a throat clearing forces us to step back.
“Showing off the continuous success of the first fated mating of your clan, eh?” Ivano snickers. “Like our very own promotion team.”
Ernestino flips him off. “Be glad I don’t force you to do the same as the second fated mating of our clan.”
Ivano smirks. “I’ll kiss your sister on any, and no occasion every single second of the day no matter where the hell I am.”
Ernestino wrinkles his nose at the reminder they’re talking about his sister, but I also see the pride in his eyes when he gives Cleo a warm smile as she joins us.
“Having fun?” Cleo asks and leans against her mate who slides an arm around her waist.
“Yes,” Ernestino firmly states and kisses my temple.
I risk a glance at his face and see no trace of the earlier mixed emotions from the reminder of the past. We’ve come a long way since it happened and each and every member of our clan continues to grow in a personal way. Moving forward and setting a path for a successful future is all our goal. Gatherings like this one are another step forward in growth for the clan and social contacts.
Where dragons mostly keep to themselves, we’ve managed to change this and widen the horizons when it comes to the search of fated mates.
“Ernestino,” the new clan leader of Marshgloom rumbles.
We both nod and shake hands when our daughter rushes in our direction. “Mom, Dad, have you seen the–” Grazia falls silent when her eyes collide with Glenn.
“Damn,” Ivano mutters under his breath.
“No,” Ernestino growls and takes a protective step in front our daughter. “This is not happening.”
Shit. I hoped a day would come where both our daughters would find their fated mate, but to have it happen today, with the clan leader of Marshgloom? Talk about twisted ties. We only recently managed to successfully create a healthy relationship between clans.
Once again, my palm touches my mate’s cheek to draw his attention.
His gaze instantly collides with mine. “Remember the first word I whispered when I saw you?”
His face softens and the corner of his lips twitch as he remembers. “The same word I just threw out at the thought of our daughter recognizing her fated mate.”
I nod, and we both glance back at Glenn and Grazia who are still gawking at one another from a distance.
Glenn breaks the connection and turns his attention to us. “Ernestino, I would like to have a word with you in private.”
“Mind if Grazia, Ivano, and I join you?” I ask and Glenn instantly nods.
“Follow me,” Ivano rumbles, automatically taking lead as Ernestino’s second in command.
We all follow Ivano, and I grab Ernestino’s wrist to let us fall slightly back to have a word with him before we join the others.
“I know,” Ernestino grumbles before I can so much as open my mouth. “She’s old enough and can make her own decisions. And I damn well know there is no such thing as picking your fated mate due to chemistry and perfect alignments concluding the perfect other half to complete you. Everything makes perfect sense and yet it’s a fucked-up twist of fate, don’t you think?”
I slide my hand up his chest and glide until I cup the back of his neck. “I’d like to think of it as an opportunity for everyone involved. We’re all still healing, even after three decades it still feels like an open wound due to the loss and events in the past. We have to start trusting an alliance at some point, and we already made the foundation before today.”
“A mating would forge a solid alliance,” Ernestino mutters. “If they manage to seal the deal the way we did…”
“She is our daughter,” I agree, knowing his train of thought.
Ernestino nods. “Their clan will celebrate their first mating and pregnancy in decades.”
“New life, new love, a new era.” I smile and he gives me a brilliant one in return.
Leaning in, he gives me a quick kiss. “We should have more daughters.”
I pull back and feel my eyes widen. “How the hell did we go from discussing the future of another clan to knocking me up again? And need I remind you of the fact that you cannot impregnate someone with your choice of gender?”
A sexy smirk slides across his face. “Did I fail to mention the fact I could sense you were fertile today?”
It feels as if my eyes could pop out at any time. “No shit?”
Joy courses through me. After our first pregnancy with the twins I didn’t have another fertility moment again. Over the years it was something I came to peace with due to us already having two children and seeing the number of newborns in our clan climb from other mates.
Tears of happiness sting my eyes when I hear a door slam shut followed by Ivano’s voice. “I think it’s best we save the chat until they are finished…talking.”
We glance his way and see Ivano covering his ears. “Maybe we can wait down the hall. I don’t want to hear my little brother having sex.”
Or daughters. Ernestino and I wince simultaneously, and it’s my mate who grumbles, “You can say that again.”
The three of us speedwalk down the hall and come to a stop in front of the open doors of the ballroom. People are cheerfully chatting, dancing, and there’s a cheerful vibe hanging in the air.
“The gathering is off to a huge success,” Ivano remarks.
A scream of pleasure bursts from down the hall and we all wince once again.
“Sounds like something else is a huge success as well,” Cleo states as she joins us.
“Glenn and Grazia,” I whisper, and her eyes widen.
I feel the need to change the subject and place a hand on my belly when I say, “There’s another success to celebrate.”
“Yes!” she squeals and pulls me into a hug.
Ivano congratulates Ernestino and there are smiles on all our faces. We might not know what the future holds and are still dealing with the harsh reminders of the past, but living in the present allows us to move forward. Bright promises to fight for what we want is a goal to walk this path of life one step at a time.
Standing strong side-by-side is enough to know we can handle a life of eternity. I lace my fingers with Ernestino, and he gives our joined hands a squeeze. Fated mates might not be a partner by choice, but it does guarantee a perfect match which for us leads to eternal love.
Something I hope our children will also experience…and, as it turns out…Grazia is the first to tumble down the path of eternal love.