Page 6 of Cast By Flames (Dragon's Breath)
She was now the head baker in the castle kitchens after proving no one could do better at the job. When I’d first met her, she’d only been fifteen years old, but now she was twenty-one and had grown into a beautiful woman. Her bright red hair hung in a braid down to her waist, similar to when I last saw her years ago, but her slight form had filled out with more curves under her white camrium dress that laced at the front.
Kayla had green eyes that missed nothing as she watched me enter the chamber. One would think a girl like her would stand out, but she had an uncanny knack for going unseen when she chose to do so. As soon as Aidan became pendragon, she’d resumed her spy work for him like in the old days. Anything she heard while working in the kitchens or walking through the castle, she passed to him.
As far as the rest of the clan knew, he requested Kayla to serve our weekly meals to reward her hard work and please me. In reality, the girl had no family anymore. She’d crossed intoKederrawien—a hellish world where dragons were banished a thousand years ago—as a child and lived with the shifters ever since, returning to Earth with them when the two dimensions melded together. While Nanoq had tolerated her during his reign, she’d been lonely and feared for her life as he grew more fanatical due to the dark infection spreading within him. Aidan wanted to give her a sense of belonging, so he included her inthe meals as one of us. She’d sit and eat as well after serving the others.
“Start filling your plates,” I announced to the assembled group, giving them an apologetic look. “I just gotta wash up, and I’ll be right back.”
Chairs dragged across the stone floor, and they formed a line at the sideboard. Normally, I would have taken care of Orion’s meal, but I noticed my mom grabbing his plate for him. This was only the second time I’d been late in the past six weeks. No matter how often I said not to wait for me, Aidan insisted we all eat together.
Except when we were alone together at night, sitting with our family was when he was most content. It was the one time he could relax around other people without worrying about what he said and did and how it might be perceived. My poor mate was constantly hiding the stress of becoming responsible for a clan and preparing for war. Despite the fact he hadn’t wanted the position, he did a great job at it.
He followed me into the washroom. Before I could grab a clean cloth to moisten, he had me pressed against the wall. He took both my hands and held them above my head, pinned to the stone. A fierce look came over his yellow eyes.
“I should punish you for being late,” he growled.
I lifted a leg and rubbed it along his hip. “Mmm, that sounds like a good idea.”
He groaned, barely keeping up his stern expression. “You’re not supposed to enjoy my punishments, slayer.”
“Every time you say you’re going to discipline me, it turns out to be the best part of my day.” I smiled. “It’s not my fault if I like it.”
Steam came from his nostrils, heating my skin. “I’ll never grow tired of you and how you surprise me,misanna.”
I loved when he called me his “beloved one,” and the way the word rolled from his tongue with heat and finesse. “The same goes for you.” I freed my hands and cupped his face. “I love you and will never leave you again. You’re my everything, Aidan.”
He needed to hear me say that every day because the trauma of our separation still affected him a lot. It also did for me, but at least I’d had our son and a life to keep me busy. He’d suffered every day for over five years while we’d been absent, and he’d had no anchor to keep him sane. Even his family and friends had been kept away from him. No one except me saw how badly that time had damaged him, and I worked hard to help him overcome the trauma.
His eyes lingered on me for a moment longer, and then he crushed me in a deep kiss. The way he melded himself into me felt like he was a drowning man who’d found an anchor. Soon after reuniting, I realized he needed my support to keep him going. He’d handled himself well in those first couple of weeks after defeating Nanoq, but he knew I was returning soon, which had kept him motivated.
Now, I recharged him each night so he could go without me during the day and be the best leader possible. I’d never been prouder of him for overcoming a lifetime of doubts instilled by his own family.
After a minute of kissing and touching each other to reestablish our bond, and because we enjoyed it, we broke apart. His yellow gaze revealed how relaxed he’d become in those moments. I loved how much a powerful dragon needed me.
Aidan stepped back and swept out his arm. “You may wash now.”
“Oh, milord.” I gave him a mock bow. “You are too kind.”
He shook his head. “I will have to punish you thoroughly for that later, but for now, I’ll prepare your plate. You must eat, mate.”
I couldn’t argue with him there and appreciated that despite becoming pendragon, he still performed menial tasks for me. “Thank you.”
“You’ll have to tell me tonight exactly what happened during your hunt.”
I started scrubbing my face with the washcloth. “Oh, definitely. There’s even a plot twist at the end that I didn’t see coming, though I suppose I should have.”
He arched a brow. “What’s that?”
“Conrad is transitioning into a slayer right now.”
“Shifitt,” he swore and ran a hand through his dark hair. “Is that why you were late?”
“Partly.”
Aidan worked his jaw, deep in thought for a minute as I finished cleaning myself and combing my long, black hair. Sounds of the others digging into their meals and chatting reached our ears. We needed to head out there soon.
“Perhaps it is good timing,” Aidan said, straightening his shoulders. “Your annoying friend will be more resilient in battle and likely to kill more of our enemies.”
“Yes,” I agreed.
