by Ginna Moran
“Delphia, I’m begging you. Please forgive me for this mess. This wasn’t how I imagined meeting my intended would be, and I regret my actions. I know you’re angry. I know you don’t trust me or my brother, but I want to fix it. Allow me to do better for you. I just want you to give me the chance.” Theo brings my hands to his chin and snuggles his cheek against them. His black hair hangs on his forehead, some of the strands veiling his jade eyes.
Maddox swings his head, sending his hair whipping in his disagreement. “We can’t trust them. The second you agree and we enter their lands, they can turn against us.”
He’s right about that. I know he’s right, but the part of me that has bonded with Theo feels the Darkonian prince is being earnest.
“What if I have Ambrose ensure your safety?” Theo asks, getting to his feet. He keeps one of my hands in his, and I gently tug myself away.
I don’t care if I look paranoid or ridiculous, but I run past him and jump into Rowan’s open arms. His bulging muscles engulf me, steadying my crazy heartbeat with the feeling of safety that comes from his closeness.
“I will put you under Darkonian protection. All that I ask is that you agree to come with us. You know Delphia does not belong in that vile prison. We will keep her safe until her name is cleared. We can work together,” Theo says, stopping just out of arm’s reach. “Isn’t that right, Ambrose?”
“I will need your brother’s agreement,” Ambrose responds instead of going along with Theo.
“Then get him already.” Theo’s lips twitch with his words. “And brace yourself. He’s pissed we haven’t helped him.”
“Can’t you just leave him?” I ask, the words escaping my mouth before my brain has a chance to catch up. But damn it. It’s what I want. I want nothing to do with Tiernan, especially after the shit he pulled.
Theo smirks. “Another minute wouldn’t hurt anyone—”
A strange static shocks me, the air suddenly quivering. Rowan growls from deep in his chest, his dragon threatening to burst through his skin. Raising his hand, Maddox points toward the sky, and I clutch Rowan more fiercely. Light illuminates the horizon over the trees in a familiar glow. It’s a portal.
“The High Council,” Ambrose mutters. “The shield here fissures. They’ll be able to pinpoint the magical residue soon enough. We have to go.”
Muttering a spell under his breath, Ambrose sends the wreckage of the house blasting away. I spot Tiernan propping up part of the ceiling to keep it from smashing him. He drops the rubble and gathers dragon fire in his palms.
“You fucking bastards!” Tiernan yells, blasting fire at Theo’s feet. “How dare you just abandon me in that fucking mess.”
Ambrose flings his hands out, igniting a shield in front of him, stopping Tiernan’s dragon fire from hitting him next. “We didn’t abandon you. We had other things to worry about besides your shortcomings.”
Whoa shit.
“The High Council is on the move, and I need your agreement to accept the Drekis under the Darkonian protection,” Ambrose says, flicking his own magic at Tiernan.
Tiernan scowls. “Darkonians have never allied with the Dreki Clan. They’ve—”
“Do it for Delphia. It is the only way, brother,” Theo says, risking stepping closer.
“Why? She won’t even give me a chance. Why should I give in to her demands?” Tiernan turns his attention to me, his eyes glaring daggers that feel as if they stab right into my being. “Those fuckers will reap all the benefits of our power, and what will we get?”
“Delphia’s time,” Theo says, straightening his back, remaining calm yet commanding. “You can prove to her that you’re a worthy mate.”
“I want to ensure it. I won’t agree to any of this otherwise.” Tiernan tightens his jaw. “I want time with her—guaranteed and without interference.”
It takes everything in me not to react. What the hell is up with these demands? He can’t expect—
Static shocks me, cutting off my thought. I drag my attention back to the sky, growing lighter and brighter by the second.
“They’re coming,” Ambrose says, rubbing his hands together. “Give me your command, Tiernan. You know I can’t do anything otherwise. It must come from both of you.”
“No,” Tiernan says, fisting his hands. “The High Council can have them. There is always visitations.”
What the actual fuck.
“Tiernan!” Theo shouts.
