I leaned back. “What?”
He grinned. “I want to do the mating ceremony with you.”
“You do?”
He laughed. “Yes, Aye, I want to.”
“You’ll be permanently connected to me, for the rest of our lives. We can’t take it back once it’s done.”
“I’m not worried about that.” He kissed me softly. “I love you, too, Aye.”
I brushed his hair off his forehead. “I love you so much.”
He smiled.
“Bodhi and I are a packaged deal, you know that, right?”
“I know all about it. Doc talked to me, and if I’m being honest, I’m excited about sharing this bond you have with her, too.”
Before either of us could continue, a wyrmling sized dragon knocked into Christian’s side, snorting and whimpering and wiggling as she said to me, I told you he’s ours.
Christian laughed and gathered Bo into his lap. “I love you, too, girl.”
Tell Christian I love him.
“She said she loves you.”
He grinned at me, then reached over and pulled the back of my neck. “Come here and kiss me.”
Instead of turning awkwardly, I picked Bo up and scooted between Christian’s legs, facing him and putting my legs over his thighs. Then I set Bo on my legs so she was squished between our stomachs and chests. Wrapping my arms around his neck again, I pulled him into a slow kiss, exploring his mouth with my tongue as he put his arms behind my back. We kissed for a long time, and Bo stayed where she was sandwiched between us, but eventually she became too impatient and started nosing our chins until we broke apart.
Now. Bond now.
“What’s she want?” Christian asked breathlessly.
“She wants us to do the ceremony now.”
“Can we do that?” His eyes were wide. “What do we have to do?”
“We just need a blade. We each make a cut on our hands, then press them together and say the binding words.”
“You have a knife with you, right?” He smiled and put one hand on Bo’s head as he kissed my nose.
“You really want to do this tonight?”
His hazel eyes searched my face. “Are you having second thoughts?”
I shook my head. “Not even close. I just wanted to make sure you were good.”
“Grab your knife, Eeli.”
Grinning at him, I leaned over and grabbed the knife I’d set beside the blanket when we’d sat down. “You have to cut your own hand. I’ll go first.” I held the blade against my skin and sliced it down, wincing at the sting. “Your turn.”
Christian took the knife from me, held it against his palm, then closed his eyes tight as he quickly sliced down. I winced watching him because I didn’t like seeing him hurt himself. He opened his eyes and blew out a breath. “Ouch.”
“I know, sorry.”
He smiled and pecked a kiss to my cheek. “What’s next?”
“Hold my hand.” He placed his hand in mine, and I made sure to line our cuts up before I chanted, “Betdeo batuma bawe partido.” Wisps of purple energy flew from our combined hands, then swirled around us, surrounding us in a haze the same color as Bo’s scales. I could feel our blood mixing in our palm, and as I stared into Christian’s hazel eyes, I felt our hearts crash together, our spirits combining until I didn’t know where I ended and he began. Our essences formed into something new and wonderful and whole.
Tears of joy filled my eyes, but I held them back as I pulled our hands apart for Bodhi to lick at our wounds, connecting us to her. As she licked Christian’s, I whispered, “Betdeo batuma bawe partido,” and I felt the moment the connection between the three of us grew. The purple energy swirled, then danced along Christian’s arm, lying on his skin and seeping in to form the tattooed outline of Bo that matched my own arm.
He looked down in amazement, then laughed out in joy before gazing at me and whispering, “I can feel you both.”
Smiling, I thought to him, I can feel you, too.
His eyes widened. “Holy shit. I heard that!”
I chuckled.
Bo leaned up and snuggled into his neck, and I heard her say, You’re ours now, Christian. And we are yours.
My mate laughed again as he wrapped his arms around both of us, and I heard him think, I’m so lucky to have you.
I shook my head. No, we’re the ones that are lucky. I love you, Christian.
Bo said, I love you, ma’cordhe.
I love you both. He leaned back, kissed my lips quickly, then asked, “What did she call me?”
