“Yes, I added to the tunnels myself,” Raven answers the question I hadn’t got to form yet, clearly reading my thoughts through our bond or simply knowing what I’d wonder. “I partially shifted and dug them out myself. We needed space that is just ours—private quarters away from the main nest.”
Rooms expand off the main tunnel on both sides as we walk, and as we pass each door, males step out. Raven says their names softly—”Corvus,” “Keir,” “Hemlocke,” “Finlay”—and kisses each one tenderly as we pass. They nod respectfully to me, clearly giving us space but establishing their presence.
She stops at a door just before what I assume is hers at the very end of the tunnel. “I carved this one out specifically for you,” she says, looking uncertain and vulnerable in a way I haven’t seen from her yet. “As lead drake, your room should be closest to mine. That’s tradition.”
“Corvus doesn’t wish tae remain as lead drake?” I ask with genuine surprise. I was half expecting to have to battle him in human form for the position—it’s the traditional way.
“Surprisingly, no,” she says with a small smile. “He would prefer a male with experience and age to lead the nest. He said he’s too young for the responsibility and would rather learn from you.”
She turns the ornate brass knob and opens the door to my room. I step inside and stop, genuinely shocked. It’s far more opulent than I was expecting—clearly a labor of love and careful planning. The room has a warmth to it that immediately makesme feel welcome. It’s decorated in shades of rich brown and warm mauve accents. There’s a massive bed, bookshelves filled with what look like new volumes, a sitting area with comfortable chairs, and a table.
I place the bag Klauth gave me on the bed and move around what is to be my private space, running my hands over the furniture, examining the books, taking in every detail she’s provided for my comfort.
Looking over my shoulder, I see Raven standing in the doorway with a soft, hopeful smile. “We each have our own private space for when we need solitude,” she explains quietly. “We also have what’s called date night, so that each mate gets their own focused time with me without the others around.”
She pauses and looks down, suddenly shy. “My room is the neutral zone. I sleep in my mate's room on their designated night.” She looks down and away again, a blush coloring her cheeks. “The shower is through that door.” She points over my shoulder to a door I hadn’t noticed.
“When you’re ready, follow the hallway to the surface levels. Once you can see sunlight, turn right. The neutral living room is there—it’s where I entertain guests and where the family gathers.” She backs out of my room and closes the door softly behind her, giving me privacy to process and prepare.
I stand there for a moment in the room my mate carved out of solid stone for me, and I feel emotions I haven’t experienced in a thousand years threatening to overwhelm me. She made this for me. Before she even knew what I looked like, before she’d heard my voice outside her head, she prepared a space fer me in her home and her heart.
I strip off my damp undergarments and head toward the shower, needing to wash away the grime of imprisonment and prepare myself properly. It’s time to get cleaned up and meet the rest of the family. Time to step into this new world and this new life my mate has built.
Time to be worthy of the incredible female who waited for me to hatch.
I wander the halls slowly,tracking Raven’s distinctive scent of sea salt and jasmine through the winding tunnels to the sitting room. The stone corridors are well-lit with what appears to be electric lighting—a marvel I’ll need to learn about. Her other four mates are already there, sitting close to her fathers in the spacious room, and she visibly tenses the moment she sees me enter.
“Please don’t approach, Solaris,” Raven says quickly, moving toward me and pulling me toward the corner of the room she’s clearly claimed as her personal space. There’s a comfortable-looking chair and a small table there. “We haven’t exchanged bites yet, and I’m very on edge.”
I can see her teeth are still sharp like her dragon’s—elongated canines that could easily tear through flesh. Her sapphire eyes keep flickering to that glowing blue, and I can feel the tension radiating from her in waves.
“Everything will be alright, my love. We’re surrounded by yer family and other mates,” I say soothingly, sitting on the cushioned arm of the chair and pulling Raven to stand betweenmy legs in front of me. She folds her wings in tight against her back, making herself smaller, and I place my head carefully between her head and wing on the right side—remembering she mentioned she was deaf in that ear.
A tall man with long black hair and striking pink eyes stands up gracefully and turns to face us. He’s got the build of someone who works with horses—muscular but lean. “I’m Hemlocke, twenty-three years old and a black unicorn from the western side of the Blackhaven territory. I guess you would say I’m mate number two.” He smiles warmly and waves in friendly greeting.
“Pleasure tae meet ye,” I say with genuine friendliness, hugging Raven a little tighter against me. Her warmth seeps into my chest.
The next male has sandy-colored hair and storm-gray eyes that seem to churn with their own internal weather. “Hi, I’m Keir. Blink hound. I turn twenty-four in a few months and I’m mate number three.” He winks with playful charm, and Corvus immediately pokes his side in reprimand.
“Don’t let that boy-next-door look fool you,” Corvus says, shaking his head as he looks at his friend with fond exasperation. “He attends Shadowcarve with Raven, and he left her a severed drow head as a mating present.”
“Yer fathers’ school was actually built?” I look at Klauth with genuine surprise and interest. “Shadowcarve was only in the planning stages when I was imprisoned.”
Klauth’s crimson-flecked amber eyes lit up with pride. “Yes, apparently completed while we were both imprisoned.” His eyes look haunted for a moment, and I understand completely—a thousand years stolen from us.
“Ye’re in Shadowcarve as well, love?” I ask, kissing Raven’s cheek tenderly. She giggles at the contact and pulls her wings in a little tighter, the sound making my heart swell.
“Yes, my mom was a six-time gauntlet champion back when females had to run both gauntlets to prove themselves,” she explains with obvious pride. “I’ve successfully finished the gauntlet once, and was abducted this year during my second attempt.” She pauses, and I feel her body tense again. “I still need to run the gauntlet to complete my training.”
She looks across at her fathers, and all three of them immediately look away like guilty children.
“As the heir apparent, I would prefer if you didn’t run the gauntlet anymore. Please,” Klauth says, and the pleading in his voice takes me by surprise. This ancient dragon is begging his daughter to stop.
“Why shouldn’t she run if she’s able?” I say with conviction, feeling my protective instincts rise. “My mate is no delicate flower. She is a skull dragoness and magnificent in every way. No machine will stop her. Worst-case scenario, she’ll melt it tae the ground with her acid.”
“Currently mate number five is the favorite,” Raven announces as she turns and kisses my cheek with obvious affection. The deep purr that escapes my lips is completely involuntary—I couldn’t have helped it if I tried.
Someone clears their throat pointedly, and I look up to see a distinguished man in an impeccably tailored three-piece suit. He’s got the bearing of old nobility. “I am Finlay.” He brushes his hair back with one hand, and I’m struck by how it looks almostlike living flames—several shades of red and orange make up his hair color. “I’m over nine hundred years old and I’m a phoenix.”
