Now Ajax knows what she is but he has to get Emmi to accept her.
I’m not sure how my mate feels about me telling the others what she is and normally, I’d go to Ancalagon with something like this. Unfortunately, he’s been hovering over Eliane now that she’s pregnant and it’s not really a good time to talk to him. So, he’s not an option. I love my father and I know he’ll want to know what Emmi is, but he’s human, or mostly human now that he’s mated to Kaylani. What I need to ensure that my mate survives is the elemental dragons. All of them.When we get back, I land and shift quickly, grabbing my clothes where I left them and saying hello to the other dragons before taking Emmi’s hand and leading her to the medical center where my father is most likely in his office.Before we get inside, I hear them, my father and step-mother. It’s not the first time that I’ve come across them having sex, but it is the first time that I’ve been aggravated because I really need to talk to someone.I turn and look at my mate, still seeing the red rim in her eyes. “Fire
I wake up in my bed in the temporary hospital having no recollection of how I got here. The last thing I remember was being in class and watching Ajax and Anala practice combining their elements.‘Ask Ajax.’ It’s like there’s a voice in my head that just spoke to me. I look around my room.“Hello?”The door to my room opens and Kaylani walks in. “Hey, there she is. How are you feeling?”“Umm, good, I guess.”“You guess?”“I … I sort of don’t remember anything that happened yesterday afternoon. I don’t remember coming back to my room or going to bed.”“What’s the last thing you remember?” she asks and I tell her that it was being in her elemental manipulation class.“Ajax is bringing you breakfast. He’s asked if he can be the one to tell you about yesterday.”“Something happened?” I ask, getting nervous.“You don’t need to be afraid. Several of us talked to your shifter yesterday. She came forward. But she talked to Ajax the longest. Wait for him. He’ll explain everything. We have a mee
I feel like I’m really starting to recognize when it’s Emmi the human versus Emmi the Phoenix that is forward. Besides the red that rims her blue eyes, and the higher pitch of her voice, there is also confidence. Phoenix is extremely confident in who she is and what she can do. Emmi isn’t there yet, but I wonder if that will change once she and Phoenix connect.I know that the elemental dragons were interested in getting more information about the coming war, but my goal was to make sure that Emmi stayed forward. If these two are going to connect, she has to stop going into her trance-like states. She has to stop pulling so far back that she doesn’t remember what is said around her. So, I tried to help ground her and keep her forward. While it seemed like she struggled to do it, she maintained some level of consciousness. And when I asked Phoenix to step back, kissing her to let her know that I was proud of her and appreciate her stepping back, Emmi came forward almost immediately.“El
I’m nervous about Ajax helping me with the Phoenix. While I’m glad that he seems willing to work with me, I wonder if his pull to her is stronger than his feelings for me.‘He didn’t have sex with me because he wanted you to be forward and agree as well,’ a voice says in my head. I’m not completely sure if it’s the Phoenix or my subconscious reminding me of that little detail.Ajax is still carrying me as we walk away from the old medical center. I guess we can now start calling it a dragon hatching ground since that’s what it will become. I can still hear the grunts, moans, and screeches from Eliane as she lays her eggs along with Ancalagon’s hissing, his wings flapping in agitation.Ajax sets me down near where the area where the dragons shift and use as their takeoff and landing spot.“Give me a minute,” he says, smiling before quickly pressing a kiss to my lips and jogging away to shift.When he shifts, he turns and looks at me, lowering his wing for me. Instead of walking up his w
The moment the words came out of my mouth, I knew it was the wrong thing to say. Phoenix already told me that Emmi is afraid of her fire, and yet, I was so mesmerized once again by seeing my body engulfed in flames that it came out of my mouth before my brain could stop me.As soon as she opened her eyes, they went wide as saucers, the scent of her fear spiked all around me, and she began screaming as if she really was burning alive.“Emmi! Emmi!” I say, shaking her, trying to help her focus. When that doesn’t work, I do what comes naturally. I kiss her again. She doesn’t respond right away, flailing as if she’s trying to get away from me, but I hold her steady, using my dragon’s deep, resonating rumble to help her focus.I hold her face with the hand that was previously holding her hand and when she begins responding, I deepen the kiss. I can tell the difference between their kisses. Phoenix’s kiss is more confident, more experienced. Emmi’s is tentative, unsure, but still willing. So
All that talk of mating has me very embarrassed. I mean, I understand the concept of how babies are made, but this is different. The feeling that I got from Phoenix was passionate coupling that will feel better than anything I’ve ever felt before.I did catch her feelings of her time with her previous mates as she was talking to Ajax though, which has me confused.‘How does that work? You had other mates, but now he’s your mate?’ I ask her.‘Every time I rise, I have a new mate, a new bond. My previous mates all died long ago and while I remember them, when I die, the bond between us breaks. I remember the love that I felt for them, but even if they were alive, I wouldn’t feel it for them now. In this time, in this place, Ajax is my mate. Our mate.’How does she not feel the jealousy that I feel?‘Because I accept that we are one, Emmi. Once you do, you’ll see how easy it is for our emotions and our minds to connect.’I think about that and how her fire didn’t burn me, but it still mak
