Page 25 of Stolen By Dragons

Lydia nodded, blinking back tears as she forced a small smile. "It is. But knowing he's out there, that he's okay... it helps. And our children, they're my strength now."

“You said you had a son and daughter, right?” Aria clarified, her voice warm with interest.

Lydia's eyes lit up as she began to speak about her family. "Yes, just the two. A boy and a girl. They're both panther shifters too. My daughter had her first shift just before... before all this happened. She was so proud. She’s twelve now, my son is ten.”

As Lydia spoke about her children, I found myself watching Aria. Her face was a canvas of emotions - empathy, wonder, and a touch of something else. Longing, perhaps? It struck me then how young she seemed, how much life she had yet to experience. I may have looked the same age as her, but I had a few decades on her.

"Do werewolves have that bond too?" Aria asked suddenly, pulling me from my thoughts.

Lydia nodded. "Oh yes, their bonds are the strongest. Some even develop telepathic connections."

I noticed Aria's gaze drift to the shifter hall, as if expecting Chris to appear. When he didn't, a flicker of hurt crossed her face before she quickly masked it.

“And fae? What about them?” she continued.

“We don’t have any such bonds. Fae are more like humans in that regard, although some of the regal families of the Courts will have arranged marriages to forge stronger alliances, but that stems from a time when the Courts would be at war. The past century has been one of peace,” I shared.

“Do you have someone at home?” Aria asked carefully, and Lydia arched a equally curious brow at me.

“No, I have no one waiting for me,” I stated, not wanting to dive into my failed attempts at courting the fae women.

“War, what is a fae war like?” she asked, shifting the subject.

“Political more than anything, but there was a time it was fought with sword and magic,” I shared. “But we’ve evolved with the times, becoming far more diplomatic and peaceful, much like humanity.”

“Peaceful my ass, humans are the worst for maintaining peace, no offense,” Lydia said with a snort. “We’re lucky half those in charge are supernatural.”

“Really?” Aria was stunned by this.

“Yep. Some are even witches, they’re some of the most neutral parties out there,” Lydia said.

“I know there are even some fae in positions of power in the human plane. They’ve chosen to spend more time in the human plane, wanting to harbor peace. Our connection to mother nature means we like to keep the earthly plane healthy and peaceful as well,” I explained.

Our conversation was interrupted by the appearance of one of the vampires - Ossian, I recalled. I watched him warily as hepassed through the room, noting how his eyes lingered on Aria for a moment too long.

Once he was gone, Lydia lowered her voice. "I heard from the other shifters that the Dracarians haven't found a way to feed them yet."

Aria frowned. "Couldn't they just offer blood bags?"

I couldn't help but snort. "We're 'tainted ones,' remember? Why would Dracarians offer up their own blood? Besides, humans are the food of choice for them.”

"Because they need us," Aria argued, a fire in her eyes that I found oddly compelling.

"Touché," I conceded. "But they still turn their noses up where they can."

Lydia stood, stretching. "I think I'll call it a night, we can let the vampires figure out their own crap. See you both tomorrow."

After we bid Lydia goodnight, Aria turned to me, her eyes alight with curiosity. "Tell me more about vampires, Zephyr. What are their feeding habits like?"

I leaned back, considering how to explain. "Well, some vampire bites can even feel good. They don't usually drain their victims unless they're consumed by bloodlust or are newly turned. New vampires struggle to control their hunger and need guidance from their sire or another vampire."

"How are they turned?" Aria asked, leaning forward with interest.

"A vampire will drain a victim nearly dry and then feed them their blood. There are rules back home - they can't turn more than two people per two hundred years."

Aria looked shocked. "Two hundred years?"

I shrugged. "They are immortal, after all."

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