Page 34 of Flight Risk

Gerald nodded. “It is. You may not know this, since the tradition is old and outdated, but I wanted to show my sincerity. A dragon’s scale is a sacred thing. We do not shed them lightly. Iam giving this to you to show my seriousness and willingness to change. For the clan and for my family. Most of all, for you. I am sorry for the harm and distress that I caused.”

I was speechless. My throat threatened to close with the emotion that clogged. “Gerald. Thank you.”

Tav was by my side then, his arm around my shoulder. He held out a hand to Gerald. “Thank you. This means a lot to my mate and to me. We will not forget the integrity you’ve shown here.”

Gerald nodded, his shoulders finally relaxing. “I appreciate you hearing me out.”

“May I put this with the nest?” I asked. “Mistakes are a natural part of life. I want my dragonets to know that there is goodness in the world, and that for all mistakes we make, the important thing is to learn from them and right any wrongs.”

Gerald nodded. “I would be honored.”

With one last look at the both of us, he was on his way.

I held the scale in my palm.

“Well, that was completely unexpected,” Tav said.

“Indeed. Do you think your dad put him up to it?”

Tav shook his head. “No, he left the situation up to me, and I hadn’t even gotten a chance to talk with Gerald or his family. And giving a scale away... that is not something you ask a dragon to do. Not as a punishment, and not even as a suggestion. Scales have to be given freely.”

“I’m glad. I didn’t expect it, but I am glad for it. He made my day. And it will be yet another story to tell our dragonets about why our clan is the most amazing of them all.” I turned so that I was in Tav’s arms with my arms around his neck.

He smiled down at me, his grin broadening and his eyes sparkling.

“What?” I said.

“You said our clan. You’re fully immersed now. There’s no going back.”

“I really am,” I said. “When I took this position, I just wanted the security of a steady job and a place to live. I never dreamed it would lead to this.”

“And what is this, exactly?”

I went up on my tiptoes and kissed my mate. “Happiness. Incredible, undeniable, amazing happiness. And love. And a family.”

“And the sexiest dragon mate to ever walk the earth.”

I chuckled. “I suppose that could be true.”

“And to think, this was all perfectly orchestrated by me.”

“And a greedy airline that double-booked my seat.”

“That too.”

Epilogue

Tavian

The day was here. It had to be.

The last few days, the eggs had been brimming with activity within the nest. The gentle taps and little quivers of movement that were visible underneath their hard shells had become more prominent. The outer shells had begun to dimple and soften. Any day now, an egg tooth would break through, and the little ones would make their appearance known.

We had a camera on the nest at all times, so if we had to leave the room, we still had eyes on them. Not that we were straying too far from the nest.

In the past week, Kier had gone to working only part-time, spending half a day in the office. I had worked from home when he wasn’t there. When we had both had to step out of the house to do some last-minute errands before our paternity leave began, my dad had stayed watch over the nest. Eryndor and Thorne had also taken turns watching over the nest for a while. Of course, the two of them just liked to tell my dragonets stories of my misspent youth.

Now, the midday sun shone through the windows, casting a warm glow over the eggs. They were perfectly positioned to get the most sunlight, just as Kier had wanted them to be.

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