1. Lew

Chapter 1

Lew

I t was a strange sensation to be waiting for the Somervilles to arrive again. Little over a year ago, we'd been waiting here to do the same thing, but it had felt very different.

For a start, we hadn't known any of them. We'd agreed to train Morgan, the eldest son of Lord Somerville, and that was all we'd known. We hadn't even seen a picture of him.

I still remembered that first sight of him. We'd gathered in this upstairs room to watch the Somervilles arrive, to see their cars pull up and the uasal dragons walk inside. I hadn't known who he was, but I remembered Morgan getting out of that car and walking into our castle for the first time .

Years – generations – of disharmony between the uasal and curaidh had meant none of us were keen to have a Somerville there. I'd assumed I'd dislike him. That he'd be stuck up and look down his nose at us. That we'd have nothing in common.

Yet I'd still leaned out of the window at the first glimpse of him, desperate to see more of him. He'd been stunning.

My dragon had been captivated, right from the start.

I smiled to myself and Morgan looked up at me.

"What are you thinking?"

I slid my arm around his waist and pulled him back against me, holding him tightly to my chest. His slender frame fit perfectly against my muscular one and I inhaled his scent, feeling the satisfaction of having my mate so close to me.

"I was just remembering when you arrived here."

He gave a murmur. "That made you smile?"

I leaned down, nuzzling at his hairline. "I thought you were the hottest person I'd ever seen in my life. I hoped you weren't the one who would be staying. I didn't want to get distracted by your body the whole time. "

Morgan's face was practically glowing with love as he looked up at me. "What about now?"

"Obviously I'm glad you stayed. Best thing that ever happened to me."

I traced my lips over my claiming bite on his neck, pleased as always that he'd consented to mate me. That he loved me.

From across the room, where he was pacing in front of the window, Seren said, "I was so jealous that you got to come here, Morgan. I wanted to be the one who came to train with Dane."

Dane was currently sat in a large armchair, watching his mate pace back and forth. He grinned.

"Worked out okay in the end."

"Yeah, in the end. But it could have gone badly."

My dragon growled inside me. There had been so many points at which our lives could have taken a very different turn. Any one of us could have missed out on being here.

"Don't think about what could have happened," I growled, "We're all here now and we're safe."

"Conley was insufferable when he got back."

I frowned. "I don't think I met Conley. "

Seren shot me a look. "Lucky you. He was quite rude about your castle."

As Seren paced past Dane, my cousin reached out and grabbed him, yanking his mate onto his lap.

" Our castle," he said.

Seren melted against Dane and I turned my attention back to Morgan. I'd been holding him close and he smelled satisfied. I let him have the time to process. I guessed he was building up to asking a question and didn't want to rush him.

"Is that all you thought of me? That I was hot?"

I couldn't lie to my mate, and so I told him the truth.

"I thought you were proud. You had your mask in place and didn't let any of your emotions show."

He nodded and his voice was quiet when he spoke. "I was frightened. I didn't know what to do."

It was impossible for me to hold him tighter without crushing him but I pressed my lips against his skin, wanting to show him how loved he was.

"You don't need to be frightened now. You're safe here. And we love you. "

From across the room, Seren said, "Yeah, we love you, Morgan." Then he ruined the moment by asking, "Isn't it weird that the Hoskinses all tell each other that they love each other all the time?"

I huffed out a laugh when Morgan actually nodded.

"You agree it's weird to say you love your family?"

He peeped up at me, his blue-silver eyes soft and beautiful. "Yes, it's weird. But I like it."

Again, I knew he was building up to saying something and I tried not to rush him, only held him close so he'd feel safe and he'd know he could say whatever he wanted to. It was a few minutes before he suddenly said, "Father never said that."

"Never said what?"

"That he loved me."

Seren pulled a face. "Lord Somerville? He'd never say he loved anyone. Was he capable of love?"

Morgan shrugged, and I felt the tension in his shoulders as he did it. It was hard for me to learn about his past and not be able to put it right for him. At least I'd be able to make the future good for him.

"He loved Alexander. "

Seren pulled that face again. "He loved having Alexander's power. He liked the glory of a golden dragon in his clan, proof of his pure uasal blood."

"I suppose," said Morgan. "It explains why my father was always so disappointed in me, anyway. Because I was just plain silver."

Seren said, "Silver like the rest of us."

