Chapter 6

Khadar! We need you.

“Princess, we need to go. There’s a problem on the border.”

“I get to go with you?” Lalani asked, looking nervous.

“Yes. The mate bond is still too strong for that distance. Wrap up your toast in a napkin and meet me by the front door,” he instructed, pointing from the dining room toward the correct path.

Thank goodness he’d prepared for this. Running into the bedroom, he opened a cabinet and grabbed a pair of headphones. Retracing his steps, he found the entryway empty. Following the mate bond, Khadar found Lalani in the kitchen. She’d made a wrong turn.

“This house is like a maze. I’m never going to find my way around it,” Lalani said with pink tinging her cheeks.

“You will. Give yourself a bit of grace. Soon you’ll be romping around like you’ve lived here forever.”

“What are those for?” she asked, pointing at the item he’d retrieved.

“To protect your ears.” He ushered her outside.

“From what?” she asked, allowing herself to be escorted out.

“I can get noisy. I don’t want your hearing damaged.”

“Oh. Okay.” She stood still as he adjusted them to fit comfortably on her head.

Moving away from the house, Khadar shifted rapidly. When Lalani was onboard, he launched himself into the air. Her awe and excitement at flying in the daylight made him remember how his first flight had blown his mind. He eavesdropped on her thoughts and appreciated seeing everything from the air.

Finish your breakfast.

Okay. Your dragon is very pretty. Your scales glow like your eyes.

Thank you, Princess.

Inside, his dragon felt like making happy loops. Controlling the distraction of his inner joy, Khadar focused on spotting the trouble that had forced the alert. There.

Khadar. Sorry to disturb you during your mating. Oldrik turned in a large circle over a forested section.

If something had disturbed the eldest dragon in the horde, Khadar was automatically concerned.

Oh, he’s pretty. All blue like water but with sparkles.

Remember that part about not looking at other dragons? Khadar reprimanded her.

I’m looking at his scales.

Harrumph.

Khadar, there is a group of rebels who attacked the settlers at the gate after asking for entrance into Wyvern.

Feeling Lalani stroking his neck to reassure him, Khadar switched his focus back to Oldrik’s update. The corridor leading to the gates controlled by the dragons was a safe zone. They only allowed people inside if they passed the screening and had some tie to Wyvern or a skill that was needed. The dragons’ guards protected those in line while they waited.

What happened?

They approached to rob them of their belongings. When men banded against them, they took an unprotected family hostage.

So, there are innocents with the aggressors?

No.

That word resonated in his head. Oldrik didn’t have to tell him. The men had killed the family. What if one was a mate or would have become a mate? Anger filled his mind.

Daddy? You’re okay. She hugged his neck hard. The last bits of her toast tumbled to the ground. Khadar suspected she had lost them in her rush to comfort him.

Thank you, Princess. I’m glad you’re here. Make sure your headphones are directly over your ears. Press them tight.

Daddy?

It will be okay.

Khadar noticed a movement under a section of the forested area. He listened for heartbeats hidden under the cover of the trees. One. Two. Three. Four. He pinpointed their locations and called out to the wildlife. An explosion of birds came from the trees. Instinctively, they knew to flee from what would come.

Redirecting his attention, Khadar scanned the area for other dragons and found none. Oldrik had obviously warned the rest of the horde to vacate the area. Khadar checked to make sure Oldrik was far enough away and saw the last of the blue dragon’s silhouette on the horizon.

He opened his mouth and roared. A blast from a green dragon could be either fire or this. Khadar focused his fierce bellow of sound on that forested patch. One. Two. Three. Where was the fourth? Zeroing in on his location, Khadar directed the sound toward the fleeing murderer. Four. The heartbeats below him were silent.

It's done.

Oldrik acknowledged his message first. The other dragons echoed the declaration.

Part of his mind had monitored Lalani’s health during the retribution. You can take off your headphones. Are you okay?

Her arms loosened around his neck as she followed his directions. I don’t understand what happened.

I know, mate. Green dragons have a special power. That’s why Oldrik called me.

The birds all flew away.

I warned the innocent creatures. Hopefully, they heeded my call.

There were those who weren’t innocent?

Yes. There was an attack at the gate. A woman and her children were killed as they waited to be screened to enter Wyvern.

Why would someone do that?

The change has brought out the worst in some. If I had to guess, they were after the scant supplies she’d lugged on their trek.

After a pause, Lalani responded. She was so close to being safe.

Khadar could hear the pain in her voice as Lalani sympathized with those murdered. She had a tender heart.

This will not be allowed to happen. Dragon justice is swift.

Lalani was quiet for several minutes as Khadar flew. He could hear her ragged breath and knew she grieved for those lost. He headed for a favorite spot of his at the base of his mountain. Scanning the area for any intruders, he discovered no one. Once he was sure there wasn’t anyone around, Khadar landed in a meadow.

It is safe, Princess.

Lalani scrambled down. Where are we?

Shifting as soon as she was clear, Khadar strode toward his mate and gathered her in his arms.

“I thought a favorite spot of mine might distract you.” He took her hand and led her down a path. Birds of all colors darted around the surrounding trees. Their music provided a cheerful chorus.

