Chapter 45
FORTY-FIVE
S itting at the window in her chamber, Quinn drew in a shaky breath, her gaze drifting across the icy peaks and crystal lakes that stretched far into the distance. Nova Aurora’s fierce, untamed beauty had worked its way into her heart, surprising her as much as anything else on this strange planet. In a way, it mirrored Kai himself—unpredictable, powerful, and yet capable of moments of breathtaking serenity.
“Would it be so wrong to go back to what I know, Lydia?” she whispered, as though afraid that speaking it too loudly would make it true. “A life where I only worry about the sediment beneath my feet and the elements in the air. Nothing dangerous… no one else depending on me.”
Lydia tilted her head, her expression both gentle and knowing. “But that life wouldn’t be the same anymore, would it? This place, Kai… you’ve let them in. You’re already part of this world, Quinn, whether you admit it or not. Ordan’s men went after you because you matter. Because you’re a threat to them now.”
Quinn touched the cut on her cheek, its sting a reminder of how close she had come to losing everything. She wasn’t used to people needing her like this—she’d always been able to retreat into her work, find comfort in facts, measurements, and the quiet, predictable patience of stone. But here… this world demanded more from her.
“I’m terrified, Lydia,” she admitted, her voice barely audible. “Kai is… he’s too much, and sometimes I don’t even know who I am when I’m around him. I never thought I’d be anyone’s fated mate, least of all a dragon king’s. I didn’t come here to be someone’s destiny.”
Lydia’s hand settled over hers. “Ordan’s people see a queen in you, Quinn. But I think Kai sees you —the way you are, the way you think. He chose you because you’re the only one who doesn’t just look at him as a king. You don’t shy away from him, or his darkness.”
A quiet sigh escaped her lips, the enormity of it all pressing in. She’d been fighting the bond, resisting her feelings for Kai because she was afraid—afraid of being vulnerable, of being seen in all her imperfections. Afraid that she wasn’t enough. And yet, beneath the fear, there was something undeniable… a warmth that had grown in her heart, little by little, until she could no longer ignore it.
In Kai’s presence, she felt whole and more powerful than she ever had on her own. And it wasn’t just for him that her heart ached—it was for this world with its ice-drenched forests, roaring rivers, and the people who fought so hard to protect it.
Maybe she had been afraid to let herself love him because, deep down, she knew what that would mean. Loving him meant accepting his people as her own, accepting the burden of leadership, the duty to protect and serve even when it terrified her. Maybe she wasn’t only afraid of losing him—she was afraid of what it would mean if she didn’t try.
“I don’t want to be the reason this place suffers,” she whispered.
Her gaze moved over the frozen landscape, her mind quietly assembling the reasons, grounding her in reality. Nova Aurora wasn’t just another geological survey or a fleeting expedition. She had studied its landscape, mapped its rivers, and cataloged minerals unique to this planet.
She’d seen how its ecosystems intertwined, each piece vital, fragile—and now threatened by Ordan’s men. If Kai fell, there would be no one strong enough to keep them from tearing apart the land she’d grown to love.
Without Kai’s leadership, the balance between dragon clans and the planet’s elemental forces could be broken. She remembered Kai explaining the ancient pacts, the harmony the dragons had maintained for centuries, and how any break in the line of dragon kings could unleash chaos. He had trusted her with that knowledge, trusted her enough to reveal the true dangers Nova Aurora faced.
And then there was the bond itself. She now knew that if she continued to resist it, the dissonance could weaken not only Kai but the magic that shielded the land. If the people fell under Ordan’s control, he’d use that power for destruction. By refusing her connection with Kai, she was risking more than her own safety—she was risking every person, every living thing here.
She felt the pieces settle in her mind like the familiar click of a completed puzzle.
“I want to protect it, Lydia. I want to protect him.”
“Then you know what you have to do,” Lydia replied, a soft smile gracing her lips.
Quinn nodded, swallowing back her fear. She would stand by Kai, as his mate, his queen—no more hiding behind her doubts. She was here, she was ready, and she would be worthy of his love.
And if bonding with him was the only way to save them all, then she would embrace it fully. She wanted to be his—completely, without reservation.
The door opened and Reina stepped in with a medical kit in hand. “The king asked that I see to your injuries.”
“There’s no time for that, Reina. I need your help.”
Reina glanced at Lydia who stood back smirking and nodding her head as if to say I told you so . Quinn rolled her eyes. So her friend was right all along about her facing reality and taking a stand.
“I want to bond with Kai. But how do I do that?”
The healer almost dropped her kit. “It’s about time. And none too late. Come with me. We have a lot to do.”