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She drew a slow breath at that, sighing it out as slowly, trying to keep from raising her voice at him now that they were finally broaching the subject. He’d thought about it, then. He’d seriously considered her as his successor. Even though his words cut her with how true they were, with how they indicated he wouldn’t be handing the mantle over to her anytime soon, it still made her heart soar in her chest that he thought this highly of her.
Why was he so bad at showing it?
“You’re right,” she said, the truth seeming the best option. “I don’t think I’ll ever have the heart for killing. But Dmitri does.”
Semyon glanced at her. This time the look lingered. He was assessing that statement, reading the implications, as she’d hoped that he would.
“This is why you wish to bind yourself to him? Because he offers a counterpoint?”
“It’s not the reason,” she said. “But it’s a pretty nice bonus.” She smiled, knowing it was disarmingly sweet, a smile spreading on Semyon’s face as well, despite the frown he was still wearing. “He’d a good man and a strong dragon,” she added. “He might not seem it, but he’s a born leader. Whatever the reason for what happened today… I know he’ll learn from it. He won’t just push it aside and act as though he had no hand in it. Like you heard him tell those men out there, he’s taking responsibility for it.”
“So, you’ll be the brain and he’ll be the brawn?”
Her smile widened.
“Something like that. We’ll help each other, support each other, like you and mom always have,” she said. “And you’ll make amends with Vasili.”
She raised her eyebrows meaningfully, hopefully. Her father’s face turned stony, but then his expression slowly melted in a way she’d never seen before in all their time together. He placed a trembling hand on her cheek.
“I will miss you very much, daughter.”
A lump formed in her throat, and she swallowed against it, throwing her arms around him in a hard hug, pulling him close to her.
“I won’t be far away,otets,” she promised, head against his chest, and he held her as her tears spilled over.
***
Alina walked through the hallways of the Kuznetsov home wearing purple velvet for the first and only time. Her dress for her bonding ceremony had been cut to perfection, making her feel special. For someone who had entered the house in her pajamas three months earlier, she cut quite the figure. The thought made her smile.
She was nearing the ballroom and though she’d teased Dmitri about it when he suggested they have the ceremony there, she’d had to agree it was the perfect space. The walls were painted white with beautiful details in the plaster while the ceiling showed off dragons and shifters of every kind in a merry swirl against a sky-blue backdrop.
Her shoulders were tensing, and she drew a soft breath, reminding herself to relax and be happy. And she was happy. Truth was, she was happier than she’d ever been, and she kept thinking something was going to happen to destroy it. Someone would appear to take it all away from her.
Gregor loomed like a shadow on her memories.
She shut the door on him immediately.
He had no place anywhere near the memories she was about to create.
“You look beautiful,” Eva Kuznetsova said, admiring her from the doorway of the ballroom.
“You too,” Alina beamed, kissing the woman on the cheek.
Her family and Dmitri’s stood gathered in the traditional circles, surrounding Dmitri who stood at the center. He was waiting for her to join him. Once they were surrounded by everyone they loved, they would vow to stay true only to the other. It was a vow that was rarely broken in the dragon community. One that was sacred and binding. Her heart swelled with the thought of the promise she was about to make, but even more from the promise she was about to be given.
She hadn’t seen Dmitri for a week. They’d been parted as everything was put together. It had been his idea.
“We’ve spent every day together for almost three months,” he’d said, smiling where he lay with his head on her stomach.
“We’ve spent every day in bed together,” she’d corrected smugly, making him bite her tummy playfully.
She’d squealed, pushing his head away, but he pulled himself up to get to kissing her instead.
“Doctor’s orders,” he’d remarked.
And of course, it had been part of it. His leg had healed slowly. The magic too potent for an easy remedy. He hadn’t come close to death, thankfully, but he’d been weakened to the point of needing to be spoon fed soup. She’d happily held the spoon whenever his mother hadn’t affectionately shooed her away from his bedside.
And because he was wearing a grin like he didn’t think she could stay away from him, she’d said yes to a week apart. Because it would make the bonding night that much more special, wouldn’t it?
