by Zoe Chant
Liev watched as Dante stood on shaking legs, his green eyes open wide. He looked as if someone had just hit him over the head with a brick – no, as if a whole house had just collapsed on top of his head. He fell to his knees, clearly too shocked to stand up any longer.
“I – I’m a Novak?” he whispered, as if he couldn’t believe it. “You – you and Darklis – you’re my clan?”
“Yes,” Darklis said, sounding shocked. “I – I recognize you now. My dragon recognizes you...” She dropped to the floor next to him, reaching out to touch his shoulder. “Dante, you... you’re our cousin.”
Dante squeezed his eyes shut. “But after everything I’ve done... I hurt you –”
“You also helped us,” Darklis said firmly. “We couldn’t have won without you. And I know you’ll always be welcome with us. You’re our clan.” She looked up at Stefan. “Isn’t that right?”
Stefan hesitated only a moment, and then he nodded. “Yes. That’s right.”
Dante swallowed, dropping his head. It was a long time until he spoke again. “Thank you,” he said. “I... thank you. But... right now, I don’t deserve this. I don’t deserve to be welcome anywhere until I’ve made up for... for some of the things I’ve done.” He took a deep breath. “I didn’t have to do any of the things Rowena made me do. I could have run away. I should have run away. But I chose to stay. And now, I have to try to make up for what I’ve done.” When he looked up again, his green eyes blazed. “But when I’m worthy, I swear to you I’ll return. Once I’m worthy of your respect. Of... of your love. I’ll come back, and I’ll prove it. I promise.”
Liev held his breath. The waves of pain in the room were almost palpable. His dragon, sensing its mate’s anguish, writhed within him. Comfort your mate! Go to her!!
I will, he assured both it and Darklis. But now, she needs time with her clan. This is between them. I will allow her to find her peace with Dante’s decision. And then, I will be there for her.
The dragon seemed far from satisfied, but at least it seemed to accept his words. At any rate, it curled back over on itself, narrowing its eyes only a little sulkily.
Liev swallowed as he watched Darklis pull Dante into a hug. After a moment, Stefan crouched next to them, his hand on Dante’s shoulder.
Clearly, this was a moment for their clan. He looked away.
“Liev.”
He looked up at the sound of Magnus’s voice.
“In all the excitement, I forgot – Alanna found this with Rowena. I’m pretty sure it belongs to you.”
Liev blinked as Magnus raised his hand, placing something in Liev’s palm. It only took him a moment to recognize it: the ring of the Drakos crown prince.
It glinted in his hand, the diamond sparkling, the engraved crest of the Drakos Clan standing out darkly next to it.
Rowena must have taken it back off Norman as punishment for his cowardice, Liev realized. And in that moment, he was very grateful she had – it would save him a trip back to the pawnbrokers, at least.
“Thank you,” he said, closing his fist around it. “Thank you.”
***
The very last thing Liev had felt like doing after the day he’d had was flying. Nonetheless, he had realized it was necessary. They couldn’t stay in the destroyed manor home on the island – who knew who it actually belonged to, and what they would do when they found out the state it was in.
I will pay to have it repaired, once we know more about the situation, Liev assured Darklis as they prepared to leave. The Drakos Clan would consider it most shameful to leave a place in such a state.
He had watched as she and Stefan had made their goodbyes to Dante – not before she had tried to convince him at least twice to stay with them, but the dragon was resolute. He would not call himself a Novak until he was worthy of the name.
As much as Liev did not want to see his mate in pain, he had to admit that he admired Dante’s resolution. He wanted to atone. It was something that Liev could appreciate. And he had no doubt that this was not the last they would see of Dante. He would return, once he felt he was worthy.
Best of luck, friend, Liev had sent to him before Dante had shifted, becoming a massive red and golden scaled dragon and disappearing into the night. Dante had not replied, but Liev hoped he had heard him. He owed Dante a lot. Without him, he wasn’t certain he would have been able to win the fight against Erik.
