Epilogue
A Few Days Later
Zamir
"I've never seen a dragon before," Touya said as he stuck a piece of chicken into his mouth, his eyes on my mate.
"Me neither," Silas chimed in, and the two mates shared a glance before turning to Nolan. "Can you shift inside the Sanctuary?"
"Of course. I already did it once when the snowstorm occurred."
"Oh right. Things were so hectic I almost forgot. I didn't even get a good look at you. Can we see?" Silas asked as he leaned forward, the table creaking as he put more of his weight on it.
"Of course," Nolan said, and I grinned at the way his lips curved up. He looked happy.
The headmaster still hadn't left his office, and he had refused all of Nolan's attempts to talk. Nolan hadn't given up, though, and he still knocked on his door once a day, not wanting to push but wanting Zephyr to know he would wait for him.
Once we'd finished lunch, Silas made the announcement. "Nolan's gonna shift, so anyone who wants to see a dragon, come to the Forest."
Nolan's cheeks looked a little pink at the sudden attention, and I linked my arm with his, leaning up to kiss his cheek. "Okay?"
He met my eyes, his green ones sparkling with a mix of nerves and something lighter. "Yeah."
We made our way out of the Dining Room, and my eyes were drawn to the end of the hallway as I spotted some movement in my peripheral vision.
I turned my head, watching as Keoni pushed open the office door, a plate of food in one hand. He disappeared inside, and I bit back a smile as I looked away. Keoni and the headmaster hadn't talked since their argument either, but it seemed like Keoni had decided to change that. I was glad.
The clearing near the entrance was the best place for Nolan to shift without knocking down trees, so once the others stepped back, I gave him a quick kiss before stepping back, and he smiled, then shifted in a matter of seconds, replacing his human form with his gorgeous dragon form.
His red scales sparkled in the sunlight, and murmurs of "Ooh"s and "Aaah"s filled the clearing as I went up to him. He turned his head to look at me, and I grinned as he lowered it so we were face to face, though his face was as big as my whole body.
Leaning forward, I kissed the spot between his eyes, chuckling when he went cross-eyed in his attempt to keep his gaze on me.
"Um, can I?" Touya asked with a hand raised toward Nolan's flank, and it took me a moment to realize he was asking me. I met Nolan's gaze, and his head twitched like he was shrugging.
"Sure," I replied, knowing Touya would be respectful about it.
A fair crowd of people gathered to admire my mate, and I felt slightly smug about that.
My mate was one of the rarest beings in the world, and he was all mine.
I trusted my friends and family enough that I didn't feel jealous when they touched my mate.
Even when Jacinta's tentacles took a few liberties, her sparkling eyes told me she was trying to get a rise from me, and I held firm until she gave up with a huff.
After what felt like hours, the crowd slowly thinned as people got their fill and drifted off to do their afternoon chores or go back to their areas, leaving the two of us in the clearing.
Because they were the best people in the world, everyone had decided that Nolan didn't need to contribute to the chores for his first week here.
Not only that, they'd also given me the week off so I could get Nolan settled in and have a 'honeymoon period.
' I didn't know if we needed it, but I wasn't dumb enough to decline the gift.
Resting my head against Nolan's side, I soaked in his warmth. He ran hotter in this form, and I felt all warm and cozy as I leaned against him.
"You wanna stay in this form for a while?" I asked, since I knew he hadn't shifted since our date.
Nolan nodded, then started walking, and I realized I had to run to keep up with his giant strides.
When he stopped I realized we were in a smaller clearing that was shielded by trees on most sides, hiding us from view. Nolan turned his head to look at me, then rolled over so he lay on his back. He glanced over at me, then toward his belly, and my eyes widened.
"You want me to... lay on you?" I asked, and he nodded.
I blinked, then walked closer to him. It took a bit of effort to climb up his body, but then I was on his belly, and I realized it was softer than I'd thought it would be.
The leather was warm, and I felt like I was sitting on the world's softest mattress.
Carefully, I spread myself out, resting my head on his chest. I could hear his loud, steady heartbeat. The rhythm was different from a human's or even mine, but it was strong.
Wings enveloped me, surrounded me in warmth, and I sighed as I pressed a kiss into his warm skin. "I might fall asleep if I lie here too long," I murmured, and Nolan made a chuffing sound that I translated as, "You can. I don't mind."
Smiling, I gazed up at his wings, then reached up to trace the edges with my fingers. With the sun shining through them, I could see the slim veins crisscrossing through the wings, carrying blood and energy to every inch of his leathery skin.
"You're beautiful, you know that?" I murmured, and Nolan huffed. "You are. You're magnificent. I'm a very lucky man to have a mate who looks so gorgeous in both his forms."
