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“Son.” Father’s weak voice silences us. “Welcome home. I am glad to see you one last time, here at the end.”
Kem moves aside, but maintains contact with a foot pressed to my side. Kogra crawls forward, pressing his head to father’s, tears in his voice. “I’ll miss you, father. I should have stayed.”
“No, son. You followed your heart. You had to leave to know if you belonged here.”
Kogra rubs his face against father’s cheek. “I do. This is my home. These are my people.” He turns to face Kem. “And I will stand with the King. He will have the support of the Mountain clan at the Challenge and beyond.”
A small gasp leaves my lips. I’d almost forgotten about the Challenge.
Kem nods, his foot stroking me slowly, comforting me. “I thank you, Kogra.” A quiet chuckle rumbles from his chest. “I imagine an additional show of support from the Mountain clan will rile Inchel.”
Father laughs, but it turns into a hacking cough. Once he catches his breath, he closes his eyes. “I wish I could see you tear that worm apart. But I’ve been present at more than a few of your Challenges over the years, Kemremir. You’ll be fine.”
Kem’s foot strokes my side. “Aye. I’ll be fine.”
We fall into silence, and an hour passes, then another. The rhythmic drip of the water along the back wall lulls father into a deep sleep, and as I watch, his sides expand, then release one last time. His body goes still, and grief presses in on me like the room just caved in.
I sit there, waiting for him to take another breath, but it never comes.
Kem nudges me with his snout. “Would you like to take him to the crest, or shall I have the guards bring him?”
Kogra and I speak at the same time. “I’ll take him.”
I lock eyes on my brother, and Kem stands, backing away. Kogra and I carefully work together to lift our father, and we settle him on Kogra’s back. I walk at his side, steadying my father’s body with my tail.
We leave my father’s room, Kem at our backs, guards trailing behind, and I take a deep breath. It’s happening. My father is gone. He will be Elevated tonight, and after … after, I’m going to have to face my future, whatever that looks like.
I glance back at Kem.
9
KEMREMIR
I have spent the past four days in near bliss, learning my Mate. But I’ve also been fighting with myself every moment I’m with her as my dragon.
I want her. I need her. Her dragon calls to mine. Desire has constantly roared through my body, heating my blood and spearing through my cock. I’ve held back. Every day my human mind argues with my dominant dragon.
I haven’t taken a female in my dragon form since I was very young. Sex as a human is much more stimulating. It can be sweet, tender, rough, desperate, leisurely, or fierce. Sensations are different on delicate flesh. Human tastebuds pick up more complex flavors.
But dragons fuck.
We use claws and teeth. We take. We fight. We claim.
I know Tatha has lived as her dragon her entire life, and I’m sure she is a fierce partner in her natural form. But I am a beast of another nature. I’m stronger. My fire is hotter. I’m larger—in all aspects. I’m afraid I’ll scare her, or worse. I can’t chance hurting her. Eventually, my dragon will win, and I’ll take her. But not today.
Today is for remembering my friend, for sending him home to the stars.
Tatha, Korgra, and I step outside. Heavy flakes of snow melt on my scales, and a procession of the dragons of the Mountain follows. I trail my Mate and her brother along a path that winds up the side of the mountain. Clouds have covered the moon, and the wind picks up as we come around a sharp curve. A large open plateau opens before us. With every step, my legs sink deeper into the snow.
Tatha and Kogra’s muscles flex as they push through the deep drifts despite their heated bodies melting away a lot of the snow. I rear back, flap my wings once, and leap over them. My spread wings bring me down gently.
“Kem, what—?” The wind steals Tatha’s question.
I stop their progress for a moment as I take a deep breath. Gathering my fire, I exhale flames and smoke. My belly glows bright against the dark, snowy night. My head sways left-to-right, then back again. The snow melts and steams, but I don’t stop. The soggy ground starts to bubble, then the water evaporates under the heat until dry, hard-packed earth spreads before us.
Stepping to the side, I nod at my Mate, and a sad smile curls up her lips. “Thank you, Kemremir.”
My wings flutter at my name on her lips, and I bow my head to her as she and her brother pass. They carry their father to the far ledge where stone juts out beyond the mountainside. Kogra lowers himself to the ground, and Tatha helps him ease Tovra from his back. In tandem, they flank their father’s body and sit back on their haunches, curling their tails around their legs. I step forward, and every dragon bows, pressing their snouts to the ground. A rainbow of scales greets my gaze, all spread out over the enormous expanse of their Mountain, adding brilliance and life to this dark night.
