Page 73 of Marked Dragon

“Well, I like you now if that’s any consolation.” Thorn chuckled as he placed his hands on my shoulders and tugged me close, so that my back was pressed against his chest. “And Everly loves you, so there’s that.”

That was true, even though I hadn’t gotten around to telling her that.

“Uh…” Elliott raised a hand. “May I ask a question?”

“Technically, you just did.” Eva stuck out her tongue.

Peter rolled his eyes, giving me pause. I’d always thought he did that only to me, but my suspicions about his indifference to the twins seemed more and more like a certainty. He didn’t treat them as poorly as he treated me, but I could see why they relied more on each other than their dad.

“What is it, dear?” Cassidy asked with a smile. “And you never need to ask permission. There are no silly questions.”

Rubbing her hands together, Saphira waggled her brows.

I didn’t want to know where she was heading, so I added, “No silly ones, but there are some that could be deemed inappropriate and won’t get an answer.”

She frowned, closed her mouth, and pouted.

That was what I’d been afraid of.

“What’s a fated mate?” Elliott pursed his lips as he looked at me and Thorn. “Because these two moved super quick.”

A line of worry creased Elliott’s forehead, and my chest expanded. Was he worried about me?

“Fated mates have become rarer among our kind as our numbers dwindle.” Errol smiled sadly. “They’re an intense version of soulmates. It happens when a soul has been split between two people. When two human soulmates meet, their urgent connection can be confused for lust. The emotions and attraction are immediate, and when it happens between two supernaturals, their magic calls to them and intensifies the connection. Fate intervenes to ensure the two halves find each other. They are destined to be together, and if one dies, it’s like a part of the other is lost for eternity.”

He spoke as if he understood the loss. “Was Saphira’s mother your fated?”

He pressed a hand to his stomach. “She was. Brenton’s and my fated mates were leaving to shift, but they weren’t careful, and hunters accidentally shot them before they could change into their dragons. It happened sixteen years ago.” His voice cracked and died away, the emotions too much.

So both Saphira and Tyson had been young when they’d lost their mothers. No wonder Saphira hadn’t mentioned hers during our time together.

“It was an accident. They didn’t wear bright clothes, and they blended in with the landscape. The hunters called the police and waited at the edge of the dragon lands, a spot that had become inundated by humans.” Brenton picked up the story. “They were let off the hook because we didn’t want more attention drawn to our lands, and they hadn’t killed them on purpose. If it hadn’t been for Tyson, Saphira, and the king, I’m pretty sure both Errol and I would’ve done something stupid that we would’ve regretted.”

Now it made sense why Saphira had been so opposed to viewing the king poorly. He’d helped her dad and her uncle during a painful time. That was why Brenton held so much resentment toward Drake but not the king—he felt he owed the king a debt.

“Wow.” Elliott’s jaw dropped. “Having a fated mate sounds intense.”

“It is,” Vlad added, standing beside Cassidy. “Which is why weallneed training, including Everly.”

A panicked sensation surged through our bond as Thorn’s hands trembled on my shoulders. He rasped, “No. We need to think of a way out of the country and not distract ourselves with something she won’t ever need.”

Saphira bobbed her head. “So, you’re fine with her getting another faceful of someone else’s penis? Good to know.”

A guttural growl emanated from Thorn’s chest, and my dragon purred. I didn’t know why, but him almost losing control over that comment had me wanting to claim him all over again. His possessiveness turned me on.

Yes, I’d become that girl…and I wouldn’t change it for the world.

But I had to stay levelheaded until he and I were alone. “I’m not asking for permission. Iwilltrain with Vlad. This is something I have to do. Hell, it’s something we all need to do, including Eva, Elliott, and Peter.”

“Dude, I can totally buySpyro.” Elliott removed his Nintendo Switch from his pocket. “I don’t even know why I haven’t yet, but that ends now.”

Vlad blinked. “Does he really think a video game will teach him how to hold his own against dragons?”

“He’s human.” Thorn’s forehead creased. “It’s not like going outside and practicing hand-to-hand combat will make a difference when the time comes to fight. That’s why we need to focus on finding a way out of the country, instead of wasting time training them.”

I wouldn’t say this out loud, at least not yet, but I connected with Thorn,What if you change them like you changed me? If they agree to it.I wanted it to be clear that I didn’t want them forced into it.

His hands went still.Maybe. Not Peter—he’s a fucking prick—but your siblings, I wouldn’t be opposed to. That might make things easier. But even if they agreed to it, I’m not sure I can.

---