Chapter 47
Mina
The ancients are back, and I feel like for the first time in days I can draw in a deep breath without panicking.
The air fills my lungs completely without the tight band of anxiety that has been constricting my chest. They kiss me, their lips warm and slightly chapped from battle, tasting faintly of smoke and something uniquely theirs that makes my heart race for entirely different reasons than fear.
The brief contact sends warmth spiraling through my body, a promise of longer reunions to come, before they head to their rooms to shower and get changed, leaving traces of their scent—brimstone and cedar mixed with the metallic tang of dried blood—lingering in the surrounding air.
Ziggy, Leander, and the babies return when I send a caress down the bond.
The mental touch as gentle as a physical stroke, carrying my relief and love to them across the distance.
Their familiar emotional signatures bloom in my awareness like flowers opening to sunlight, warm and comforting after the void of separation.
Callan catches them up on what happened, his voice a low rumble in the background as I climb onto Abraxis’s lap, seeking the comfort of physical contact after the emotional upheaval of the day.
My emotions are all over the place, swinging from relief to exhaustion to a bone-deep need for closeness.
To be honest, I’m exhausted in ways that go beyond the physical, my soul feeling wrung out like a cloth that’s been twisted dry.
Abraxis purrs deeply as he wraps his wings around me.
The leathery membrane creating a cocoon of warmth and darkness that shuts out the world.
The sound vibrates through his chest and into mine, a rumbling comfort that speaks of something primal deep within me.
His body heat seeps through my skin and into my bones, chasing away the last chill of fear, while the familiar scent of him—clean sweat and the faint musk that marks him as mine—fills my nostrils.
He knows the ancients are going to need me with them tonight, and I can feel his acceptance of that fact through our bond, tinged with only the faintest shadow of his old jealousy.
Selfishly, I want to go into heat again soon and have my next clutch, the desire a warm pulse low in my belly that makes me press closer to him.
Between the warmth of Abraxis’s body and the darkness his wings grants me, I drift off to sleep in his arms, feeling safe and protected for the first time in what feels like an eternity.
I don’t know how long I was allowed to sleep, but the smell of bacon, steak, and spicy noodles wakes me up, the rich aromas making my mouth water instantly.
The scents are layered and complex—the smoky saltiness of perfectly cooked bacon, the char-grilled richness of steak, and the tantalizing heat of spices that makes my sinuses tingle pleasantly.
My stomach growls audibly, the sound embarrassingly loud in the quiet moment, and Abraxis laughs, the sound rumbling through his chest and vibrating against my back.
“Someone’s hungry.” He opens his wings slowly, the membrane stretching with a soft whisper of displaced air, and smiles down at me, his eyes crinkling at the corners with genuine affection.
For all of his insecurities, he loves me so very much, and I can see it written in every line of his face, in the way his pupils dilate slightly when he looks at me, in the gentle curve of his mouth.
Gently, his hand cups my cheek, palm warm and slightly rough with calluses, as he gazes deep into my eyes with an intensity that makes my breath catch.
“You are my greatest love and my only treasure.” The words hit me like a physical blow, making my heart stutter in my chest. He’s finally called me his treasure—not just someone he loves, but his treasure, placing me above everyone and everything.
Happy tears roll down my cheeks, warm and salty, as I lean in to kiss him, tasting the salt on my own lips as they meet his.
I feel him push all of his love and affection down the bond to me, the emotion flowing like warm honey through our connection, filling all the empty spaces that fear and exhaustion have carved out of my soul.
My heart, which has felt fractured and incomplete for days, is finally full, swelling with the overwhelming certainty of being loved completely and without reservation.
“My beloved treasure,” I whisper against his lips, the words a promise and a vow, feeling the slight roughness of his skin and the warmth of his breath mixing with mine.
I see tears rim his eyes as he struggles to hold the emotions back, his throat working as he swallows hard against the intensity of the moment.
He smiles and nods, joy clear in his broad smile that reaches his eyes, transforming his entire face with its radiance.
“Go welcome your other mates home, Mina. I’m sure they’ve missed you.
” For once, Abraxis isn’t jealous of the ancients, and I think seeing how I was with them missing helped him understand how I was when he left, the empathy born of shared experience finally bridging the gap between understanding and resentment.
When Abraxis disappeared the other night into the house, I had discussed with Balor my plans for my next clutch; the conversation filled with hopes and careful planning.
He and the ancients would father the next eggs, the thought sending a thrill of anticipation through me.
I can feel echoing faintly now. When that is going to happen, I’m not sure yet, but the possibility hovers in the back of my mind like a pleasant daydream.
For now, I just want to be with my family, whole and complete and safe.
I join Klauth and Thauglor at the table and sit between them, immediately surrounded by their familiar warmth and the complex scents that mark them as mine.
Balor doesn’t miss a beat and hands me a large bowl of food that steams invitingly.
The ceramic is warm against my palms, and a glass of my favorite wine, the deep red liquid catching the light like liquid rubies.
The wine’s bouquet rises to greet me—rich and complex with hints of dark fruit and oak that make my mouth water.
