Chapter 43 #2
“There’s no proof he’s bonded!” A shrill female voice calls from the center of the pack, cutting through the ceremony like a knife.
“Leana, shut your mouth! He is not your mate!” Maeba says, and I’m impressed that the elder blink hound got so loud. Her voice cracks like a whip across the assembly.
A soft growl escapes Keir’s lips, vibrating through the air.
His eyes bleed to the soulless black depths of his shift—no pupil, no iris, just endless darkness.
Gently, I place a single finger under his chin and turn him to face me, drawing his attention away from the challenge.
His hand comes up and grips my throat—not threatening, but possessive.
He stares into my eyes, and I see everything in those black depths.
“Raven is my mate. I bear her bite, and she has mine.” He says, looking deep into my eyes.
“I don’t believe it. He’s mine! We planned our lives, and I just got back!” The female—Leana—says, her voice breaking with desperation. I almost feel bad for her. Almost.
Keir moves me to stand in front of him, positioning me like a shield.
His hand still rests at my throat, and his arm curves around my wing and shoulder protectively.
He nuzzles my cheek, his stubble rough against my skin, and I roll my head to the side, exposing his bite mark.
The scar is raised, visible even in the lantern light.
I feel what he’s about to do through our bond, and I can’t help but smile.
Klauth is watching this exchange with rapt attention, almost amused by what’s happening.
Before I can give it anymore thought, Keir bites me. His canines sink in over his original mark, breaking through skin and muscle. The pain is sharp and immediate, followed by a rush of heat that floods through my entire body. The mate bond flares to life, burning bright enough that I gasp.
He had told me he might have to bite me in front of his pack for them to believe it was real.
For whatever reason, they refused to believe that a dragon would ever love one of their kind.
My canines lengthen in response to how long he’s holding me, my dragoness rising to meet his claim.
Carefully, he removes his canines from my shoulder, and I feel the wet slide of his tongue as he licks the wounds closed.
“Raven is my only mate, my only love,” Keir says loudly and clearly for all to hear, his voice carrying across the silent courtyard.
The beautiful female—all blonde hair and curves and fury—comes up onto the platform and reaches for me to pull me away.
Her fingers close around my forearm, and the second she touches my skin, she becomes violently ill.
She doubles over, vomiting on the stage, the acrid smell filling the air. My scales repel her touch like poison.
“I, Raven Mrithrun, Princess, and heir apparent of the Marzana Empire, banish you from my family’s lands.
Never lay claim to something that isn’t yours.
” My dragoness roars inside me, wanting to melt her flesh, turn her into a puddle of goo on the spot.
The deep rumble starts in my chest as she fights me for control.
I can feel my scales pressing beneath my skin, wanting to break through.
Keir moves into my line of sight and smiles down at me, blocking my view of the female. “Raven, I love you and only you. She isn’t worth ruining the beautiful dress you’re wearing for me.”
I glance from my mate to my other mates—Corvis with his silver eyes steady and supportive, Hemlocke with his pink eyes bright with protective fury—then over to Klauth, giving him a nod to continue.
Several of Keir’s pack mates escort the female off the platform, their hands firm on her arms as she struggles and sobs.
Maeba and Klauth take turns speaking over Keir while I stand off to the side with my other mates, watching.
They speak of bloodlines and the power of the pack, their voices blending into a ritual older than memory.
The value of family and strong bonds. Looking to the right, I see my siblings and the rest of my parents in my birth nest. Orpheus catches my eye and nods, his expression fierce and proud. The blood bond is the strongest.
They also announce my ascending to take over as flight mother until it is my turn to rule. The transition will be slow over the next three years. By the time I graduate Dragonis Academy, I will be in full control of the flight and the lands of my ancestors, totalling two-thirds of the continent.
The weight of the diadem feels less heavy now, the pressure of my station less suffocating. Because I’m not carrying it alone. I have my mates, my family, my nest. And together, we’re unstoppable.
But even as I think it, a prickle runs down my spine. Someone in this crowd is watching me too closely. Someone who shouldn’t be here. The stalking hasn’t stopped—they’ve just been waiting.
And now, surrounded by hundreds of witnesses, might be the perfect time to make their move.
I scan the crowd, my dragon eyes sharp, looking for anything out of place. Any face that doesn’t belong. Any threat to what’s mine.
Because I may be adjusting to my new station, but one thing hasn’t changed.
I protect what’s mine.
Always.