Fight (The Aurora Marelup Saga Book 3)

April

Several nights have had heated discussions as to how we are going to handle the Elena problem. Ellis arrived this morning with over a hundred assorted bears that he trusts. There are not only Polar Bears but also Black and Brown Bears in the mix as well. Dimitri is in charge of getting the bears settled as I lead Ellis to the war room. A den of Siberian Tigers is due to arrive here by the afternoon.

I push open the double doors, and there’s Aurora at the head of the table; her dress is ice blue and hugging her plentiful curves. She’s not happy that she’s a little thicker after the twins, but fuck, she is hotter now than she was before. Ellis stops in his tracks, and I practically have to pick his jaw up off the floor. At the table is a leader from each species of Dragon, Alex for the Dire Wolves, Klaus for the Lycans, and now Ellis for the Bears as a whole.

Aurora stops speaking the minute she sees Ellis and runs over and hugs him tightly. The look of fear in Ellis’s eyes is totally worth it. My twins come barreling through the door and start chirping at Aurora, and she releases Ellis.

Ellis’s eyes moved from me to the twins, then back to Aurora again. “Aw, fuck no! Hell to the no… Bro, what the fuck!” Ellis throws his hands up in the air, and his dramatics catches Aurora’s attention, and now she looks pissed.

“What do you mean fuck no?” Her arms instantly shift to her armored gauntlets as she stares Ellis down. He just made a huge mistake saying anything that can be perceived as negative about the babies.

Ellis begins to back up till his back hits the wall. “No disrespect, Aurora… I wasn’t expecting there to be two baby dragons here. I mean, seriously?” He raises his hands up in defeat. I decide to take pity on him and get between him and Aurora.

“Love, what my buddy is trying to express is that his kind isn’t strong enough to shift so young. So it’s a shock that our babies possess the strength to be their animals so very young.” I can tell I’ve got her by the way she’s looking between the babies and Ellis.

“Fine, only cause my babies are awesome, and they can roast his balls off if I wish it.” Aurora returns to the head of the table, going back to conducting the meeting.

“Alaric? Was she serious? Do your babies have fire already?” Poor Ellis is scared, and by the time he finishes his question, both babies breathe fire at the same time harmlessly into the air. I’ve never seen a man of color get so pale so quickly. Ellis looks about ready to pass out when the babies run over to sit near their mother.

Aurora mouths sorry then returns to what she’s focused on. The strike teams have been made, orders are given, and new training regiments are given to prepare for the assault on the castle. Everyone goes to leave, and Aurora stops Alex and Dante from leaving. Aurora’s eyes find me, and she motions to the door.

“Ellis, I hate to do this, but this part of the meeting I can’t have you in on.” Ellis gratefully nods and exits the room quickly.

We reassume our seats, and Aurora pulls down a map she had hidden. “We strike tonight. Alex, I need six Dires with toxic bite.” Alex nods, slowly jotting down names on a piece of paper then passing it over to Aurora. Her eyes glide over the paper quickly, and she smiles; Alex immediately takes his leave.

Next, Aurora looks to Dante and smiles. “She has Wyverns as we suspected. Thank you for that vital information. I want you, Edgar, and five others that would be able to take out Wyverns quickly.” Dante nods slowly, raises his fist to his chest then leaves the room.

“My love, we need to move Father and the twins to the cavern I discovered under rubble not far from here. I’ll send Jayce and Dominik with him to protect the babies. Dimitri and Klaus will run things here like nothing is happening.” She glances down at her notes briefly.

“The bear cub I saved from the slaughter will be sent home with one of Ellis’s bears to raise.” Aurora draws in a long-drawn-out breath before exhaling slowly.

“Sundown, we leave. One thing I learned is that Elena can’t see well at night due to her advanced age.” Aurora smiles and kisses my lips lightly. “Let’s kick this party off, love! Time to get revenge!” My mate is entirely way too happy right now.

‘As you wish, my love.’ I gently kiss her cheek before leaving the room. My twins follow behind me as I start to search for their grandfather. Lucky for me, I find Nicodeamus and the other twins together with a single bag apiece. ‘I’m guessing Aurora gathered everyone for me?’

Nicodeamus steps forward and lays his hand on my shoulder. ‘Yes, we’ve been given the task of guarding the family’s greatest treasure. Which we will do proudly and with honor.’ Nicodeamus turns and gives the twins a look.

