Page 31 of The Dragon of her Dreams

I glanced at the three girls, all looking at me with bright smiles on their faces. “Um... I don’t know. We haven’t really talked about all that stuff just yet.”

Charity snorted. “Yeah, too busy falling into bed together, I suppose.”

“Yeah, they’re still in that blissful and overwhelming first stage of love,” Kayla added.

I crossed my legs and stared at them with my lips pursed and my eyebrows high. “Judgey, much?”

They frowned at first, then burst out laughing.

“Oh, no!” Kayla said. “You forget that I jumped into bed with even knowing Anselm’s name.”

“And I was no better.” Charity laughed. “Anthony had my heart the moment I saw him. The fated mate stuff isintense.”

Together they glanced toward Veronica.

I focused on her too.

“What?” Veronica asked.

“You’ve never told us much about you and Iain,” I countered. “We thought you two hated each other.”

Veronica shrugged her slim shoulders. “Iain knew I was his mate for ages, he just didn’t tell me because of my age. And when I found out, well, I ran to the human world. I last thing I wanted was to get married off at eighteen.”

I laughed. “Oh, no, you waited until you were all of nineteen. That’s so different.”

“Hey!” she said and reached over to whack my arm. “Ihadto come back. Dad was hurt and Iain was—” she stopped to gulp, her eyes tearing up a little at the memory.

I reached over and squeezed her hand. “I’m only teasing, Dragon Daughter. We are so glad you found Iain, and he you. You’re great together.”

“Yeah... but did you fall into bed together the first moment you were alone?” Kayla asked with a broad grin. “That’s the real question.”

Veronica rolled her eyes, then laughed. “Of course, we did. Even with Iain’s injuries, we couldn’t keep our hands off each other.”

All the women around me sighed with longing.

Their reactions got me thinking and reminded me that I still had questions. “Does the fire, die down?” I asked, not sure what answer I was hoping for.

“Not entirely,” Kayla answered. “It just simmers down, I guess, to a more manageable need.”

Charity nodded in agreement.

Veronica on the other hand laughed out loud. “Speak for yourselves, ladies. I’mstillenjoying the first year of marriage.”

Kayla shifted in her seat, then returned the conversation to Jaegar and I. “Do you think he’ll want to take on an active role in the Kingdom of the North? I mean... not as the king or anything, but I’m sure Damon will want him close by, yeah?”

I glanced at Veronica. “I don’t really know. What do you think?”

Veronica chewed on her bottom lip for a moment. “Honestly? I don’t know. I haven’t had the chance to talk to my parents properly since we only arrived late yesterday. Dad seems to want to be near Jaegar, and Mom’s worried, I can see that.”

“And how do you feel about it all?” I asked her, only just realizing that it was Veronica’s family, and her home, that Jaegar was the most threat to.

She huffed out a laugh. “Oh, I feel everything,” she said. “The gamut! I’m shocked Dad has another son and angry at Jaegar’s mom from keeping him from us all. But I’m also annoyed at Jaegar for not coming to the castle sooner. Then I’m worried about the kingdom and succession, and all that. But mostly, I guess, I’m kind of just happy. It’s pretty cool to have another older brother, actually. And he seems nice. Different than Barry and Theo, but nice.”

I tried not to smile and simply nodded. Jaegar was holding back his true dragon king feelings, I could tell. He was exhausted just getting through the day, but things would come out soon enough.

“I’m surprised you’re not with him, now,” Charity said. “Anthony wouldn’t let me out of his sight when we were first together.”

“He wanted a nap, and I was too buzzed to sleep,” I confided. “Jaegar isn’t used to being around so many people, so it’s draining him a little.”

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