I lead Emmi to the hospital where I’m sure my father and Kaylani are. My father has been running tests on Dion and Sena since the attack. I’m sure they struggle with that. Unlike the rest of us who had others to comfort us, no one wanted anything to do with them, not trusting them after they attacked us with The Mean Ones.Emmi’s idea of letting Phoenix tell us if they’re lying is genius. Phoenix does seem to have an understanding of things that the rest of us do not. I don’t know if it’s because she’s a phoenix and is, therefore, more attuned to the world, or if it’s because she’s lived so many lives, but she does feel and know things that the rest of us don’t.Once we’re inside, I follow my nose to where my father and Kaylani are talking to Dion and Sena. They both have earth dragon and elf, like me. So, both of them have access to the earth element. They’re both teenagers which, I’m sure, is why Kaylani wanted to help them. Well, that and we know how The Mean Ones did hurt others. B
“Do you have anything that you need to bring to our room?” Kenna asks me excitedly.“Uh, not really. Just a couple of outfits that Kaylani and Everett got me.”“Ohhh, we’ll go to the packhouse. They have clothes there. We’ll find some that fit you,” Kenna says, taking my hand and leading me away.“Breakfast at 7am, Kenna,” Ajax calls after her.I turn and look at him, but he just winks at me.“Did you heard that, Yhen?” Kenna yells at him.“I’ll see you in the morning, my mate,” he says, his voice as regal as his stance.“Hey, is what he found bad?” I ask her.“No, it’s interesting,” she says, looking at me. “I’ll tell you tonight, if you want to know. You may feel better hearing it if Ajax is with you, though.”Kenna confidently leads me to where her father has built a packhouse onto the Academy’s lands. I’ve only ever seen this place from afar, but I have a weird sense of déjà vu when we walk up.‘I was here with Ajax a couple of days ago,’ Phoenix’s voice floats into my mind. ‘You w
In the end, there were only five hybrids who were adults and could act as peers to Gideoni, Iris, and Fordin. Ajax is old enough but because of his relationship with Emmi who was held captive, Merethyl and King Yhendorn said he couldn’t be impartial. Tesha, Keagan, Kano, Valko, and myself were the ones who were selected to be the jury of their peers.Enya, Aspen, Naida, and Drakon weren’t happy about not being part of the group, but they understood. None of them are yet eighteen, and I wouldn't wish this on anyone. However, they did petition to sit in on the proceedings and Everett and Kaylani agreed to allow it.A week after the others arrived, we held court. We followed the elvish ways rather than the human ways, although they are very similar. Each individual stands before us separately and pleads their case. The five of us decide their fate, three out of five is all that’s needed for a final decision.While Gideoni and Iris didn’t participate in collecting, raping, or injecting the
After finding Cedric and Merethyl and telling them what Ishir told me, I let them figure things out. I don’t want to take Emmi back there to face the people who held her captive.“Let’s go check on the status of our house,” I say to her.It’s been several weeks since Cedric’s pack members began building it. I have to admit, they are pretty incredible when it comes to building our homes and packhouses around the Academy lands. The elvish castle has taken the longest because the elves prefer that their home be made of stone and natural rock. Being part earth dragon, I understand why. The feel of something strong and natural surrounding you makes the magic inside you hum. Wood is okay, but it doesn’t feel the same.However, for our home, it doesn’t matter. Emmi and Phoenix make my body hum more than any element from the earth ever could. As long as I have them, I don’t care what our home is built with, so we opted for wood which makes it faster to build than if we'd used stone.“Wow, it’s
I’ve never heard a woman giving birth before. After listening to Iris, I’m not sure I want to ever have a child, not that I’ll be given that opportunity. According to Phoenix, I won’t live that long. If it means saving Ajax, I’m okay with that. And now, hearing this, I’m almost glad that having a child isn’t possible. It sounds awful.When we returned to the Academy and the other dragons flew up to meet Gideoni, Fordin, and Iris, Ajax had ducked away quickly. Phoenix’s mark on his chest is too pronounced and he needed to hide it quickly. He flew straight to his room where he let me off then shifted and entered through his window behind me. He had hurriedly put on his clothes, and we’d raced back just in time to see the dragon, Fordin, land.Phoenix says that Gideoni is telling the truth and through her, I can feel that she’s right, but no one seems to remember that I was part of the group that was held hostage by these men and Iris as well. Granted, I wasn’t in the harem of girls who w
