Chapter 29
Galadon
It was past midnight when I reluctantly dropped Rayna off just inside Kandoran territory. It had been quite a journey. First, we had to stop and inform my mother of our plans and gather a few supplies. Next, we went to the Faegud jakhal so I could request that Lorcan send the usual warriors to guard my territory until I returned. Finally, we spoke with the southern Taugud border patrol to ask if they’d seen any Kandoran recently. They said there was one that appeared a couple of miles west some evenings about an hour or two before sunset.
Rayna and I agreed that would be her best target. Thankfully, shifters didn’t bother to go after any remaining infected dragons as long as they stayed far enough from the border. Mainly because it gave the slayers something to hunt, and everyone wanted to keep them busy outside their own lands.
It was too late for Rayna to catch the Kandoran now, so she’d rest at a former war bunker that hadn’t been disassembled yet. I had checked it and found there were still cots and blankets inside, plus some other supplies. Perhaps the Taugud could leave it long-term as a place for Rayna or other slayers to stay when they hunted. Each time, it could take days to track and kill prey. At least I’d found a way to quiet her urges and buy her the time she needed, which wasn’t a hardship for either of us. I’d enjoyed testing her control more than I imagined possible.
Still, it hadn’t been easy leaving her. Our mating bond was still too new, and all I wanted was more time with her. Abandoning my mate in enemy territory alone went against all my instincts, but she also believed this was the best way.
I flew hard for the Taugud fortress, which was nearly two hours north of where I had left her. The gate guards made me wait for permission before allowing me inside. Aidan arrived fifteen minutes later to escort me directly to his office, where he offered me drinks and refreshments that a servant must have just delivered. I wanted to talk immediately, but he insisted I eat something first. He chose to speak only after I’d managed a few bites and drank some ale.
“You’re fully mated now,” he said, lifting a brow.
I frowned. “How do you know?”
“Last time I saw you, yours and Rayna’s scents were thoroughly intermingled, but she made it clear you’d not completed the bond. This time, not only do you smell of her, but you reek of her magic. I’m no expert on such matters, but I’ve never seen this before except between bonded sorcerers. It’s apparently a remarkable and rare experience.”
I sat stunned, having never heard of this, but it wasn’t as if I spent much time among sorcerers, and bonded pairs among them were even more unusual. “We did just this afternoon. It was startling and uncomfortable, but…” I searched for the right words. “It felt right afterward.”
Aidan nodded. “As if you are finally whole?”
“Yes.”
“Where is Rayna now?” the pendragon asked, brows furrowed. “It’s not easy being apart from one’s mate this soon after bonding.”
I worked my jaw, deciding how much to tell him. “The potion wore off, and her instincts returned quickly, but I couldn’t risk letting her hunt near my territory. She doesn’t know how to distinguish between my allies and foes yet. We fought about it, and I couldn’t think of a way to buy us time. She refused to take the potion again. I thought about you and Bailey, and how you seem to keep her under control even when she’s getting desperate to hunt. It had to be the bond.”
“Yes, the bond helps,” Aidan agreed, then chuckled. “But from your scent, I assume you figured out it takes more than that to settle their urges.”
I cleared my throat, unsure how much I wanted to reveal about my intimacy with my mate. Just then, a knock sounded at the door. Whoever was on the other side didn’t wait for a reply. Bailey popped her head inside, saw me, and entered the office. Her stomach protruded from her body, but she hadn’t gotten far enough along to lose her grace.
She sniffed at me. “Wow, you and Rayna must have had wild sex right before you came here, and you didn’t bother to bathe.”
“Excuse my mate.” Aidan gave him a rueful smile. “I’ve discovered she becomes very blunt while pregnant, and her sense of smell has grown even greater than mine.”
“It was an emergency,” I said, rubbing my face. After my time with Rayna and many hours of flying, I was truly exhausted.
“The potion wore off, and Rayna’s need to hunt overcame her, so Galadon completed the mating bond and used a similar method as we do to calm the slayer down,” Aidan explained, pulling Bailey onto his lap and rubbing her stomach.
Most pendragons would not do such things in front of guests from another toriq, but I supposed he wanted me to relax, considering the subject matter. We also had something in common now.
Bailey winked at me. “The harder the sex, the longer it keeps us subdued.”
I nearly choked.
“She’s right.” Aidan sighed. “But she’s not one for subtlety.”
I let go of my reticence to tell them the truth. “After what we did, I imagine I maxed out how long she can remain subdued.”
Bailey snorted. “Good for you.”
“I don’t think she’ll find a Kandoran tonight but will she be okay until tomorrow evening when they might come out again?” I asked.
Bailey’s expression turned thoughtful. “If you’re sure you fully sated her, she should be fine that long.”
“I’m sure,” I said gruffly.
