Page 23 of Unexpected Mate

“I am the luckiest guy in the world!” he said with a beaming smile. “You were incredible during the battle today, regardless of which form you fought in. I am so proud of you, gorgeous!”

Levi and Luke had shifted and moved onto the pile of furs as well.

“Leo is correct,” added Levi. “Being your mate is an honor; it’s a blessing to have more time with you.”

Tia rose to her knees and crawled toward the men, clearly pleased with their words.

Ivo groaned and rubbed his face.

Seer on a staff! These men have no clue! They are encouraging herwild instincts.

His words were spoken directly in my mind, his tone exasperated.

I watched her lips move lower and lower down Leo’s chest, while her hands began sliding up the twins’ thighs… and I started to think they might be onto something.

There is no need to rush to join in. Her body is going to need food and sleep to adjust to the changes happening inside. She will need the mating to release the excess energy and power that will build up. It is a shame there are only five of us; a powerful dragoness would have at least ten men, and that’s for a female that is not fully merged.

It may kill us, but we would die happy.

“Tia, honey, calm down.” My brother’s tone was soothing, but his word choice was idiotic. The other guys groaned and I pinched the bridge of my nose.

None of us were even sure what had set her on edge, but it was stressful watching her battle for internal control. Levi’s words were like a match tossed on gasoline. Light imploded around us, the outline of her body bending until the house-sized pearl dragon stood in front of us. She roared and her wings fluttered behind her, taking out half the cave wall. Mithraheal flashed around the falling debris, grabbing each of us and hauling everyone outside.

Tia followed, her gorgeous white scales glinted in bright sunshine. The effect reminded me of opals, a rainbow of pastel colors shimmering as she moved. Her eyes tracked Levi;apparently, she still had a bone to pick with him. She leaned down and bellowed in his face, her warm fire engulfing him. When the fire died out, he was unharmed, but his hair had been blown back and stood on end.

She huffed out a startled breath and swung her head around to see who had touched her. Leo, either unnaturally brave or completely stupid, was stroking the scales on her tail.

“These are amazing, Tia!” he said, beaming. “I wonder what they’re made of! It feels almost like a fingernail, but stronger. I bet there are few things that could penetrate this armor. Is it heavy?”

He was babbling on like a kid in a candy store. He was petting an out of control dragoness and talking to her as though she would answer him. We all adored our mate, but over the past week it had been a challenge not to lose sight of the fact that she was still the woman we loved, and not just a young dragon that was being controlled by instinct. Ivo had told us that this could go on for months or even years; it all depended on her strength and how quickly she gained control. Yet, Leo talked to her constantly as though she hadn’t been changed in the battle. It was a good reminder for all of us.

Tia garbled a sound deep in her throat. She huffed and tried again.

“They are light.” The words were spoken slowly.

Leo squealed, yes, he freaking squealed. “You can speak in this form? How? I learn something new about dragons every day!” he cried.

“Fascinating. That is yet another skill which takes years to master, and yet she accomplished it only days after herfirst full shift,” said Ivo, as he strode toward her, grinning broadly. “Tia, I have never heard of a dragon with your color. You are a stunning dragoness! Would you like to fly?”

Her eyes swirled excitedly and she did a cute little bunny hop that shook the ground beneath our feet.

“Can I come? Please, Tia?” asked Leo.

“Yes.” The word was garbled, but clearer than before.

“Learning to fly is challenging, it would be safer for him to remain here,” said Ivo. His voice was firm.

“I would never harm him! He is mine!” Tia snatched Leo in her taloned claw, careful not to scratch or squish him. She used her large, muscled thighs to launch herself in the air.

Mithraheal’s laughter rang out. “If this is what strong-willed teenagers are like, I am not sure I would survive fatherhood,” he said with a laugh.

Ivo shifted into his black dragon in the blink of an eye, each scale tipped in glowing reds and golds. He bellowed his frustration as he followed Tia into the sky. The powerful beats of his wings stirred the dust and forced us to shield our eyes.

Leo’s shouts floated down to us on the ground.

“Did he just say yeehaw?” Levi barked out a laugh.

Mithraheal was all logic and weighed down with responsibilities. My brother and I were loyal, but always on guard. Ivo was stuffed full of ancient wisdom, but his beast was always just under the surface. Our group needed Leo. His unbridled curiosity and open nature drew us all closer. The road we were traveling had been challenging, and we lost sight of our joy sometimes from the stress of it, but Leo would lighten everything up with his silliness. We made forsuch an odd circle, but I wouldn’t have changed it for the world.

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