I said, "You're the most beautiful silver colour, Morgan."

He gave a little chuff of laughter. "I don't mind being silver. I understand now that my father wanted me to be different. I literally wasn't what he wanted. I wasn't born that way. Wasn't born golden."

"I'd never have expected Alfie to be golden," admitted Seren. "I didn't think we'd get another golden dragon in our clan at all. Alfie's nothing like Alexander was, although I was very young when Alexander died, so I can't remember the details. I remember being scared of him, though. I've never been afraid of Alfie."

"Alfie's special," said Morgan, and I smiled to myself. He'd used the same word to describe Alfie long before anyone knew he was a golden dragon, before he was the elder of the clan, before he had any power whatsoever. Morgan had always thought his brother was special, and it was that love shining between them that made me sure this alliance was going to work.

It meant too much to us to let it fail.

Seren had sat still for long enough, apparently. He jumped up and began to pace again.

"When are they going to get here?"

I checked my phone. "Ten minutes."

He sighed heavily. It was strange, to see him wound so tightly. I'd got used to seeing Seren relaxed, full of fun and cheek and energy.

I glanced at Dane, but he didn't seem to understand any more than I did.

Before I could say anything, Morgan surprised me by pushing out of my arms and walking over to his cousin.

Morgan almost never left my arms willingly. He was always snuggling closer to me, letting me wrap him up and he smelled happiest when he was pressed right into my side. Having him walk away from me – even only a few feet away – shocked me.

I didn't mind him going. Okay, maybe I minded a little. I liked that I was the most important person in Morgan's life and a tiny part of myself that I wasn't proud of got a teeny bit jealous that Morgan had gone to Seren instead of me.

Seren stopped pacing, since it was that or run Morgan over.

"Do you think they really are still coming?" he asked.

Morgan nodded. "Alfie text me half an hour ago. He says they're on time."

Seren nodded and the two uasals stood by the window and looked out. They were so similar in appearance, and yet so different in every other way. Usually, Morgan turned into my side, seeking the support he'd never had growing up, whereas Seren bounced recklessly into every new thing.

As they stood there, though, they were both the same. Morgan had stepped away independently. Seren had stopped bouncing.

I glanced at Dane again, and he stood, walking over to stand behind his mate. I followed and stood behind Morgan.

Instantly, Morgan leaned back against me and the tiny insecure part of myself vanished. He'd just wanted to be nearer to Seren. To watch his family arrive out of the window .

I whispered, "What's making you uneasy, Morgan?"

"I just want everything to go well."

"It will. Why wouldn't it?"

He twisted his head round to cast a disbelieving look at me. "Historically, our families don't get on."

I laughed. "I don't think that's true. You and I get along perfectly. Seren and Dane muddle through just fine."

Seren protested against that slight with a, "Hey."

It made Morgan smile, which is what I'd hoped for. It was a small little smile, sweet and uncertain, but it was there.

"What's really bothering you?" I asked.

This time, he paused. He was building up to telling me. Maybe he was trying to work out exactly what it was that he felt. Sometimes it took him a moment. He'd been so restricted growing up that he hadn't been able to express himself or his feelings. Sometimes he couldn't work out what they were, since he'd never been allowed to name them before.

At last, he said, "I don't think I can lose them again. "

"Your family?"

He nodded. "I lost Alfie once already. I thought that was it and I'd never see him again. It's almost worse, to make me think I can have my brother back and then snatch him away from me. What if Nana doesn't like him? Or they can't reach an agreement?"

Alfie had inherited his father's title. He was now Lord Somerville, and the elder of the Somervilles. What he and Nana decided would impact us all.

There was nothing I could do to help, only reassure Morgan.

"They both love you. They both want this alliance. Why wouldn't it work?"

"I don't know. I'm just worried, that's all."

"You'll see soon enough. I've met Alfie and he's nice. He and Nana will get along fine."

I really tried to say it with conviction. The only flaw being that I knew dragon elders didn't always deal well together. Dragons were too clannish, too territorial. Clans clashed. Elders especially, with all of their power, all of their protective instincts, sometimes clashed simply because having another being that powerful near them was a threat to their family .

This whole thing could go horribly wrong.

I just really hoped that it wouldn't.

Seren suddenly pointed out the window and his voice was filled with the excitement I'd got used to hearing from him.

"We're about to find out. They're here."