I dig in immediately, feeling like I’m starving from all the shifting and use of my lightning.
The food tastes like ambrosia after days of eating mechanically, without pleasure.
“So my descendant tells me you had fun roasting mages too,” Thauglor says before taking a sip of his beer, the foam clinging to his upper lip before he wipes it away with the back of his hand. His tone is light, but I can hear the undercurrent of pride and concern that colors his words.
“My cousins and I roasted a good two and a half dozen.” I shrug my shoulders, staring down at my plate, the sight of the perfectly prepared food suddenly losing its appeal.
I push the food around on my plate with my fork, the metal scraping softly against ceramic.
My hunger is squashed by the weight of thinking about the destruction we’ve wrought, the lives we’ve taken in defense of our home.
“You don’t even want to know what we did,” Klauth’s voice is almost a whisper, barely audible over the gentle sounds of the nest settling around us.
I turn slowly, and I can see in those crimson-flecked amber eyes that they are haunted, the shimmering depths shadowed with memories too dark to share.
The human emotions are finally catching up with what his dragon did, the weight of necessary violence settling on his shoulders like a mantle of lead.
Sighing, I slide myself onto his lap, feeling the solid strength of his thighs beneath me and the way his arms automatically come up to circle my waist.
I rest my head on his shoulder, breathing in the familiar scent of his skin—smoke and brimstone and something indefinably him that makes my dragon purr with contentment.
“I know what I did in defense of my nest. You did what you did in defense of an entire continent.” I sit up and kiss his lips softly, tasting the faint bitterness of regret and the underlying sweetness that is purely him, and close my eyes as I rest my forehead against his, feeling the slight roughness of his skin and the warmth of his breath against my face.
“They made my mother’s people almost extinct.
According to the books, countless other species are extinct or close to being extinct because of them. ”
“How did we end up with such a good mate?” Thauglor says as he kisses my shoulder, his lips warm through the thin fabric of my shirt, the heat from his body warming my back like a personal furnace.
I just sigh, melting into the dual comfort of being held between them, feeling safer than I have in days.
He kisses the side of my neck, his breath warm against my skin, making me shiver pleasantly.
“You need to eat, my eternal treasure. It would please me greatly.”
The endearment wraps around me like silk, and I can hear the gentle command beneath the request, the ancient’s concern for my wellbeing clear in every word.
I pick my head up and look over my shoulder at him, meeting his sapphire eyes that glow with warmth and love, then over at the food that Balor set on the table for us, the aromatic steam still rising invitingly from the dishes.
I slide back down onto the bench, sitting between my two ancient mates, their body heat creating a cocoon of warmth on either side of me, and dig into the food Balor left for me.
The meat falls off the bone, seasoned perfectly with a dry rub that makes my taste buds sing, the smoky flavor grounding me in the simple pleasure of a good meal shared with those I love.
After sharing a meal with my mates, we retire for the evening. I head into the shower and wash the grime from the last few days off of my skin. The weight of the world is finally off my shoulders and I feel the fight drain out of me as the water runs off my body.
“Almost ready, my eternal?” Thauglor’s voice echoes in my bathroom and I shut off the water.
“Yes, the hot water felt so good. Sorry I kept you waiting.” I step out and grab my towel and first wrap my hair and horns up.
Thauglor offers me another towel and instead of handing it to me he starts pat drying me.
“You know I can do that myself.” I smile, watching him take care of me so carefully.
“I know you can. Let me do it. I’ve missed you.” A deep resonant purr rumbles in his chest, more felt than heard. His hands are so gentle on me, caressing every curve. I watch him move, his eyes never leaving the area he’s focused on.
“I missed you too. I came straight home like you told me to.” My voice breaks and I shudder a little. My chest hurts a little at the memory and when I look up, Klauth is standing in the doorway.
“I’m sorry I put you two through that. I had to make the world safe for you and our future hatchlings.” Klauth closes the distance and cups the back of my neck before pressing his lips against mine with a tenderness I didn’t expect.
“I understand.” I almost whisper against his lips as Thauglor moves to stand on the other side.
“I thought I would have had to fight with you more about sending you home. Why was it so easy? Why did you listen? I know your dragoness was at war with you.” Thauglor asks and I draw in a deep breath before answering.
“I couldn’t see the outcome.” I close my eyes for a moment before looking between the two of them.
“When I chose to submit to all of my mates, I promised myself that if you asked me to do something in the best interest of all, I would do it. Sending me home so you could go protect and watch over Klauth was in the best interest of everyone, including the continent.” I huff out a laugh.
“As much as I wanted to fight you on it, I couldn’t.
I submitted, and to break that ancient covenant would be a horrible thing.
My word would be worthless.” I reach out and touch my ancient mates.
“I trust both of you with everything.” Slowly, I turn my palms up and lower my head, exposing the nape of my neck.
I feel two sets of lips on the sides of my neck and I purr softly.
“You are our everything,” Klauth says softly before he scoops me up and carries me into our bedroom.