Chapter 15

Aidan

Four of his best warriors surged toward Aidan. Determination lit their yellow gazes, and their claws dug into the ground, upending grass and dirt as they leaped at him. He stood perfectly still and let them come.

They were all in red dragon forms on the grassy meadow near the fortress, training to keep their lethal strength and skills in top form for the battles ahead. Despite his many duties, he couldn’t afford to lose his edgeandneeded to acclimate himself to his changed form. He had far greater power than ever, but his body felt awkward and cumbersome. From now on, he’d spare an hour or so daily to reintegrate himself with his growing beast.

Aidan snarled at the male who landed before him, their snouts a handsbreadth from each other. He snapped his powerful jaws on his opponent’s neck, bit down hard enough to almost crush bone, and then twisted to throw him into the shifter coming at his right. They collided in a tangle of wings and legs, screeching loudly.

The maneuver had been easy, almost too easy.

Aidan shifted his focus to the third attacker, who’d clamped onto his tail, and the fourth, a female who tore into his side with her razor-sharp talons. Icy pain ripped through him. He’d commanded them to fight viciously and did not take it personally. They’d face far worse soon enough.

Roaring, he began spinning in circles as fast as possible. Fields, trees, other warriors in the periphery, and the fortress spun through his vision. The shifter at his tail lost his tenuous hold and soared into the other two, still separating themselves. The female flapped her wings and avoided Aidan’s snap in her direction. Panya was lithe and slyer than the others, with a determined glint in her yellow gaze.

Aidan looked down upon her, so much tinier than him, and swiped his claws at her face. She scrambled a few feet away and let out a barking sound that indicated laughter. This female would not go down as quickly as the others.

Crouching low, he gathered his muscles and leaped on top of her. He moved so swiftly that Panya couldn’t dodge his attack in time. Aidan put his considerable weight on her wings and hind legs, pinning her to the ground. She’d become one of the most lethal warriors in the toriq and would be a great asset in the coming war. Still, she needed to suffer defeat to continue improving her skills.

He eyed Panya’s neck. A swift bite on the throat could end the fight, but she’d ducked her head down to make it difficult. As he snorted steam into her eyes, she began to twist and buck wildly. If he aimed wrong, she could be seriously harmed. Only a clean strike would do.

His hesitation cost him.

Panya dug her sharp teeth into his right bicep and tore through his muscles so deeply she struck bone. Agony lanced through him. None of his people had inflicted such severe damage today—not from a lack of trying. Good for her, even if it hurt him. He needed to learn lessons today also, and she’d taught him a good one.

Too bad she’d left the side of her throat exposed as she stayed clamped down. Aidan snapped his fangs, sinking them deeply enough to make a point and show her the error she’d made. Panya let out a muffled cry of pain and released his arm.

He slowly backed away and watched as she tried to twist to her feet. During their struggle, he’d crushed several bones in her wings, making it more difficult for her to rise. The other warriors who’d finally untangled themselves rushed to help her. Panya growled at them and rolled onto her belly, shakily lifting her body while her right wing hung crookedly.

That level of independence would sometimes serve her well, but only if she recognized when to accept assistance. For some battles, the best method was to work in teams. Only in her early thirties, Panya was still young and had much to learn, but she was cunning and vicious.

Aidan’s wounded bicep began to close faster than he’d ever seen.

So much about him had changed. With his growing power and size, fighting his people had become more effortless—at least when he didn’t hesitate. Not one of them had half his strength or speed. Even with him adjusting to his size, Aidan caught on to his advantages quickly. That might have been encouraging, except they faced overwhelming odds against an enemy who would not hesitate to annihilate them.

He needed to push them and himself to their breaking points. He’d been given a gift when he took leadership and brought his toriq together. They trusted him to see them through the dark war ahead. He’d do whatever it took to ensure as many of them survived as possible—even if it meant causing them pain now. It was always better to make mistakes and learn from them when one’s life wasn’t on the line.

Aidan shifted his gaze toward ten fresh warriors. All of you, attack me now!

They hesitated for only a moment.

Fresh strength ran through his body as they swarmed over him. Aidan couldn’t begin to understand how it worked, but he didn’t grow tired as quickly as before, and most of his wounds healed in minutes—even deep ones. He felt unstoppable, but he knew the Kandoran would be the real test, and battling their large forces would take everything he had. Likely more.

Aidan bit, clawed, and flung away the warriors as fast as possible. The coppery taste of blood filled his mouth, and the grass under his feet puddled with red. A few shifters managed to injure him, but he hardly felt the pain.