“Where did you leave her?” Aidan asked.
“Down south, near where the Taugud, Kandoran, and neutral territory borders meet. There was a bunker still there, so she will use it as shelter to rest during the day.” I shifted in my seat. “She doesn’t want me interfering, but I’d appreciate it if you could send Titan down to keep an eye out and fly her up when she’s finished.”
“I’m certain Titan will be happy to see her again, so that won’t be a problem,” Aidan said, beginning to play with his mate’s long, black hair. “But I imagine it was difficult to leave her alone there.”
“Yes,” I agreed. “Especially after what happened less than two weeks ago. We concurred that I must give her space to hunt, or I might never trust her going alone again.” It was something I knew, despite the fact that every instinct clawed at me to run back to Rayna and protect her.
Bailey gave me a sympathetic look. “I heard about all of it. That had to be horrible to go through and watch what they did to her. Just remember that she’s hunted for years alone without a problem, and even in Kandoran territory for many months. The nest isn’t going to try grabbing her so close to our border and far from theirs.”
“Rationally, I know that,” I said, sitting back in my seat. “But seeing the way she looked while they tortured her is not something I’ll forget anytime soon.”
Aidan shook his head. “I can imagine. If it is any consolation, we will be going after them in four days. You might as well stay here until it’s time, rather than make that long flight back and forth.”
“Yes.” Bailey brightened. “We’ll tell you all you need to know about shifter-slayer relationships, and it will be nice to visit with Rayna when she’s done hunting.”
“I’m amenable to that,” I said, figuring the Faegud guards would be fine in my territory since Ujala spoiled them with hot meals while they took shifts watching my borders. I was rather certain she had some interest in one of them, considering she spoke of him more than the others. They were even close in age.
“Good. You are more than welcome anytime here,” Aidan said kindly.
Bailey wrinkled her nose. “And even more welcome to enjoy the bathing chambers.”
Aidan sighed. “Someday, if you decide to have children with Rayna, be prepared for slayer behavior to become less filtered during pregnancy.”
“Right. Like Rayna ever had a filter to begin with,” Bailey said, rolling her eyes.
I laughed. “Yes. She’s already blunt, but I believe we will wait at least a few years before taking that step. I want her all to myself for a while.”
“You need at least a few years of sucking up to her after how big of an asshole you were to her for the first nine months you knew each other.” The slayer glared at him. “You accepted me just fine, but you were horrible to her.”
“You were Aidan’s problem,” I argued with a smile.
The Taugud pendragon laughed. “He has you on that.”
“With Rayna, I think I knew from that first day what she was to me, and it was daunting,” I said, remembering my first conversation with her. It was as if I had to mock everything about her to put distance between us, even if it made no sense.
Bailey pressed a hand to her stomach, love shining in her eyes at what lay within. “Fate doesn’t always care about what we want, but rather, what we need.”
And now, I recognized that I needed Rayna as much as my next breath.
I stood. “I think I’d like to get settled and take that bath now.”
“Of course.” Aidan gently set his mate aside to stand as well. “Let’s get you something to eat first, and afterward I’ll have someone show you to your room. Let them know if you need anything else during your stay here.”
“Thank you,” I said, giving him a respectful nod. “I would like to learn more about what to expect between Rayna and me tomorrow if it isn’t too much trouble.”
I wasn’t one to ask for help, but for the sake of my mate, I’d do anything if it could help us. Fighting over minor things was fine and normal, but I didn’t want another argument that could harm our relationship to the point where we made each other miserable. I wanted her to feel secure in our bond.
“We’re happy for both of you and have no problem telling you anything that can smooth your path,” Aidan assured him as he poked his head from the door to quietly speak to the guards out there. I caught enough to hear he was arranging for someone to prepare a room for me.
Bailey grinned as we stood waiting. “And maybe we can explain a thing or two that will make the famous lone shifter blush for good measure.”
I supposed I would need to brace myself with Bailey helping me learn.
Aidan turned back to me. “A servant in the great hall will meet you. They’re happy to prepare whatever you’d like, and your room should be ready by the time you’re finished.”
“Thank you,” I said, realizing I wasn’t remotely full from the snack he’d provided.
“Oh, I nearly forgot.” Bailey slapped her forehead. “Phoebe just went into labor, and that’s what I came here to say before getting sidetracked.”
“Where is she?” Aidan asked.
“At her house. She still insists on doing the same thing as Ozara and giving birth at home with the midwife, so she’s not going to the healer’s clinic,” she replied, taking his hand. “But she said if we want to visit now, we could, since no visitors are allowed once it gets painful.”
Aidan took her hand. “Then we will do that.”
I moved past him to reach the door. “Hope all goes well with your sister, and I’ll see you at the noon meal tomorrow.”
“See you then,” the Taugud pendragon agreed.