What are the odds? What are the fucking odds that my son gets his second chance at life and on the very next day, the assholes who captured him and tortured him are here? It’s too fucking coincidental and I don't like it.‘Peace, my dragon,’ my mate says, soothing the fury that’s rising inside of me. I can feel her walking this way, probably in response to the anger bubbling inside me. ‘Let’s see what they have to say for themselves.’“You have a lot of fucking nerve coming here after what you did,” Cedric growls. For once, he and I are in perfect harmony.“I won’t let you kill him. You’ll have to go through me,” the earth dragon hybrid says, moving to stand in front of the fire dragon hybrid.“You may carry my DNA, but you’re still part human. I, however, am all dragon. It would take nothing for me to destroy you after what you did to my son,” I snarl.“Look,” the man, the rider, says, holding up his hands. “We didn’t know what they were going to do. We didn’t understand, and we didn’
I take every bit of love that my mate is giving me and return it with just as much passion. At first Emmi fought me, but then she realized that he needs this. He needs to feel like he can save us.I’ve shared with her what happens in nearly every lifetime, but I won’t share it with him. I don't want him to know that my mates have always tried to save me and that is how I end up dying. By trying to save me, they put themselves in harm’s way and I give my life to save theirs. Sometimes it works and I can save them, sometimes it doesn’t. But every time I’ve met my mate before the battle, it’s been because they gave their life for me that I ended up giving my life for them.The other thing that I won’t remind Ajax of is that most of my mates are dragons. Since the dawn of the dragons, I’ve been mated to them. They are the only creatures strong enough, magical enough, to be mated to me.So, I open myself to his love, to his need, and to his desperation that I not give up on him, on us.I do
Having been part of Ancalagon’s life when he met Iniko and then watching Iniko give his life for Eliane, it feels surreal to see Iniko break through his glass shell and make his way into this world again.I also know how difficult it was for Zephyr to lose Iniko. After finding that the egg she’d originally thought was dead had hatched, even if it was by Oliver and his father rather than in a natural environment, she’d lost him again.I think all of us fear that Iniko will be born with his memories from before, all the pain, all the heartache, all the frustration. I hope not. He deserves to have a better life this time.‘Phoenix says he won’t remember anything,’ Emmi says in my head.I look at her. ‘How does she know?’‘She says ... she says that she erased his past, all of it, so that he could have a fresh start.’“So it was you,” I say out loud, wrapping my arms more tightly around her.“Yes. The air dragon has suffered enough and so had little Iniko. He gave his life for the one he l
I was in the kitchen of my home, the home I share with my mate, our two adopted daughters and our four children, when I felt something shift inside me.Instinctively, I turned to look in the direction of the hatching grounds just as Ancalagon bellowed.“MOM! Iniko is hatching!”“Go, Zeph! I’ll take care of our kittens,” Ishir says to me.I turn and look at him and I know he feels my excitement mixed with fear. He stands from the table where he’s feeding our youngest child, Lyra, and walks over to me. He cups my cheek with his free hand.“Iniko needs his mother, Zeph. Go to him. It will be okay. I’m right behind you,” he says.“Can we come, Mom?” Nova asks me.“I need your help, Nova, you and Brooke. I can’t get these four over to the hatching grounds without you,” Ishir says, giving me the excuse I need to race out to see my son on my own. My mate knows me well. If my daughters were with me, I’d focus on them, not Iniko and he needs my undivided attention at the moment.A wave a guilt
I’ve just about finished packing up my room when Kenna strolls in.“What the hell is going on with the ... What the hell are you doing?” she asks me, taking in all the bags.I smile at her. “I claimed Ajax.”She stares at me for a moment, then closes the door slowly. Rather than be excited, she looks concerned.“How did you claim him?”“Well, I’m not sure.”“Phoenix? How did you claim him?”“Mutual submission, fire dragon.”“Mutual ... what they fuck does that mean?”“Hey baby, are you ready?” Ajax asks walking in without knocking. “Oh, sorry Kenna. I didn’t realize you were back.”“You’re claimed!”“Yep. OH and since you know, look at this!” he says excitedly, closing the door and ripping his shirt over his head quickly.Kenna’s mouth drops open, then she turns and looks at me. “And I thought fire dragons were possessive,” she says, walking up to look at him. “Is there even a spot on your body that ISN’T covered with her image?”“It’s just on the front,” he says, smiling in a way that
We spend some time talking to the others and Kano gets me some clothes that cover Phoenix’s markings on my body. For now, I’ll have to wear my shirts tight around my throat and down past my elbows. At least I can wear shorts, long shorts, but I can wear them.“I’m assuming you’ll want your own living quarters now?” Kaylani asks.“That would be preferable. You know how difficult it is to be apart from your mate,” I tell her.“Well,” she says, looking at my Dad. “We do have those rooms on the first floor. We can move the two of you into one of those until we can talk to Cedric about having his wolves build you a house. You’ll need to choose where you want your house,” she says.“I have some ideas of places that I want to show Emmi,” I say, smiling at her.“If you don’t think you can spend a night apart, I’ll make sure the room is made up for you tonight and you can move your things tomorrow,” Kaylani says.I look at Emmi. “It’s up to you. Is it too soon?” I ask her.I smile as she blushe