My hair floats on a magic current, my body screaming to run, to transform, to do anything I can to get away. Dread steals my breath like my dragon senses my impending doom. It was easy to threaten accepting a life at the Maximum Magical Penitentiary, but now that I face that fate...fuck.
“I’ll do it,” I say, digging my fingers into Rowan’s shoulders like I can absorb his strength to face the Darkonian shithead. “I’ll give you a chance. Both of you. But you have to accept that the Drekis come with me. We’re a packaged deal.”
Theo and Tiernan stare at each other in silence.
“The lycan has to come too,” I add, frowning with my words. “The only way to get rid of him is finding a cure.”
A loud pop echoes through the air.
Ambrose gathers power. “Give me the command. We have minutes.”
Tiernan slowly nods his head. “I accept the Dreki alliance.”
Raising his hands, Ambrose extends them toward the sky. “Good, now grab the lycan. We will use him to portal. Everyone else, transform.”
Chapter 10
Magaelorum
FROM OUTSIDE THE PRISON WALLS of the Maximum Magical Penitentiary, Magaelorum is unlike anything I could ever imagine. The infinite, crystalline indigo sky meets a vibrant emerald horizon of lush trees. I still can’t get over the fact that this place of wonder is in another realm apart from the Mortal World. The breathtaking view captures my attention, refusing to let me go. Huge dragons glide through the sky and disappear over the red-rocked mountains of the Darkonian Clan’s territory.
“Would you like a tour of our kingdom, Delphia? I can feel your desire to explore.” Theo’s sultry voice sounds from behind me, but I don’t shift my gaze from the beautiful scenic expanse I view from the balcony of the guest bedroom—my bedroom. Yellowish-pink clouds decorate the horizon with the glowing sun, brighter than usual without the mucky smog of the Mortal World.
“I don’t know,” I murmur, touching the guardrail. “This view is quite the sight already. I’m not done enjoying it.”
The thumps of his bare feet draw closer from the metal door, three times the size that I am in my human form. If I transformed into a dragon, I wouldn’t even hit the ceiling. I could sleep in that form if I so choose. Hell, the double king-sized bed might even fit me, though I suspect it’s intended for something I haven’t thought about...until right now.
“I could teach you the customs that you have been denied learning by being kidnapped and taken to the Mortal World,” he thinks to me, his presence vying for my attention. “Such as it being customary for males to wait for an invitation from their mate before joining her in her living quarters. In here, you can invite anyone you please, even at the same time. You will notice upon accepting an invitation to our rooms that our sleeping arrangements aren’t as accommodating for more than you. It eases any territorialism within a clan, but now I see it’s especially important with the current circumstances.”
I try to remain expressionless, my thoughts about screwing more than one of my mates at a time in the big-ass bed proven right. My body reacts to the image swirling through my mind. Heat builds between my legs and I squeeze them together, silently begging the universe that Theo doesn’t notice. “And what if I invite the Drekis to stay with me around the clock?”
“That’s your prerogative during your free time, though I hope you will consider what I have to offer you, firecracker.” The warmth of his breath tickles the hair over my ear. I hadn’t realized how close he was standing to me. “I’ve noticed your curiosity toward
my body.”
I shiver at his closeness and swivel on my feet to face him. “How can I not be? You have a bejeweled cock. I’ve never seen one in real life.”
“It’s a gift to you,” he says, the corner of his lips curling up into a smirk. “Do you like it?”
I suck my bottom lip between my teeth and glance down, despite knowing he’s wearing pants. But I can’t help it. My damn eyes want to double check to be sure. “In the Mortal World, if a man chooses to give a woman jewelry, she’s usually the one to wear it.”
“I can arrange such a gift for you if you’d like.” His eyes wander down my body like he’s imagining bedazzling my labia with matching jewelry to his, and I automatically clench my vagina.
