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Rae slips into the room, crossing to us, a huge smile lighting up her face. She kisses Ash, and he wraps an arm around her waist. Turning to me, her grin expands until she’s practically glowing. Her hair dances around her, and the ale in Ash’s cup floats into the air as her magic flares with her joy.
Ash presses a kiss to her cheek, and she blushes. “Sorry.” The air settles, and the ale sloshes back into his cup. “I’m just so happy for you, Kem. She’s wonderful.”
I smile. “Thank you, Raelyn. She is wonderful.”
Ash claps me on the back. “Show time.”
The room goes silent as I stride across the room, between my guards. The click of my boots on the marble sounds overly loud in my ears until I cross onto the rug. My soles sink into the deep pile, and I take a deep breath, turning to face the far end of the room.
As King, it is my responsibility to perform the Mating ceremony for those lucky few who find their true match. I think of Syphe and Bran’s ceremony. Their joy and love affected everyone in the room as my magic imbued into the cuffs they chose, allowing the bands to shift with them between forms.
The doors swing open, and I forget how to breathe. Tatha steps into the room, her hand resting in the crook of her brother’s elbow. Her eyes find me, and I swallow the fire burning in my chest. She’s wearing black. A tight-fitting bodice adorned with tiny black crystals hugs her waist and presses her breasts up. Layers of sheer black and grey fabric drape from her waist to trail the floor. The sheer fabric swirls around her legs, layered to make the skirt opaque, but the strips of fabric part as she walks, revealing tantalizing slivers of skin.
The dress looks like my shadows, and as that thought crosses my mind, the tendrils peel away from my body, swirling around me, reaching for her. Tatha’s bright smile nearly buckles my knees. Why is it taking her so long to get here?
Kogra kisses her cheek, but her eyes remain on me. My shadows caress her first, then I take her hand as she steps next to me. “You look glorious, Mate.”
My shadows dance around her dress and smooth along her amethyst hair, playing with the curls. She laughs, the sound filling the large room with warmth and happiness. “You’re not so bad yourself.”
My black pants and grey sleeveless tunic seem drab next to her. She runs her free hand down my chest, her fingers trailing the purple and gold embroidery. “It matches my colors.”
I glance at Ash before smiling down at Tatha. “I’m your match.”
A beautiful blush colors her cheeks and chest. I want to consume her. I want to claim her. I want to fuck her right here.
She leans in, whispering, “I know that look. Soon enough Mate.” She looks around. “Thank you for the flowers. They’re beautiful. It’s like the first day we met.”
“You put them all to shame, my love.”
She smiles, ducking her head.
Turning, I hold Tatha’s hand as we face the crowd. “I, King Kemremir, claim before the gods and my people that Tatha of the Mountain clan is my heart, my soul, my Mate.”
In answer, a low vibration sounds around the room and spills in from outside—my people rumbling with the magic of their dragons.
Tatha’s grip tightens on my hand. Her chin lifts, and her voice is strong and clear as she faces the crowd. “I, Tatha of the Mountain clan, claim before the gods and my people that King Kemremir is my partner, my heart’s desire, the missing piece to my soul, my Mate.”
We turn back to face each other, and her eyebrows scrunch together, whispering, “You said you’d handle the cuffs?”
I smile, holding our hands up between us. “I’ve got it.”
My shadows swirl down my arm, curling up hers, and with a push of my power, two tendrils break free. One wraps around Tatha’s left wrist, swirling in intricate patterns around her creamy skin. I turn her hand, exposing the underside of her wrist. Reaching into my pocket, I pull out Tovra’s grey scale. Tatha gasps as I push my magic into the dead scale. Spring green colors the edges before spreading. The green darkens until the scale shimmers a vibrant shimmering emerald. I press her father’s scale to her wrist, and my shadows curl around it, securing the small piece of her father into the Mating cuff I made her.
The other piece of shadow curls around my wrist, and Tatha lifts her head. Her eyes swim with unshed tears. “It’s perfect.”
“You’re perfect.”
A tear dances on the edge of her lashes, and I brush it away before leaning in, taking her lips in a deep kiss. The room erupts in cheers and roars, but all I can hear is my heart slamming against my chest and Tatha’s breath against my lips.
Finally, we pull away from each other, facing the crowd once more. I raise my hand, the shadow cuff swirling around my wrist like it’s showing off. It probably is. I sure am.
Everyone quiets down, and I clear my throat. “Please join us at the North Lake.”
The people outside start to shift, dragons leaping into the sky. The rest of the crowd moves outside, shifting as well. Bran holds Ash in his claw, and Rae climbs on Syphe’s back. Tatha and I shift at the same time, spearing into the air.
The dragons part as we touch down at the edge of the North Lake. On the eastern edge, set back from the water, we approach a large orchard. Trees of every size and shape spread before us—trees from our world, and many from the vast amount of worlds in our universe—each one planted on Moneria and nurtured by the dragon’s magic.
I reach into the well of my magic, retrieving a small seed. Tatha steps closer, staring at the seed. “Is that … a mountain pine?”
