Page 129 of Taken

“Ready to face our strange new world?” I ask, offering my hand.

She takes it, fingers lacing through mine. “As I’ll ever be.”

The penthouse beyond our bedroom door hums with activity. Morning light pours through expansive windows, illuminating a scene of casual domesticity I never imagined finding myself part of. The Craven brothers, Elena, Juno, and Hargen cluster around the kitchen island, coffee mugs in hand, plates of pastries scattered between them.

Dorian notices us first, a smirk lifting one corner of his mouth. “Well, well. The dead rise again.” His gaze flicks to the mark on Lila’s neck, then to me, understanding dawning in his eyes. “And apparently with enough energy for other activities.”

Caleb elbows his brother, but his own eyes hold the same knowing look. Dragon to dragon, they recognize what transpired between Lila and me.

Elena turns, coffee mug pausing halfway to her lips. Her silvery eyes widen, then soften as she takes in the sight of us. Of Lila. Of her mother, hand in mine.

“Mom,” she says, setting down her mug and crossing to us. “How are you feeling?”

The wordMomseems to hit Lila physically. I feel her grip tighten on my hand, emotion threatening to overwhelm her. Years of sacrifice, of longing, all for this moment. This woman. This reunion.

“I’m good.” Lila’s voice breaks slightly. “Better than good.”

Elena’s gaze shifts to me, assessing. “And you. You should be dead after what I saw last night.”

“Your phoenix is a miracle worker,” I answer, inclining my head toward Juno, who watches with quiet interest from her place beside Dorian.

“Not mine,” Elena corrects with a small smile. “His.” She gestures to Dorian, whose arm circles Juno’s waist possessively. “But yes, she is.”

Hargen approaches, his movements still stiff from the previous day’s injury. He may be part witch, but he’s still largely human. He nods to me, then focuses on Lila with genuine care in his eyes.

“Looks like congratulations are in order,” he says, warmth in his voice.

Lila disentangles from me, moving to embrace him. “Thank you,” she says, just loud enough for me to hear. “For everything. For helping me find her. Find them.”

“Don’t make it weird, Lila,” he mutters, but his arms close around her briefly before he steps back, emotion flickering behind his composure.

“Hargen’s our uncle,” she announces to the group, her hand finding mine again as she returns to my side. “Well, distant cousin, technically. But at this point, ‘uncle’ feels right. He’s the only family I have left.” Her eyes find Elena. “Besides you.”

Hargen laughs, the sound surprisingly light. “Uncle makes me sound ancient. Let’s stick with cousin before you ruin my reputation.”

“Uncle Hargen,” Elena repeats with a mischievous grin. “I like it.”

“Perfect,” he groans, but there’s humor in his eyes.

Caleb clears his throat, coffee pot in hand. “Coffee? There’s food too. Pastries. Fruit. Whatever you need.”

The normalcy of the offer strikes me as absurd after everything we’ve been through. Hours ago, we were fighting for our lives on a warehouse rooftop. Now we’re being offered Danishes and coffee like it’s any ordinary morning.

“Coffee would be amazing,” I say, because what else is there to say?

We settle around the kitchen island; me beside Lila, who positions herself next to Elena. I notice how she leans slightly toward her daughter, as if drawn magnetically. The bond between them, I realize, is as powerful in its way as the mate bond between us.

My dragon bristles at first, possessive instinct flaring at sharing her attention. But I tamp it down, knowing this reunion is what she’s given everything for. What she deserves more than anything.

“So,” Dorian says, breaking the awkward silence that has fallen. “Are we going to talk about the elephant in the room?”

“Which one?” Juno asks dryly. “The dragon-witch mate bond, the phoenix healing, the Circle attack, or the fact that we’re all sitting here eating pastries while two enemy factions are actively hunting us?”

“All of the above,” Dorian replies with a grin that warms his eyes. I get the sense that smiling comes easily to this man.

“Viktor’s probably having an aneurysm right about now,” I say, thinking of the Aurora leader’s likely reaction to our unplanned departure.

“Viktor?” Elena asks, her head tilted slightly in a gesture so like Lila’s that I wonder if the expression could be written in their genes.

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