“Perhaps, I care more about my son than a city that has let their problems grow wings and fly into them again and again. If you care about London, I’ll resume caring about London. For you.”
“I care about the whole territory,” Medwin said. “People should be able to live their lives without fearing those in charge or those close enough to them or rich enough to buy their way out of trouble hurting them.”
“I don’t know that we’ll ever live in that world, kiddo, but I hope for your sake we can live in something close to it.”
“And Clarence is sleeping in my room tonight,” Medwin said, squaring his shoulders.
I glanced at Borris who was on his fourth cup of tea. He watched his mate with a twinkle in his eye. Medici pondered his son’s words for a long second and then nodded.
“If that’s what you think is best,” he said. “Just… Remember to save something for yourself while you’re saving the world.”
Chapter 12
Medwin Smokescale
Moonscale London Under the Reign of Ferrick Moonscale
No romping was happening under my parents’ roof but that wasn’t the point of me standing my ground. If I couldn’t speak my mind to my own carrier, how was I ever supposed to help Clarence take care of Ferrick when the time came?
“It’s crazy how few nights we’ve been able to lay like this without worrying about something going wrong,” I said, snuggling close to Clarence. I was in my favorite pajama set that had little coffee mugs all over them and Clarence was in his underwear since he hadn’t packed for an overnight trip.
He opened his mouth and shut it again.
“Okay, something could still go wrong,” I sighed. “But it’s nice, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, your carrier might barge in and shove a flaming bat somewhere,” he said.
“I was thinking more like yours would come looking for you.”
“Yours would eat mine,” Clarence laughed and the sound wrapped around me like a warm blanket. I nuzzled my face into his chest, stealing his warmth and scent marking him. Soon, everyone would know that we were together. Everything would change. All eyes would be on us. Clarence made a small,deep sound in his throat and I glanced down his body. He was pitching a tent under the blankets. I smiled against his chest. Of course, he was turned on by the nuzzling. We weren’t in his parents’ house.
“Are we to live in the castle with Ferrick?”my dragon chimed into my thoughts, and I passed on the message to Clarence since my dragon wouldn’t be able to ask him anything until after we exchanged our claiming vows.
“No,” Clarence shook his head. “That’s where I have to draw the line. Though, Ferrick is probably ready for me to be gone. I keep walking in on him and Charden.” I glanced down his body again and the tent had flattened. “We own plenty of places we can live. Besides, you know, he won’t need the castle much longer.”
“Will we need the castle?” I asked him.
“We’ll be ali—” he stopped short. “Maybe. Depends on how many eggs we plan on having, I guess.”
I smiled into his chest imagining our house filled with hatchlings. Though, even then, I knew that had to wait. Bringing a fragile egg into a world that was on fire was not on my bucket list.
“We can decide on that later,” I said. “We’ll have to talk about eggs, nests, and all of that.”
The tent was back.
“We could go for a walk,” I said.
“Didn’t we just get into bed?” he quirked an eyebrow and I tilted my head up to look at him. The moment his brain caught up to my words his eyes lit up. “I think we shall go for a walk.”
“I know a spot,” I whispered. “Down by the lake.”
We tiptoed through the house. I wasn’t under the assumption that my parents couldn’t hear us moving around, but they pretended that they couldn’t and so did I. Sometimes ignoring someone is the best thing you can do for them. That was especially true that night.
Once outside, I took Clarence’s hand tight in mine and led him down the winding path to the lake. It took us nearly half an hour to walk there because he kept stopping to kiss me and I was in no mood to turn him away. Under the cover of the dark, cloudy sky on the night of the new moon, we kissed with abandon for the first time in our lives. No Volex to walk in on us or Pras. No Ferrick calling him away. I almost asked where he thought Clarence was but thought better of it. I wanted to lay my claiming bite on his shoulder and that meant I needed him to stay rock hard and throbbing.
I stroked him through his trousers, playing at his shaft with my fingers. Oh, Frost above me! I missed how this dragon’s dick fit against my palm and how his mouth felt trying to eat me up. I cupped his chin with my other hand and kissed him hard. More and more, that’s all I wanted from life. I wanted a peaceful homelife and a civilized territory where everyone might prosper. It was time to take life by the balls and lead it down that path. Well, at least, it was time to grab onto Clarence’s balls and roll them over my fingers as our tongues danced between our mouths. His hand moved for his belt, but I batted it away. We were alone but not in a secluded enough area to start takingour pants off. He’d have to tolerate the loving torture from my fingertips a bit longer.
Pulling away from the kiss, Clarence scooped me up and glanced around, asking which way to go. I pointed deeper into the woods. There was a little path to cut through to the lake for those who knew it was there. Halfway through he had to put me down because the branches kept catching on my hair and shoes. I pushed him back against one of the old, big-trunked trees and kissed him hard. Since his belt was already loosened, this time I shoved my hand down his pants. A growl shimmied up his throat and morphed into the most beautiful, deep, mechanical-sounding purr I’d ever heard. I stroked him, playing at his warm, bare flesh until he ground against my hand. Then I pulled away, laughing. I jogged through the woods, looking over my shoulder every few seconds to make sure I hadn’t lost him out there in all the trees and foliage.