I know they want to go help hunt Elena. I reassure them through the bond that their job is just as vital. They collectively sigh and nod slowly, finally agreeing that they have just as important of a job as I did. ‘Marco will be carrying you three. The babies will be clinging to my back for the ride out. It’s about time they are treated like the hatchlings they are.’ My statement makes Nicodeamus smile and beam with pride. A hatchling’s first flight is important; they tend to test their wings, some learn to fly, others just enjoy the ride.

We head outside, and Jayce runs and climbs up onto Marco’s neck and sits behind his head, ready to go. Nicodeamus makes his way to join Jayce up by Marco’s head. Dominik is hesitant and climbs up to sit in front of Marco’s wings. Without warning, Marco takes off, and Dominik screams like a little girl. I can’t help but laugh. I look at my twins and smile down at them; they run in circles, getting impatient. Aurora makes it outside just as I pack my clothes into my bag. I love the appreciative look she gives me.

I run a ways away from everyone and shift into my dragon. The babies walk over, slowly chirping up at me. I lower my head and nuzzle the babies. Aurora joins us and climbs up onto my back, showing the babies the best place between my wings to cling to. I feel Aurora’s talons as she strips away loose and dead scales so the babies don’t fall off. It feels really nice to have my scales tended to by my lovely mate; my dragon croons his appreciation. My sensitive ears pick up on Aurora’s rumbling in reply to mine.

Once she’s satisfied with my scales, she climbs down and moves to stand in front of me. ‘You carry my greatest treasures on your back. Protect them fiercely, leave no enemy standing, burn them to ash.’ Aurora steps closer and kisses my dragon’s maw, her beast’s eyes looking deeply into mine. Slowly, I rise up and take off into the sky, en route to the hidden cavern.

I discover along my flight that Ladon is strong enough to fly with me. I had to slow down to gliding, but it’s totally worth it to watch my son’s first flight. I reach out through time and space through the bond to allow the others to witness Ladon’s first flight. I feel Aurora get emotional; she’s so proud of our son. Nicodeamus is beaming with pride, boasting how his grandson takes after him. I look over my shoulder, and Tiamat is hesitantly spreading her wings. It’ll take time, but she will eventually fly.

Towards the end of our flight, Tiamat opens her wings and lets go of my scales. I turn to watch her falter, then slowly straighten back out. Ladon moves to fly beside his sister, and he’s talking to her, instructing her what to do. I reach out to my family again and share the vision of both babies flying for their first time.

Ahead of me, I hear Nicodeamus’s dragon roar from the ground his joy and pride. I feel Aurora’s pride and her emotional reaction to seeing her babies fly. I know deep down she wants to fly, but she can’t. Little does she know I ordered her some wingsuits that I’m giving her for this mission.

My theory is that she can jump off my back and glide into the camp and seek Elena while her forces concentrate on the rest of us. Is it a good plan? Quite possibly, I guess we’ll have to wait and see. In the clearing ahead, I see Marco’s dragon helping to excavate the cave entrance. Dom and Jayce are watching for the babies and me to arrive. Jayce has his mini camcorder, videoing the babies and me. I click and chirp at the babies so that they circle and watch me land first. My twins chirp in response to my instructions and start to circle, watching my every movement. This is absolutely the slowest and most important landing I have ever made in my existence.

Once I’m on the ground, I shift quickly and dress, waiting for the twins to make their first landing. Ladon takes the lead and begins his circling descent; I’m a bundle of nerves watching my son land for the first time. Usually, I hate landing in fresh powdery snow; I’m very thankful for it for once. Just as Ladon is about to land, he gives his wings a few quick flaps, and his hindlegs touch down first, then his front. I run over and hug my son to my chest, telling him how proud of him I am.

My eyes turn skyward to watch Tiamat. I thought the fear of Ladon crashing scared me; my daughter’s landing scares me to death. Anxiously I watch her lazy circles. Ladon is right next to me, calling to his sister to give her instructions. Tiamat breathes fire, showing her aggravation at her brother’s coddling. Tiamat’s circles are getting closer to the ground, and my fucking heart is in my throat.

One strong flap of her wings, and she stops about six inches off the ground and gracefully drops onto her feet. Tiamat prances over to me, her head held high. She remembered to protect her underbelly, unlike her brother. I scoop up my daughter and hug her tightly; I tell her how proud of her I am. Nicodeamus’s and Marco’s dragons click and purr at the babies, telling them how proud of them they are.