He had sunk into a hyper-focused trance that allowed him to anticipate the moves of every dragon near him and act before they did. Some managed to maneuver and save themselves, but before long, he’d created a pile of moaning warriors.

Aidan kept calling more and more to fight, but after a mere twenty minutes, only two remained standing of the thirty originally on the field. Both were bloody and torn, swaying on their feet. They had little left to give but refused to quit yet. He appreciated their fortitude.

He began to move toward them when Bailey stepped into his path.

“Nice work, pendragon. Wanna try fighting someone your own size?” she asked, craning her neck to look up at him with a sly grin.

Though amusement lit her gaze, he also noted a hint of shock as she took in his enormous dragon body. Not including his wings and tail, he was now ten times her proportions. She hadn’t seen him in his beast form lately since their schedules often kept them apart. When they were together, it was in the castle, and he remained in his human form. This was her first time seeing his extensive changes.

His beast sent laughter into her head. Only your ego is equal to mine, misanna.

“Ha! You’ve definitely got me beat there,” she said, putting a hand on her hip. “But I’ve fought bigger than you.”

He paused to admire his fierce mate and the mother of his child. She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, with her black hair high in a ponytail except for a few tendrils that framed her flawless and delicate face.

Her black camrium top was laced tightly to hug her chest and waist, and he envied her pants for how they encased her hips, rear, and legs as if they’d been glued to her skin. Despite her diminutive size, she stood before him as a fierce woman.

Yet he feared hurting her. She was his life, soul, and all he’d lived for these past years.

I am much stronger and faster now, he warned.

They had not dueled with each other for a very long time. He’d recently watched her train with some of his warriors and discovered she’d advanced her skills considerably while on the East Coast, but he’d also grown more powerful. Bailey had no idea how much.

She rolled her eyes. “Maybe, but I fight dragons your size all the time, and none of them hold back. They want me dead. On the other hand, you only practice with subjects who aren’t trying to kill you. Why don’t you prove you’re as strong as you think, pendragon .”

She was provoking him, and he enjoyed it.

You think you can take me down, tiny woman? he asked, pawing the ground. She hated references to her diminutive size. Taunting her was too much fun.

Bailey’s expression hardened. “Oh, yeah.”

They’d find out soon enough.

She was unlike the others, and Aidan could not charge at her, relying on brute strength and speed as he had with the shifters. For her, he’d have to strategize and plan every move carefully. It would take cunning. Under no circumstances could he let her best him in front of his people—who’d all begun circling them. They were eager to watch this fight.

Aidan spoke through an open channel so all could hear. Show me what you have, little slayer. And don’t hold back for my sake.

Bailey gripped her sword—a sign she was readying herself to strike. Letting her make the first move would give him the advantage. She was used to dragons making the initial attack, and he wanted to put her off guard. The slayer narrowed her eyes, giving him a condescending look.

“Be careful what you wish for, big guy,” she said, slyness in her tone.

The next moment, she pulled a dagger with her free hand and tossed it with lightning speed toward his eye. Aidan dodged, but not fast enough. The blade sank into his snout. Pain soared through the tender flesh there, shocking him at her ruthless opening.

Bailey wouldn’t give him an inch in this battle, no matter what they’d done together last night. All their tenderness and feelings were shoved to the back of their minds. Through their mating bond, he sensed how she’d closed off her emotions the same as him. They would show his toriq how to fight mercilessly so they could prepare themselves for the worst to come.

He ripped out the dagger. Blood poured from his injury, and his eyes watered from the pain. She had learned a thing or two during their separation. That would serve her well and make him worry less when he couldn’t watch her back.

As Aidan’s vision cleared, she sprinted toward him with her sword raised high. She had every intention of slicing it into his neck. He knew she’d fight with everything she had just short of killing him. Bailey was a dragon slayer to her core, and when she let go of her restraint, she attacked viciously. Her instincts rode her far harder than even the fiercest dragon. He had to keep that in mind with every move he made.

A few paces before she reached him, Aidan spun around and let his tail fly like a whip. He held it at an angle that would prove difficult to dodge. His mate cried out as his spikes rammed into her chest, cracking her ribs and sending her flying.

Aidan finished his spin and found her thirty feet away, struggling to rise from the ground. She used one hand to clutch her side where he’d struck her. His tail was much larger nowandcould slam into a body with brutal force. He had to resist the urge to ask her if she was okay. She would hate him for that, and it would weaken her in the eyes of others. Even between mates, dragons expected they could handle a certain pain level.