I laughed and pulled him in to kiss him hard. “It’s a special name for me, her rider, and now, you as well. It’s an endearment that means something like my little heart, and she means it lovingly. She’s never called anyone else by that name but the two of us.”
He pet Bo’s head, and gently tilted her until she was looking into his eyes. “Thank you, Bo. That means a lot to me.”
She clicked and rubbed against him, and from the look on his face, she said something back to him. I expected to feel a little jealousy that he was speaking to my Bo that way, but all I felt was happiness. I loved that they were bonded.
After a minute, Christian yawned, so I gently pulled him down to lay on the pillows. Bo climbed on his chest, so I scooted in to put my head on his shoulder. He held his arm up, examining his new tattoo under the stars. I ran my fingers over part of it and said, “Now she can get to you in the blink of an eye no matter where you are.”
“Really?”
“Yes. She can travel between our tattoos, and distance is no problem. You’ll always be safe no matter where you go because Bo will be able to protect you.”
He lowered his arm to scratch her. “Aye?”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you for sharing her with me, and… for being my mate.”
Cupping his cheek, I turned his head to bring his lips to mine. Bo jumped off his chest, so I rolled on top of him and showed him how much I loved him with my body. When I slid inside him and brought us both to climax, stars of pleasure and love filled my body and his. It was the most intense and amazing thing I’d ever experienced.
As we lay naked on the blanket, trying to catch our breath, exhaustion from the mating ceremony hit us both, and our kissing became lazy and sloppy—but I couldn’t get enough of him, so I kissed him over and over again. Eventually, I laid my head in the crook of his neck and he held me in his arms.
Bo came back over and snuggled in with us, so I pulled the extra blanket over us all, and the three of us cuddled under the stars, falling asleep with full hearts and happy souls. Finding my mate was the best damn thing that had ever happened to me.
23
Christian
“What’s it like to know you’re going to spend the rest of your life with Eeli?” Kyla asked as Bo sat on my lap, snuggled into me.
“It still trips me out a little, you know? One minute I’m trying to make sure we can eat and have everything we need for school, then boom—I don’t have to work because we have a family taking care of us; I can focus on school and actually think about going to college, and I have my forever person.”
Kyla giggled. “Our life sure hasn’t been the same since the kidnapping.” She held her hands up, her face morphing into an expression of fake-shock.
“Worst kidnapping ever. Poor Eeli. It’s fun to tease him about it now, though.” I thought back on last night when he was whining at me to hurry up and come on, and I asked him if he was going to kidnap me if I didn’t. He hadn’t been amused by my theatrics, when much like Kyla, I’d pretended to be scared and huddled in the corner begging him to leave me alone.
“You really have no room to talk, Christian. You were terrified of Bodhi and the other dragons.”
“Hey! You’d have been scared, too. The first time you saw her she was all cute and little. She grew as large as the school hallway would accommodate to keep me trapped.”
Kyla cackled at me before studying Bo.
“So you really get to hear Bodhi talk to you now?”
“Yeah, it’s the coolest thing,” I answered, rubbing Bo’s head. She cooed at me, then jumped into my sister’s arms. Kyla caught her, laughing.
Tell Kyla I love her, too. You’re my mate and she’s my family.
When I told Kyla what she said, she hugged Bo and responded, “I love you, too, Bodhi. And you’d be my family no matter what. All of you dragons would.” The words were no sooner out of her mouth and she had four more wyrmling-sized dragons bounding to her and crawling all over her, smothering her with kisses.
Bo huffed in my head. She’s mine first.
I reached in and pulled her out of the center of the pile into my arms, responding, You can share. Kyla needs all of you. She’s so happy now. Watching my sister as she got up and played with Sindri, Kesia, Itsaso, and Harri, I wished that my parents were alive to see how happy she was, how well we were doing. I guess I really wished they could know how incredible a life we had.
I’ll take you, ma’cordhe.
Take me where, Bodhi? I asked curiously.
