Page 50 of The Monster at the End of This Molt

He laughed. "We can hide in one of the dragon caves. It'll be fun."

It still sounded like suicide to me, unless, "Do we have Galen's permission?"

"Yes."

I took a deep breath and let it out with a sigh. "Okay."

"Kermit will be so pleased! He wants to stretch his wings before all the dragons get here." He blushed. "My bond with him is different from the one I have with you, but it's gotten much stronger."

"I'm glad." Our bond gave Weld his magic, and I was happy to help him develop it. I'd never seen anyone take to magic as quickly as he did. He'd taught magic theory for so long, the spells flowed like water from his fingertips.

By the time we reached the dragonet stable, Kermit was already saddled and waiting for us.

Mac stepped out from a stall as I swung up into the saddle. "He's much calmer now."

Weld nodded. "We understand each other better."

"I'm glad." He walked over and patted Kermit's neck. "You were too smart to turn out into the wild."

Kermit nuzzled his chest before craning his neck toward us.

"That's my sign." Weld grinned. "He's ready to fly before the dragons arrive."

Mac waved as we shot past him. The moment Kermit cleared the barn door, he leaped into the air, shoving me to the edge of the two-seater saddle. I missed the intimacy of the single saddle, but this would keep me less horny, I hoped.

A few minutes later, Kermit balanced on a mountain top. Beneath us, beautiful crystalline stone reflected the afternoon light back to us.

"This is the ancestral dragon birthing mountain," Weld said. "Galen and Mac hatched their little ones here."

"It's beautiful."

Kermit scrabbled down the mountain to the narrow landing before a cave mouth. Weld hopped out of the saddle and lowered himself to sit on the edge with his feet dangling over the side. I wasn't a huge fan of heights, and the drop-off was steep, but when he offered me his hand, I gingerly stepped to the edge and sat down beside him.

"There's a dragon." Weld pointed. "Looks like Bale. Their little one is so big now!"

"Almost as big as Slate," I said. I couldn't remember the name of Bale and Olaf's little one, but the two young dragons were only a year apart in age.

Weld curled his arm over my shoulder. I clung to his waist, still afraid of the steep drop. Several dragons appeared on the horizon. We didn't recognize them. Lux, Galen's red-scaled sibling, circled the mountain once, but they only waved a wing claw as they passed.

The sunset from this height was as magnificent as the ones in The Meadows. The sky turned yellow, orange, and angry red before the blackness of the night sky creeped in with violet and indigo hues. Not long after, the first stars appeared above us.

"Thanks for sharing this with me." Weld leaned his head on my shoulder. "I have something I want to tell you."

His words sounded ominous, but the elation pulsing along our bond with his every heartbeat told a different story. I tipped my head against his. "Go on."

"I'm ready."

I didn't have to ask. While I couldn't read his thoughts through our bond, we'd greeted several families with kids on our way to the fortress this morning, and he had the same certainty then as he did now.

"Let's try to have a family. It's unfair to both of us not to. I've prepared myself for what could go wrong, but I've also considered how it could go right."

My response stuck in my throat, and he continued.

"I hadn't allowed myself to think about the possibilities in a long time. I want this for us, for you. I want to give you the world, Robin. I love you."

My throat was still too tight to form words. I leaned toward him and my right butt cheek almost slipped off the rock shelf. I shrieked when Weld teleported us both into Kermit's saddle with me in his lap. I kissed him, not caring that one wrong move from the dragonet would send me falling to my death. I would die happy.

I didn't have to worry about dying. As soon as Kermit touched down in the stable yard, Weld sent our saddle back to the tack room.

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