Page 14 of The Lost Nation

I refused to believe children were inherently evil, though.

The witches had to rotate who looked after them, and I didn’t think that was helping either. In fact, the only half-breed that seemed to be doing well was Severn’s daughter, who happily spent her days at sea with Meruse.The irony wasn't lost on anyone.

I didn’t know what the solution was, but I felt like it was my responsibility to figure it out since I had been the one who rescued them.

Too much was happening—the war with the Overlord, trying to strengthen the human kingdoms, and ensuring the prisoners and children were healing.

And you might be a mother.

Like Kieran said, only time would tell. For now, I had quite enough to get on with.

“There you are.” Ronan soared down towards me, and I opened my arms to him. As a joke, Benedict and Kieran decided not to tell him about my wings, but they taunted him about a suprise. As a result, he’d been hunting me ever since this morning. It was a fun game of hide-and-seek, and he didn’t even know why.

I flared my wings over my head, my muscles straining as I stretched them wide. Ronan’s eyes rounded, and he almost botched his landing as he stared at them.

“No wonder my draken has been unbearable.” He remarked mildly.

My eyes went hooded, anticipating what was going to come next. “I suppose you’re ready to jump me as well?”

Ronan’s eyes darkened, but he held himself in check. “Looks like the others already beat me to it.” He pouted.

I laughed, and nuzzled into his neck. “Don’t you want to get thelast wordin?”

Ronan laughed, and it transformed his face. I knew he felt proud of the trust Benedict had in him to handle so much responsibility, but I also knew he would overwork himself if no one kept an eye on him. The runt of the litter had been rejected by everyone, until me. Until Kieran.

Untilus.

Ronan nuzzled my nose, and I leaned forward to kiss him. Ronan had his moments, but he wasn’t dominating like Benedict or Kieran. He was a nurturer and a quiet protector...the mate who never questioned me, and always believed in me.

I was once again struck by how well all three of my mates balanced each other. I couldn’t imagine my life without any of them.

“Did Kieran tell you my theory about Thad?” I asked. Ronan nibbled on my neck, his hands drifting down to graze along the bare skin of my stomach. Today I was wearing only a band around my breasts, and a pair of leather shorts. The longer I was a draken, the more I realized how clothes simply got in the way.

Ronan sighed.“We all guessed it. It’s the only way a draken can be conceived, after all. Hence why we were shocked about Trego and his witch—mate, I should say. We didn’t think we couldbemates with anyone other thana draken female."

He pushed me down onto a soft bed of moss, one hand palming my thigh. I threw my head back, the heat feeling glorious as it glided up and up…“Enough abouthim.Let’s talk aboutyou.”

His golden wings filled the sky above me, shielding us from casual view. My hand landed on his face, and his eyes closed with pleasure.

I smiled up at him. “I love how you appreciate the smallest gestures.”

His eyes flew open, and I stroked one hand down the closest wing joint. Ronan shuddered. “Not fair.”

I pulled his head to mine, tugging on his bottom lip with my teeth. His hands cradled either side of my face gently, even as he tried to press himself as close to me as possible. One hand moved to the back of my neck, and the other to my bottom. With a quickness that had me gasping, he turned us around so his back was to the tree and I was in his lap.

“Much better.”

He sounded so proud of himself I giggled. My hands were already slipping underneath his breeches, and freeing his growing hardness. He groaned at my touch and laid his head back against the bark.

I wasn’t sure what had made me so bold with my mates lately. I wanted to take charge, to push my limits with them, and they’d happily obliged so far. Though Ronan was the gentlest out of my mates, he also had the least amount of control over his draken. I wondered if it would let me take charge.

I licked and bit along Ronan’s neck as my hands massaged and skimmed along his length. I rubbed myself against him, and felt a deep rumble in his chest.

Both of his hands grabbed my hips roughly, and I had only enough time to line him up with my entrance before he turned us around and slammed me up against the tree.

We both cried out and then we were moving together, all plans and thoughts of foreplay discarded. He pulled my head back and exposed my neck, his teeth digging in a moment later. Every sensation in my body doubled as he drank from me, each nerve on fire as he moved within me. “Do you want my children?” He gasped.

Oh...oh. Ronan. My beautiful, sweet Ronan. It was so easy to imagine a brown-haired girl or boy, nose stuck in a book as they read underneath the table while Ronan read reports or wrote letters.

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