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Tatha drops to her belly. Her tail protectively curls around her as she lays her muzzle on the neck of the sleeping dragon in the large nest along the back wall. I ache to hold her. My claws scrape grooves in the diamond-hard floor as I resist curling my body around hers. I want … no, I need to take her pain away. But I can’t. This is something she must endure. But I can be here for her.
Hopefully, that is enough.
I inch closer, slowly lowering myself to the ground.
Tatha rubs her cheek along the dragon’s neck. “Father?”
He stirs. Most of his emerald green scales are muted, some completely devoid of color. When his eyes flutter open, I notice his once vibrant eyes are no longer green, but a cloudy white. His body shakes as a cough bubbles from his chest, and when he’s able to take a breath, he focuses on his daughter.
“Tatha? Sweet girl. You’ve come back.”
“Of course, father. The King has come.”
“Oh, ho!” A bit of life kicks through his voice as he shifts. Tatha moves back, her tail brushing mine. When she moves to pull away, I curl my tail around hers to keep her there. I need the contact as much as I suspect she does. “The great Kemremir has at last come to the Mountain.”
I smile at the laughter in his words as I crawl closer. “Of course, old friend. I only wish I had known of your condition earlier.”
He shakes his head as he stiffly props his front legs under his chest. “Nothing to be done. You’re a busy man, and we here in the Mountain like our solitude.” He turns toward Tatha. “How was it being in your human form?”
Her scales darken with a blush, and I smile as she shakes her head. “It was … interesting.”
Tovra’s eyes dance between us, and one of his great brows climbs his forehead. “Oh! Well, then.” His eyes land on me, and though there’s a flicker of joy in the depths of his eyes, he’s fixed a stern look on his face. “Are you going to do right by my girl?”
“Father!”
“Well, you’re my only daughter.”
“We don’t need to be discussing this. The King is here for you, father.”
Tovra looks between us again, shaking his head. “I know you’ve had your dalliances, Tatha …”
At the thought of Tatha with other lovers, a growl rumbles from my chest, and her vibrant scales pale slightly. I shrug, unapologetic of my possessiveness, and just barely resist chuckling at her embarrassment.
“Oh gods, please, father.”
Tovra continues, “... but this seems like something more.” He turns to me. “Yes?”
I nod, glancing at Tatha. Her blush has deepened, but she doesn’t nod or shake her head, just stares at me, so I answer honestly. “Yes, Tovra. Your daughter is my Mate.”
Tovra’s eyes go round, and a little spark of green flares around the pale edges. “Mates! Oh, my sweet girl, congratulations! And with the King!”
Tatha buries her face between her front legs, hooking her left foot over her eyes.
I laugh. “I am honored to be Tatha’s Mate, and yes, I will do right by her. Always.”
Tatha lifts her head, her fire burning in the center of her eyes. Tovra nods, his smile widening as he relaxes into his nest. “Aye. You were always an honorable dragon, Kemremir. I am happy for you both. I was content with my fate before, but now I am truly at peace.”
Tatha’s tail winds higher up mine, and I’m not sure she’s aware she’s doing it, but my chest purrs at the contact. “With your permission, Clan Leader, I will stay in the Mountain until your passing, and when the time comes, I will light the fires of your Elevation.”
Tovra nods, resting his head in the deep blankets and large pillows. “Of course. My King does not need to ask permission. Tatha will see that you are comfortable.” He chuckles, and she blushes again. “I feel my soul pulling toward the ether. Your stay should not be long.”
A little huff of sorrow slips from Tatha, and I rest my foot on Tovra’s. “I will stay as long as necessary.”
There’s no response. His soft breathing evens out, and his body slips back into sleep. Tatha pulls more blankets and pillows around her father before rising and backing away. When we reach the edge of the room, her voice whispers over her shoulder. “I’ll take you to your room. Unless you’re hungry and would like to go on a hunt.”
Before she passes into the narrow hall, I move around her, blocking her exit. “I’d love to hunt with you, Tatha, but I will not need my own room. I’m sleeping with you.”
The scent of her arousal floods my nose, and I growl, my fangs nipping at her flank as she slips by me and into the tunnel. My body vibrates as I follow her. Her scent is concentrated in this close space, and the swish of her tail becomes violent, and I realize she must have picked up the scent of my desire for her.
