I opened my mouth to say hello.
Naturally, all the words splurged out.
“Morgan, your mate ishuge. You didn’t tell me he was that big. How do you even look up at him? Don’t you get a crick in your neck?”
I would have said more – I actually had my mouth open to continue – but Morgan broke awayfrom his mate and flung himself at me with lightning speed.
I only just managed to get my arms up in time and brace myself and then I had an armful of sobbing brother.
It was weird.
I’d never seen Morgan cry before. I knew he did because we all did, some time or other, but Lord Somerville had never approved of ‘weakness’ and we’d learned to hide it.
He clung to me tightly and I had to prise his arms loose so I could breathe.
“It’s okay, Morgan. Everything’s better now. Wow, your mate’s really glaring at me. Doesn’t he like me? I didn’t do anything to offend him, at least I don’t remember—”
Morgan hiccupped and spoke into my shoulder, where he’d buried his face.
“We’ve both been really worried about you. We didn’t know what was happening to you here with Lord Somerville and we couldn’t get in touch with you and we couldn’t try to come and get you without starting a war, although I think Nana was considering it.”
Lew gave a chuckle. “Oh, she was. She had Dimpy and Anthony looking through all the old alliance documents to see if we had a claim to come and get you.”
To Morgan, still tucked tightly against me, I whispered, “Isn’t ‘Dimpy’ a silly name?”
Lew shrugged. “It’s a nickname. If you ever meet him, you’ll love him. Everyone does.”
I cringed a bit and glanced at my mate, who was smirking at me. I hadn’t whispered quietly enough, it seemed.
An even biggercuraidhwalked into the room and I hadn’t thought that was possible until I saw the evidence with my own eyes. He wasunbelievablyhuge, all tan skin stretched to breaking point over muscles like boulders.
Behind him bounded a blonde head I recognised.
“Seren!”
He grinned at me and I felt a flash of power, the same as I’d felt all those years ago when he’d been filled with his dragon’s magic. It had been awful to feel the emptiness inside him, a gaping pit where his whole being had been. I’d started to avoid him because it made me feel sick to be around him, asthough that yawning void had been trying to pull me into it, too.
Now, he was back to normal. Better than normal. He looked so full of life and energy that he was practically vibrating.
He was over by my side in an instant, too, and instead of waiting for Morgan to release me and then hug me in his turn, he just flung his arms around both of us and squeezed.
I felt the familiar touch of his magic, the invisible barrier he layered over my skin whenever we touched. When I’d been little and afraid of the dark, it had been Seren I’d gone to in the middle of the night, his bed I’d crawled into, because I knew I’d feel that armour layered over my skin as he lay beside me, his hand on my shoulder.
Morgan gave a squeak as Seren’s arms tightened.
I wasn’t sure I liked it when the two giantcuraidhwarriors came over and untangled us. The huge-gigantic-massive one dragged Seren back against him and Seren let him, leaning into him with a sigh of contentment. I didn’t need to see their bond bright between them to know that they were mates.
Morgan turned and buried his face in his mate’s side, leaning into him and absorbing his strength. My dragon felt a flash of protectiveness. Morgan needed to be looked after.
Lew tightened his arm around my brother’s shoulders and my dragon sank down, satisfied.
Seren said, “I’m glad you let us in. I think Nana sent Dee and Dum to take a look at the boundary, to see if there were any weaknesses but even they couldn’t get in this time.”
His mate growled, “G was plugging all the holes last year.”
From nowhere, Glimmer’s voice sounded. It was close. In fact, it was right behind thecuraidh.
“Nobody can get through our boundary.”