Chapter 24
Raven
I pace restlesslyaround the living room of the upper level of my home in Blackhaven, my boots making soft sounds against the hardwood floor. The familiar space does nothing to calm my racing thoughts. I need to at least bite Solaris before returning to school today—complete that part of the bond so I can think straight again.
Finlay and Corvus left already to set up for their courses. I said goodbye to them about an hour ago, hugging them tightly and breathing in their familiar scents—bonfire and smoke from Finlay, baked bread and honey from Corvus. Hemlocke and Keir are still here for a little longer, their presence a comfort. Keir is going to blink them to the cafeteria this morning, leaving Solaris and me to fly in together.
“We’re leaving,” Keir announces as he and Hemlocke poke their heads into the living room, already dressed for the day.
I close the distance between us quickly and hug and kiss them both, savoring the contact. “Be safe. I love you.” I kiss them again, tasting coffee on Keir’s lips, and watch them blink out of sight with that familiar displacement of air.
“I’ll never get used tae seeing that,” Solaris observes as he steps into view wearing a tailored black blazer with a pale blue button-down underneath, paired with dark slacks. He looks like he walked out of a fashion magazine—handsome and put-together in a way that makes my mouth go dry.
My heart rate speeds up seeing him dressed like this, and I feel my sharper teeth break through my gums with small pricks of pressure. I slowly approach him like a predator stalking prey and drag my nose up the column of his throat, drawing his rich sandalwood scent deep into my lungs. The smell makes my head spin with want.
I stand on my tiptoes and press my lips to the exact spot where I want to bite him—right where his neck meets his shoulder. A soft rumbling purr, more felt than heard, escapes my lips and rattles through my chest into his.
“Mark me, my love, before ye go on a rampage,” Solaris says softly, his voice understanding and patient. “We can finish the bond later tonight.” How he’s holding it together amazes me when I can barely think straight.
I open my mouth slowly, giving him time to back out if he wants, before I sink my elongated teeth into his neck. The tips of my teeth touch his skin almost in warning before I bite down fully. The rich, coppery taste of his blood fills my mouth immediately. It has an aftertaste of that fine whiskey Dad keeps hidden behind his books in his study—smooth and burning.
It’s the flood of raw power that hits me that almost knocks the breath out of my lungs. I feel like every cell in my body has been set on fire at once, electricity racing through my veins. My wings spread wide of their own volition and tremble with the intensity.
Solaris’s large hands move slowly down my ribs in a soothing pattern, grounding me. His lips find the left side of my neck high up and under my ear—a place where the mark cannot be hidden from anyone. When his teeth break through my skin, I climax on the spot with shocking intensity.
Pain and pleasure mix together until I can’t tell where one ends, and the other begins. It feels like our life forces are cycling between us in an endless loop of give and take. A deep rumbling purr rattles his chest as I close my wings around us, holding us tightly together in our own private world.
Carefully, I retract my teeth from his throat and lick the wound, my saliva sealing it closed. The wave of peace that moves over me afterward is like nothing I’ve ever felt in my life—complete and whole in a way I didn’t know I was missing.
Solaris releases my neck and laps at the wound gently before placing a tender kiss in the center of the mark. “That should do fer now, my love. Later we’ll handle the rest.” He kisses my neck again, then I open my wings and let him step back.
He offers me his hand with old-world courtesy, and I take it. He leads me out of the nest into the courtyard, the morning sun warm on my face. “Do ye have anywhere larger fer us tae take off from?”
A soft laugh escapes my lips as I take his hand and lead him to the upper flight field. “Yeah, I converted part of the grazing field into a flight field for me. Well, us now.”
I walk away from him, shifting as I move, letting him take in the full breadth of my dragoness when she’s healthy and awake. I give him a long moment to look before I launch up into the air with powerful wing beats, waiting for him to shift and join me.
Solaris’s orange drake is absolutely massive when he transforms—I think he’s close in size to Klauth. His drake has multiple horn spikes that surround his head like a crown of weapons. His whole body appears to be designed for combat, with serrated scales covering him like armor.
I roar to him in greeting and turn to fly south toward Dragonis Academy. I follow the mountains, keeping to the eastern slope out of habit. As we approach where my mother’s nest is, I roar, announcing our passing through her territory—proper protocol.
Lily, Thorne, and Allister take flight from Sovereign to follow us. Allister flares his wings in visible shock at Solaris’s size. My poor, soft-scaled brother probably didn’t realize what an ancient orange dragon actually looks like.
Eila’s little white dragoness breaches the treeline, and I can see Orpheus sitting on her back like he belongs there. I dive and get under them, offering them a ride to school. Eila’s dragoness makes a chattering noise of thanks before touching down on my back and shifting immediately to human form to reduce weight.
I feel Orpheus walk carefully up my long neck to sit behind my horns in the familiar spot. His mate soon joins him, settling in beside him, and I rejoin the formation in the lead position. I roar again once we pass into the Academy’s territory that is still under Klauth’s dominion—announcing our arrival properly.
I head directly to the landing field behind Malivore because it’s the only one big enough for both mine and Solaris’s massive dragons. My sisters and Allister land first, and I circle overhead, watching the area and making sure they’re safe before I land. I lower my head to allow my brother and his mate to disembark safely.
Once they’re clear, I shift back to human form and adjust my fighting leathers, checking that all my buckles are secure while waiting for Solaris to land.
“That’s him, huh?” Orpheus asks, coming to stand shoulder to shoulder with me. His little female is tucked under his arm against his side protectively.
“Yeah, that’s Solaris.” As if on cue, he lands, and the earth shakes from the impact of his weight. A laugh escapes my lips as I watch him shift back to human form with practiced ease.
“Icarus is jealous he hatched first,” Lily observes, stroking the egg carrier strapped to her chest with obvious affection.
“Ready, my love?” Solaris asks, then looks at Orpheus. His head tilts slightly as he studies my twin. “Ye must be Orpheus. I can see ye’re my mate’s twin—the resemblance is striking. Pleasure tae meet ye.” He extends a hand to my brother formally.
