8. THREE

THREE

Wren

Thebedroomdoorshut with a low click as I released the knob and pivoted on my toes.

Rowan’s ember scent engulfed me as he swallowed a surprised squeal from my lips. He lifted me by my hips until my legs circled his waist and walked us toward the small couch under the window of his office.

He placed me down gently before sitting next to me and breaking our kiss with a smirk. “How’d you sneak out of the room when all six of them went to sleep touching you in someway?”

I dug my teeth into my bottom lip. “You’ve all been sleeping with me since we had that encounter with the relic. I’ve had to learn to improvise to go pee in the middle of the night without causing a panic.”

He raised a brow. “How?”

“I put the shirt I was wearing on a pillow and slipped out, leaving the pillow in my spot.” I shivered, remembering that I was naked. I’d spent a lot of time naked lately, and I was no longer shy about it like I used to be.

He snorted, and fire rimmed his irises. “Damien didn’t wake either?”

“If he did, he didn’t show it, but I came out to tell you that you’ve been overworking yourself.” I frowned, reaching up and threading my fingers through his soft red curls.

Two streams of smoke blew from his nostrils as he huffed. “I’ve delegated all the new student work to Blair, and Rhett has taken over the student courses. I’ve been trying to organize the graduated students of the past fifty years with the Supernatural Council to get them ready to fight as well as keeping tabs on informants for the war. It’s been stressful, fledgling.”

“Lean on me, Rowan.” I continued to work my fingers through his hair, staring deeper into the fire in his eyes. “I’m your mate.”

“You’re busy with your studies,” he murmured.

“I only have two classes, and this is my last term as a student,” I countered, cupping his cheek. “You’re giving me excuses. Talk to me.”

He sighed, leaning into my hand. “Every attempt at finding a facility deep in the south of the human territory has failed. Damien, Alister, and I have been reaching out to all of our contacts but turning up empty. There’s nothing there. Damien searched everywhere, but we will continue to search until we find something, Wren. I’ll tear every facility to the ground if I have to.”

The determination in his expression and voice brought tears to my eyes. “I know you will. Thank you.”

“The dragons have destroyed five human facilities in the north with the help of the sirens and some supernaturals from the Apex Capital. They… didn’t recover any supernaturals held there. They tore every facility to the ground, destroying information and killing all the captives.”

My chest tightened. “That’s awful.”

“Devastating.” His jaw ticked. “And our teams have been unsuccessful in digging the relic out of the ruins. They continue to run into humans. The last team lost a member due to the large number of human specimens around the site.”

“I wondered when the specimens would show up again.” Goosebumps appeared on my arms as I stroked his hair.

He gripped the hand from his cheek and pulled it to his chest. “They’ve been reported to be more powerful than before. To have abilities on par with a drake’s strength and speed.”

A shiver wracked through me, and he squeezed my hand as fire exploded on our conjoined fingers.

He’d been controlling his anger so much better lately. Even though we were waist-deep in war, Rowan kept his cool most of the time. It wasn’t a surprise that so many respected him.

“The dragons’ lack of involvement is what has me uneasy.” He swallowed thickly. “Evidently, they’ve been injecting a select few of the supernaturals who have sided with them with their DNA, but they’ve been keeping those injected in Blezen.”

“What about their families?”

“They’ve reported to be denied access to see or speak to them.”

A beat of silence lingered between us. It was obvious what the fate of those injected with DNA from the dragons must’ve been. They couldn’t have survived. We weren’t meant to carry the DNA of two supernaturals. It was why hybrids didn’t exist. A supernatural carried one trait that made them what they were. The fact that so many supernaturals believe they could carry two was surprising since basic biology proved otherwise.

“Does that mean some of the dragon-allies are catching on to their façade?”

His lips twitched into a grin as he nodded. “Yes, fledgling, it does. You’ve grown so much since coming here. I’m proud of you.”

My pulse quickened, and I pulled my hand back from his hair to place it over the one he was holding against his chest. “That means a lot. I’ve been working hard to learn how everything works.”