“Uh, no thanks. That seems like an awfully big commitment for a man I just met.” I step away from Theo and shift my gaze back to the scenic expanse of emerald trees stretching out for miles. “Now, if you were serious about showing me around, I’d like you to take me to my mates. I need to make sure your asshole warlock hasn’t done something that will get himself murdered by me.” I can feel they’re okay, but I would still prefer to keep my eyes on them at all times.
“You don’t trust me to keep my word,” he says, cutting me off, stopping me from heading to the door. It’s not a question but a statement. We both know it’s the truth, yet he wants my confirmation.
“How can I?” I ask, crossing my arms over my chest. “And even if you do, your evil twin might not. He’s pretty annoyed I won’t allow him to bond our souls.”
“I was rather lucky to go first, wasn’t I, Delphia?” It completely goes over his head that what he’s done to me was utter and complete bullshit, and he’s lucky I need his power at the moment.
I purse my lips. “It’s Nova. My name is Nova now. I legally changed it in the Mortal World.” I don’t know why I bother correcting him instead of calling his ass out. Maybe because anything else I could say will just bounce right back out of his head. It’s not like I’m not used to Maddox slipping up and calling me Delphia too.
“I don’t like it. It doesn’t suit you.” This guy. Is he joking? Theo remains tight-mouthed, yet calm, like it’s cool if he offends me by voicing his dissatisfaction about something personal to me, something that is part of my identity.
I furrow my brows. “If you’re trying to impress me with your charm, you’re failing miserably. Now, please. Take me to my mates.”
Theo frowns, his obvious disappointment washing over me. Slowly nodding his head, he extends his arm out for me to take. “Whatever will make you more comfortable while we arrange things around the palace until things settle. We’ve had to excuse our servants and guests to ensure word doesn’t get out about our arrival until we’re ready.”
“Ready for what exactly?” I ask, allowing Theo to lead me from the balcony towards the massive door. The room itself reminds me of the cave Maddox chose to live in at Max, but this room is far more luxurious. The polished stone floors sparkle with rainbow light from the various types of unfamiliar jewels embedded in the rock walls.
“To guarantee the High Council doesn’t act against us.” He crosses his free arm to rest his hand over mine. “Things are complicated.”
Turning my gaze away from the ornate fixtures, lit with magic, I get captured in his stare. “But you said—”
“Don’t worry, Del...Nova. We know you’re innocent, and we will prove it. If the High Council doesn’t agree to our terms, they will have a war on their hands.” Theo stops at the closed door. “No one will take you from us. You belong to the Darkonian Clan.”
“Don’t go trying to stake your claim on me yet, Theo,” I say, straightening my shoulders and stretching my neck, attempting to appear taller. I wish there was a damn step or something to climb on, so I could be at his eye level instead of feeling as if he looks down at me. “I want to be honest with you. This bond your warlock forced upon my soul doesn’t give you an automatic relationship or whatever with me. I agreed to come here because I felt this would be the best option for my mates and me, considering the circumstances. Don’t assume anything else, okay? I don’t want you expecting more than I want to give.”
Theo’s eyes flash with fire, his face remaining sharp yet handsome. “Your honesty gives me hope, especially because I know how you thought you could use the Drekis to your advantage, and look where that led.”
I wonder how he knows. Maybe Quillon. I guess it doesn’t matter. “It might’ve been like that at first, but—”
“No one blames you, and I don’t judge you for doing things you felt you had to do in that vile prison.” Reaching out, he caresses his fingers along my jaw. “You remained in control where many others would have succumbed to their circumstances. Cunning and smart. Brave.”
“I’m far from brave,” I say, my voice softening under the intensity of his gaze. “If I were brave, I’d have followed through with my threat to return to Max.”
“I happen to disagree. Coming here, agreeing to share your time with a clan you don’t think you belong to and also putting the Drekis above yourself by making such sacrifices—you’re braver than some of the toughest dragons I know. You act like a clan leader should.”
