Page 126 of The Heart of the Dragon

"Damn, Rose. You're glowing and it's fucking beautiful."

I couldn't focus. He'd done something to my heart, and I now felt a connection that seared my soul. It was glorious and beautiful and completely real. I could suddenly see all the connections between us, the loose threads knitting together. "It's perfect," I sighed, wrapping my arms tight around him until we collapsed back onto the bed still as locked together as before.

"If there's another egg in there, I'm pretty sure I got it that time," he gasped, sounding as breathless as me.

I swatted at his arm. "If you start talking about your seed again, so help me."

He huffed with laughter. "No. I got the message. Be more human in my sex talk."

I shook my head and laughed along with him. That wasn't exactly what I'd meant, but I was riding too high to argue semantics with him. Besides, I wasn't quite ready to tell him that he was right. There were going to be two. I'd seen them both. But he'd find out soon enough, and we both knew what a monster he would be about being right.

My dragon was a beast. A beautifully scarred, perfect beast who now shared my soul and my heart.

After three gloriousdays holed up in our private sanctuary as Magnus recovered, we finally emerged, to face the world beyond our bedroom.

By the time we arrived at the village center, it was mid-morning and the marketplace bustled with activity. There were people milling about everywhere, some finely dressed in beautiful gowns and suits while others dressed in flowing dresses and even some in what looked like fighting clothes made from leather or suede. It was an eclectic group of people and I wondered?—

"My king!"

We turned toward the shout to find what looked like the entire village now staring at us. At first no one moved and a sliver of fear worried through me that I was about to be rejected as his mate. We'd made the decision not to hide my ears ever again. The realm would have no choice but to acknowledge what I was.

My breath caught in my lungs and waited.

Until a small boy broke free from his mother's grasp and ran over to us.

"Torlin!" the woman I presumed was his mother yelled. He ignored her and ran harder until he stopped just short of where we stood.

"My king," he exclaimed as he dropped to the ground on both knees in an awkward bow. "Welcome back."

I pressed my lips together to keep from smiling as Magnus glared at me with a twitch at his right eye. It seemed as serious as a moment as it did humorous and it looked like my mate wanted to flee.

"Come to the marketplace, you said. No one will bother us, you said." He grunted, but with a slight tilt of his lips as he hid a smile. He still struggled with the weight of his new title, but this was the easiest way I could think to ease him into it.

"He's just a sweet little boy," I whispered so no one else heard. "Don't be rude."

"Fae children are not sweet. They are precocious little troublemakers with magic they don't yet know how to wield." I looked back and forth between him and the boy, not at all certain he meant what he said.

"Just so you know, you are not selling me on this idea of multiple dragon babies."

He smirked. "Our children will be different."

"Of course they will," I barked with laughter as I tried not to snort. "Because dragons are so well behaved."

He wrapped his hand around my waist and pinched my backside. "I'd be happy to demonstrate."

"Magnus," I cried out much louder than I'd meant to. I quickly covered my mouth and glared at him to keep from saying anything more. But the slight shaking of his shoulders informed me that my outburst had meant more than the daggers I was now throwing at him with my glare.

The worst part though was the way my body had immediately come to life. Apparently, this heat cycle as he kept referring to this incessant need that continued to grow like a monster, was not yet sated. My skin was tingling and I could feel my borrowed magic rising to the surface.

"She's glowing," the boy now looking up at me in awe called out.

All eyes turned to me with open curiosity as mortification swept through me. It was my turn to want to turn and run away. A sensation that only got worse as Isaac and Kitra stepped from the crowd to approach us. I wasn't about to have this conversation with them either.

I grabbed Magnus's hand. "I've changed my mind. We need to get out of here. Now."

He started to say something, and a bright flash of white light filled my vision, blocking everything and everyone out. I squinted against it to find Magnus, but the only tether still holding him to me was his hand grasped around mine.

A blast of heat sizzled through my veins, hot enough to catch my breath. A scream bubbled in the back of my throat and quickly died as the heat and light disappeared as quickly as it came.

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