“I’m sorry you have to dole out judgement.”

“I am, too. In many ways, the crash of technology tore apart the civilization that existed before. With everyone focused on survival, there are no police officers, judges, or jails.”

“What happened to those in jail?” she asked, as if thinking through this for the first time.

“Most were automatically released from their cells.” Khadar knew many convicts would focus only on reaching their families. The most hardened criminals would see the state of society as a free-for-all. The dragons had protected Wyvern for centuries. This level of lawlessness, however, hadn’t been seen for many years.

“Come, Princess. You must see this.” He led the way around a thicket of berries, holding the branches armed with thorns out of the way for her to pass without being scratched.

He watched her face as she stepped onto the bank of a small spring. The water emerged from the ground above and cascaded into a watering hole. Lalani’s gaze darted everywhere, taking in the sparkling waterfall and the abundance of flowers.

“Wow! This is gorgeous.”

“Would you like to go for a swim?”

“I didn’t bring a suit.”

“Neither did I,” he reassured her and yanked his shirt over his head.

An impish glint shone from her eyes and Lalani pulled off the tunic she wore and tossed it onto a rock. As she worked on stripping off her leggings, Khadar stepped out of his shoes and removed the rest of his clothes. Kneeling at her feet, Khadar settled Lalani on one bent knee as he slipped off her shoes and removed the tangle of stretchy material from her legs.

When she was nude, he scooped her into his arms as he rose to his feet. Striding into the water, he watched her reaction to the chilly water. Her nipples tightened the minute her bottom touched the water.

“It’s freezing!” she shrieked.

“There’s only one way to get used to it. Hold your breath,” he ordered as he turned around and fell backward into the deeper water.

“You!” she sputtered when she surfaced to tread water as she pushed her hair from her face.

“Me. I did it. How does the water feel now?”

Khadar reached out to pull her close to the warmth of his body. She wrapped her arms and legs around his torso, plastering herself against him. The feel of her wet curves against him was irresistible. He leaned down to kiss her lips.

Several sizzling kisses later, he asked that same question again. “How’s the water now?”

She wiggled around a bit, swishing the water with one arm. “It’s good. Feels refreshing. Did you do your dragon heat thing?”

“No, Princess. I would not disturb the creatures that frequent this watering spot.”

Instantly, she plastered herself back against him, trying to climb out of the water. “Creatures? What creatures?”

“You’re always safe with me, Lalani. Look into the water. See the minnows? They nibble all the moss off the rocks, keeping the water clean.”

“Oh, those are okay.” She relaxed a bit against him before pointing. “Look! That’s a big fish.”

“Those big fish keep the minnows from filling the pool. There are turtles and other creatures in and around the water.”

“Snakes?”

“No snakes allowed.”

“Really?” she questioned, glancing around. “There’s like a snake fence?”

Laughter rumbled deep in his chest as he tried to keep a straight face. She must have heard the noise because she turned back to look at him.

“You!” she rebuked him. Smacking his chest, she joined his merriment. “That had to be the stupidest question ever.”

“Not stupid, Lalani. You’re just not used to predators. I like to bathe here in dragon form as well. Smart creatures will avoid contact with more powerful predators.”

“Do you eat snakes?”

This time he couldn’t control his guffaw at the disgust on her face. He pulled her close to kiss that expression away. When he lifted his lips from hers, Khadar shook his head.

“You don’t?”

“I could if I were desperate. But you could do that in human form, too.”

“No, I couldn’t.” She shook her head vigorously.

“You wouldn’t want to, but you could. Snake bites, snake fricassee, snake soup…”

“No, no, and definitely no,” she answered. A second later, Lalani asked, “What’s fricassee?”

This time, she joined in his joyous laughter. His mate was the most precious thing on earth.

“You delight me, Little one.”

“I heard Ciel call Argenis, Daddy. Are all dragons Daddies?”

“I cannot answer for all dragons, Princess. Dragons are definitely dominate creatures at the top of the food chain.”

“Alpha males, hmmm?”

“Yes.”

Lalani looked at their surroundings and relaxed against him. He felt waves of contentment coming from her and guessed his answers had satisfied the questions she’d pondered upon for a while. He didn’t add more, nor did he dive into her thoughts.

“Are you happy with our mental connection, Lalani? Do you want me to show you how to shield your thoughts from me?”

“Am I bothering you?” she asked, studying his face once again.

“Never.”

“I’m happy. It makes me feel safer to know I can think at you,” she confessed.

Shielding his thoughts, Khadar cursed the Petersons for causing her to feel at risk. “Then we won’t change anything. I enjoy being connected to you as well.”

Khadar shifted them, moving to float on his back with Lalani balanced on top of him. She squirmed a bit before finding a comfortable spot.

“You’re hard,” she explained.

“Always when I’m with you.” He knew she could feel his erection against her. Just as he could smell her arousal.

“We could…”

“Let your body recover,” he finished her thought.

“You are Mr. No Fun.”

“That’s Daddy No Fun to you,” he corrected her before wrapping his arms around her and sinking under the water to dunk them both.

The resulting water battle was epic.