“Damn, that hurt,” she said, giving him an approving look as she eased to her feet. “You are stronger.”

He charged her, wanting to finish the fight. Aidan had made his point.

Bailey dropped to her back at the last moment and sliced into his belly as he sailed over her. Agony seared into him as her sword cut through his soft scales and punctured his organs. His mate hadn’t shown it, but she wasn’t happy that he’d gotten the best of her. She’d let go of any mercy she might have had left.

Very well. If she gave no quarter, then neither would he. Soon, they’d fight enemies who would not hesitate to strike a killing blow, and they both knew it. He breathed through the pain and stomped on her arm as he finished passing over her.

Bone crunched, and she cried out.

Aidan spun around to check over her, oozing blood beneath him onto the already damp earth from all the other battles he’d fought. He’d hoped the injury he inflicted would keep her down, but no such luck. She scrambled to her feet, holding her blade in her good hand while her left arm hung uselessly. It seemed that his slayer could take quite a lot of pain.

For a moment, they paused to give each other looks of respect. Sheer determination lit in her brown gaze. They would fight until one was permanently down. It was the way of dragons, and Bailey had no problem following it.

They lunged toward each other. Their fight took them all over the field, with shifters dodging out of the way as they moved. She cut him many times with her sword until he was covered in blood.

Aidan bit and clawed her, ruining her beautiful warrior garb and marring her skin in a dozen places. Neither of them cared. Their lust for battle was high, and both enjoyed a fight where a clear winner could not be predicted.

“Finally, a real challenge,” Bailey said, grinning at him even as she bled. “It had been getting boring lately with the Shadowan.”

He snorted a puff of fire that floated in the air between them. I am far superior to those weaklings.

“True, but you still haven’t defeated me yet, dragon. Give me all you got.”

A thrill ran through him at finally finding an opponent who could not be easily bested. One that would give him a true challenge. He didn’t know how much time had passed since their duel began, but it felt like hours rather than minutes.

They danced around each other. He snapped at her with his teeth and swiped with his claws. Bailey avoided most of his strikes, returning them with lunges of her sword, but neither managed to harm the other again seriously. They panted with exertion.

Then Aidan finally pinned her to the ground, claws curled over her wrists.

His blood fell to mingle with hers, and the combined rivulets slid to the ground. They smelled of battle, sweat, and death, and underneath it all—hot desire. Bailey jerked and pulled, but she could not dislodge him. The slayer was grossly injured, weakened from blood loss, and reduced to glaring at him. Aidan let his flames overtake him so he could shift to his human form. Even then, the heavy weight of his muscles kept her from throwing him off. He was also larger in this body, though the difference wasn’t as stark as with his dragon.

“Do you concede?” he asked, steam puffing from his nose as he continued to straddle and press her wrists to the ground.

She tried one last time to buck him off, wincing in pain. “Yes, you big oaf.”

Her teeth were gritted tightly, so he barely heard her.

Aidan felt even more powerful in that moment, but he would take the sting of the loss from her. He leaned down and gave her a tender kiss. Since taking over his toriq, he rarely showed public affection aside from those nights on their balcony. This was one of the few times he could get away with it, considering he’d defeated his mate in a fierce battle. No one would question him.

Bailey hesitated at first, stiff underneath him and likely embarrassed by their audience. He slid her good arm higher over her head and grunted. It was a command from his beast for her to cooperate and submit. Then he thrust his tongue into her mouth.

She jolted, but he sensed the moment she forgot everything around them, and her passion rose as high as his. His dear slayer kissed him back with greed and lust. Aidan pressed his chest close to hers so that their rapidly beating hearts pounded against each other. He loved her in this position—helpless to his desire.

Only when she was completely relaxed in his arms and mindless did he let her go. He pulled back to see her eyes glazed with lust. His mate saw no one except him, making him feel a thousand times more powerful. This was his slayer—now and forever.

“You fought well,” he said, pride in his voice.

She licked her lips, raw need in her features. “I could say the same about you.”

Aidan gave her one last kiss, unable to resist. “I assume you came to tell me we should prepare for dinner.”

It was their weekly family gathering that he demanded everyone attend, no matter their duties. He could hardly be late for it himself.

“Yes.” Her pulse thrummed at her throat. “We have less than an hour to get cleaned up…probably less now.”

“We can make do with such time,” he said with a crooked grin.