“You’ve done a great job.”

I smiled, and the flames in his eyes seemed to dance with the pride I felt in his bond. “I love you, Rowan. And for the record, I’m proud of everything you’ve accomplished and everything you continue to accomplish.”

Smoke plumes blew out of his nose as he chuckled. “Not many people have ever said that to me. I love you. You’ve brought such a light into my life. I… I can’t lose you, Wren.”

“You won’t,” I leaned closer and kissed his lips softly. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“I haven’t told you everything about the dragons’ belief, pertaining to when they find out about their mates.”

“Tell me now. I already know they’re deranged and evil.”

His eyes blazed. “Worse than that. There aren’t many female dragons or drakes. Not sure why, but I’d never questioned it much until I was away from Blezen. I had a friend who was an icedrake… it was actually Norman’s blood brother.”

“He found his mate?” A bitter taste coated my tongue as he nodded.

“She was another icedrake, and she’d just come to Blezen to see more of her kind. She’d been taken from Blezen as a baby—the only true success story of a drake leaving Blezen. Her parents staged an escape, but her father was killed in order for her mother and her to be able to leave.”

“Why did she go back?”

“Her mother didn’t tell her of the horrors that happened there, and she left Fate Hollow to find more of her kind. From what I understood, her mother kind of checked out mentally.”

“That’s terrible…” My heart ached. The sacrifice they’d paid had been for nothing if she went back.

“Drakes mating drakes is rare due to the low female population, and Flynn didn’t believe she needed to be bred because she was one of us. He pushed for his mate to be his and only his, and Roak killed him before they finished their matebond. Then, he…” Fire erupted in his hair, making each strand glow like embers.

Disgust coiled in my gut as the realization dawned on me. “He raped her?”

“Yes. In front of all the dragons, with Flynn’s body a few feet away. She morphed her hand into a claw and tore her own throat out during it. Roak didn’t stop.”

Horror slammed into me. “You and Norman…”

“We saw it all. It happened so quick. Flynn was arguing one minute, and the next, they were both gone.” Anguish twisted his face. “The only reason my mother wasn’t subject to Roak’s sick ideals was because my father impregnated her when they mated the first time. Then, her uterus ruptured having me so she couldn’t have anymore—thank Fates.”

“Blezen is truly the home of evil.”

“I’m sorry. You don’t want to hear about this stuff.”

“No, but if it’s something that’s been weighing you down and talking to me about it lessens that pain, I’ll bear it. I’d bear anything for you.”

“Do you see why I can’t let them get anywhere near you?” He let go of me before cradling my head between his two large hands. “I wouldn’t survive it.”

I blinked the tears away. “I understand.”

I didn’t want to think about all the horrors my mate had seen while living in that territory. But I was so thankful he was here now—with me, and the headmaster of this academy.

The door to the bedroom cracked open, and we turned to see Kian stumble out of the room and shut the door with a dull thud.

“I had a vision.” He shuffled across the floor and leaned against the armrest of the loveseat closest to me. A throb of pain skittered through the bond, and his eyes were glazed over. “A dragon found his mate in Blezen. She’s a siren, and their bond snapped in place in front of their cult leader, Roak. They’ve locked her up, and the dragon is pretending to go along with Roak’s guidance since he’s allowing him to be the only one with her for her first cycle. He’s out of his mind with worry.”

“Fuck,” Rowan growled, his chest rumbling as smoke plumed out of his mouth. “I’ll get in touch with my contact there immediately.”

Kian nodded, pressing his palms against his temples. “Shade’s snoozing away in there… but I could’ve used his help with this vision.”

“Sleep would do you good,” Rowan told him, gripping me and lifting me up as he cradled me to his chest. “Let’s go, Kian. Grab your familiar and sleep with him on your chest. It’ll replenish your magic, and touching our mate will help.”

“Touching her always helps,” he mumbled, trailing behind Rowan as he took us both back to bed with the rest of my mates.