Chapter Two
The smell of an incoming snowstorm was in the air when they headed out.
Maverick made a face, grumbling to himself as he pulled Isaac closer.
Thankfully, Isaac made the same disgruntled face as they made their way into the yard so he could shift.
Neither loved the cold, so he knew he wouldn’t have to force himself outside to do stupid things like skiing or whatever else people did in the snowy weather just to make his mate happy.
Isaac was happier sharing a bowl of popcorn in the home theater, cuddled up under a blanket together.
A much better way to spend the day in this kind of weather, in Maverick’s opinion.
Isaac paused, giving him the space to shift, and wrapped his robes tighter around himself as the wind buffeted him.
They’d both learned that while Isaac didn’t love wearing magic robes, they were the best thing to keep him warm while flying in the winter.
He put up with it if it meant staying warm, and it made Maverick feel better knowing his mate wasn’t uncomfortable as they flew together.
Still, when Isaac climbed into his claw, the big bag of gifts slung over one shoulder, Maverick immediately tucked him close to his chest so his heartsfire would keep his mate warm.
After he was sure Isaac was comfortable, he launched into the air, letting the wind catch his wings at the right altitude to fly through the portal to the Saltoria Mountains.
Only reachable by dragons, not even other flight supes knew where it was.
It only made itself known when a dragon got close to it. A dragon, or his mate.
“Please tell me we’re getting close. It’s freezing!” Isaac complained. He had his hands pressed against Maverick’s chest to keep them warm, and even the robes only did so much with a winter storm in the air.
“I can go faster, but it might be uncomfortable for you.”
“If it’s not far, I don’t care about a little discomfort. I seriously wish Spellbound was somewhere warmer. I hate this weather.”
Maverick grunted in agreement, covering Isaac’s view with his other claw to protect him from the wind.
At his top speeds, he could injure his mate if he wasn’t careful.
Isaac didn’t complain, hunkering down to keep himself safe while Maverick flapped his wings harder.
He did let out a startled squeak when they shot forward, but the emotions along their bond were elation and joy, not fear.
Maverick smiled to himself, flying through the portal and toward his family home at breakneck speeds just because he knew his mate enjoyed it.
They’d take the scenic route when they left.
He threw his wings out to slow himself and landed a little rougher than usual, but Isaac was laughing as he spilled out of Maverick’s claw, his bag of gifts tumbling out with him.
“We seriously need to figure out a spell to protect me while you do that. I want to see how fast we were going. It felt insanely quick.”
Tucking his dragon form away, Maverick took the bag from Isaac, pulling him against his body as they headed inside. The Saltoria Mountains had their own version of winter, but inside the mountains, it was always warm and comfortable. So many dragons living together underground did that to a space.
“What felt fast?”
Maverick’s head snapped around to where his sister was waiting with a smug grin on her face. She loved surprising him, no matter how much she knew it irritated him.
“Ferina. What are you doing out here?”
“Waiting for someone,” she answered. Which wasn’t much of an answer at all, and she knew it.
Her non-answer irritated him, but Isaac took the reins of leading the conversation, smiling at his sister and wiggling his fingers in greeting. “Hey, Ferina. You weren’t waiting for us, were you? I thought we left with plenty of time to spare.”
“Nope,” Ferina shook her head, pushing off the wall and heading straight for Maverick’s mate.
She was lucky Isaac had put him in such a good mood before they left that morning, because he didn’t like it when other people touched his mate.
She wrapped Isaac in a big hug, squeezing tightly enough to make Isaac grunt, a shit-eating grin on her face when she looked at Maverick.
She was trying to irritate him and he took great enjoyment out of her confused expression when he grinned back.
A snap of lightning made Ferina yelp and jump back. Maverick was possessive, sure, but he didn't need to protect his mate from his sister. Isaac was capable of doing that by himself.
Proving his point, Isaac pointed a stern finger at Ferina. “Don’t ruin all my effort in getting him to relax, or I won’t give you your present.”
Ferina’s gaze dropped to the bag, and like all dragons, curiosity got the best of her, distracting her from the fact that Isaac just shocked the hell out of her. “You brought a present for me? What is it?”
“You’ll find out later. We’re going to head inside. No more picking fights with Maverick.”
Ferina made a face but didn’t argue, waving them off as she went back to her perch near the entrance of the cave.
Maverick was curious who she was waiting for, but Isaac walked away without waiting for him, and he refused to be separated from his mate if he didn’t have to be, so he followed him inside.
That familiar feeling of joy and awe sang along their bond, and Isaac sighed dreamily as he took in the view. Maverick could admit it had taken a lot to get him to leave his home the first time. There was something about this place that spoke to his dragon.
The city inside the mountains wasn’t all stone and rock.