Stefan had said he would return Erik’s body to the Lukich Clan’s ancestral lands. Landra Lukich, his daughter and the leader of the clan, would need to decide how she would honor her father – or not. It was her choice.
He’s dead, Stefan had said. What she does about him now is none of my business.
Magnus and Alanna had agreed to take Rowena back to the Drakos Clan’s lands to face punishment. She had kidnapped a prince, after all, and had been planning to sell his blood. She needed to face justice. Liev was honestly not certain what the punishment was for such crimes – and to be honest, he was too exhausted to care just at this moment. But he told Magnus to ensure that his father was lenient with her – if Darklis could show pity for Erik Lukich, then surely he could show mercy for Rowena.
Alanna had brought along a backpack with clothes, money, a map, and ID – all the things they’d need to pass for human in the big city. And, with their meager amount of cash supplemented, Liev felt that perhaps they could afford something slightly fancier than the manticore hotel they’d stayed at on their first night.
“Liev, are you sure about this?” Darklis asked, as they made their way into the elevator of the Ritz-Carlton. The desk staff had seemed a little taken aback at their somewhat... disheveled appearances, but Liev’s smooth talking – and money – had quickly secured them a room.
“Of course I’m sure,” Liev replied, as the elevator took them up to the twentieth floor. “Please, Darklis – after the day we’ve had, please – let me pamper you.”
“Pamper yourself,” Darklis shot back playfully. “I think you need it more than I do.”
“What we both need is a good night’s sleep,” Liev said as the elevator chimed softly, and they stepped out into the plush corridor. The doorman waited for them by their suite, a smile on his face, the door already open. Liev was so grateful not to have to go even to that small amount of effort that he tipped the man with a hundred.
He felt his legs sag the moment the door closed behind them.
“Come on,” Darklis said gently. “Let’s shower. And then, we’ll see about getting that good night’s sleep.”
In the end, they decided a shower would involve simply too much standing up. The massive marble bath seemed like a much more attractive option. Darklis filled it with steaming hot water, squirting in what, in Liev’s estimation, was far too much of what she called bubble bath – though he had to admit, she looked adorable with a pile of fluffy white suds on her head.
It was hard to get out, even after the water had begun to cool. Liev’s aching muscles protested as he stood, even though the wounds that had once covered him were now all but invisible. Proximity to his mate had sped the healing process. He was tired, but he was no longer injured.
Darklis hummed a little tunelessly as she dried her long dark hair in front of the mirror. Liev swallowed heavily at the sight of her long, shapely legs, the fluffy white towel she had wrapped around herself barely long enough to conceal the curve of her buttocks.
He leaned against the doorframe, watching her, his heart filled with love.
She is so beautiful.
Beautiful, brave, and intelligent. She was everything he had ever wanted. She was perfect.
And she was his.
And I am hers.
Liev couldn’t hold back a deep groan as Darklis bent over to place the hair dryer back in the bathroom cabinet. She glanced over her shoulder as if surprised to see him there, shooting him a mischievous look.
“How long have you been there?”
“Long enough.”
She sm
iled at him, turning, the towel tucked between the bountiful swell of her breasts.
“A bit too long, by the look of things,” she said, raising an eyebrow.
Liev groaned again as her hand lightly traced over the bulge that was beginning to protrude beneath the towel wrapped around his waist – the evidence of just how much he had been enjoying the sight of her.
Darklis grinned. “I know we said we needed a good night’s sleep, but...”
“I booked the hotel for two nights,” Liev said, putting his hands on her waist. “We can always sleep tomorrow.”
Darklis laughed, and in the next moment, her lips were on his, soft and warm, her breasts pressed against the hardness of his chest.
She was like a wildfire running through his veins – like nothing he had ever known before. His heart pounded at even the lightest of her touches, exhilarated by the softness of her skin, the beauty of her soul. He had never known anything like her before.
“You sure you’re up to this?” she asked him when she finally managed to break away, concern tingeing her voice.
