by Zoe Chant
She stood aside as Euanthe released her son, and Aron stepped forward to take her place. Smiling, she could feel her own tears welling up – it was as if she was watching them reunite again for the first time.
“The Drakos Clan owes you a lot, Darklis.”
She turned, surprised, at the sound of Magnus’s voice beside her. “You helped break me free of the dragon hunter’s control. And who knows if, without you, we ever would have gotten my brother back.”
Darklis shook her head, feeling a blush creeping up her neck. “Well, considering all of this got started because Erik Lukich wanted revenge on my brother and me, I really think it’s the least I could do.”
“I hope you don’t really think that,” Magnus replied, frowning. “Erik Lukich is the only person who’s responsible for that. He’s the only one who should bear any blame.”
Darklis swallowed. “I know,” she said after a moment. “But –”
“Nope, no ifs, no buts,” Magnus’s mate Alanna broke in, smiling. “We – all of us – owe you.” She slipped her arm through Magnus’s. “And believe me, no one loves a happy ending more than I do. It’s so wonderful to see you get yours.”
Darklis’s heart swelled within her, and once again, she had to fight back tears. “Thank you,” she whispered, blinking, and feeling her tears roll down her cheeks. “Thank you so much.”
***
The wedding feast had been magnificent. The ballroom of Drakos Castle had been decked out in all its finery, the dining tables covered in food: everything from roast suckling pig to the most tender and fresh of fruits and vegetables, and lightly boiled quail eggs. Everyone had danced and feasted and toasted until well into the evening, when the candles on the chandeliers hanging from the granite of the ceiling had been lighted, illuminating the room even brighter than day.
Darklis had enjoyed every moment of it – she’d always had an appetite, after all, and when the food was this good, it was tempting to go on eating even after she was stuffed to bursting. It was easy to just have one more nibble of venison, or a tiny bite of plump strawberry with Chantilly cream, or just one more glass of Champagne...
By halfway through the evening, she’d been feeling positively light-headed. But there were still speeches to be given, toasts to be made, dances to be danced... and then there was the newly married couple’s traditional dragon flight that would take them high into the night sky. Bathed in starlight, they would make their final commitment to each other, both as mates and as husband and wife.
It would have been overwhelming... if Liev hadn’t been firmly holding her hand beneath the table, his warm fingers against hers all she needed to keep herself grounded. The silver and white ruffled lace of her wedding gown – an antique dress that had been gifted to her by Queen Euanthe – hid their hands from casual view, but Darklis was certain no one would have begrudged them even if they had seen.
It was a long feast to sit through, after all, and it was their wedding day. Occasionally, she would catch Liev’s eye over her glass, or his leg would brush against hers as one of them turned to speak to a well-wisher who came to their table.
Every single time, Darklis felt a jolt of pure electricity run down her spine, settling firmly in her belly. True, since the night they had escaped from Erik Lukich, they had been together countless times, learning each other’s bodies and minds thoroughly. But still, she knew there would be something special about tonight.
Darklis would have been lying if she’d said she wasn’t nervous as the final toast of the evening was made. King Aron led every dragon present in three rousing cheers, all of them getting to their feet and raising their glasses before swallowing down their Champagne.
“Assembled dragons.” King Aron’s deep baritone voice rang out through the hall as soon as the guests had finished their drinks and replaced their glasses on the table. “As much as I’d like to continue this feast, tradition dictates that the couple’s first flight must happen before the first light of dawn touches the sky. And so, if you please...”
Darklis gulped as Aron gestured toward the massive, rough-hewn wooden doors that led out of the castle. Beyond them was the area that Alanna had always jokingly referred to as the castle’s ‘landing strip’ – the vast flat surface, open to the sky, where dragons arrived and left. Drakos Castle, situated as it was deep within a massive mountain range, could only be reached by flight.
Everything will be fine, Liev sent to her as he sensed her nervousness. There’s nothing to be worried about. It’s just a flight, the same as any other.
I know, Darklis replied as she stood, her hand still firmly clasping Liev’s. But everyone’s looking!
Liev laughed out loud, giving her hand a squeeze. Then they’ll see how much I love you.
Darklis had to look away from him suddenly, worried that if she kept staring into his eyes, she wouldn’t be able to stop herself from kissing him right now, in front of everyone.
You should! her dragon suddenly broke in. He is your mate! No one’s gaze should shame you!
There’ll be time for that later, Darklis told it firmly, even as she was still fighting off the temptation to take Liev’s face in her hands and kiss him until they were both breathless.
“Shall we?” Liev asked, with a slight quirk of his eyebrow that told her he knew everything she was thinking.
The sooner we complete our first flight, the sooner we can get to everything that comes after, he sent to her, making her heart leap with anticipation.
The assembled guests had all begun to make their way out onto the landing strip. Liev’s mother Queen Euanthe and Darklis’s brother Stefan were waiting for them by the doors, ready to escort them outside.
Ordinarily, Darklis’s father would have taken her hand to lead her to her first flight – but he had been lost, along with her mother, to Erik Lukich’s madness. But looking at her brother now, his eyes glowing with pride as he looked at her, Darklis thought there was no one she’d rather have at her side now than Stefan.
