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In an instant, I hear a dragon land and feet run toward us. I glance up in time to see Natalia. She nearly barrelsinto my shield, but I lower it just in time. She runs over to us and grabs Jason, looking him over from head to toe for any sign of injury.
“Is he dead?” I ask, motioning toward the water where a large dragon now lies in water that would go well over my head but barely covers the dragon’s enormous body.
“No,” she answers. “He’s just knocked unconscious.”
“Should we—” Before I can finish asking her, I hear shouts from up the stairs. More dragons descend on the beach. From Natalia’s relaxed posture, I know whoever they are must be familiar to her. I try to keep my own body relaxed, but I keep my magic close, ready to call up a shield at any moment.
“Natalia!”
I turn and see Evander running our way. His face pales when he sees Jason.
“Are you hurt?” Evander asks, looking at his older sister and nephew.
Natalia shakes her head as tears roll down her cheeks. “He was coming after Jason and Wisteria. I couldn’t get to Jason in time, but…” she turns to face me. “You did something. How did the fire not burn you and Jason?”
“Fire?” Evander’s face pales even more as he turns to look at me for an answer.
“I… used a shield.” I realize, as the words leave my mouth, that most fae aren’t capable of using a shield. The magic is beyond most of their magical abilities. But the defensive magic I used I won’t be able to explain because fae don’t have defensive magic.
“She also took him down.” Natalia points toward where the dragon, who is still unconscious, is being detained. I watch as the guy shrinks from a large dragon to a still large, but much smaller, human.
“I didn’t realize fae were so strong.” Evander eyes me.
I clear my throat. “I’m particularly strong for a fae.”
Natalia and Evander both look at me with similar wide eyed expressions. Jason holds his arms out toward me. Natalia ignores him until he starts fussing before she passes him to me.
“If we’re attacked again, you can protect him better than I can,” she says. “All I could do is try to shield him with my body. But you… you saved my son’s life. Thank you.”
I adjust Jason higher on my hip. For being so young, he’s a chunk.
Natalia takes a step closer to me. I wonder what she’s doing until she throws her arms around me and squeezes me tightly in her embrace. Poor Jason is squished between us. Natalia doesn’t let go until Jason finally cries out a protest. When she pulls back, I see the terror that still lingers on her face.
For me, that attack was unsettling, but I could easily protect myself. But it looks like Natalia doesn’t have the same defensive abilities. Even giving it her all, that dragon was able to fling her off easily. I can’t imagine how scary it must have been for her, as she was unable to protect her son.
“Will you come to dinner tonight?” Natalia asks. “With the family. I know that Stellan is gone, but I want you there. You’re our sister now, so you belong there. And you can officially meet my mate, Andrew.”
Evander’s eyebrows knit together, but his features soften as he looks from Natalia to Jason to me. He pushes hair out of his eyes as he nods. “Yes, we’d like you to come. You’re family now.”
My heart swells at their acceptance. After the not so warm welcome I got at the wedding, I wasn’t sure Stellan’s family would ever accept me.
“Okay, thanks.”
Evander holds his arms out for Jason and Jason eagerly goes to his uncle. “I’ll take Jason back to the house. Mom will put him down for his nap. I imagine Andrew is almost here, so you’ll want to reassure him.”
Natalia looks longingly at her son, then nods.
“Come on.” Evander nods his head at me. “Trust me, you don’t want to be here for their reunion.”
I start to ask him what he means when a dragon swoops onto the beach. Instantly, the figure changes. A male—presumably Andrew—runs up to Natalia and crushes her into an embrace. When the two start kissing, I run to catch up with Evander.
Evander chuckles. “I told you.”
“Dragons are so affectionate.” I climb a little faster, wanting to put as much distance as I can between the mated couple and myself.
“We are.” Evander easily paces beside me as we jog up the long staircase. “But especially mated couples. You should’ve seen them when they first met one another.” He scrunches up his nose. “Are fae not affectionate with their mates?”
“Fae don’t have mates,” I tell him. “Married couples don’t show affection in public. My own mother passed away shortly after I was born. And my father’s second marriage was forced on him, so he and my stepmother definitely aren’t affectionate.”
