CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN: CONNIE

TEARS FLOODED Connie's eyes and rained down his face. There was now a mating bond between him and Hudson. It was strong, and alive, and vibrating so very hard it rang in his ears. Awestruck, he turned toward Hudson. His mate looked just as stunned.

"Connie!" Kit screeched. "What's going on?"

"I… I don't know how to explain this, but suddenly there's a mating bond between me and Hudson," Connie stuttered. "A bond that wasn't there before."

He was still staring in amazement at the fading red ribbon of energy that now connected him and Hudson—something he never thought he'd have the privilege of seeing.

Connie sat down hard on his ass, chest heaving. "Hudson?"

Hudson crawled toward Connie and wrapped his arms around him. "Yes. Yes, yes, yes. It's there. I don't know how, but it's there."

Connie threw his arms around Hudson and buried his face into Hudson's shoulder. He almost couldn't breathe he was crying so hard. "H-how?"

"I have no idea."

Kit rested a hand on both of them. "But you're okay? Please tell me you're both okay."

Hudson turned his head slightly and kissed Kit's fingers. "We're okay, just in shock."

Connie struggled to swallow. It felt like his heart was climbing out of his throat. He tried to slow his breathing and get control of himself, but it simply wasn't working.

How had this happened? Why had it happened? His thoughts churned. He thanked Gaura that it had, but why? And how did it involve Kit? Because there had been no bond between him and Hudson until they'd mated Kit.

"Hey, hey, hey," Kit said, laying his hand on the back of Connie's neck. "I can feel you freaking out. But this is a good thing, right? Something you wanted, right? Do we really need to know why it happened?"

"He agonized over the lack of a bond between us," Hudson growled.

Surprised, Kit glanced at Hudson.

"He never said anything, but I knew. I knew because I felt the same," Hudson stressed. "It made no fucking sense there was not a bond. He agonized over it, and it killed me. I almost walked away from him because of it, because of the fear I would find my mate, and it would destroy him. I lived in fear of that."

"And then you met me. Hudson, I'm so—" Kit suddenly grabbed his head. "Shit. Oh no. No, no. I know that tickle in my brain. Fuck. Not again."

Hearing the trepidation in Kit's voice yanked Connie out of his spiral quicker than anything else. Something was scaring his mate, and Connie wasn't having it. He'd have to wait on his breakdown.

Connie jerked his head off Hudson's shoulder and turned toward Kit. "Kit? What—"

"I am sorry for the agony I caused the both of you, but there was a very good reason for not allowing a bond in the very beginning."

Connie cringed. Holy shit, that voice. It came from everywhere and yet nowhere. It reminded him of how they sounded when their dragon spoke, but this was so much more eerie.

And more powerful. There was a buzzing in his brain, and although Connie was scared shitless—something he hadn't felt in quite a while—his natural form was…

Awed.

Worshipful.

Joyful.

The voice was otherworldly. Goose bumps rose on his arms as he watched a small cyclone of grayish smoke close to them spin higher and faster, then slowly trail away to expose a being standing in their living room.

How was someone standing in their living room? How? And why did that person look like a partially transformed dragon, but at the same time didn't? None of them certainly looked like that.

And how the hell had they bypassed all the protection spells around this place and appeared in Hudson's personal quarters? Why were the wards not shrieking? And where was the rest of their court? How did they not know someone just invaded their king's private quarters?

"I knew it. Just knew it."

Connie's gaze snapped to Kit's pale face. Knew it? What did Kit know? And why was he staring at that other being like he knew them?

"Hello again, Kit. It's nice to see you."

Kit sighed heavily. "Hello, Gaura."

Connie blinked. He actually felt all the blood drain from his face. Gaura? But, but… that couldn't be.

"Dragon gods," Hudson whispered.

Holy shit, it could be.

That voice belonged to their god. Connie was so shocked he couldn't move, much less say anything. All he could do was stare at the vision in front of him and… gape like a fish out of water.

A quick look at Hudson confirmed he was in no better condition. Kit was the only one out of the three of them who wasn't glued to the floor in shock.

"Gaura," Connie whispered.

Holy shit, that was their god, and they were just staring at them. It must have hit him and Hudson at the same time because they both scrambled to their knees and bowed their heads.

"Gaura prefers they/them, guys. Remember?" Kit asked.

Connie was having trouble understanding what his brain was telling him. That was their dragon deity standing in front of them, and he couldn't wrap his head around it.

"Please arise and look at me."

They obeyed.

Gaura had the grayish-white membrane-looking skin that resulted from a partial transformation. Horns spiraled up from the upper forehead region, and they had pointed ears like he and Hudson had in this form.

But that was all they had in common. Gaura was insanely tall. They even had several feet on Hudson, which was saying something. Connie was hard.

Hudson helped Connie to his feet and then Kit. He seemed to have better control over his limbs, but he was certainly pale.

"What title should we use to address you?" Hudson finally asked.

"Gaura is fine. I am neither a god nor a goddess, but both. As Kit said, I prefer neither masculine nor feminine pronouns because, again, I am both. I am all. I wanted to appear to you first in my true form, but now I'm going to assume my secondary form because Kit is still freaked out by me."

Kit didn't say anything, just groaned.

"Which is fine. I completely understand," Gaura said. "To a human, I am quite terrifying."

And they sounded quite proud of it if Connie wasn't mistaken. A whirlwind of fire suddenly engulfed Gaura. When it dissipated, Gaura appeared more humanlike.

No matter the form Gaura took, they were still incredibly attractive. Their eyes hadn't changed, but their hair was actually hair now.

The color was a deep auburn like Hudson's and extended to the ground. Connie couldn't imagine how heavy that had to be. The fire wings were gone, as were the legs that bent the wrong way. And no muzzle. Their features were still very androgynous, with high cheekbones and full lips.

There were still scales in place of their eyebrows. Now they were clothed in an expensive-looking power suit, minus a shirt, and they wore heels.

"If you wouldn't mind, a glass of your human-made wine would be much appreciated," Gaura said.

Both Hudson and Connie looked at the shattered remains of their glasses.

"The only glass we have is what I drank from. Why don't I run to the kitchen and get a new wineglass while you guys talk?" Kit edged toward the door.

"That won't be necessary." Gaura waved their hand, and a jewel encrusted goblet appeared.

Hudson sprang into action and grabbed the wine bottle. Hurrying forward, he filled their goblet.

Gaura sipped it, then smiled. "Very nice. Why don't we have a seat?"

Hudson closed his eyes briefly, then quickly opened them. "I apologize. My manners seem to have abandoned me, and I have not treated you with the respect you deserve as my deity. Forgive me."

Gaura patted Hudson on the cheek. "There is nothing to forgive. Your manners have always been exceptional, my dear, but I have startled you. And your bonded mates." Gaura hooked their arm through Hudson's and let Hudson walk them to the love seat.

Kit and Connie followed them. After Hudson got Gaura settled, he joined his mates on the couch.

"I have so many questions," Hudson said.

"I'm sure you do. Some I will not answer because the time is not right. But some I will. And I imagine your most pressing one is why. Why was there no soul bond between you and Connie?"

"Not that I would ever question your will—"

Gaura raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, yes, I am questioning your will," Hudson admitted. "Forgive me, but do you have any idea of the pain you caused by doing that?"

Connie shifted uncomfortably next to Kit. Really, questioning your deity probably wasn't a good idea, especially in that tone of voice. Gaura could probably annihilate Hudson with a thought.

Kit clasped his mates' hands.

Gaura followed the movement and then smiled. "There. That right there is your answer."