I’d usually laugh and brush off such a compliment, but I can feel that Theo believes his words completely and isn’t saying them in an attempt to win me over. A part of me knows I should steel myself against him. The Drekis are my true mates, and I’ve accepted them as mine and me as theirs. But this thing with Theo? I don’t even know what it is. I hate that he put me in this position, igniting a bond between us that might not have occurred otherwise, but then again...fate did the same with my bond to the Drekis.
It’s in this moment that I realize how much I miss the Mortal World and its familiarity. I miss how I could date and get to know someone or just fuck them and move on without any strings attached. It was all my choice and my decision. But in this world, in my new life, fuck. I don’t even know. It feels right and wondrous and impossibly easy to connect with strangers—the instant connection nearly unbelievable yet undeniable—that it makes me question every mortal relationship I’ve ever had. Because nothing compares to having this intense bonding of souls connecting me to another being, or the perfect reflection of my soul mirroring in another—in several others. But what this mean for all of us? I wish I knew.
“I wish I could read the stars as well, Nova,” Theo says quietly, the low velvety sound of his voice making my soul hum.
I inhale a small breath, realizing I projected my thoughts to him. I’ve opened up my mind when I know I should stay guarded.
“I’m glad you didn’t.” His voice whispers into my mind, filling me with an unfamiliar, inviting emotion that warms my insides. “You must understand how difficult this is on me.”
He thinks this is difficult on him? What the actual fuck.
And like that, the warmth disappears and icy anger swells through my body, pushing him out.
Breaking my eyes away from his, I yank the heavy door open and rush into the grand hallway of the Darkonian Palace. I need to put distance between me and Theo. He confuses the hell out of me, and I suddenly so desperately want to be with the Drekis.
“Nova, wait,” Theo calls from behind me, his thudding footsteps picking up pace as he decides to chase me. “Please. I didn’t mean to anger you.”
“Well, you did. Now please, this is my free time and you’re trying to take it for yourself. I just want to see my mates,” I call out over my shoulder.
“Nova, please. Let’s just talk for another moment. I want to apologize,” he says, his voice growing louder as he catches up to me.
Something feels wrong. I’m not the only one feeling desperate, but I don’t think Theo’s reason is the same as mine.
“After I see my mates.” I close my eyes, opening my mind, trying to get a better sense as to where Maddox, Kash, and Rowan might be. I know they’re here. I can feel them, but something doesn’t sit right with me.
“
Nova, stop. Just stop for a second,” Theo repeats.
My body buzzes with static, the hairs on my arm standing on end. Fuck. I can’t see Ambrose, but I can sense his magic. He’s doing something to my guys. I know it. “N—”
Theo tackles me from behind, engulfing me in his arms. Spinning midair, he flips to take the brunt of our fall onto his back. We skid across the gleaming stone floor with me on top of him, pinned to his chest. All I can do is brace myself as the bejeweled ceiling speeds by, the force of our collision dragging us several dozen feet.
Releasing one arm from my body, Theo grabs onto a metal beam, sending our bodies spinning over the ledge of an open balcony. I screech at the quick movement and how I fly away from him and hang over another expansive room a hundred feet below. My arm screams as he catches me by my wrist, and my mind kicks into action, using the strength of his hold to swing myself. Like we’re the closing act for Galaxy Gold’s aerial acrobatics show, Theo swings his muscular arm, throwing me up into the air and back onto solid ground. I land on my feet and automatically raise my arms up with a damn smile crossing my face. I forgot how thrilling it was to fly through the air in my human form, unsure of whether or not I’d make the perfect landing.
Theo climbs up the narrow beam, using his bare feet to walk along the side, his arm muscles bulging as he carries his weight. He doesn’t hop back onto the landing and instead continues up a few feet. He catches my gaze, knowing I now watch him, and readies his body to do a shoulder mount. My mouth falls open in surprise. Theo slowly stretches out his legs and torso, holding himself in an aerial shoulder mount plank. I’m in complete awe, devouring how his muscles flex and bulge, his strength admirable and sexy. I wonder what else he can do and where he learned such tricks. I can nearly imagine myself performing with him in front of an audience, balancing on his ripped abs.