Page 37 of The Dragon King's Awakening

"Please do not touch the carvings," the guide calls out, hurrying over.

Zahraxis stiffens beside me, his aura flaring with indignation.I feel his struggle to contain his reaction—these are sacred spaces to him, not tourist attractions.Finn moves closer, his steady presence a counterbalance to Zahraxis' rising tension.

"Different world, brother," he murmurs."Different time."

Zahraxis takes a deep breath, visibly mastering himself."Yes.It is not as it was."His voice carries a resignation that breaks my heart."Nothing is."

We make our way back through the complex as more tourists begin to arrive, the sacred silence giving way to the chatter and camera clicks of the modern world.By the time we exit the main gate, the sun has climbed higher, its heat intensifying with every passing minute.

"We should return to the sanctuary," Finn suggests, eyeing Zahraxis with concern.Through our bond, I feel the ancient dragon's emotional exhaustion, the weight of seeing his past transformed into something unrecognizable.The weariness is affecting me and Finn as well as we find our driver waiting near the entrance.

The trip back is quiet, each of us lost in thought during the brief car ride across the short bridge to the island.When we reach the sanctuary, Amara meets us with cool drinks and the news that a light meal has been prepared.We eat in the courtyard, the fountain's gentle splashing a soothing backdrop.Zahraxis barely touches his food, his gaze distant.

"Was it what you expected?"I ask finally, unable to bear the silence.

He considers this, setting down his wineglass."I expected nothing," he says."Three thousand years...I knew it would be changed.But seeing it..."He shakes his head."It is like visiting your own tomb, only to find tourists taking photographs of your sarcophagus."

Finn snorts."Poetic."

"But accurate," Zahraxis insists."What was sacred is now...entertainment."

"Not entirely," I counter."The magic is still there.I saw it.And people still come to connect with something greater than themselves, even if they don't understand exactly what that is."

Zahraxis studies me, his golden eyes thoughtful."Perhaps.But they climb over altars where gods once walked."

"Gods retire," Finn reminds him."And the world moves on.But some things remain."He gestures to the sanctuary around us."The Court remembers.The dragons remember."

"And now I remember too," I add softly."Through you.Those memories aren't lost as long as someone carries them."

Something shifts in Zahraxis' expression—a softening, an acceptance.He reaches for my hand, his touch warm against my skin."Yes," he agrees."Not lost.Changed, but not lost.And we can build something new together."

As the day's heat reaches its peak, we retreat to our chambers.The climate control keeps the rooms pleasantly cool despite the scorching sun outside.Zahraxis moves to the windows overlooking Karnak, his silhouette framed against the ancient skyline.

"Rest," Finn suggests, pressing his palm against the small of my back."We have time before we need to get back."

The word "rest" hangs in the air between us, its meaning transforming with the heat in his eyes.Zahraxis turns from the window, his golden gaze falling on us with an intensity that makes my skin tingle.Their energy shifts—the emotional weight of the day crystallizing into something more primal, more urgent.

"Yes," Zahraxis says, his voice a low rumble that vibrates through me."We should...rest."

He crosses the room in three long strides, reaching for me with hands that tremble slightly—not with weakness, but with barely contained need.When he brushes his fingers against my cheek, desire surges between us, amplified by the sacred energy of this place—his place.

"Here," he murmurs, "in the land of my birth."

Finn moves behind me, pressing his chest against my back as he grips my waist."A proper homecoming," he agrees, his breath hot against my ear.

I'm caught between them, surrounded by their heat, their scent, their overwhelming presence.Zahraxis bends to capture my mouth, his kiss deep and possessive.His tongue slides against mine as Finn works at the fastenings of my clothing, each button undone revealing another inch of skin to the warm air.

"The bathing chamber," Zahraxis suggests when he breaks the kiss, his eyes flicking to the massive shower with its view of the Nile."This is a sacred moment.We should consummate it beneath the sacred waters of this place."

We move as one toward the adjoining room, shedding clothes with each step.By the time we reach the threshold, I'm naked between them, their hands roaming over my skin with reverent hunger.Finn reaches in to start the water, steam rising immediately as multiple shower heads spring to life.

Zahraxis lifts me effortlessly, carrying me into the shower and setting me on my feet beneath the warm cascade.Water sluices over us, plastering my hair to my scalp and running in rivulets down my body.Both men follow, the glass enclosure suddenly feeling much smaller with their powerful forms inside.

"Look at you," Finn says, his crimson eyes taking in my wet skin, the faintly pulsing glow of their marks on my chest."Fucking gorgeous."

Zahraxis makes a sound of agreement, cupping my breasts from behind.He circles my nipples with his thumbs, pinching gently until they're tight peaks that ache for more attention.When Finn bends to take one in his mouth, I gasp, arching into the heat of his tongue.

Finn explores lower with one hand, sliding down my stomach to the juncture of my thighs.He parts my folds, finding slick heat between.The first stroke of his fingers elicits a soft sigh from me, the pleasure already building in my core reflected through our bond.I marvel all over again at how easily I can sense their hunger for me, and it only gets me hotter.

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