Dominik and Jayce make it over and kneel down close by. My twins break free of my arms and run over and knock Dominik and Jayce on their asses. Both babies happily chirping and purring to their other fathers. I listen to my bond mates tell my twins how proud they are of them.

I then hear Dominik’s phone ringing; it’s Aurora’s ringtone. “Little ones, your momma wants to talk to you.” Dominik accepts the video call and turns the phone to face the babies.

I listen to Aurora telling them how very proud she is of both of them. She then focuses on Ladon and tells him he’s a very good brother for talking his sister through everything that made her nervous. Aurora then looks to Tiamat and smiles, and tells her how proud she is of her for working up the courage to try.

She then instructs Dom to turn the phone to me. Aurora tells me to hurry up and get my scaly ass back there because she has a plan to set in motion. The call suddenly disconnects, and I look to the others.

Nicodeamus herds the babies into the cavern then instructs Marco to move some of the stones back on either side of the opening. That way, if they are attacked, the enemies will be funneled right where he wants them. My father-in-law is a brilliant tactician. Dominik and Jayce strip and carry their clothes into the cavern with them. I see the glow of both sets of Dire Wolf eyes staring back at me through the darkness. I’d hate to see what would be left of the fool that tried to attack my family.

Nicodeamus sticks his head partially out of the cavern, inspecting what was done. I hear the click of his ignitor and then see the blue flames lick the ground. The entire area outside of the cavern is a huge skating rink. He then proceeds to make icicle bars to mostly seal off the cavern. There’s enough room for a good airflow, but it’s enough to slow any invaders down.

Once I’m sure my babies, bond mates, and father-in-law are secure in the cavern, I take to the sky, my guards flanking me on the way back to the camp. Tonight’s a night of retribution; Aurora is out for blood. To be perfectly honest, so am I. The memories she’s shared with me, and the pain that she buries down deep… I’m ready to burn the world to the ground and hear the screams of my enemies as they burn to death.

The flight back is much quicker than the initial flight out. Aurora is standing in the middle of the field, waiting with the other dragons as we breach the horizon. I notice at Aurora’s feet is the box with the wingsuits in it. Surprisingly, the box looks untouched. I circle the field twice before I land and shift back to human. “Hey, babe, let’s get your present on you so we can take off.”

Aurora looks to me curiously, then back to the box, then back to me again before she tears into the box. In the box, there are four wingsuits, two black and two blue. Aurora squeals and starts trying to slip into the suit. I know for a fact she knows what it is since she’s been begging me to order her a few so she can experience flight. I help her with the final straps and buckles and then have her open her arms to make sure the membranes are properly stretched out for her.

After several minor adjustments, I send her up with one of the small Gold Dragons so that she can get the hang of the suit. Aurora glides around, catching the thermals, and manages to stay in the air much longer than I had initially anticipated. When she finally lands, she runs up and kisses me passionately. Score one for me.

I break away from my beloved mate and smile softly at her before shifting to my dragon’s form. Carefully, I lie down, and she quickly climbs up and onto my back. Surprisingly, she sits just before my wings instead of up by my head like she usually does. Is everything okay, love? I question her through the bond, unsure of her decision of where to sit. Did I do something wrong?

I hear Aurora’s laughter through the bond, and then I hear her. Everything is perfect! I get to drop down out of the sky and kill my enemies when they least expect me. Best day ever! She starts singing the song “Architecture of Aggression” by Megadeth. Yup, she’s in her homicidal mindset for this mission.

I take off and join the other seven dragons flying towards the camp where Elena is hiding. I see Marco come towards us, and he lines himself up under me. Before I can question Aurora, she runs and jumps off my back and clings to Marco’s Black Dragon. Through my mind’s eye, she shows me her plan, and fuck me, it’s solid. I didn’t think about the fact that my dragon may be spotted because of its light color.

Marco expresses his concern and says he’s sorry, but he can’t disobey Aurora. Honestly, I can’t blame him; after all, she took down an ancient Black Dragon almost twice his size alone. I watch them take a different path to the camp than the rest of us are. Aurora enters my head again, telling me more of her plan, that the other dragons and I are the distraction. Marco will drop her within gliding distance, then he’s going to lay down a circle of acid around the camp so no one can escape.

I’m almost stunned at the brilliance of the plan that Aurora has come up with. I know Aurora’s false mate Sebastian had gifted her with a battle strategy, I just didn’t realize she would still retain the gift after the bond was severed and he died. It’s quite a curious state of events that I must investigate with Nicodeamus once this mission is over with. I fly with the rest of the assault force and start laying waste to the camp that Elena thought that she had hidden so well. I get the pleasure of briefly watching my mate gliding through the air, then shifting last second to land upon what looks to be the Alpha House. Her giant, white Lycan visible only for the briefest of moments before she leaps off the roof.

