Page 64 of Devoted to the Dragon

Stef sighs. Papers rustle, and I know he’s up, digging around in his office or his library. “Give me some time to make certain, but I don’t think it’s possible. Mate bonds are permanent.”

“There has to be a way. Our people are shadow wielders, Stef. You’re telling me we can use energy to form connections but not break them?”

“They can be broken,” he says softly.

“What the fuck is that cryptic shit? Bonds are forever. Bonds can be broken. They can’t be both.” My voice rises, my serpent’s agitated hiss in the sound.

My brother shouts, “You die. Rejected mates die. This isn’t something you get a redo on.” He lowers his voice, his tone fullof anguish. “I’ll double-check everything, but this time, you need to face reality. Honor your mate. Don’t try to run. Fix it.”

“That’s what I’m trying to do,” I shout back before hanging up the phone and tossing it away.

I stare at the lake outside the tiny window. Hot droplets drip down my cheeks, and I brush them away. The bond in my chest throbs, no doubt a warning of what’s coming, of what I have done to us.

My feet carry me outside without thought, down to the dock on this pristine mountain lake. It’s still out here, quiet, though the air seems to be filled with magic. I stare into the dark water and think about what someone else needs, really needs, for the first time in my life.

Hours pass and still I look into the water, hoping it will give me answers. I can’t get over how much I’ve fucked this all up. I thought I knew what coming here meant. I thought I knew what I was doing. I didn’t know shit.

The sun is rising when a billow of smoke and fire startles me from above. My dragon skims the water with her wings, taking a mouthful and shooting it at me with a force that knocks me off the dock. I rise to the surface, spluttering, in time to hear her rattling chuckle.

She launches herself into a sherbert sky, her white scales iridescent in the rising sun. Her sheer power is overwhelming. Who would ever want to cage such a beautiful creature?

Ducking under the cold water, I let myself sink. That's exactly what I did—I caged her. That knowledge chills me to my bones.How the fuck am I ever going to be worthy of her after what I’ve done?

I let myself wallow in self-pity until my lungs force me to the surface. Determined to craft a better-than-paper-thin plan, I march back to the shack.

After I dry off with a clean shirt—why the fuck didn’t I pack towels? Oh right, who the fuck thinks to do that?—I find my phone and dial Sloan.

“Do you think you could get me some supplies?” I ask when she answers.

She yawns loudly in my ear. “Good morning to you too.”

“Good morning. You’re the best sister in all the world. I’m a selfish prick.”

She gives a startled laugh. “Correct on all accounts.”

“Yeah, heard. I’m working on it. Stef told me she could die if I don’t fix this. I have to wow her and get her to see how sorry I am, and I need your help.”

With a resigned sigh, she relents. “What’re you planning?” I explain what I need, and she hesitates. “Don’t take this the wrong way, because I love you, but no.”

“No?” I ask incredulously. Through all my big fuckups, she’s never once said no. This is something good, something right.

“I think this time you need to figure it out. No supplies or extravagant gestures. Use your brain and your heart, okay?”

“Sloan! I’m in a shack. I?—”

“I love you. Don’t die?” She hangs up, and I stare at the phone in shock.

Well, shit.

Chapter 30

Randi

Fennik’s chest vibrates behind me, his purr trying its best to lull me back to sleep. It’s pointless. Every time I close my eyes, I see my wolves lifeless on that shore or the look on the serpent's face as he pleads on his knees, begging the other serpent to honor the rune. My stomach cramps, and I blow out a long breath. The bond feels like an anchor dragging through the mud but not finding a place to dig in.

I wiggle my way out of Fennik and Gunnar’s hold, carefully moving a limb at a time. Gunnar is an octopus in his sleep, reaching and grabbing until he’s tangled everywhere. Fennik’s hold is no easier to crawl out of, his hand splayed on my chest. Their weight is usually grounding, but right now, it makes me feel trapped. Easing off the bed, I slip out my balcony door.

My dragon welcomes the chance to take my skin. After her initial fear and panic upon waking, she’s settled. It’s strange because she’s felt lighter in my mind since she woke up after that night in the forest. Not less powerful or anything… Freer maybe? I don’t understand it, because I feel like shit. My body aches, and my mind feels as if it’s spinning off its axis.

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