“What’s bothering you?” He kisses the side of my neck, his lips soft and warm, before moving off to the side to lean on the edge of the pool with me. His shoulder presses against mine, a solid point of contact that grounds me.
“I turned four mages to stone in human form.”
The words come out flat, matter-of-fact, but beneath them is a churning sea of emotion I’m still trying to navigate. I lift my headand then my left wing, draping the leather membrane over his back and pulling him closer. He fits perfectly against my side, as if he were made to be there.
“Seeing Abraxis rendered defenseless, the magic chains they had on him.” I shake my head, the memories flashing behind my eyes. His massive drake form bound and helpless. The fear in his eyes—not fear for himself, but fear for me. “How I saw genuine fear in his eyes.”
I turn and wrap my arms around Keir, pressing the bridge of my nose to his throat. His pulse beats steadily against my skin, and I breathe him in—the clean, electric scent of ozone that clings to all blink hounds, underlaid with something warmer. Something that’s just him.
“Abraxis has a long military career.” Keir’s voice is soft, thoughtful. His hands come up to hold me, careful of my wings, cradling me against his chest. “Until Thauglor hatched, he was the strongest black dragon on the continent.”
He presses his lips to my cheek; the kiss lingering.
“Kids always have a hero worship of a parent. You knew of his history before his injury. So seeing that strong male helpless—it messes with your head.”
“Yeah.” I pull back slightly, looking into his eyes. The stormy gray depths are calm now, steady, reflecting my face back at me with perfect clarity. “It bothered me more when I carried him home, then came back here.”
I pause, organizing my thoughts, trying to put into words the revelation that’s been settling into my bones since I held my nest father while he cried.
“I’ve misunderstood him all this time. He wasn’t mad at me.” The truth of it still stings, still shames me. “He was jealous. Jealous that I healed and can fly like nothing happened, while he’s still grounded by his injury.”
I turn and walk Keir backward through the water, guiding him with gentle pressure until he sits on the submerged steps at the shallow end of the pool. The water laps at his chest, droplets rolling down his skin. I climb onto his lap, facing him, my thighs bracketing his hips, my wings spreading slightly for balance.
“Jealousy does funny things to people.” Keir smiles up at me, his hands finding my waist beneath the water, his thumbs tracing small circles on my hip bones. “Like... I get jealous that Solaris had the first baby.”
His admission surprises me. Keir rarely talks about wanting children—rarely talks about wanting anything beyond my happiness.
“But then I remember that I’m the one you always go to when you just need to be held.” His smile softens, becoming something tender and vulnerable. “I’m your safe place. And that means so much to me, especially since I’m not a dragon.”
He holds my gaze, those stormy eyes churning with emotion.
“You trust me to keep you safe.”
The words hit me somewhere deep, somewhere I didn’t know was bruised until he touched it. I reach up and cup his face in my hands, feeling the slight stubble along his jaw, the warmth of his skin.
“You protect my heart so fiercely, I would swear you are a black dragon at times.” I smile as I lean forward and kiss his lips softly,tasting the mineral tang of the bath water, feeling his breath catch against my mouth.
When I pull back, his eyes have darkened, the gray deepening to something closer to slate.
“So what’s next on your list of things to do?” He tilts his head to the side, watching me with that patient, knowing expression he wears so well.
“You, if I’m lucky.”
The words come out lower than I intended, husky with a need that has nothing to do with the day’s violence and everything to do with the male beneath me. I scoot forward until I can press my chest against his, feeling his heart beat fast against my skin.
“Are you sure you’re okay with that?” Keir’s hands tighten slightly on my hips, but he doesn’t move. Doesn’t push. He always checks to make sure my head is in the right place, always gives me the space to change my mind.
It’s one of the reasons I love him.
“Yeah.” I nuzzle against his jaw, pressing a kiss to the spot just below his ear. “I’ve missed you. Tonight’s your night with me.”
My hands slide down his chest, feeling the planes of muscle beneath my palms, the ridges of his ribs, the trail of hair that leads down from his navel. I find the string on his swim trunks and tug it loose with practiced ease.
The second it’s untied, I slip off his lap and float back slightly, giving him room.
“Get undressed.”
Keir grins at me—that mischievous, boyish grin that makes him look younger than his years—and winks.
