Page 104 of Beautiful Beast

“Until you die,” Zovai sounded strangled.

My mouth popped open, but no sound came out. “I—” I cleared my throat. “I’m mortal. Did that change because I’m your mate?”

No answer.

“Idroal?”

Their hesitation only made the tension worse. “I do not know,” they finally said, their face seeming more fluid than it had before. Like their own discomfort affected the shape they held. “But to my knowledge, there are no current human mates alive.”

All three of my dragons seemed frozen. As if they’d all turned to stone.

“Do you think there’s a way?”

“I don’t know. But I shall see what I can find.” They looked at my mates and back at me. “In the meantime, I shall see you at the festivities tonight. Varí, would you like to join me until then?”

Varí perked up and crawled down my arm before looking at me. I nodded and was glad when he fluttered to Idroal’s shoulder. My mates and I had some things we needed to speak about.

I stood, following Idroal as they led the way to the entrance of this massive house we were in. My dragons didn’t follow. “Festivities?”

“The Heirs have mated. It is an occasion worth celebrating.” Sarcasm laced their tone before they winked, their face shifting from one shape to the next. “But it is a chance for people to see you for who you are. Belleo packed you those clothes for a reason.”

“And that would be?”

They turned and headed down the shaded, open path down a gorgeous street I needed to explore later. “An interesting surprise, I think, for my fellow dragons.”

After last night, there were few surprises I couldn’t handle. But first, it was still early, and I needed to speak to my mates.

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

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ZOVAI

Until I die.

Until I die.

Until I die.

My mind wouldn’t let go Lena’s voice echoing inside my head.

I knew she was mortal, and yet I’d never considered the full consequences. All I knew was that she was mine and nothing else mattered. But it did matter. I didn’t want her to wither and die. Because after she was gone, my soul no longer had a reason to exist.

There had to be a way.

It echoed what we’d been begging for when referring to our sires. There had to be a way to save her and keep her ours. There had to be a way to break free.

And now that we knew more of the truth, I believed there was. History did not distort itself for the fun of it. Minds and goals warped history with specific intent. That dragons mating with humans had been so intentionally erased told me there was power in the truth, even if we didn’t know what it was.

Yet.

Lena’s soft footsteps reached my ears followed by the breeze pushing her scent into my nose. I wasn’t in control of myself, and in a second I had her up against one of the courtyard pillars, filmy curtains billowing around us.

The way she looked at me…

No sign of fear or pain. She wasn’t afraid of me or the fact that I was vibrating with energy bordering on rage. To claim and protect. Keep her safe and keep her ours. Those gorgeous green eyes showed me nothing but love.

I didn’t realize I was growling until she reached up and took my face in her hands. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “But it’s the truth. I’m mortal.”

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