Page 83 of Devoted to the Dragon

“Tell us what you need, little dove,” Fennik says softly.

I shift so that I’m on the floor, head in her lap. Even though I’m in my human form, she scratches my head, idly running her fingers through my hair.

Her voice is soft and hesitant when she answers Fennik’s question. “We should move to my dragon’s nest and bring supplies. It needs to be there. The lair isn’t right.”

“Done,” he says.

She clears her throat and fidgets in Fennik’s lap.“I’m ready for Knox to join us at the nest. I think waiting until the full moon is our best bet to ensure the bonds take. We need the power boost to counteract the waning magic, and that’s when the Moon Circle will peak. That gives us a few days to acclimate and talk as a horde before the Thunder starts and my heat takes over, but I can’t promise this will work.”

“That part has already been decided,” Fennik promises.

I’m not worried like she is that the bond between the three of us will fail. My wolf is sure we’re meant to be together. What scares me is how Knox will fit into this equation or change the magic.

This part is harder for me than for Fennik. He’s all cool daddy wolf, but I’ve got no chill when it comes to Knox. I’m sure most of it is for the obvious reasons. As her mate, Knox isn’t someone I would have chosen for her.

But that shit is also an excuse. Underneath all my protective instincts regarding Randi, I’m scared shitless by the connection the two of them share. It’s fucking powerful.

I give her another reminder that if she wants to, we’ll find another way. “You don’t have to mate him.”

Randi hesitates before she answers, and it feels as if each word zaps her strength. “We’ve both punished ourselves long enough. I’ve forgiven him and want a true bond. I’m ready,” she whispers.

My stomach twists in knots.

Fennik folds her into his chest and kisses the top of her head. I can’t take it and climb into their pile, toppling us all over. They laugh as I get settled in the snuggle pile, my body shifting to my wolf without thought. We hold each other, but I can’t help but keep worrying about what our new future looks like.

The fuckingirony that I have to deliver Knox to Randi is not lost on me. I slam the SUV door, surprised when the serpent doesn’t meet me at the wards.I do what Randi said, removing the green crystal from the spell circle so I can get Knox out of the wards, then I go in search of the serpent.

I peek inside the cabin, but he’s not there. The sun is rising, making the morning mist thick on the lake. It’s eerie, and the world is still. My hackles rise as I head down to the dock, a horrible sinking in my gut. It’s no better seeing the nest up close. The tent is singed, a few places burned from her fire.

“Knox, man, where are you?” I ask. The uneasy feeling in my gut grows stronger the longer he remains hidden. I hop onto the float, my wolf on high alert. “This shit isn’t funny. You already know I can beat your ass. Stop hiding.”

I peel back the skewed tent flap, bracing myself for an attack. What I find is worse. Inside the tent looks like a fox got into a chicken coop, with feathers and shredded shit everywhere. That doesn’t even come close to the mess of a man lying in the wreckage.

The serpent looks as if he’s been attacked by zombies. Deep black veins cover his whole body, and under his eyes are huge dark bruises. What the fuck happened to make him look like this? There’s no way Fennik left him in this condition.

My hands shake as I try to wake him, but he doesn’t respond. I don’t think. I just pick him up. He weighs nothing. I awkwardly grab one of the least damaged quilts and wrap him in it. Knox stays silent and unmoving while I carry him to the SUV. He’s breathing but barely. I get him in the back, cursing the whole time.

Randi’s nest doesn’t have a fucking driveway—it requires a tracking stone for fuck’s sake. It’s a secret spot tucked into the mountain on the far side of the lake. I park on the mountain road, debating whether I should take him to town.

Vandera or Randi?

My wolf pleads with me to deliver the serpent to Randi.

Decision made, I pull the serpent into my arms and hoof it through the forest, the glowing stone leading the way.

Fennik tried to tell me. He did. But I couldn’t see it. I was blinded by my fear and rage. Knox hurt her, and I wanted him to suffer.Stupid, selfish prick. I should have wanted her to heal.

We should have insisted… I don’t even know what. But something. I know she’s a master at pushing her emotions away until she can’t help but face them.I was glad she was pushing him away. But damn, I can’t be glad for the state he’s in.

By the time I get us through the entrance to her cave and up the smooth stairs, I’m freaking the fuck out, but my heart leaps from my chest, pounding furiously when I get the first whiff of smoke. I stumble into the nest and freeze at the sight.

My dragon is behind a ring of dancing blue fire surrounding her nest. My verynot humandragon. Her eyes zero in on the limp figure in my arms. Her dragon’s voice is a shrill hiss, barely recognizable. I feel the words more than I hear them.

“All awaken or none do. Three contenders. One horde. Cross the line before the full moon rises. Hurry. The serpent is running out of time.”

My head jerks toward Fennik, where he’s sitting near the fiery circle, burned arm held against his chest. “What happened?”

“It’s time,” he says, voice eerily calm.

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