They carefully rose to their feet, finding all the warriors had shifted to human form, recognizing that training had ended. Many had amused expressions on their faces. Not one had left, even after the fight concluded.

Aidan couldn’t blame them, considering the more powerful the bond he had with his mate, the more it benefited his toriq as a whole. Every one of them felt stronger than before. There were mentions of such magic in ancient texts, but no one alive had ever seen how it could benefit shifters. They were beginning to learn.

And with each day, Bailey rose in their esteem. Her strength had grown, too.

***

His mate sat on his lap at the table while they ate dinner with the others. Neither of them felt any shame about it. They’d released some of their passions in the bathing chamber before their guests arrived, but it hadn’t been enough—not even close.

Most especially since they’d had to take care of the wounds they’d given each other and set her arm so it could begin healing. He had no desire to put any distance between them right now, so he’d insisted she sit with him and let him feed her. Thankfully, she didn’t seem to mind at all.

Candace and Paul sat at the other end of the table. Both were shy and quiet, with her in a pink and green floral dress and him in slacks and a button-up blue shirt. She’d put her shoulder-length brown hair in a bun, and he’d carefully groomed his black locks to the side. With this being the first meal they’d shared in the pendragon’s chambers, they’d dressed up for the occasion, but Aidan couldn’t miss the wafts of nervousness coming from them.

He hoped to put them at ease.

“How is progress in the village?” Aidan asked, lifting a brow.

Paul finished chewing his bite of chicken. “Surprisingly well, for them only arriving three days ago. We had enough space for everyone to fit comfortably, and we’ve already erected another pen to separate the cows from the pigs.”

They’d been prepared for horses, but the previous villagers didn’t have their own livestock. Aidan had ensured his toriq made supplies available for whatever the human refugees needed.

“Good.” He was glad they were taking advantage of it. “Have there been any issues you couldn’t resolve?”

Candace cleared her throat, barely able to meet his gaze. “Many of them could use more clothes and blankets. They couldn’t bring much with them, and the children don’t have many toys. Their parents are struggling to handle their restlessness.”

“I can share some of my toys,” Orion said, smiling. “I have lots of them.”

Aidan may have gone overboard when he collected things for his son, and others always brought more for him. He received gifts from shifters who made them or passed down items their children had outgrown, and Bailey’s friends gave the boy things when they saw him. His room had become quite crowded and difficult to navigate.

“That is very good of you, son.”

Bailey reached over to squeeze his hand. “You and Uncle Paul can sort through them tomorrow, alright?”

Orion nodded. “Okay.”

“Anything else?” Aidan asked, focusing on Candace. He wanted her to feel she could talk to him, so he kept his gaze friendly, and his burgeoning power leashed tightly inside.

She shook her head. “We’re managing everything else so far.”

He was relieved to see some tension leave her face as they spoke. “Don’t hesitate to let me or my people know if you need something.” He paused, looking pointedly between Candace and Paul. “Also, let the people know that when the war begins, they can seek shelter, along with the animals, within the fortress. It will be safer there.”

They could not afford to lose any livestock when they were already depleting a lot to keep their people and incoming visitors fed. One of the underground tunnel entrances had a slope design, so they could be moved to safety that way if necessary.

Paul lifted his chin. “That’s fine for some families, but others want to help with war preparations.”

Ordinary humans could not assist with the complex tasks at the fortress, but there were plenty of other options.Falcon gave him regular updates about what all the nearby towns had accomplished and still planned to do. They sounded ambitious, but he appreciated their efforts.

“Talk to the Norman city council. I’m certain they will be happy to give them jobs, as I’ve heard there’s no shortage of people needed for their projects,” Aidan said, then fed Bailey a bite of food. They were sharing the same plate and had already refilled it once.

His slayer was especially hungry as her body worked to heal her wounds. He was already back to full health and hated that she had to suffer longer. Perhaps he needed to explore a way to share his power so she could benefit from it more. The idea intrigued him.

Aidan placed his hand over her heart and concentrated on feeding his pendragon magic into her. She lurched, but he held her still. “Calm, mate.”

“It’s just…” she started, then sighed.

He’d wreathed her entire body in a golden glow. Everyone watched in awe as all her gashes closed. With her numerous injuries from their battle, it would have taken days for her to recover, but he’d done it in seconds. Even her injured arm was restored to perfection.

“That’s so cool!” Orion said, eyes rounded. “Apa, you have magic.”

He was used to his mother coming home wounded and hadn’t even asked about it. Aidan had preferred to avoid discussing how those wounds came about since he was still too young to understand. At least Orion seemed pleased that his father could fix the injuries.

