Page 40 of The Monster at the End of This Molt

And not a moment too soon. Another knock at the door made me jump. I jostled several pieces of floating confetti out of stasis, and they tumbled to the floor.

"Hey! I heard there was a party!" Tuft came in the already open door carrying a folding table by the handle. In a flash, he had it set up behind the couch and stocked with every finger food imaginable. I reached for the bowl of pistachios, my favorite, and he smacked my hand away. "Not until the party starts!"

"You're here," I teased. "The party don't start 'til you?—"

Heat bloomed along Tuft's cheeks, and he shook his head, grinning. "You always were the biggest flirt. Stop it. This is a family affair."

As though on cue, Axel entered with their four little ones in tow, the little girl clasping his hand and the boys in a conga line behind her. They were so precious. The corners of my eyes stung to look at them.

Robin and I could have that someday, too, I reminded myself, if I ever got over my need for complete control. There were too many unknowns in our future. Would my sperm take, after so many years? Would Robin produce enough slick to nourish them? Did the sunlight really improve our eggs' chances, or was that a myth everyone wanted to believe now that the grotto had gone cold?

All around me, I studied the evidence. Robin and his siblings. Tuft's second and third clutches. Galen and Mac's kobold daughter, when she arrived. I couldn't believe she had been born after I left and already reached her final molt.

Their dragon child came, too, but they were far too big to fit inside our cabin. I worried they would be left out, but the children all cheered when they arrived and rushed outside to play with them.

I sucked in a breath when the small dragon took off with four children on their back, but Galen patted my arm. "Slate uses the same magic I do."

It still shocked me whenever they changed into another form. Today, they looked more human than I'd ever seen them, though their horns still marked them a dragon.

"I've never experienced dragon magic. You've never given me a ride." I didn't mean for it to sound so wistful.

"There's never as good a time as the present." They latched onto my elbow and led me to the snack table, where Mac, Tuft, and Robin talked over their tiny plates heaped high with goodies. "We're going for a flight."

"Have fun!" Mac waved his plate at me.

Robin smirked, and I felt a surge of excitement pass between us. He'd taken many dragon flights over the years.

"Are you happy to be back?" Galen asked as they led me to a wide-open field.

"Yes and no." Yes, I was happy to be here with Robin, but fresh bouts of uncertainty attacked me at every turn. I'd been happy with my routines in The Meadows. Here, I felt adrift.

"If anyone gives you grief, they will have to answer to me. Even my friends. You'll let me know, yes?"

Before I could answer, Galen grabbed me and lifted me onto their muscular shoulders. In one swift move, human became dragon, and I was on their back.

"Yes," I hissed as the ground vanished beneath us.

We rose high into the evening sky, the golds of early twilight lighting up the surrounding clouds. The larger of our suns hovered near the horizon, while the smaller was still an hour or so from sunset. I would miss watching them set in The Meadows, but our sunsets had their own special beauty, especially from the back of a dragon.

Galen's magic wrapped around me like a warm blanket, holding me in place on their back. "You have neglected your dragon bond," they said as we glided along an air current. "Robin's is much stronger."

"He hasn't spent the last twenty-odd years ignoring its pull."

"Stop ignoring it." Galen's rumbling laugh rolled through me like thunder. It rattled around in my chest, loosening the block I'd formed all those years ago to keep Robin's emotions from distracting me at every waking moment.

I laughed with him, and the block shattered like plate glass. Instead of the bursts of emotion I'd felt since we'd reunited, I could now feel all Robin's emotions at once.

I braced for impact but was surprised when they crested and settled to a low hum at the back of my consciousness. Not only was it not as bad as I'd expected, it was pleasant, even relaxing, to know what my fated mate was thinking at this very moment. Right now, he eyed the pistachios and wondered if he needed to hide them before his papa arrived.

"Punky and Lark are on their way." Galen turned sharply and nosed downward toward the house. Even the dragon understood my deep desire to build a strong relationship with my in-laws, if that's even what I should call them.

I didn't want to worry about semantics. We landed in time for me to fix my windblown hair and offer my hand to welcome them to our home.

ChapterFifteen

Robin

My office would haveto wait a day for my return to work. After Lemon arrived and Weld disappeared, I was at a loss for a few moments, but then I felt his location through our bond.

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