To talk to your parents, to the place where they sleep. We can go. The other dragons stopped and turned to Bo, then began jumping all over the place, fluttering their wings and spinning in circles. We can all go. They want to come, too.
“Christian, what’s going on? Why are they all acting crazy?” Kyla asked.
“That’s what I was going to ask,” said Malachite as he walked toward where Kyla and I were sitting on the cliffs. “Kesia said we’re going on a day trip.”
Kesia spun and dove at Malachite, who easily caught her in his big, muscular arms. He laughed at her antics before turning back to me. “Bodhi suggested we go to where my parents are buried. What do you think?” I asked my sister.
“I think it’s a great idea,” Doc said as he walked up from the other side, having been out on a walk with Azaran.
“What’d we miss?” Eeli asked as he came running up with Zale and Davis right behind him. The three of them had been training together, so I’d wanted to spend some alone time with my sister. Eeli jogged right to me and claimed a kiss.
“Bo suggested going to my parents’ gravesite.”
Eeli’s blue eyes softened, and he brushed his thumb down my cheek. “We probably should have done that last time, huh?”
“No, Kyla wouldn’t have been there.” I turned to her with an arched brow since she still hadn’t answered my question.
She was leaned into Malachite’s side, her small body tucked completely under his arm, with tears running down her face as she nodded.
“Yes! Family trip!” Zale yelled.
The dragons’ magic swirled around us, lifting to reveal five dragon-sized beasts ready to fly. As usual, Malachite took Kyla as I got on behind Eeli, and Doc hopped on behind Azaran. As we took off, Davis yelled, “Next stop, Shimmerside.”
Bo led our caravan like her butt was on fire, a straight shot to the graveyard where my parents had been laid to rest on the outskirts of town. On the way she assured me, After we go see your parents, we’ll take you and Kyla for a nice, long ride.
Thanks, Bo. That sounds perfect.
Eeli said, “Even up in the air, you can tell when she’s preening. Look at her.” We snickered at how she managed to cock her head with pride during the flight.
When the graveyard itself came into view, a wave of sadness washed over me. I held onto Eeli tighter and buried my head in his back, needing a little more time to calm myself. “Christian, Bo doesn’t want to bother you, but she doesn’t know where to go.”
I took one deep shuddering breath and straightened my spine. This was important for Kyla and me, and I needed to be strong for her. Once I directed Bo where to go, she glided down, landing in front of their headstone with Kesia settling gracefully next to us and bowing for Kyla to hop off of her. I jumped off Bo after giving her side an affectionate pat and ran to help Kyla to the ground. “You ready?” I asked her as I grabbed her waist and swung her to the ground.
“Yeah.”
Slowly we approached the marker for the grave, our new family—men and dragons—standing back, giving us space.
“That’s beautiful, Kyla,” I said to my sister. When our parents had died, we’d found out that they already had a plot of land in the cemetery and had picked out matching caskets and a single headstone for both of them. They’d left space for us to have something engraved, and Kyla had known instantly what she wanted.
Martin and Poppy Maddox
Wherever there is a bloom,
there you’ll be with me.
“It seems especially appropriate now, doesn’t it?” she asked. We stood silently, lost in our own thoughts for several minutes before she reached out her hand and I clasped it in mine. “Do you remember how Mom used to make you hold my hand whenever we left the house?”
I chuckled at the memory. “‘Christian, don’t you dare let your sister’s hand go. If you lose her, I’ll lose you,’” I mimicked my mom’s voice.
Kyla giggled. “My favorite was when she said, ‘Kyla, quit following your brother around like a gnat or I’m gonna let him squish you like the bug you’re being.’”
“Oh, what about when she used to say to Dad, ‘Did I give birth to you? I don’t remember having another full-grown son. Nope, if you were my son you’d have more sense.’”
“Your mom sounds like a fun lady. I wish I had been able to meet her,” Eeli said as he came over and wrapped his arm around my waist. I wasn’t surprised when Bo appeared on my shoulders, too.
“She was the best,” Kyla said softly, leaning into Malachite as he moved to her other side.
