Page 25 of The Dragon's Stormwoven Bond

“I’m here. I’m here, mate.” I climbed into the nest with him, and I gathered him into my arms. “What is it? What do you need?”

“I need to go home. But I can’t leave the nest. What… what’s wrong with me?” His words were mumbled and broken up by sobs. If only there were a way to take all the hurt pouring off of him away. I’d cladly bear it all.

“Nothing is wrong with you, my sweet mate.” I kissed the top of his head. “Absolutely nothing. You’re doing what comes naturally—preparing a beautiful place for our clutch.”

“My dad—”

I put my hand over his mouth. “We’re not worried about that right now. How about we get you home? We can set up the nest right in the living room where it can get the most sun.”

I wasn’t sure how we were going to get it there. I came here on my wings and currently had zero articles of clothing on.

“How? I can’t leave the nest.” He buried his face in my chest. “Mate, Ican’tleave the nest.”

“Rhythe is here,” Katrina said.

I hadn’t even noticed she’d walked in the room behind me. Hearing my brother’s twin was here was a huge relief. There was only one other person on this planet I trusted fully with mymate and that was his twin. And that was shitty to say knowing how much I loved and respected his parents, but the truth was, he and Rhythe had a connection that was nearly as deep as my mate and I had, despite being a very different kind. They would forever have each other’s backs.

“What if I carry you, and Rhythe carries the nest?” It was the best sort of plan I could come up with on the fly. “Will that work?”

Pep nodded. I climbed out of the nest and lifted him into my arms. I wouldn’t leave the room until his brother was here. He needed to be by his nest.

Less than a minute later, Rhythe stood by the door, his eyes darting from the nest to my mate and back again. He tapped his belly and then pointed to my mate, and I nodded. He broke into a huge smile. The worry still filled his eyes, but he was happy about the clutch. That much I was sure of.

“We need this at our house.” It wasn’t a full explanation, but he could fill in the dots.

“I’ll take good care of it, Brother. I promise,” he said. “I’ll get it to your place in one piece, and then I will help you make this the most amazing nest ever.”

“We know you will,” I said.

I left the house without another word. I couldn’t look at my friend. I knew that a discussion needed to be had. In actuality,probably more than one. He was livid right now, and I deserved every single speck of his anger. But my mate needed me more than my friend needed my groveling. He had a mate and multiple clutches over their mating. He of all people should understand.

“You can take my car,” Rhythe said. “I’ll fly with the nest directly to your place.”

“You sure?”

He nodded.

Pep clung to me, his breathing evening out as his anxiety came down. By the time I got to the car, I was comfortable enough to let him go for the drive. I would still need to be touching him, but that was a fairly consistent state when I was with my omega.

I placed him gently in the passenger side of the car and buckled his belt for him. He whimpered when I let him go. My dragon mimicked the sentiment.

“If we are going to go home where our nest will be waiting, I have to get in the seat beside you.” I kissed his forehead. “You can take my arm when I get into my seat.”

That must’ve been exactly what he needed to hear, because he relaxed into his seat. As I climbed into the driver’s side, my nakedness became a concern for the first time since I flew here. Shifters didn’t care about seeing unclothed body parts. Itwas common to do so. But a human police officer pulling over someone speeding? They would take real issue with it.

Which led me to driving home more like a snail shifter than a dragon one. Better to take a few extra minutes than to pay those consequences. At least that was what I kept telling my mate who was pushing me to have us there already.

Rhythe beat us there. There were no speed traps in the sky for him to worry about. He had placed the nest inside the living room and was sitting on the porch when we pulled up.

As much as I wanted to thank him, I walked right past Rhythe as I carried Pep inside. He’d understand. He was my mate’s twin. I called his name as I walked through the door, glad he followed us inside.

I climbed into the nest, cuddling my mate close. We would figure out how to make it what Pep envisioned later.

“Let me know if you need anything,” Rhythe said.

“Pillows. Lots and lots of pillows. The soft kind,” my mate said.

He was already feeling better if pillows were his top priority. His brother promised he’d hook him up and left.

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