Screams and the sounds of fighting fill the air; white snow turns crimson as my mate goes on her rampage. She calls to me through the bond. Apparently, Elena has a bunker underground and Aurora can’t lift the lid. I land just as Marco starts to lay his ring of acid down around the campsite. Bloodcurdling screams fill the air as unsuspecting rebels step into his black acid fog. I pause in my forward momentum to watch that acid of Marco’s melt the flesh off of whomever it touches. What a way to go!

A tapping catches my attention now, and I look down to my pissed off, impatient hybrid mate. Fuck! I reach my taloned hand over and grip the stone disk and lift it free of its resting place. Several series of tunnels are below, each leading in a different direction. I watch Aurora look skyward, and then Marco circles and lands next to me. Aurora locks eyes with Marco then motions to the hole. I hear Marco’s ignitor click several times before he lowers his head and starts releasing his acid fog into the tunnels. Smart thinking on Aurora’s part, the fog will creep along the floor and swiftly move through the tunnels. Aurora comes over to Marco’s side and pats his cheek; his ignitor clicks again, and more acid fog comes out, this time thicker. Once that round finishes, he moves away and takes flight again.

Now, we wait and listen. Eventually, we hear Elena screaming. The acid has found her. Aurora drops down on all fours and lowers her head to the opening. I hear the click of her ignitor, and Aurora breathes her blue flames onto the acid fog. Aurora leaps back quickly as the highly flammable acid ignites and the flames race along the mist. Elena’s screams and cries are muffled then silenced.

Aurora nods her great wolven head then starts heading towards the building that suspiciously just went up in flames. Once reaching the porch, Aurora kneels down, sinks her talons into the wood, and starts freezing the house, effectively putting out the fire. By the time the house is frozen, I raided a house nearby and stole pants for myself to wear. Aurora looks back at me then proceeds into the house cautiously; I feel like we are walking into a trap with each step we take.

Aurora pauses and looks around; something catching her attention. I can watch her wolven ears moving in several different directions before focusing on a door. Her talons come up, and she cuts through the burnt door with ease. The scent of burnt flesh permeates the air that drifts up to us. Most of the staircase is missing, and what’s left doesn’t look safe to climb. Aurora kneels down and motions for me to climb onto her back. Hesitantly I wrap my arms around my mate’s thick neck and my legs around her beast’s waistline.

Without warning, Aurora drops down into the house’s basement. Her head scans the area then she backs up a bit. I feel the vibration of her ignitor when it clicks to life, and she starts breathing her blue flames around the room. I follow the path of her flames, and she is burning away the last of the acid fog pockets. Slowly she crouches down, and I slide off of her back and begin to look around.

Lost artifacts from her mother’s castle are here in what I’m guessing is a safehouse for Vladimir’s secret forces. I hear Dante and Edgar calling for us, so I holler and let them know we’re fine. They leap down and motion to Aurora, still in her beast’s form. “Something still isn’t right; she won’t shift back until the area is clear.”

I motion to the walls, and the look of recognition flitters across both War Dragons’ faces. “We need to secure all the treasures housed here. Send for others to come back and carefully pack this stuff up.” Both guys nod, and we watch Aurora stalk down the hallway in full stealth mode.

The three of us are no more than ten feet behind her when she raises her tail and crouches low. A muffled moan and whine reaches us. Aurora’s ears flicker, catching the sound. Slowly, her wolven head tilts as she listens to the room carefully. My gut tells me that Elena is in the room. Aurora shifts back to a mostly human form, leaving herself three-quarters of the way shifted. Her taloned hand slashes at the damaged door, sending splinters flying in every direction. Bodies litter the floor and yet somehow, Elena is untouched at the back of the room behind the pile of charcoaled corpses. A guttural growl escapes Aurora’s lips, the reverberations shake the walls in the room. Elena visibly pales, staring at Aurora in her partially shifted form.

“You killed my son!” Elena yells at Aurora.

The clicking of Aurora’s talons is the only sound besides our breathing that can be heard. It’s almost as if time has stopped. Shaking her head slowly, Aurora begins to prowl the room as the guys and I block the only exit. “You’ve caused so much damage and told so many lies, yet you dare yell at me, witch!” Aurora says witch with so much venom in her inflection the old woman cringes at the tone.

