Page 87 of The Flame King's Queen

I stroke Esmeral’s head one last time and head over to Zenevieve. With folded arms, I ask, “Would you please tell me what’s going on?”

Zenevieve is examining a Beta dragon’s talons. “What do you mean?”

“You and the dragonmaster. You were gone for days.”

She frowns and straightens up. “Are you concerned for Maledin because of something the dragonmaster or I have done? The dragons were quite safe for a few days without Stesha. Can I not have a few days absence from the city as well,Ma’len?”

I feel my eyes narrow in irritation. I don’t like my questions being answered with questions. She’s being deliberately obtuse. “Zenevieve, I hope I have known you long enough that I may know whether…”

But would I have enjoyed someone demanding to know if I’d knotted Isavelle when we were going through our difficult period, or would I have ripped their head off if someone dared to ask something so intimate? Maybe she and Stesha are friends. Maybe they’re mated and don’t want to tell anyone. Maybe they coupled for days on end. Maybe he rejected her but was kind about it and she’s been crying in his arms all this time. It’s none of my business. “Yes, of course you can. Never mind.”

She watches Esmeral’s hatchlings from afar, interest lighting her eyes.

I smile and nod in their direction. “Come and meet them.”

“I wish to be around dragons always. I never feel right when I’m far from them.”

“If one of these hatchlings bonds with you, Scourge and I will feel honored beyond belief.”

Tears brim in her eyes and fall down her cheeks. She tries to speak, but there’s too much emotion blocking her words. Finally, she manages to say, “Thank you, Zabriel. I miss Minta so much. After all that’s happened, I wish to feel that bond once more before I die. In fact, on my darkest nights, that hope has been the only thing keeping me going.”

It makes my heart ache to hear that she’s been hurting so badly.

As she plays with the little dragons, a black and turquoise hatchling is gnawing furiously on my thumb. I hope Zenevieve is soon to get her dearest wish.

She stands up and wipes away her tears. “Sorry, I called you Zabriel just now, notMa’len.”

I smile at her. “Sometimes it feels good to be called Zabriel by an old friend. After Isavelle, you are dearest to me above all others. The dragonmaster as well.”

She gives me a watery smile and a nod and turns away. It’s only as she’s walking away that I notice there’s something different about her scent. I frown, trying to remember all the reasons that a Beta’s scent might change. I seem to remember that there are dozens of them. A bond developing with a dragon is one reason. A shock. A surprise. A mate? But if Stesha is her mate, he wouldn’t be letting her cry all alone like this.

Isavelle isflushed and sweating when I arrive back at our room. “I saw you speaking with Zenevieve at the dragongrounds. Are they happy? Are they together?”

I hesitate. “Not…not exactly. She was reminiscing about Minta. Esmeral’s hatchlings reminded her of her dragon.”

“She wasn’t crying, was she?”

“A little, yes.”

Isavelle sighs and starts peeling off her clothes. “I felt so certain that they were meant for each other, but what do I know? I was getting misty-eyed over the thought of Captain Ashton and Ravenna until Fiala and Dusan told me that would end in blood and tears. Stesha’s not rejecting her because she’s not an Omega, is he? I remember you said Stesha always wanted an Omega.”

“Who knows. Zenevieve wouldn’t tell me anything, and Stesha won’t either. We will just have to leave them be, but I hope Zenevieve bonds with a dragon soon. At least that will put a smile on her face, even if Stesha won’t.”

Isavelle frowns, and I wonder if she’s imagining giving the dragonmaster a piece of her mind for upsetting her friend. But then her brow clears. “Yes, that’s what she needs more than a mate. Zenevieve will be so much happier once she has met her dragon.”

I hope so too, but for the moment I’m distracted by the sight of Isavelle’s nearly naked body. She’s down to her thin, see-through shift, and I help her to draw it over her head and cast it aside. My mate looks so beautiful while round with my child.

“Mother Linnea tells me it’s almost time,” Isavelle whispers, taking my hand.

I twine my fingers through her slim ones, dreamily enjoying her sweet scent. Then her words hammer through my thick skull. I seize her fingers. “Wait, what?”

Isavelle bursts out laughing. “You suddenly look terrified.”

I get down on my knees and take both her hands in mine. “Excited. I’m excited,sha’lenla,” I say breathlessly, kissing her bump. “Will it be today? Tonight? Tomorrow?”

She smiles and strokes the tip of my nose. “It could be now. It could be three days. All the signs say soon, apparently. We will have to wait and see, but I tell you, I feel as though I am ready to burst.”

I stand up and gather her into my arms. “I can’t wait. You should have seen Scourge just now with his hatchlings. I was so happy for him, and so envious. I crave to hold my son or daughter in my arms. There is so much I wish to teach them about Maledin. There is so much I wish to learn from them about being a father, a king, and an Alpha.”

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