Page 52 of Hero of Havoc

Is this what selflessness looks like?

Is this what being vulnerable looks like?

If so, then he’s offering it to me willingly, after confessing how hard he struggles with it.

My hands move of their own accord, reaching up to cup his cheeks as I rise up onto my tiptoes.

His eyes are wide, and so are mine.

“Don’t make me regret this,” I whisper, and he nods.

“Never.”

We collide, an instant explosion as our lips connect, only to melt into a softness that intertwines through my body, shaking me to my core, before he steps back.

I can barely breathe, but the way his chest rises and falls in quick succession confirms I’m not the only one.

My heart thunders in my chest, forcing me to press my palm against it as I turn toward Alaric, only to find the gigantic dragon strutting across the grass like a damn peacock.

I don’t need to hear his voice in my head to know he’s pleased with himself.

“He’s trying to take all the credit,” Baron grumbles, and I snicker.

“That’s exactly what I was thinking,” I confirm, and he shakes his head, amusement flickering in his eyes before the seriousness returns.

“Are you ready?” he asks, and I gulp.

“As I’ll ever be.”

He nods, reaching for my hand, and I relish the way mine fits so perfectly in his.

“You have to let me be there when you cross it off your list,” he murmurs, and I cock a brow at him.

“I do, do I?” I muse, and he nods.

“They’re monumental moments,” he says with a wink, and I can’t deny how it felt just like that earlier when my list dropped from ten to nine things remaining.

“Wait, has your mom made you make a list?” I blurt, and his cheeks darken. “Oh my gosh, you have. How many have you done?” I push, in complete awe that he’s been able to spend his whole life with this woman who has built him up and supported him.

“Too many to count,” he grumbles, like it’s a bad thing, and I roll my eyes, but before I can say a single word, he tugs me toward Alaric as he lowers his wing once again.

The second I’m standing an inch away from Alaric’s green-scaled limb, nerves get the better of me, and I falter.

“Are you sure this is okay? I don’t want to hurt you,” I whisper, eyes fixed on Alaric.

“You won’t. And it would be my honor, Ivy.”

“I’m right here with you,” Baron adds, and I clear my throat as Baron releases my hand. “I’ll go first so you can see, then I can help if you need it,” he offers, pressing a kiss to my forehead before doing exactly that.

I stand back, gaping in wonder as he climbs onto Alaric’s back with ease, instantly extending a hand toward me.

Instinct tells me to change my mind, to keep my feet firmly on the ground, but that’s the complete opposite of what I’m trying to achieve. Before I can think better of it, I throw caution to the wind and reach for Alaric.

It’s not as simple as Baron made it look, but I’ve barely put my feet on Alaric’s wing before he shifts, inching me closer to Baron, who captures me with ease and nestles me between his open thighs.

I already feel dizzy from this height and we haven’t left the ground yet.

“I think I might be afraid of heights,” I blurt, and Baron holds me closer.