Page 1 of The Alliance

Chapter 1

Lew

It was a strange sensation to be waiting for the Somervilles to arrive again. Little over a year ago, we’d been waiting here to do the same thing, but it had felt very different.

For a start, we hadn’t known any of them. We’d agreed to train Morgan, the eldest son of Lord Somerville, and that was all we’d known. We hadn’t even seen a picture of him.

I still remembered that first sight of him. We’d gathered in this upstairs room to watch the Somervilles arrive, to see their cars pull up and theuasaldragons walk inside. I hadn’t known who he was, but I remembered Morgan getting out of that car and walking into our castle for the first time.

Years – generations – of disharmony between theuasalandcuraidhhad meant none of us were keen to have a Somerville there. I’d assumed I’d dislike him. That he’d be stuck up and look down his nose at us. That we’d have nothing in common.

Yet I’d still leaned out of the window at the first glimpse of him, desperate to see more of him. He’d been stunning.

My dragon had been captivated, right from the start.

I smiled to myself and Morgan looked up at me.

“What are you thinking?”

I slid my arm around his waist and pulled him back against me, holding him tightly to my chest. His slender frame fit perfectly against my muscular one and I inhaled his scent, feeling the satisfaction of having my mate so close to me.

“I was just remembering when you arrived here.”

He gave a murmur. “That made you smile?”

I leaned down, nuzzling at his hairline. “I thought you were the hottest person I’d ever seen in my life. I hoped you weren’t the one who would be staying. I didn’t want to get distracted by your body the whole time.”

Morgan’s face was practically glowing with love as he looked up at me. “What about now?”

“Obviously I’m glad you stayed. Best thing that ever happened to me.”

I traced my lips over my claiming bite on his neck, pleased as always that he’d consented to mate me. That he loved me.

From across the room, where he was pacing in front of the window, Seren said, “I was so jealous that you got to come here, Morgan. I wanted to be the one who came to train with Dane.”

Dane was currently sat in a large armchair, watching his mate pace back and forth. He grinned.

“Worked out okay in the end.”

“Yeah, in the end. But it could have gone badly.”

My dragon growled inside me. There had been so many points at which our lives could have taken a very different turn. Any one of us could have missed out on being here.

“Don’t think about what could have happened,” I growled, “We’re all here now and we’re safe.”

“Conley was insufferable when he got back.”

I frowned. “I don’t think I met Conley.”

Seren shot me a look. “Lucky you. He was quite rude about your castle.”

As Seren paced past Dane, my cousin reached out and grabbed him, yanking his mate onto his lap.

“Ourcastle,” he said.

Seren melted against Dane and I turned my attention back to Morgan. I’d been holding him close and he smelled satisfied. I let him have the time to process. I guessed he was building up to asking a question and didn’t want to rush him.

“Is that all you thought of me? That I was hot?”

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