Epilogue
Keres shifted and waited for Oldrik to arrive. He’d put off this moment for as long as possible. Now with black thoughts pummeling him from all sides, Keres knew he needed to act now. The bronze dragon’s wings reflected the sunlight as he landed.
“Oldrik. Thank you for meeting me.”
“I don’t enjoy disguising anything from my mate and Ardon. You said this was urgent,” the dragon shifter flatly stated.
“Tell me where your sister is.” Keres got straight to the point.
“Why?” Oldrik asked bluntly.
“You know why. It’s the end for me. I’ll replace myself for the horde.”
“Your mate might be on the next transport,” Oldrik pointed out.
“The numbers of those arriving have dwindled to a handful every month. The list of missing Wyverns is blank, except for a few older people. There are no arriving mates now, Oldrik. I have to face the truth. There isn’t a mate for me in this generation. I can’t last for another one. It’s over for me. Tell me where she is.”
“I can’t do that for her safety, Keres.”
“I will swear an oath to you. Over all these years, I’ve proven to you my word, once given, is solid. That hasn’t changed. I will treat her well.”
“I don’t even know exactly where she is.”
“Tell me everything you can. I’ll find her,” Keres assured him. “I just need a hint of where to start.”
Keres studied Oldrik’s expression as the bronze dragon considered his options. Rare female dragons battled for survival as shifters doomed to madness sought them as a last option. He couldn’t imagine a life that didn’t involve flight and freedom—all those things that a dragon craved. For eons, females existed only to give life to new dragons. The procreation process couldn’t be easy for them, taken by a dragon barely holding on to sanity without a mate bond to make it pleasurable.
Keres met Oldrik’s gaze. “I will plead my case with your sister and hope she will help. I will accept no as an answer. Death will come to me either way. I will not drag an innocent into the torture that besieges me.”
“I have your word on that?” Oldrik’s focus was laser sharp.
“You have my word.”
“The last I heard, she was in a small hilltop in Montana. Rimi mentioned the construction of a new sports arena that might force her to move.”
“Thank you, Oldrik.”
“Bring her back, Keres. She deserves to live in the light.”
Keres met his gaze and nodded. There wouldn’t be a good end for him, but perhaps there could be something positive that came out of this. The horde would protect his offspring and Oldrik’s sister.
* * *
After the threat to his mate, Rogan isolated Brooks from others as he investigated whether more on his staff were involved with the two men who’d plotted against them. No one else had joined his workforce during that same time period. Those two had come seeking work with a sad story of needing to feed their families. His supervisor wouldn’t fall for that in the future. Rogan would insist on serious investigations of any applicant’s past.
Twenty-four-hour patrols of the border resumed. Their enemies still plotted to bring danger into Wyvern. The dragons wouldn’t relax until the threat was completely eliminated.
“Do we ever get to go to Angelino’s?” Brooks asked as he pulled a string over the carpet to entertain Marmalade.
Rogan’s first impulse was to refuse, needing to protect his mate. One glance at Brooks’ face told him isolating this man completely would not be positive. He forced himself to nod. “How about for lunch tomorrow?”
“Thanks, Rogan. I’d love that. Can Marmalade come?”
The small kitten’s complete lack of fear of his dragon needled at Rogan. How could anything so helpless not cringe when confronted with his raw power? Marmalade’s bravery matched his mate’s. Wherever Brooks went, the orange kitten wanted to go. He’d even gone on patrol flights with the two of them, napping without a shred of uneasiness in a messenger bag slung over Brooks’s chest.
“No. Marmalade can’t visit the restaurant,” Rogan declared.
“But the other mates will want to meet him.”
“We’ll host a gathering soon to introduce him.”
“Oh, good idea. I bet Skye will draw him for me. I’d love to hang a picture in my room,” Brooks shared.
“You can ask her tomorrow,” Rogan suggested as the fearless kitten stalked toward him. He snarled to scare him, letting the furry tabby see the red flash in his eyes. Marmalade didn’t hesitate. He climbed Rogan’s pant leg with those needle-sharp kitten claws and curled up on his lap.
“He likes you, too. Maybe you have two mates,” Brooks suggested with twinkling eyes.
“I do not have a cat for a mate. Felines and dragons are sworn enemies,” Rogan growled.
