Page 98 of Beneath Scales and Shadows
Now she bore his mark upon her neck, his scale upon her side and his essence upon her skin.
She was, without question, his finest treasure. Nothing in his vast hoard compared to the woman who slept in his bed.
To prepare for what came next, he needed the books they’d hastily gathered from the Great Library between meeting with her family and the council. He found them atop an ornate chest among his collected treasures, though they seemed dull and lifeless compared to the woman in his bed.
He picked up the biology text, its ancient pages filled with comprehensive information about alphas and omegas—physical attributes, behavioral patterns, mating dynamics, heat cycles. Most importantly, it contained detailed descriptions of interspecies pairings, including the rarest of all: dragon and human.
Sora needed to understand what would happen before it occurred. The last thing he wanted was to frighten her when he mounted her in his true form. Though she’d shown no fear of him before, this would test even her remarkable adaptability.
Ignis placed the book on a pedestal beside her bed and sighed. A cloud of her scent—moonflower and cinnamon intensified by the smoky notes of dragon fire—hit him with fresh potency. He needed air before the intoxicating aroma drove him to mindless rutting.
The balcony beckoned, offering escape and perspective. Stepping out, he drew deep breaths of mountain air, letting the crisp clarity wash away the fog of desire. Below, the central cavern hummed with the sounds of rebuilding and healing after the battle at Celestoria.
Evening painted the mountain peaks with amber light, the twin moons rising early in the darkening violet sky. Ignis gazed upward, offering silent thanks to the Moon Goddess for sending Sora to him from her Blue Knight. He swore to protect his mate, to honor her wisdom, to help her fulfill her destiny—not as prophecy demanded, but as she chose to shape it.
Soft footsteps sounded behind him, bare feet padding across stone. Without looking, he knew it was her—the bond between them hummed with recognition, alive with awareness. Sora slipped beneath his wing, fitting herself against his side as naturally as if she’d been designed for that exact space. His arm curled around her automatically, drawing her closer.
Before he could ask how she felt, she spoke, her voice quiet against the backdrop of evening winds.
“I died on Earth. I was studying artifacts in a museum—dragon artifacts, I now realize—when someone pushed me into the path of a train.”
Ignis listened silently—his tail coiling protectively around her legs as she spoke. He wondered what this ‘train’ was—the creature that had killed her—and how he might first thank it before seeking vengeance for what it had dared to do.
“When I woke here, I thought it was random chance. Now I understand it was always meant to be.”
“You are a Luna,” he confirmed, the ancient word carrying the weight of prophecy. “One of the Thirteen. Born under the Blue Moon to restore balance between realms.”
“Even though that’s true, the baker’s daughter must have died the same moment I did.” Sora’s fingers traced the scales along his forearm, following their intricate patterns. “I never felt like I belonged on Earth. Always searching through history for something I couldn’t name... perhaps even to prove myself.”
“You were searching for home,” Ignis said simply, the truth resonating between them. “For me.”
The realization brought tears to her eyes, glittering like diamonds in the moonlight. “I never want to go back. This world—Artania—is where I belong now.”
“With me?” His question contained vulnerability—even though she’d voiced her feelings during their mating, he needed to hear it again—needed confirmation that it wasn’t merely heat-madness speaking, but her true heart.
“With you,” she confirmed, placing her hand against his scaled face. “I love you, Ignis. Somehow, I think I’ve always known that I would... I was always drawn to you... and you make it easy to love you.”
Emotion burned in his chest as he turned to her, scaled hands rising to frame her face, the heat of his touch a silent vow. The twin moons reflected in her sapphire eyes, transforming them into bottomless pools he longed to drown in. “My soul recognized yours the moment you removed my mask.”
Their kiss sealed more than a promise—it claimed the future they had carved for themselves, not by prophecy’s design, but by the pull of their own hearts.
“My kingdom is now yours,” he murmured against her lips. “When your heat is done, I will announce you to the clan as my queen, officially—for all the world to know.”
“That sounds like... a lot.” Uncertainty flickered across her features.
“We’ll celebrate,” he teased, brushing a strand of golden hair from her face. “With your help, we’ve defeated the evil that plagued our clan for generations. Now we can finally know peace.”
“Does that mean we can freely fly the land?” Hope brightened her eyes. “Visit other kingdoms?”
Ignis nodded, gesturing toward the distant horizons visible beyond the mountain peaks. “I will take you to meet our neighbors, speak with their leaders directly. We’ll re-establish trade and alliances long forgotten.” His wing extended, indicating lands beyond sight. “Even the other dragon clans, though they lie many days’ journey away.”
“I would enjoy that,” she said, leaning into his embrace, her body warm against his scales.
A soft knock at their chamber door signaled the first of Asher’s promised deliveries. Ignis’s sensitive nose detected freshly baked bread, roasted meats, and sweet fruits—nourishment his mate would need for the challenges ahead.
“Let’s go inside,” he suggested, guiding her from the balcony. “I must feed you, then bathe you... care for you properly.”
Sora backed away, her movements taking on a teasing, dance-like quality as she moved toward the door. The elegant robe she’d thrown on swirled around her legs, revealing tantalizing glimpses of silver-scaled skin.
