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“Oh really?” Josiah asks. “Perhaps she’s unwell like me. All that dark magic flowing through her veins, fused into her bloodline.” He pauses with his pen against his chin. “Must be difficult to control all at once.”

Everyone waits on Amir for an answer he isn’t giving. Even Levi forgets he’s supposed to be glaring. I don’t like where this is headed. Beside me, Aya’s scent sharpens. My nosy little wolf caught it too.

“You insufferable creature,” Amir snarls as he steps toward Josiah. “You give the residents the worst advice imaginable. Your so-called help forces Kade and Damon into overtime cleaning up your messes.”

“I’m only being helpful,” Josiah says.

“And we won’t even get into your mate, Layla, and how she’s been treating the residents,” Amir adds.

That gets Josiah’s attention. His expression stays calm, but his eyes go red. “Watch yourself, Majesty.”

“I’m only giving back what I received,” Amir replies. “It’s not fun when the behavior is directed back at you, is it? Energy matching energy.”

Josiah steps farther into the room until they’re nearly nose to nose. They raise their hands with their fingers ready to snap. I tighten my grip on Aya’s hand and measure the distance to the door.

Levi moves fast and tosses Nia over his shoulder. “Levi!” she yelps and kicks at him. “What are you doing? Put me down!”

My father tries to do the same to my mother, but she won’t have it. “I don’t need you throwing me over your shoulder like a caveman,” she snaps. She takes his hand instead and follows him out.

I’m not sticking around for the rest. I scoop Aya into my arms and get us out of there. Watching King Amir and Uncle Jo go at each other is entertaining until their fingers come up. My mate is not going to be in the room for the snap.

I run down the hallway toward the exit with Aya clinging to me. I skid on the hospital floor when Jacob, Angie, Seth, and Ocran walk in. Angie steps around us and pauses to check Aya over. She storms off to the room we just left. Blue-gold magic sparks from her fingertips while she mutters about “these damn men always wanting to battle.” She’s dealt with them before. I keep out of her way, since she scares me more than any king.

Aya giggles into my neck while Angie curses them out behind us. I grin down at her. She’s hoarse and hurting. Grown men getting chewed out still cracks her up.

She kicks her feet. “Put me down.”

I refuse and tuck her closer. Seth tosses me a duffel bag. I snag it out of the air without dropping her. Her scent seeps through the canvas from the clothes he packed. He thought of everything.

“One week,” Levi calls from behind me. Nia is still squirming over his shoulder. “She comes home if you two haven’t completed the mate bond.”

I bow my head to him.

My father steps forward. “I’ll fly with you, just to make sure you get back safe.” He reaches for the bag, but I swing it out of reach.

Aya tugs at my shirt. “Ezra, stop.”

I can’t help the smoke that curls out of my nostrils at the idea of company. I finally get a week alone with her, where my dragon and her wolf can get acquainted without a battle circle around them. I’m not sharing a minute of it, not even with my father.

He chuckles and steps back. “All right, son. The stars have a way of aligning when we least expect it. Trust in their guidance.”

My mother ignores him and turns to me. “I’m paying a home visit first thing in the morning. So make sure you both are put together when I arrive.”

Aya buries her face in my chest to hide. Her cheek is hot through my shirt. Even from his corner, my dragon stirs at that before he sinks back down.

The boys tag along with us and leave Jacob behind. “Isn’t it weird that Valek hasn’t shown up?” Ocran asks.

I hitch the bag higher on my shoulder. “Nope. Not weird at all.”

“But this is a pretty big deal,” Seth adds.

“The only community that matters to Valek is Ash Clan,” I explain. “He won’t gather outside clan territory. But to defend him, even though I probably shouldn’t, dragon shifter clans require a lot of overwatch. He makes the sacrifice of always staying behind to watch over the clan.”

Seth whistles low. “Damn, man. I didn’t know that.” He pauses. “Does that mean I won’t see you around much once you become alpha?”

I glance back at him. “I plan to change a lot of the old ways. But that’s if I become alpha.” I leave it at that.

Outside, I reach for the shift and get nothing. I frown and try again. My dragon is awake down deep. He won’t come up, not even to fly our mate home. What the hell is his problem? I shove at him harder. The roots of my wings burn, but nothing comes through.