A brief huff of a laugh escapes Aurora’s lips as she stares at Elena. “You meddled in the Elder God’s plans for us, damaged sacred bonds, and falsified a bond for your own benefit.” Smirking, Aurora crosses her armored arms over her ample chest.

“There shall be no Elysium for you or your bloodline, Elena. I swear on my blood and the blood of my ancestors I will make your bloodline extinct.” Aurora’s long, white tail thrashes violently behind her as she stalks forward. Elena doesn’t bother begging for forgiveness or mercy. Death has come for her in the form of the last Marelup.

Time slows to a crawl as Aurora moves forward, extending her taloned hands towards Elena. The tips of those long, white, curved talons press into the soft pink flesh of Elena’s skin. As a last-ditch effort to save herself, Elena attempts to shift into her Lycan to try to break free of Aurora’s vice-like grip. Black fur erupts all over Elena’s body as it bends and breaks, trying to transform before she meets her demise. The most sadistic grin crosses Aurora’s lips as she allows her body to fully shift to that of her hybrid beast.

The guys and I quickly back up as the sound of ripping and whining fills the air. Weakly, Elena’s Lycan tries to fend off the much larger hybrid that has her suspended in the air. Without warning, Aurora’s muzzle comes down and clamps onto Elena’s shoulder as her talons sink deeply into the black Lycan’s flesh. The familiar clicks of Aurora’s ignitor fill the air before the roar of the flames can be heard. Within minutes, flames erupt from Elena’s body as the scent of burnt flesh fills the air. Her cries suddenly silenced as her lungs are burned to ash. To add insult to injury, Aurora rips Elena’s body in half then proceeds to burn the remains till there’s nothing left. Aurora’s pain and heartbreak pulse through the bond as her memories of all the things that Elena damaged come to mind.

Aurora faulters shortly after torching the room. Her body betrays her, and she shifts back to her human form without warning. “Guys, we need to get Aurora to the surface. We can send the others to gather the treasures and skulls later.” As soon as I finish speaking, Aurora falls to her knees in front of me. Dante quickly takes off the shirt he was wearing, and we wrap it around Aurora’s shoulders. We make it back to the room we entered from. Edgar has found a ladder that we lean against the wall leaning towards the door. The ladder is about three feet too short. Dante climbs up first, then I follow, holding onto Aurora as Edgar braces my back as we move up the ladder. At the top, I hand Aurora off to Dante. Once she is out of the way, I climb up then help Edgar.

“After I’m in the air, I send Marco to go get my family from where we hid them.” Both men nod their agreeance, and I back away to shift back into my dragon. I stretch out my taloned hand, and my beloved mate is laid in it. I look down at Aurora; she’s so limp and exhausted. Slowly, I close my hand around her; Dante gently moves her limbs around so that she remains safe and comfortable. Normally, my dragon would not be happy with another male touching our mate. Today is an exception. He knows we cannot adjust her the way Dante can; we both are grateful for his assistance.

Once Aurora is settled, we take flight and clutch her close to my scaled chest. I wrap my other hand around the hand, holding Aurora to protect her from the cold and wind. I reach out to Dimitri and Klaus, telling them what happened and how Aurora is at the moment. I can feel the slight tug at my strength as I fly with her.

Baby girl, I know you’re weak. Please wait till we get home. I don’t want to crash and kill us both. I feel the pull lessen then stop completely; I just hope she took what she needs for now. In the distance, I see the camp and the bonfire that the residents have every night. I roar, alerting the pack to my arrival in the field behind the houses. I spot Dimitri and Klaus with torches waiting for me. Elsa and two other females are there waiting as well.

I circle twice and do the one thing I told my children not to. I land with my hind feet first, then gently my front foot. Dimitri and Klaus rush over, and I slowly open my hand to expose a very bundled Aurora, sleeping soundly. Both of my bond mates are worried and concerned for her. Gently, Dimitri lifts Aurora up. Klaus moves behind him and throws a blanket over her and Dimitri, trying to keep his body heat in for her. Elsa stands there holding a robe out for me as I turn my back away from everyone and shift back to my human form. I am not shy in any way, but I find it rude for the world to see what’s for Aurora’s eyes only.

