Page 31 of Hidden Dragons

“I’m here,” she said, ending the chant and allowing the magic it had called and directed, to dissipate. “Quiet now. You are in the Lair. Safe and sound.”

“Tilly?” he asked. “My head is killing me. Can’t seek her with my mind.”

“She’s right over there, watching everything. Princess Adora just finished working on her and said that she’ll be good as new given a few days rest. Growloranth too. He came in with Robert a short while before Tilly arrived. Everyone’s going to be fine.”

“Robert?”

“I’m here, my friend,” Robert said, moving closer. He had been hovering in the background, ready to help.

The men spoke a bit while relief rushed through Isabelle’s veins. She had been so worried. More worried than she should have been if these men and dragons meant nothing to her, or were merely friends. No, she had realized something vital during those hours of waiting, and then the agony of seeing them hurt.

The simple truth was, she loved them.

All of them. The dragons as well as their knights. Certainly the love in her heart for the dragons was different than the love she felt for the men, but it was no less real. And if the men asked her again, she would say yes to being their mate, even though the idea of a triple mating still scared her.

Isabelle felt a touch on her elbow as she stood back, watching Robert and Bear talk. She turned to find Princess Adora behind her.

“Your magic is potent and healing,” the older lady of royal blood began. “Thank you for sharing your gift with us today. If your Robert and Bernard haven’t already asked you to stay, please consider this a formal invitation to make your home among us, whether or not you wish to mate with any of our knights. A gift like yours is meant to be used, and we will always make room in our Lairs for people with good hearts who can bespeak dragons and are willing to help.”

Isabelle was flattered. And honored beyond words.

“I would like to stay,” she whispered, with only minor hesitation.

Adora touched her shoulder, squeezing gently as she smiled. “Good. I’ll keep it quiet until the boys come up to scratch. Sometimes, I have learned, it is best to let the men think certain things were their idea.” She gave Isabelle a conspiratorial wink. “But I wanted you to know that you are wanted here regardless of what happens between you, Robert and Bernard. You have options now, Isabelle. You are not alone.”

The impassioned words moved Isabelle to tears, and Adora gave her a quick hug of support. There weren’t a lot of tears, but a few slipped free to run down Isabelle’s cheeks. Robert apparently saw because a moment later he was back at her side, his arm around her shoulders.

“It’s okay, sweetheart,” he crooned. “We’re all going to be okay. And we have you to thank for it.” He bent down to kiss her cheek, rubbing his lips against her temple and snuggling close for a moment. “You have been so good to us today. Never have we had anyone special waiting for us when we returned from battle. While I don’t like that you were worried, it made it easier for us knowing we had you to come home to.”

At that point, the tears hit her again. The loneliness she thought she heard in his voice touched her heart. Here were men—a Lair full of them—willing to put their lives on the line for a country and people who had no real idea of how they lived. She had noticed how most of the knights in this Lair were single. Some had fighting partners, if their dragons were established mates, but most had no wife, which meant their dragons could not consummate their union and the knights were searching, looking for the woman who might complete their family and bring them all together.

She understood so much she had never even contemplated before. Dragons and knights were just a fact of life if one lived in Draconia, even though most people never had contact with either. Certainly, the common folk didn’t have a clue how the knights and dragons lived, except to know that there were things called Lairs positioned strategically around the country.

This Lair—the Border Lair straddling the border between Draconia and the neighboring country of Skithdron—had hundreds of knights and dragons living in it. The place was mostly male, though there were a number of women who were mated to sets of knights, and even a few children, both human and dragon. The children she had seen were parented by both sets of adults in the family—human and dragon—too. It was a fascinating partnership that Isabelle found kind of beautiful.

The more she saw of the Lair and the lifestyle of those living here, the more she wanted to be part of it. There was just one thing holding her back now. She wasn’t sure of Robert and Bear’s feelings. She knew they cared, but she needed to hear the words. She needed to know for certain that they could truly love her.

She didn’t want to be just their only choice because they had no one better to ask. She wanted to be their choice. Period.

And for that, she needed to hear those three little words—I love you—from both of them. Six words total. Was that too much to ask?

Chapter Ten

A week passed while the dragons and knights healed, then went back to duty. The village had to be cleaned up and the traitors dealt with. A constant presence of knights and dragons was required in Halley’s Well and at the Valla Pass, to maintain security in the village and along the border.

The enemy forces had been beaten back and dealt a serious blow, but little skirmishes were still possible. Patrols had been stepped up and mountain passes up and down the border were being watched more carefully. Bear and Tilly were in high demand for their ability to fly during daytime hours without being seen. The only days they got any sort of respite was when rain threatened and dark clouds ruined Tilly’s natural light camouflage.

While Bear and Tilly worked in the sky, Robert and Growloranth worked in the forest and village. Isabelle had asked about going back to see her home, but both men had objected, claiming it was still much too dangerous. Between duty and sleep, there wasn’t a lot of time to spare. The two knights were either sleeping or working, and little else.

They had not tried to pressure Isabelle in any way—either for sex or for a decision on whether she would stay in the Lair with them. Things were at a standstill, with nothing decided. It was a difficult way to exist, but Isabelle had come to trust Lady Silla and had discussed her situation with the other woman a few times. Silla’s advice had given her hope. And patience.

Isabelle knew she couldn’t put her own needs in front of those of the Lair. Her men had a duty they must perform and she could not interfere with that. Coming to terms with that idea helped her get through the trying times. But finally, after ten days of no action on any personal issue, Isabelle had had enough.

The next rainy day, she promised herself, she was going to bring this situation to a head. So to speak.

She got her wish a day later, when storm clouds filled the skies and Bear and Tilly were given some time off from their reconnaissance flights. They were talking about going to the village and working alongside the knights and dragons who were still on patrol and clean-up duty. Robert and Growloranth were scheduled to do the same later in the day, but would be in the Lair for the morning at least.

Isabelle realized this was her chance. She got up her nerve and decided to enlist a little dragonish help.

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