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“No problem,” Avril said, taking the bundle and heading for the space where the ground hadn’t pulled loose yet. “We’ll meet you down there!”
Kinsley took a deep breath and began to sprint at an angle that she hoped would head off the dogs before they went over the edge. The ground lurched as more of it tore free, and she almost lost her footing, but managed to make a wild leap onto the sled. The landing knocked the wind out of her, but there was no time to catch her breath.
The ground below her was lifting into the air even faster now, and she could no longer see the dragon. She grabbed the reins and instinctively screamed to the dogs as they raced toward the edge.
The sled took flight, and Kinsley had the sickening feeling of the world dropping out from underneath her.
The sled landed hard on the packed earth of the tundra, but managed to stay upright, and the dogs kept running, yapping their heads off until they reached the prone body of the beautiful dragon.
Kinsley gripped the sled and pulled herself to standing, then took a tentative step toward the baby’s father, her heart broken as she observed the mighty, fallen dragon.
He had saved them all, crushing the machines that had latched onto him, and landing on the sheriff.
But it had cost him everything.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, reaching out to stroke the shimmering green scales of his elegant snout. “You were magnificent. I will tell our daughter about you every day for the rest of our lives.”
The scales beneath her handmovedslightly, as if the big creature were… alive.
There was a sound like great bellows, as he sucked in a breath.
Fiery, gem-like eyes flashed open, blinking at her.
“Kian,” she whispered.
Then he was melting, shifting, constricting himself so quickly that her eyes and mind couldn’t keep up.
In a flash, she was standing in front of the man-Kian she had known, her hand on his jaw.
“The dogs,” he said softly, glancing at the sled. “I saw you drive them off the island before it fully lifted. You were amazing.”
She laughed.
“Really,” he told her. “You looked like the sky goddess. What did you scream to them to give them the courage to jump?”
“It’s an Old Terran word,” she told him, trying to repress her smile. “It meansSTOP.”
There was a moment of stunned silence.
Then Kian was laughing, the sound of it so warm, so happy, and so filled withlifeshe could hardly bear it.
Kinsley let herself laugh too and it felt so good. Had they really survived? Was her grumpy warriorlaughing? Could this even be real?
Lyslee and Avril approached them, the baby giggling in Avril’s arms like she’d just had the time of her life and couldn’t wait to do it again.
“She’s a fierce one,” Lyslee said. “Just like her mother.”
And somehow, in spite of all the jealousy she had felt yesterday, she knew they were all friends, and if they had survived today, they could get past anything.
“Kinsley,” Kian’s voice broke a little on her name. “I know today probably doesn’t change anything for you, but I’ve given up on ever thinking I could live without you. Do you think you would ever be willing to reconsider our mate bond? You can have all the time you need to decide.”
“Well,” she said, frowning. “I think we both need to talk about expectations.”
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“I mean that for me, monogamy is important,” she told him, soldiering right into the conversation, in spite of their present company.
“Of course it is,” he told her sternly. “A dragon cannot have it any other way.”