Nolan's wings tightened around me, and he made a soft, almost purr-like sound. I smiled, and leaned up to kiss his wing.
Maybe a nap wasn't such a bad idea.
Nolan
As Zamir slept, I held him close, listening to his soft, even breaths and letting them lull me into a daze.
The Sanctuary hadn't had any issues since I got there, but I knew it wasn't fixed.
Zephyr hadn't taken any magic from me yet, which meant the place was even more unbalanced than it'd been before.
I was worried that the next problem would be dangerous, that it could even hurt some of the people I'd gotten to know over the last few days.
I understood why Zephyr didn't want to see me, but I wished he could put his grievances aside until this place was stabilized. I knew better than anyone that he would regret not doing so if anything happened to one of the residents.
I wouldn't give up, though. I'd keep trying until he agreed to let me help. This time, I would make sure he got the assistance he needed, even if it made him hate me more.
Zamir stirred, pulling my attention back to him, and I loosened my top wing, shifting it lower so Zamir could see. He peered up at me through bleary eyes, then gave me a soft, sleepy smile.
"Hey, Nolan."
I rumbled a hello, and he grinned, then sat up. He ran his palms over my skin, and I rumbled again, making his whole body vibrate as he laughed.
"That tickled," he commented as he moved higher until he was kneeling on my sternum.
He grabbed my head, then kissed my nose.
"I want to stay like this for a while longer, but I also want to kiss you.
Such a dilemma," he mumbled, then kissed my snout once more before moving back.
"Guess I should climb off of you so you can shift. "
Before he could move, I shifted, and caught him in my arms before he could fall. A startled laugh escaped his lips, and he gazed up at me, wide-eyed and beautiful.
"You can put me down now," he said after a moment, and I smiled.
"Why?" Holding him in place, I leaned down and pressed my lips to his, swallowing his surprised gasp as I slid my tongue into his mouth. He tasted of spices and cherries, and I hummed as I delved deeper into his mouth, searching for the sweet taste that was just him.
Zamir's hand slid to my neck, and he tugged at my hair as he pushed into the kiss, his whole body straining as he leaned up.
We kissed until he was breathless, and I moved to his neck as he caught his breath, tasting myself on his skin. He was warmer than usual, and I loved that it was me who'd filled him with that warmth.
"We should—" Zamir moaned as I scraped my teeth over his neck, his fingers digging into mine. "Home," he gasped out, as if he'd lost the ability to string together sentences.
I started walking without pulling off his neck, using my other senses to navigate through the trees as I aimed for our cabin.
For once, the cabin was empty, since the smaller pets were in the backyard, and our cats and dogs had been 'borrowed' by various residents. Over the last few days, they'd become the emotional support animals of various supes, and they seemed to be enjoying their new jobs, so I didn't mind.
Before I met Zamir, they'd been my emotional support, and I'd needed them. But I didn't anymore, and if they could help others like they'd helped me, well, that was amazing.
Instead of going to our bedroom, I carried Zamir to the couch.
I sat down, keeping him in my lap as I returned my lips to his.
Zamir clung to me as he kissed me back. He moved without breaking the kiss as he slid both hands behind my neck and straddled my lap, rocked against me, his cock hard as it pressed against my abdomen.
I squeezed his asscheeks, and he groaned into the kiss. He struggled between pushing his ass against my palms or rubbing his dick against my abdomen, and I chuckled into the kiss.
As we drove each other crazy, I realized I had a lifetime of this to look forward to. After 2,000 years, I'd finally found the meaning of my life, the person I would spend the rest of my life loving.
I was glad Zamir hadn't had to wait as long as I had, glad he never faced the type of heartbreak that made me close myself off. I never wanted him to feel that pain, and I would make it my life's mission to keep him safe from it.
"Nolan," he gasped, his voice thin and full of need, and I moved my hand to the front of his pants, determined to give him what he needed.
Afterward, as we lay panting on the couch, me on my back and Zamir on top of me, I breathed in our mingled scents as I held him close. This, this was what heaven felt like—I was sure of it.
Zamir mumbled something into my chest, and I made a questioning sound. He raised his head, rested his chin on my sternum, and gazed at me with eyes so soft and warm that it formed a lump in my throat.
"I love you," he said, voice low but strong, like it was a fact, a universal truth that couldn't be denied.
I caressed his cheek, ran my fingers through his wild hair as I smiled, as I waited for my throat to clear.
"I love you too." More than I'd ever loved anyone, more than I'd thought I could love someone.
It'd only been a few weeks since we met, but we'd have centuries with each other, and I couldn't wait to spend every day of the rest of our lives together.