Phoebe narrowed her gaze. “How did you do that? It’s faster than what a healer can do.”

“I’m not sure.” Aidan shook his head. “It just came to me, and I knew I could.”

“Our brother is full of surprises,” Ruari said. There was no malice in his tone but rather pride. “He’s succeeding where our past pendragons failed.”

“Dear, Zorya.” Phoebe gave him an incredulous look. “You’re scaring the zishkat out of me with this good brother act.”

“It is no act,” he grumbled.

Freya patted Ruari’s hand. “It’s taken years of training to get him to this point, but the goodness was always inside him. He just needed help.”

Aidan probably owed her a pot of gold and jewels for the work she’d done.

“You have my deep gratitude,” he said, smiling at her.

“It’s nothing.” She made a dismissive gesture. “I did it as much for me as anyone else. He was a slothful, annoying, self- centered pig when I met him. It was great fun whipping him into something more amenable.”

Ruari glowered at her.

Phoebe snorted. “Something tells me the whipping isn’t a figure of speech. Zorya knows how often he came running to everyone for help during that first year of your mating.”

Candace blanched. “You mean she actually hurt him?”

“If you met him before,” Bailey began, pointedly glancing at Ruari, “you’d understand why everyone wanted to hurt him—and often did. He could make us angry within the first five seconds of coming near us. Trust me. Freya did us all a favor.”

Ruari gave them a martyred look. “I was simply misunderstood, but my mate saw the real me.”

Bailey choked on her wine. Aidan patted her back as she coughed it out.

“When is Uncle Zoran gonna eat with us, Apa?” Orion asked, cocking his head. “You said he could come soon when we saw him last time.”

Every shifter at the table stiffened.

Bailey took a deep breath. “He just got back here, sweetie. It’s going to take a little time before he’s ready to join us.”

Aidan was relieved she answered because he hated to upset his son. He was still finding his way as a father while also figuring out his role as a Pendragon, which required entirely different skills. His mate was much better about altering her behavior as needed between her mother and slayer duties. He admired her for it.

Ruari grunted. “I’m shocked Aidan allowed him back at all.”

“I like him better than you,” Orion said, scrunching his face. “He’s nicer and plays with me.”

“Are we talking about the same person?” Ruari asked, turning to Aidan with surprise.

“You’ll have to see for yourself,” he replied. “His transformation appears even greater than yours—so far.”

Bailey relaxed against Aidan, gaze running across the assembled group. “So, what has everyone been up to? I don’t see most of you except for our dinners.”

He was grateful for her change of subject. Thoughts of Zoran still soured his mood.

Kayla, her red hair pulled back into a ponytail, peeked past Candace and Paul. “I’ve been cooking non-stop, preparing foods that can be stored and eaten as much as a month or two later without refrigeration. That sorcerer from the tower, Thatcher, has helped with some preservation spells that help keep the tastes fresh.”

While Aidan preferred to keep most war-planning talk to designated locations, he didn’t mind discussing minor elements. She knew better than to get into specifics. Everyone in the fortress had been given repeated lectures on the matter, so he trusted her to keep the topic vague.

“I have no doubt everyone will appreciate your hard work,” he said carefully. “But you need not push yourself too hard. Be sure to give yourself time to rest. We have already set aside tons of rations and add more regularly.”

She folded her hands on the table. “I know, but the more we have, the longer it will last. People are going to be tired and injured and need food to restore them. Having nutritious meals will help with that. Plus, you’d be surprised how much it takes to feed a large army, and the coalition will be here soon. They may need extra rations to supplement what they bring as well.”

Kayla might have been only twenty-one years old, but she showed maturity far past her age.

“You are the true gem of the kitchens,” he said, giving her a respectful nod.

She smirked. “I know.”

Everyone laughed.

Bailey cleared her throat. “We should probably wrap this up. As much as I love socializing, everyone has a lot to do, and we need sleep.”

Amusement filled Aidan. He was doing his best to make the most of their family dinner and trying to hide his eagerness for it to end, but she felt his desire while sitting in his lap. His mate was less patient than him tonight.

They still had to organize dinner clean-up and then time with their son. Only after all of that could they be alone together. She was pushing the timetable to make it happen sooner than usual, and he couldn’t say he minded.

“Yes, let’s finish,” he said, feeding her another bite.

She popped a piece of meat into his mouth as well. No one at the table argued, and they all finished their meals quickly, understanding the pendragon and his mate were ready to be alone.