Page 38 of The Monster at the End of This Molt

"What was that about?" Clementine asked.

A spike of fear coursed through our bond. "You go ahead and get them situated," I said. "I need to find Weld."

ChapterFourteen

Weld

The moment I saw Lemon,I had to get away. With a thought, I teleported to my own personal purgatory.

The cavern I'd stolen from Coz had long ago been emptied. No outward signs of my shame remained. Only damp walls and bitter cold greeted me. Any kobolds living down here had long since moved aboveground. The tunnels were eerily silent, absent the usual scurrying of rodents.

I swallowed hard as fear threatened to overtake me. The light from the steam vent was all but extinguished. Only the barest hint of reflection sparkled on the condensation. I couldn't stay here.

With another thought, I bounced to the next best place to wallow in self-pity. The cathedral was as magnificent and imposing as I remembered, with the giant dragon skeleton curled around the dais and the imposing statue of the dragon god keeping watch over the votive candles. I lit two out of habit and kneeled before their five heads.

The calming scent of vanilla warred with my inner thoughts about Lemon's arrival. If he'd come closer to the time of the dragon reunion, I would have understood. Now, he seemed to be following me.

He'd had a crush on me since I offered him a seat at my table when he was a teenager and his brothers were being complete assholes. One display of kindness, and I'd gotten stares across the dining area for years.

I should have talked to him before we left, but words had never been my strength. Action was easier, so we left without saying goodbye to most of the village. Tim received a farewell because he was the dragonet wrangler. The rest of my acquaintances knew I was leaving, and none of them came to the dragonet barn to say goodbye, not even Lemon. Instead, the newly adult omega had followed us here.

Only one reason came to mind. He planned to accuse me of inappropriate behavior toward an omega before my friends and my mate's family. Dragons of old had overseen trials for their kobold worshipers. Since the revival of the dragon reunions and the disbanding of the priestesses, some had petitioned for Galen and the other dragons to resume the practice.

I could only imagine how a trial would go. Lemon would state his case, that I had led him on at a young age by being kind to him. Lark would follow up as a character witness, showing everyone how I had notched his ear like a barbarian. Punky would tell everyone how I'd tried to steal him from his mate at his first meetup. By the time they finished, I'd have lost all I'd gained from my absence, and then some.

I hadn't bowed my head to gather my thoughts for more than a minute before I felt a tentative hand on my shoulder.

"Welcome home, Weld." Alma's voice was still clear as a bell and took me back to my classroom days. "I assumed you were back when I saw Robin this morning."

Word traveled fast. If Galen had already sent Alma to detain me … I choked on a sob. I would go without a fight.

"Hello, Alma." I turned at the sound of scampering hatchlings. "I suppose you've already heard."

She blinked. "Heard?"

"Has Lemon asked for a dragon trial?"

"Lemon? You mean Ernie's mate?"

He had been walking with Ernie … If they were mates, it was only a matter of time before Lemon poisoned Robin's entire family against me.

I had the worst luck. Why couldn't I catch a break?

"There you are." Robin leaned against the doorway from the main hallway, one hand on the frame as he sucked in deep breaths. Even in his winded state, he lit up the room and made my heart soar.

“It’s good to see you.” Alma patted my shoulder again and slipped past me to light a candle.

Robin motioned for me to join him in the hallway, so I went, careful not to trip over the adorable hatchlings scampering between the kneelers. All three had white hair and stripes like their mother.

I leaned up against the wall beside Robin. "Hey."

"Thanks for leaving the grotto," he said between breaths. "That place freaks me out."

"It freaked me out, too," I admitted. "I can't believe I lived down there." I waited for his breath to calm before asking, "How did you find me?"

He pushed off the wall and stumbled the few steps to me, kicking my feet apart so he could stand between my legs. He planted his palm over my heart and squinted at me. "Our bond."

It was my turn to inhale a deep breath. I'd fled to give myself space to figure out my own shit. In my haste, I’d ignored the barrage of feelings through our bond. Examining them now, I didn't sense any animosity.

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