“Are you sure about that? I see a lot of similarities. You both purr very loudly.”
Rogan raised his gaze from the soft kitten to his mate, giving him a warning glare. Brooks laughed, completely unphased by his ferocity just as Marmalade was. Rogan shook his head. His mate didn’t need an accomplice to keep him on his toes. Brooks could handle that perfectly well on his own.
“Will Keres join us?” Brooks asked, changing the subject.
“At Angelino’s? I doubt it. He’s been scarce. He visited Oldrik a few days ago, and no one has seen him since.”
“What does Oldrik say?”
“Not much. Something is going on there, and the two of them aren’t sharing information with the horde. I don’t think Ardon even knows what’s happening,” Rogan shared.
“That’s suspicious.”
“It certainly is. Maybe we’ll find out more tomorrow over pizza,” Rogan suggested as Brooks stood and walked to his side.
“Can I join you two or is this a private party?” Brooks asked, leaning forward to pet Marmalade.
“Save me, please,” Rogan requested and scooped up the cat to pass him over to his mate before lifting Brooks onto his lap. Rogan brushed his mate’s bangs out of his face. “We need to get your hair cut again. This lock is completely red now. I think I’m wearing off on you.”
“I like it, Daddy. They say old married people start to look alike after years together.”
“Would you like to get married?” Rogan asked, watching his mate’s reaction closely.
“I was never married, so I don’t speak from experience, but the mate bond is a bigger commitment than a piece of paper and rice thrown in the air.”
“It is, but humans like their traditions. If you want to be pelted by rice on the church steps, let me know,” Rogan teased.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Brooks promised as he rolled his eyes at his Daddy’s silliness.
“Let me see your neck, Adventurer.”
“I think it’s healed now, Daddy.”
“Almost.” Rogan brushed a fingertip lightly over the faint line and felt his mate shiver in reaction to his touch. Thank goodness Brooks had survived. Rogan would never forget the sight of a knife held at his throat. “You’re not to scare me again, Brooks.”
“I promise, Daddy. Dragons seem all tough and vicious outside, but inside you guys are marshmallows.”
“No telling.”
“My lips are sealed.”
“How about if you go grab Rogue and we set off on an adventure today? I need to go pick up a couple of treadmills from a sporting goods store,” Rogan told him.
“For lawn art?” Brooks suggested saucily.
“Very funny, Adventurer. The miller has discovered he can use the treads manually to move large containers of grain more easily.”
“That makes sense. So, we’re going to swoop in and snare a few treadmills for you to carry home?”
“That’s what I planned. Why? Need something else?”
“Do you think the sporting goods store might have an old-fashioned crank ice cream maker?” Brooks asked.
“I have one of those,” Rogan assured him. “Fancy eating a cold treat?”
“Crap. We’d need ice, wouldn’t we?” Brooks slumped in dejection.
“If you take a coat and gloves, we could stop for snow on the top of a mountain.”
“I’ll find warm clothes.”
“Perfect. Go grab those and I’ll unearth the ice cream maker and confiscate a cooler. The cook is making brownies tonight for you. We can have sundaes if you would like,” Rogan suggested.
“Now, that’s an adventure. I’ll go find a coat!”
He smiled as his mate bolted from the room in excitement. Rogan hoped Keres would be successful in his search. No one should be alone.
I wish you good luck, Keres.
The response was faint. I’ll take it. I need all the luck I can get.
* * *
Thank you for reading Rogan: Fated Dragon Daddies 5!
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Are you ready for the final story in the Fated Dragon series? Keres: Fated Dragon Daddies 6 is coming soon!
When all hope has evaporated, his search will focus on replacing himself.
Sumire has existed in the haze of a mountain shielded by clouds. Always dreaming of the sun, she’s never risked basking in its warmth. As the last hope for desperate dragons, being cherished as a fated mate is not this female’s destiny.
Keres has lived without a mate for too long. His battle to cling to sanity is coming to an end. Only one choice remains—abandon his need for a Wyvern mate to hunt something more elusive. The clock is ticking as blackness consumes his mind and soul.
Change has come to Wyvern. A centuries-old pact between the founders and their powerful allies could save the inhabitants of the city once again, but only a dragon Daddy can truly guard his mate from harm.