Rune found himself smiling despite everything as he moved through the motions of cooking—something he hadn't done in months, maybe years. His chef handled all meal preparation, leaving Rune to eat in solitary efficiency at his dining table set for one. But now, with Maple watching him with undisguised admiration and affection, the simple act of preparing food felt like a revelation.
He pulled ingredients from the massive refrigerator—fresh pasta, cream, herbs from his garden. His hands moved with surprising grace for their size, muscle memory taking over as he began crafting something worthy of sharing with his mate and the people she loved.
"I haven't done this in a while," he admitted, heating olive oil in a heavy pan. "But it's coming back to me."
The domesticity of the moment hit him unusually hard. For three centuries, he'd eaten alone, lived alone, and existed in complete isolation broken only by clan meetings and business obligations. He'd convinced himself that solitude was strength, that needing no one made him invulnerable.
But watching Maple's face light up as he explained his technique for the perfect cream sauce, feeling her presence like warmth against his skin even from across the kitchen island—this was what he'd been denying himself. Not just companionship, but partnership. Not just protection, but being protected in return by someone who would fight for him as fiercely as he fought for her.
The realization settled into his bones with startling clarity. He didn't want to lose this.
Ever.
When he finished plating the pasta with a flourish that made Maple laugh—a sound like silver bells that made his dragon roar with satisfaction—she slid down from her stool.
"I'll go get Jackie and Ben," she said, her good hand briefly touching his arm as she passed.
The simple contact sent heat racing through him, the mate bond humming with contentment at her casual affection. As she disappeared through the doorway, Rune allowed himself a moment to envision this scene repeated countless times—cooking for his mate, sharing meals with people who mattered to both of them, building a life that included more than duty and isolation.
But even as warmth filled his chest, a darker thought intruded. Elias was still out there, still hunting. And until Rune eliminated that threat permanently, this domestic happiness was fleeting.
SEVENTEEN
MAPLE
Moonlight poured through the arched windows of Rune's bedroom, painting silver bars across the ancient stone floor and the tangled sheets of his massive bed. Maple lay curled against him, her head resting on the solid expanse of his chest, her ear attuned to the steady, powerful rhythm of his heart. One of his arms wrapped around her shoulders, his fingers absently tracing patterns on her uninjured arm, while the other rested possessively over her bandaged ribs—a constant, warm pressure that felt more like a vow than a precaution.
The evening had been a strange, beautiful interlude. Dinner with Ben and Jackie, the conversation weaving between archaeological theory and stunned adjustments to a world where dragons were real and dangerous. Laughter had bubbled up unexpectedly, a defiant spark in the shadow Elias cast over everything. For a few hours, they'd been just four people sharing a meal, not potential targets in a centuries-old power struggle.
But beneath the easy conversation, Maple had carried Rune's unfinished confession like a live wire in her chest.
I want to make this permanent.
Those words had echoed through her all night, a silent counterpoint to every story Ben told about their early digs and every nervous question Jackie asked about the hidden town. The promise of their future together had warmed her more than the hearth fire, more than the fine wine Rune had poured.
Now, in the quiet intimacy of his bed, with the scent of him filling her lungs, the words pressed against her lips, demanding release. She tilted her head back to look at him. Moonlight sculpted the hard line of his jaw and caught the hint of gold deep in his blue eyes.
"I need to tell you something," Maple said, her voice soft but clear in the stillness.
His entire body went rigid against hers and the fingers on her arm stilled. Through their growing bond, she felt a flash of sharp, visceral fear—not the fear of physical danger, but something deeper. The fear of loss. He thought she was going to leave. That the danger, the strangeness, the sheer immensity of his world had finally outweighed the pull between them.
"What is it?" His voice was a low rumble, carefully controlled, but she felt the tension coiling in the muscles beneath her cheek.
Maple pushed herself up carefully, wincing only slightly as her ribs protested. She turned so she could look directly into his eyes, her good hand coming to rest over the one he still held against her bandages.
"I'm ready."
His brows drew together, confusion momentarily overriding the dread. "Ready for what?"
She took a deep breath, the truth she'd been holding onto all night finally breaking free. "I'm ready to complete our mate bond."
The words hung between them. Rune's eyes widened, the gold in them glowing faintly as his dragon surged close to the surface. Shock and something close to awe transformed hisfeatures, stripping away centuries of guarded control. He looked at her as if she'd just unveiled a treasure more priceless than anything in his hoard.
"Maple." Her name was a rough caress. He pushed himself up on one elbow, his gaze intense enough to scorch. "Are you sure? Truly sure? The mate bond, once completed, it's eternal. It cannot be undone. You will be bound to me, and I to you, for the rest of our lives. There is no walking away from forever."
A smile touched her lips, born of a certainty that felt as fundamental as her own breath. "I've never been more sure of anything in my life." She leaned closer. "I spent my whole life searching for evidence of dragons because some part of me always knew they'd existed. But I understand now, Rune. I wasn't just searching for a species. I was searching for you. My soul knew you were out there, waiting. It recognized you the moment I saw you, even before I understood what you were."
Her thumb stroked the back of his hand, her eyes holding his.