He answered her only with a kiss, strong and desperate and hard – a kiss that left them both breathless in its wake.
There was no more need for words after that. He didn’t notice his fatigue as he swept her up into his arms, carrying her across the room toward the bed. She wrapped her legs around his waist, kissing him wildly, clasping the back of his head with her hands.
Liev could not get enough of her – her taste, her smell, the way she felt against him. Their towels fell forgotten to the floor as he lay her down on her back on the bed, their mouths still locked together, tongues twining.
Liev could feel his hardness pressing against the soft skin of her stomach. She writhed up against him and he groaned, wanting more – more of her.
He sat up, letting his eyes sweep over her as she lay before him. He couldn’t stop his eyes from lingering on her breasts as they rose and fell with her heavy breath, the sweeping curves of her hips, the dark waves of her hair around her head. And most of all, they lingered on her piercing green eyes – eyes that seemed to see into the very depths of his soul.
My mate. My queen. My everything.
As he fell down toward her again, his hands sliding over her hips, his lips covering her breasts with kisses, he heard the words loud and clear in his head.
Will you allow it? he asked her, sending his thoughts to her. Will you allow me to crown you, and make you mine once and for all, forever and ever?
Of course, Liev, came her instant response. Of course. Oh God –
She writhed up as he slid his hand over her stomach, his fingers slipping between her legs. She was wet beneath his fingers, and he marveled at the way she arched up as he stroked her, finding her core with every touch.
Oh God, Liev – !
He could feel a fire building inside him as he slipped his fingers inside her, feeling her clench around him. Liev was painfully hard now, and he knew he could not bear to go on like this for long. He wanted her so desperately that he could barely stand it.
“Darklis...”
At the sound of her name on his lips, she writhed up, moaning.
“Please, Liev. Please...”
He could resist no longer. Rising up over her, he kissed her again, his erection settling between her thighs. Their hearts raced as one as she wrapped her legs around him, urging him forward.
She is ours, his dragon whispered. Claim her. Claim her now.
He let out a long groan as he slid inside her, feeling her arch beneath him. She reached up, taking his shoulders in her hands, and kissed him as he began to move, her moans slipping out from between their joined lips.
I am yours, she sent to him, her mind touching his effortlessly as the thrust of his hips grew stronger.
And I yours, he replied, kissing her frantically as her fingers clutched at him, digging into the muscle of his back.
They were joined – they were one. And nothing could ever tear them apart again.
Her body around his was like heaven, like nothing he had ever known. When she clenched herself around him he cried out, white-hot pleasure shooting through his veins, gathering in his belly.
“Darklis,” he gasped, repeating her name like a prayer as he drove into her again and again.
Together, they surged toward their climax, driving each other higher with every touch, every movement, every kiss. He could feel his pleasure building within him with every passing moment, desperate and hot as fire.
“Mine,” he muttered, as he thrust forward once more, his voice husky, forcing its way between his gritted teeth. “My mate.”
It was the sound of the word that sent them both over the brink into pure bliss. They came together with a desperate cry, bodies quaking, both shaken down to their very core.
In that moment, Liev knew they were truly joined. It was as if they had become one: one soul, one body, one being.
They were mates. Their connection was as unbreakable as it was undeniable.
They moved as one as they rode out their climaxes together. Liev could feel his heartbeat thundering in his ears as Darklis squeezed her legs around his hips, her breath little more than a desperate gasp.
They lay together in a sweaty tangle, too exhausted to move. It seemed like hours had passed by the time Darklis spoke again.
“I... Liev...” She swallowed, trying to catch her breath. “That was...”
Closing his eyes, Liev gathered her to his chest, his arms sliding around her back. “You don’t have to say,” he murmured, feeling her breath against his neck. “Believe me, I know.”
He held her, waiting until he heard her breathing slow and begin to deepen as she slipped into sleep. He felt grateful that she felt safe enough in his arms to sleep now, after everything she had been through – after once again seeing the dragon who had made her childhood a living hell.