There was an entire forest inside, as well as a waterfall and a river flowing through the main parts of the city.
Massive fires dotted the city, marking the different areas, such as the market and city offices, with braziers decorated with depictions of each dragon family, and the light spilling in from the cave entrances hit mirrors to brighten the entire area.
Houses stood tall, with enough space around them for dragons his size to take off and land if they didn’t feel like shifting to come inside.
The city itself wasn’t terribly crowded throughout the year; most dragons needed more territory than the mountains offered and lived outside the mountains, but during the holidays like this, there were dragons of every size and color flying around, coming too close for comfort as they zipped overhead.
Maverick growled out a warning as a group of fledgling dragons flew past, nearly injuring a few people as one of them dropped too low. Hearing Maverick’s growl sent the fledgling higher, an anxious look on his face as he hurried off, but Isaac laughed, patting his chest.
“Grumpy dragon. Come on. I don’t want to be late.”
Thankfully, he always came in through the cave closest to his family home. He led Isaac there with a hand on his lower back, keeping an eye overhead just in case.
His mother was outside when they arrived, looking around with a frown.
She lit up when she saw them approach. When she went straight for Isaac, he didn’t feel the same annoyance he did with his sister.
He was proud of his mate and happy that his mother loved him like her own son.
She drew Isaac into a hug, then stepped back, holding his arms as she beamed at him.
“Isaac Silverbreeze, now a full-blown lawyer. I’m so proud of you, sweetie!”
They hadn’t been back since Isaac had passed the bar, too busy with getting him settled at Spellbound.
Maverick had made a request to expand his office so Isaac could have his own space to work instead of that tiny desk in the corner.
It was his yule gift, and he’d present it to him when they got back, to honor him being a partner and no longer an intern.
Technically, he could have requested Isaac have his own office, but he’d refused the idea outright.
He wanted his mate close. There was something soothing about knowing Isaac was only a few feet away when his temper threatened to get the best of him.
“Thank you, Mrs. Van Buren. It was a lot of late night study sessions and missed sleep, but passing the first time made it all worth it.”
“Come inside, dear. Everyone is excited to see you.” She turned her smile onto Maverick, wiggling a hand in a demand for him to bend down to kiss his cheek. “Hello to you too, darling boy. I’m glad you came. Have you seen your sister? She said she needed to make a call, then disappeared.”
He frowned. “She said she was waiting for someone.”
“Waiting for someone?” his mother queried with her own matching frown. “You two are the last to arrive. Most of the family flew in last night.”
He figured. His mother had requested he and Isaac do the same, but he’d refused. Spending the day with his family was stressful enough. Spending the night would drive him insane.
“I’m sure she’ll be back in a minute,” Isaac commented, tugging on the bag on Maverick’s shoulder. “Lemme take that. Where should we put the gifts we brought?”
He and his mother exchanged a look, following Isaac warily.
It was never a good thing when Ferina started acting mysteriously.
She was Maverick’s opposite, constantly causing mischief and getting into trouble.
He’d been careful his whole life never to introduce her to Taron.
Those two would get along too well and drive him up the wall.
She’d met Ozen before, and he had agreed that the two should never meet.
If she showed up with Taron, he’d turn around and leave. He cared for his friend, but he made it a rule to avoid parties with Taron at all costs. Something always went wrong.
Tension settled in his shoulders as he waited for his sister to show back up with whoever she’d been waiting on.
He hoped it wouldn’t be Taron, there was no way the shapeshifter could get into the city unless he somehow learned not only to shift into a dragon but also to fly, which he’d always struggled with in his shifted forms, but it also concerned him.
If it wasn’t Taron, who else would she be bringing?
And why was he so certain it would somehow be worse than the shapeshifter determined to pull his tail?
“Relax,” Isaac coached, standing from where he’d been setting out the gifts in the pile already gathering against one wall.
Everyone brought something, and the table that had been chosen to house the gifts was overflowing to the point where there were stacks underneath it as well.
Isaac had carefully placed the gifts he’d made along with the rest, while Maverick did the same thing he did every year: he put his card on the table.
Free legal advice was plenty to offer, and he’d had more than one member of his family make use of his expertise in the past.
Isaac snorted when he saw it, raising an eyebrow at him. “Isn’t the point supposed to be something handmade?”
“My expertise was honed over centuries, my heart. It’s the same thing. And I haven’t had anyone complain yet.”
And while technically he didn’t hand make Isaac’s gift either, he figured it was the thought that counted.
At least, he hoped that would be the case.
Granted, the gift he’d chosen for Isaac was also a gift to himself, but he knew how much Isaac loved working in his office. He’d said so plenty of times before.
He considered it with a frown. Maybe he should make something small while Isaac was distracted. Just in case.