I slip on the offered robe, and everyone follows Dimitri and Klaus into the house. Klaus directs Dimitri to the master bedroom on the main level, and he lays her down gently. Elsa moves and starts to examine Aurora from head to toe. She shrugs her shoulders then looks back at us. “I don’t think she ate enough before heading out on the mission with everyone. I believe her beast burned through her available fat reserves faster than she anticipated. What happened that was different with this mission than in the past?” Elsa looked to me for answers. Oh, I had answers but not ones I was willing to give her.

“Not too much out of the ordinary, Elsa. She froze an entire house that was on fire. She managed to kill Elena and several of her followers. Oh, and we found some of the missing treasures from her mother’s treasury also.” I shrug my shoulders as if it was no big deal. I know I’m hiding vital information from her, but I’m not sure if we have traitors here as well. Through the bond, I shared the events that actually occurred instead of the edited version I gave Klaus’s grandmother. Dimitri gives me a subtle nod, and Klaus raises both eyebrows then spins to look out the window so Elsa wouldn’t question him.

Dimitri moves and climbs up onto the bed and lies down next to Aurora. “I’ll keep her warm. You two find food for her; probably fresh raw meat would be best.” Dimitri makes absolute sense with his request. More often than not, Aurora has been eating her meat rare to raw ever since the babies.

Klaus and I leave to head to the kitchen; we are all on the same page after the last debacle. We are not leaving Aurora alone when she’s in a weakened state. Klaus wasn’t happy with what was in the kitchen and led me across the village over to a house with several roe deer and boar hanging out front. A stout man with a long beard comes out onto the front porch; he looks to Klaus then to me and bows. “M’lord, Alpha, what brings you to my humble home?”

I smile and slightly bow to him. “Our mate requires sustenance. I was wondering if I could purchase a whole deer from you for her?” Klaus pulls out his wallet and holds out more than enough euros to cover the deer and a bit extra for the hunter’s trouble.

“Put your money away, Alpha, it’s no good here when it comes to providing for my Queen. Only the best for her. You need meat, you come to me, don’t feed her that store-bought, chemical shit. My family hunted for Anca; I will be more than honored to hunt for Aurora.” Hanz, I find out his name is, moves to his rack of deer and picks off a plump roe deer and a fat piglet. “This should please my Queen, if not, let me know, and I’ll see what else I can get for her.”

We thank Hanz profusely, then carry our game home. It’s nice to see that there are old families still faithful to the crown. We make it back home, and the twins must have arrived with my twins and father-in-law while we were gone. Aurora is sitting up in bed with our toddlers sitting on the bed with her. Klaus leaves to go slice up some of the fresh pork and venison for Aurora. I notice in the corner that Marco is sound asleep. “Aurora, did you play vampire with Marco again?” I tilt my head looking at her, and she blushes.

“Yeah, he told me too! He didn’t like me looking so pale and exhausted. Dominik helped him over to the chair to sit back down.” Aurora adjusts how she’s sitting then looks over at me. “I feel much better now. I’m just curious if I can drain someone to the point of death?” Aurora has that look on her face that lets you know she is seriously contemplating this theory.

Elsa turns around quickly and stares at Aurora, forgetting for a moment that not only is she queen, but that she is her Alpha too. “How can you think such a horrible thing?! It’s a monstrous thing for such a beautiful woman to think about.”

Aurora smirks and slowly shifts her body to most of her beast. She moves till she’s nose to nose with Elsa. “Haven’t you heard? I am a monster. A beast of legend, according to the Fae.” Elsa promptly pisses herself and backs up slowly. The stench of fear and urine fills the room. “Don’t let this beautiful visage fool you. Deep down, my beast lurks, ready to destroy anyone who threatens what’s mine.” Aurora slides back to where she was previously on the bed; she’s completely human again by the time she sits down. Elsa leaves quickly, and the cleaning girls come in and clean up the mess. Aurora is calm, but you can sense under the surface something is bothering her.

Ladon and Tiamat tackle their mother and start leaving sopping wet toddler kisses. My children have grown so fast because of their mother’s plan to allow them the anonymity of being in their dragon forms in public. Aurora’s plan is solid though, you can’t abduct or harm a child that you have never seen. I watch my children play, and it warms my heart to see them so healthy and happy. I’ve been blessed many times over this past year with a beautiful mate, wonderful bond mates, and two beautiful, healthy children.

I watch over my family that I’ve made. My legions of dragons wait for orders. We all believe in restoring the last Marelup back to the Lycan throne. The Strigoi have been a thorn in everyone’s sides for far too long. Tonight, other packs of shifters arrive for the celebration that we planned for this new alliance’s birth.