“How about your dad? Any fun stories about your dad?” Doc asked as the rest of them joined us forming a semi-circle around the headstone. The dragons all back in wyrmling form and standing sedately by their riders.
“Dad was our rock,” I replied. “They were both more progressive than most of our friends’ parents, but Mom was such a free spirit. She could spend hours outside tending to her garden—”
“Or inside making flower arrangements and lose time making them beautiful,” Kyla interjected.
“So true.” I shook my head at the memory of Dad fussing around after Mom. “She was funny because she got onto him about stuff like forgetting to put the toilet lid down, but she’d forget to eat if he didn’t remind her.”
“Or sleep. She was the worst about not ever wanting to go to bed; she loved being out under the stars.”
I shook my head again, laughing. “But she also loved sunrise. And Dad was an early riser, so he’d get up in the morning and start the coffee, then they’d go sit out back together.”
“I miss them, Christian,” she choked out, and I squeezed her hand.
“Me, too.” I gave Eeli a kiss on the cheek and pulled Kyla up in front of the headstone with me, both of us immediately dropping to our knees. I laid my hand on the black granite and inhaled deeply. “Hi Mom and Dad. Sorry we haven’t been here since the funeral, but Uncle Larry isn’t much on driving us around, or doing anything for us really. But don’t worry. Kyla and I have a new place to live. We have a new family. They managed to get us officially in their custody, too, so we don’t have to worry about Uncle Larry.” I paused for a minute thinking about when we went to tell Uncle Larry we were moving out and wouldn’t be back. Azaran and Toby served him with the official paperwork some judge that knew about the Brotherhood had signed off on, but when he got irate, I couldn’t hold it in. I’d yelled at him how it was his fault our parents were dead, that his sister was dead. All because of him and his stupid drinking making him a blabber mouth. Not even Kyla, with her soft heart, felt bad when we left him a blubbering, crying mess slumped on his living room floor amidst his filth. It seemed fitting to me.
“You’re not going to believe this, or maybe you will, but I’m the mate of a dragon rider. His name is Eeli and… he’s pretty incredible.” I felt Eeli’s hand settle on my shoulder. Thankful for
his presence, I tipped my cheek onto it for a moment, then sat up and continued, “And we have a dragon. Did you know that you share the dragon when you mate with a rider? Actually, I bet you did know. Her name is Bodhi. She’s a majestic purple and so fierce, and she calls me her ma’cordhe and loves me. Now that I’m mated to Eeli, I have her tattoo on my arm, so she can go with me and we can talk telepathically. It’s the coolest thing… and Eeli and Bodhi were a package deal just like me and Kyla, we all got more family.”
Kyla picked up as I searched my mind for what else to say. “We miss you. So much. But you should know, Eeli’s family is great. And his brother Kite—Malachite, really—takes me out flying on his dragon, Kesia.” Kyla went on to explain who all the brothers were and told our parents about their dragons, from the color of their scales to their unique personalities. “And we know the gift you left us, Mom. Christian figured it out. I was amazed when we discovered that you’d left the seeds in our charms to continue your legacy. Eeli’s family had been trying to provide oil to a clan who used to come to you for oil with one plant, but now, between you teaching me what to do, and the seeds you left, I’ll be able to grow a patch like we had growing up. I want you to know one more thing, too. Christian took such good care of me after you died. I was so scared, but he held me when I cried, made sure I ate, got up with me when I had nightmares, and helped me with my homework. You’d have been so proud. He became every bit as wonderful as you raised him to be.”
I pulled her into a light headlock and kissed her temple. When I glanced up, there were tears filling the eyes of men and dragon, alike. Focusing back in front of me, I was surprised to see Bo approaching the headstone with her talon outstretched. Then I caught the glimmer of a green gemstone, it flashed bright like the color of my sister and mom’s eyes. Bodhi, what do you have?
I brought a pretty for your parents.
Eeli: The Brotherhood of Ormarr Book Three Page 22