All Chapters of Rise of the Phoenix: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

AjaxI gather food to take to the mountain, asking the servers if they can pack it in a flight-safe bag. Since there are so many of us who have a dragon form, they’ve created insulated bags that keep food hot or cold during flights.While I wait, I look around, saying hello to friends. I notice that there is a lot more growling from the dragons tonight, probably because the elves all have that covetous look in their eyes. That’s how it always is when an elf claims a dragon, even if that elf is a hybrid. It’s the same with the werewolves, but they have the packhouse where they eat. Here, we’re stuck with the arrogant elves after a claim.“Going somewhere, Ajax?” one of the elves asks as he walks up to get food.“None of your business, Nesterin,” I say, more unfriendly than usual. The dragon in me doesn’t want to be claimed any more than a true dragon does. And since I have Avani’s DNA, I have quite the aversion to being claimed.“I hope to one day know what it feels like to ride on the

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

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 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

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