Chapter Forty-Two

Mating a Dragon King is a big deal. There are traditions to be upheld. The biggest of those is the Mate Presentation. The entire Latur Dread had to approve of me. Every single Dragon. If they didn”t, Shale would either have to reject me or step down. And Dragons don”t reject their mates.

It worried me for a bit, but Shale was confident. So confident that he sent his knights to fly my parents over from Sken. They couldn”t attend my presentation, only the Dread could, but they sat beside me now, at the King”s table, celebrating my acceptance into the Latur Dread along with the Dragons of that dread and the Dragon Court.

That”s right—celebrating. The Latur Dread accepted me. Every last Dragon.

Word spread quickly the morning I won Shale”s love back from Ranu. Everyone loves a good story, and ours was full of action and romance. By the time the Latur Dread assembled at the royal castle, they were already on my side. Every Dragon I met in the days leading up to my presentation had nothing but kind words and eager questions for me. Not a single one looked down on me. My race didn”t matter to them, not in light of all I”d done for their king. The presentation went smoothly and rapidly, with every Dragon welcoming me into the Dread. I was now Duke Sebastian Ralle of the Latur Dread. A Dragon by mating.

What a life. What a remarkable life I was living. From country farmer to Master of Vegetation, mortal to immortal, human to Dragon, and lost to loved. I looked from my smiling human parents to my new Dragon parents, and then to my mate. My family. My remarkable family. Shale stared back at me, his expression full of wonder, gratitude, and love.

“Would you like to dance?” my mate asked.

“I thought you didn”t dance?” I shot back.

“A lot has changed.” He stood up and held a hand down to me.

Grinning broadly, I took Shale”s hand and got to my feet. He led me to the area before the dais. It was full of dancing Dragons and courtiers, everyone celebrating my rebirth as a Dragon. Honestly, after all we”d been through with the Gods, my acceptance into the Latur Dread was a minor victory. Still, a party was a party, and my mate wanted to dance.

Shale swept me in against his chest and spun us into the crowd of dancers. Effortlessly, gracefully, he guided me among the spectacularly dressed Dragons and courtiers. I was dressed pretty nicely myself, in my new royal raiments. I didn”t get a crown, but I was all right with that. Shale”s soul was worth far more than any band of gold. And his happiness was worth everything I”d gone through.

The Dragon King”s smile was divine, something sent from the Gods. He practically glowed with happiness, though not as he had with the Goddess”s blessing. Ensarena hadn”t shown her favor again, but once was enough. She had made my man into a zealot. He was more loyal to her now than he”d been before. Again, I was all right with that. I started praying to her myself, thanking her for choosing me for Shale. At least she hadn”t tortured me to prove my worth. She simply knew. That made me feel special. I was damn proud to be chosen by a goddess out of all the people on Serai. But it was Shale who made me feel the most special of all.

“I love you, Mate,” Shale said, bringing me in closer.

I hugged him, pressing my ear against his chest to listen to his heart before looking up at him. “Say it again.”

“I love you.”

“I loved you first.”

Shaleros the Beloved laughed and spun us off the dance floor. “You certainly did.” He bent his head, kissed my left cheek, my right, and then hovered over my lips. “You loved me first and showed me the way. Thank you, Mate.”

Just before he kissed me, I said, “How about you show me the way to our bed, Mate?”

Shale pulled back and took my hand. He didn”t answer me, nor did he bid his guests goodnight. He just led me through the throng and out of the dining hall. We were halfway to his tower when he picked me up and started running.

Laughing, I wrapped my arms around Shale”s shoulders and held on tightly. As I would forever.