“You look beautiful,” he whispered to her as he took her arm, just as Queen Euanthe took Liev’s. “Darklis, I couldn’t be more proud of you.”
Darklis let out a small laugh. Stefan had always been a protective older brother, which she supposed she couldn’t blame him for, after everything they’d been through. But above all, he had always been concerned for her happiness – and he could see that Liev loved her beyond measure, despite the strangeness of the way they’d met.
“Thanks, big bro,” she said, turning to smile up at him. “I couldn’t have done it without you, though.”
“That’s obviously not true,” Stefan shot back. “You did fine on your own. Not that I’d say I liked not knowing where you were.”
“Well, next time I get sucked into a magic portal and lose my dragon powers and have to run around town with a prince, I’ll try to let you know twenty-four hours in advance,” Darklis said, rolling her eyes.
“All right, smart-mouth.” Stefan shook his head. “Just don’t expect me to curtsey and call you princess.”
“Not even a little curtsey?” Darklis asked, jokingly pouting.
“All right. Maybe just a little one.”
Darklis laughed as they finally emerged from the massive arched doorway and into the cool night air. “As long as it’s just a little one.”
Stefan walked with her to the edge of the massive stone platform, where King Aron was waiting for them, smiling. It was still dark – the dawn light hadn’t yet touched the sky. It was time for their first flight together as husband and wife.
Euanthe and Stefan broke off, standing aside as Liev and Darklis stopped on the edge of the platform. Turning to look into Liev’s eyes, Darklis took a deep breath. She held both his hands tightly.
“Go now, with my blessing,” King Aron said, his voice soft, and filled with pride.
Let’s go.
Liev’s warm voice filled her head. Closing her eyes, Darklis reached within herself, calling to her drag
on. It rose within her without hesitation, wings unfurled, eyes flashing in triumph.
Mine! My mate! My husband! My love!
She felt herself transforming – and Liev transforming alongside her. Her strong claws gripped the solid stone of the castle platform, her head held high to the sky – and then her wings opened, carrying her up, up, up into its limitless expanse, bathed in pale moonlight and studded by countless dazzling stars.
Freedom surged in her veins as her wings carried her upward. Liev flew by her side, his flight carrying him in a spiral around her, his body heavily muscled but no less graceful in flight for it. His vast wings dipped and lifted, carrying him easily, his blue eyes bright even in the darkness of the night sky.
With a low growl, Liev suddenly swooped away, speeding up, as if playfully challenging her to follow him. With joy pulsing through her with every beat of her heart, Darklis did.
She didn’t know how long they soared and plunged together through the sky, tails twining, warm breaths blending. The whole of the sky was theirs alone – together, there was nothing they could not do, nothing they could not face.
He is ours, and we are his. Her dragon’s voice was fervent, rising up powerfully within her.
Yes, she replied to it, simply. Yes, he is. And yes, we are.
It seemed as natural as breathing to fly with Liev by her side, to know that no matter what, he would always be there for her, that he would always protect her. He was hers, and she was his, now and always. No force on earth could tear them apart.
Reading her thoughts, Liev curved his body, flying higher, pushing his wings to carry him to the upper limits of the atmosphere.
Come with me.
Darklis followed him, filling her wings with the thin air of the highest parts of the sky. And there, at last, Liev let out a single roar – loud and wild and powerful, as if proclaiming to the sky and stars and the earth below that she was his mate.
They descended swiftly after that, folding their wings and swooping down low over the mountains, speeding through their snowy peaks and craggy outcroppings. Darklis wasn’t certain where Liev was leading her, but she followed him unquestioningly. He knew this mountain range better than anyone – he had grown up learning how to fly by navigating its treacherous paths. He had shown her many of these routes during the past three months, after she had come to live with him at the castle. But this one, she did not know.
Shift, Darklis. I’ll catch you. I promise.
You mean... now?
Yes. Now.
Darklis glanced at him curiously, but she knew he must have a reason for asking her. She hesitated only a moment before drawing her human form forward once more – she trusted him implicitly, and she knew he would never allow her to come to harm.
Eek! It’s cold!!
The freezing mountain air on her bare human skin after the protection of her dragon scales was a shock – but a moment later she found herself settled against the warmth of Liev’s body. Reaching forward, she grabbed onto the large white defensive spines that sprouted from his shoulders, holding on tight as he flew through narrow gaps between mountains, taking sharp corners and diving into sudden ravines.
Where are we going? she asked him as she snuggled against his warmth.
You’ll see.
It didn’t take long for them to reach their destination. Before she knew it, Liev was pulling up sharply, banking in front of a cliff face and reaching out with his powerful talons to grip at a ledge. Folding his wings, he walked forward – and Darklis saw that it was not just a ledge, but rather, the opening to a hidden cave.
“Is this your secret hideout or something?” she asked as she gazed around, though her view was somewhat obstructed by the large bulk of Liev’s body.
Beneath her, she felt him shifting – and then she wasn’t sitting on the broad back of Liev’s dragon, but being held in the muscular firmness of his arms.