But she is our mate. We will protect her. Always. His dragon’s voice was a smug purr.
Always, he agreed with it, before a massive yawn split his mouth wide open.
But now, the danger has passed, his dragon said. We need our sleep too. We must be strong, in case our mate needs us again in future.
The thought had barely crossed his mind before he felt himself falling into a deep, dark sleep, and then he knew no more, except the feeling of his mate in his arms, her soft breath tickling his neck.
Epilogue
Darklis
Three months later
“You know what this means, don’t you?” Liev whispered in Darklis’s ear, as they stood together on the dais in the grand hall of Drakos Castle, red rose petals fluttering through the air around them.
“That we’re officially married now?” Darklis asked, smiling slightly as she turned to look into Liev’s bright blue eyes.
“Well, yes,” Liev replied, smiling down at her. “But more importantly, it means now you’ll be able to read every book in the Drakos library. Officially. Without having to ask for anyone’s permission.”
Darklis couldn’t help herself from laughing at Liev’s words. Of course, she’d been making her way voraciously through the library for the last two months, since Liev himself had given her blanket permission to read anything she liked. But still, now that she was not only his mate but his wife, she could come and go as she pleased, on her own authority.
And as a Drakos princess, she thought, feeling a shiver pass through her at the thought. Of course, she would always be a Novak. She had fought hard for the right to call herself that, to be a part of the clan she thought she had lost. But there was no doubt in her mind that this was where she belonged too – here, by Liev’s side.
Looking out over the crowd of dragons who had come to witness their wedding today, Darklis couldn’t help but feel a surge of love and hope. Not just for herself, but for the entire Novak Clan: her brother Stefan was here, of course, sitting in the front row with his mate, Holly, and their daughter Calla between them. Holly held thei
r two-month-old son, Firth, in her arms, where he was sleeping soundly, just the top of his head visible from deep within his cocoon of blankets.
Isaak and Josie were here too, Josie glowing with happiness and the early stages of pregnancy. It was clear that both she and Isaak were utterly delighted with the development, and Darklis too couldn’t wait to meet the new addition to their clan.
Looking at them made her feel deeply hopeful about the future. Her clan would be safe from now on – Stefan was a strong leader, dedicated to the wellbeing of his growing family.
But even so, she still felt a stab of regret for the one who was missing.
Dante, she thought, hoping that somehow, he might hear her. Dante, wherever you are, I hope you’re all right.
She hoped he knew that whenever he chose to return, he would be welcomed back with open arms. She hoped that whatever peace he was seeking, he would find it. He was a Novak, no matter what. And Novaks would always look after each other.
And now that Erik Lukich is finally dead...
Darklis still felt guilty for her relief at knowing that Erik could never come after her or her clan ever again. She’d still had nightmares about him, waking up covered in sweat and shaking with terror. And those nights, Liev had taken her in his arms, stroked her hair and whispered in her ear, until she had known once more that she was safe.
In his arms, she had never felt safer.
Closing her eyes, Darklis put her darker thoughts aside. Today was a day for happiness only: today was her first day as Liev’s wife.
“I know – it still doesn’t seem quite real, does it?” Liev said softly, as if he had read her mind. Which, of course, he probably had. If not her exact thoughts, then at least the sense of what they were.
Darklis nodded as she took his hand. Together, they descended the dais, to where Liev’s father and mother, King Aron and Queen Euanthe, were waiting for them. Behind them stood all of Liev’s younger brothers, as well as Magnus’s mate, Alanna.
Tears were streaming down Euanthe’s face as she reached forward, enfolding her eldest son in a fierce hug. Darklis couldn’t help but notice the same tears twinkling even in King Aron’s eyes – for all his wise, stoic exterior, Darklis knew how much he loved all of his children. They had thought Magnus had been dead or lost to them for years. She couldn’t imagine how much it must have hurt them while Liev had been missing, too.