Page 30 of The Dragon of her Dreams

Vanya squeezed my hand.

I looked down on her for reassurance, and her subtle smile gave me the courage I needed.

Lucian was the first to come forward. “Jaegar,” he said as he held out his hand.

I offered him my arm and smiled in return. “Hey, Lucian. It’s good to see you.”

Lucian laughed. We’d worked side by side building homes for the townsfolk many times. “You didn’t think to drop the hint about you being my nephew?” he asked, one eyebrow cocked.

I shrugged as I withdrew. “Not really.”

Lucian laughed and this time came forward for a hug.

I didn’t pull back the way my initial instincts told me to, and instead let the man embrace me as family.

When he finally pulled back, his smile was warm and his eyes were surprisingly shiny. “Well, from one bastard son to another ,I say, welcome to the family.”

It was Damon who punched his brother in the arm. “Hey!”

Lucian shook him off. “What? Someone’s got to say it. Otherwise, that shit will eat you alive. Right, Jaegar?”

I suddenly felt the ease of something inside me. “Yeah, that’s about right.” It was the weight of carrying the secret that had always bothered me. And although I’d known that Lucian and Dymitri were my grandfather’s bastards, I’d never really considered them to be the same as me. They were well liked by the town and known to the king. They were family. I wasn’t. Well, I hadn’t been.

Now... things are different.

“Well, let’s get going,” Stavrok suddenly said from the front of the group. “There’s lots to see.” He pushed open the front doors, and we stepped into the sunlight.

Veronica rushed to the back of the group to stand beside me and chatter away in my ear.

Even King Damon didn’t go far.

The feeling was smothering but strangely soothing, and I tried to lean into the feeling rather than shy away from it. This was going to be my new life after all—full of family.

Bravadok was a beautiful, well thought out township. The king was well liked, and his people felt content to wave and speak openly with him.

The houses Damon had me confer on were interesting, though not well made for the levels of cold back home. I had a good look at everything he asked me to, and by the time we got back to the castle, I was ready to crawl straight back into bed.

Chapter 12

Vanya

WATCHING JAEGAR MOVEthrough our town was a lesson in restraint. Every time he spoke with that beautiful, sexy voice I just wanted to kiss his lips right off his face.

He moved like a lion, strong and sure, ready to attack or defend at any given moment. But he was also reserved, even shy, only speaking when spoken to. He was a puzzle, that was for sure.

When we got back to the castle, he’d invited me for a nap. At first, I’d thought he meant for another hot session of lovemaking, but from the way he trudged toward his room, it became clear that he actually wanted to sleep.

Instead, I’d walked him to my room, practically tucked him under the covers, then watched as he passed out. A part of me had wanted to stay and cuddle with the furnace, but I’d been too wired and awake to sleep. So, I found myself wandering up to my favorite spot in the castle, the library on the eighth floor. But I wasn’t alone for long.

“Hey, birthday girl!” Veronica called out, walking into my space, accompanied by both Charity and Kayla, former humans and now princesses of our realm.

“Hey, guys,” I said, putting down my book straight away.

They sat down on the chairs and couches around me, expectant looks on their faces.

“What?” I asked, glaring especially at the Dragon Daughter. She was never hesitant in coming forward.

Veronica laughed. “We want to know about Jaegar, obviously. He’s your mate, right? Does that mean he’s going to live here?”

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