“You could say that,” he said, smiling at her as he carried her, bridal-style, into the cave.
The cave turned out to be something more like a tunnel. Liev carried her, his arms warm against her shoulder blades and on the backs of her knees. Darklis was happy to simply rest her head against the broadness of his chest – though she couldn’t say she wasn’t burning with curiosity about this secret place.
“I discovered it one day when I was out flying,” Liev said. “I was young, maybe eighteen or nineteen. But when I found it, I decided right away... this was where I’d crown my mate. This secret place that only I knew. I’d share it only with her, and it’d be a place that only the two of us would know about.” He hesitated, and Darklis felt his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed. “I suppose that sounds quite silly now, but as I said, I was young at the time.”
Darklis looked up at him, surprised. “It doesn’t sound silly at all,” she murmured, as her heart beat loudly in her ears. “It sounds... it sounds romantic.”
“I’m glad you think so,” Liev said. “Because obviously, I never really gave up on the idea.”
The stone corridor took a sharp bend, and the air suddenly began to feel warmer. The darkness that had surrounded them gave way to the gentle golden flickering of a flame Darklis recognized immediately: dragonfire.
They emerged into a rounded room, hewn into the side of the mountain, at the end of the tunnel.
“We’re here.”
Darklis looked around, blinking in the new light. The fire flickered on the stone floor – something only dragonfire could do. It needed no wood or fuel to continue to burn brightly for hours on end. Warm furs and pillows lay thrown across the floor, creating a warm, soft bed in front of the fire.
And in the middle of the furs sat a beautiful golden crown, studded with emeralds, and shining in the gentle light of the fire.
Darklis gasped as her eyes fell on it, knowing immediately what it was.
My crown. The crown Liev chose for his mate...
“That’s right, Darklis,” Liev whispered as he carried her to it, before setting her down on the soft furs. “It’s yours. At last, I’ll be able to crown you as my mate.”
Love surged within Darklis as she looked down at the circlet. It was delicate but beautiful, one of the most finely wrought items she had ever seen. Her dragon surged up within her, desiring its beauty and its gold.
It is ours! This precious item is ours! Our mate has made it a gift to us!
“I must have known you’d have green eyes,” Liev said, smiling softly as he took the circlet in his hands. “That’s why I chose a crown studded with emeralds. They’ll suit you. Though your eyes will put them to shame.”
Darklis felt a flush creeping up her neck – and a heat pooling in her belly. “Liev –”
“Don’t worry,” he said. “I don’t intend to make you wait.”
Reaching up, he looked into her eyes as he gently placed the crown upon her head, settling it over her dark hair. It fit perfectly, and Darklis felt a flare of warmth spreading through her veins. All at once, she felt the golden bond between them grow even stronger.
Now he has crowned us, her dragon roared, raising its head and spreading its wings. Now, we are truly his.
Unable to stop herself, Darklis threw herself forward, twining her arms around his neck. Their lips met in a searing kiss, her mouth opening on his, their tongues darting against each other. She could already feel the hot length of him pressed against her thigh, hard and strong.
Oh, Liev...
Heat was building within her, winding its way down from her belly to between her legs. It was as if there was a fire raging within her, flames coursing along her veins. The touch of his skin against hers was driving her wild – and she could tell from the desperate way his arms wound around her back, drawing her close to his chest, that Liev felt exactly the same way.
She could feel his desire for her in every touch, every kiss, every breath. Before she could think, Darklis felt Liev’s strong arms guiding her down onto her back, the furs soft beneath her. His bod
y covered hers completely, hard and angular, his bulk pressing her down. The softness of her breasts pressed against the muscular broadness of his chest as she rested her hands against his sides.
Their lips met once more, Liev’s tongue sliding into her mouth with an intensity that made her arch up against him. It was as if he wanted to claim every part of her, every inch of her body.
Groaning, Darklis writhed up against him, pulling him down against her. She wanted him more desperately than she could say. Her skin felt alive to his every touch, and she shuddered, gasping as he ran his fingers down over her sides, coming to rest on her hips.
He held himself above her on his knees, his thighs between hers. Liev’s blue eyes were burning with desire as he looked down at her, before he raised one hand, cupping the side of her face.
“My mate,” he said, his voice a low growl. “My beautiful, beautiful mate.”
Darklis bit her lip in response, desire surging through her. She could feel herself growing even wetter between her legs as she let her eyes rove over his body, from the hard plane of his chest to the sharp grid of his abdominal muscles, until they came to rest on the thick length of his erection, jutting up from between his thighs. Glistening moisture beaded on the head, a testament to his desire.
“I want you so badly,” he whispered, his voice husky with lust.
“Then take me,” Darklis whispered, so overcome with throbbing desperation that she was barely able to speak. “I’m yours.”
Liev needed no further encouragement. His ravenous gaze moved down from her face, and he lowered his head, finding her peaking nipples with his mouth. Darklis cried out as he teased her with his lips and teeth, his tongue sliding against her. Pleasure pulsed through her, making her cry out and arch up. His hands held her down, drawing more and more desperate sensation from her body.
