Page 48 of Into the Dawn
“What about our bags? Shouldn’t we fetch them before some wild animal drags them off?”
Ronan chuckled. “Our father has sent people to collect them for us.”
Satisfied with the answers he’d given her, she poked Dominic in the back. “Hey, why aren’t you talking to me?”
“He gets like this when he is brooding. He really wanted to be with you for your first shift. We both did. Those damned rogues,” Ronan growled. “They all deserve to die.”
“I sort of took care of that for you,” she quipped.
A small part of her felt heartless joking about the matter, but her dragon spirit felt nothing but contentment over what she had done. If anyone dared to attack her mates, they deserved to face her wrath. She didn’t mind becoming someone others feared. If that helped protect the people she cared about, she was all in.
Something had been bothering her about the whole situation, though.
“How are so many of the rogues getting through the protection barrier?”
“We do not know,” Ronan admitted with a sigh. “But someone has to be betraying us.”
“I agree, but what is their goal? They aren’t just attacking randomly. This was a coordinated attack that had multiple groups working together. They were after your younger brothers, but why? To get to you? They already knew you were in the forest, and those other teams you fought had been trying to kill you.”
“So, what do you think is the reason?” Ronan asked.
“I don’t know. But it seems like there is a bigger plan in play, doesn’t it?”
“They want to take over the kingdom,” Dominic said softly, finally breaking his silence. “That is the only thing that makes sense. Kill us, use the little ones to force our mother and fathers to step down. That is the perfect takeover.”
“That would make sense,” Ronan agreed. “Then, they would have access to the sacred lake and an endless food source. Not only that, they would also have control over the largest population of unmated females on the planet.”
Fuck that.
Knowing what the rogues would do to the females had Kylie feeling a little feral. She’d damn well burn them all before she let that happen.
“Now you are sounding like a true warrior,” Ronan teased. He sobered, and after a few heartbeats of silence, he said, “I think I know who is behind this. If I am right, it is a bigger betrayal than we initially believed.”
“We need proof,” Dominic snapped.
Kylie remained silent on the issue, her thoughts swirling with the implications. Her mates were visibly angry and hurt, their suspicion clearly directed towards someone they trusted. If that were the case, they would need to be absolutely certain before taking any action. Regardless of the outcome, she was determined to help them uncover the truth. And if it came down to it, she would gladly make the perpetrators pay for betraying her mates.
When they finally arrived at their destination, they entered a hidden grotto that reminded her a little of the magical place she had visited in the Isle of Dreams. It was a serene space where nature’s true beauty was on display.
The walls of the cave were covered in verdant foliage, with vines cascading down from the ceiling like delicate curtains. Glowing flowers bloomed on the vines, adding light to the space above their heads like colorful stars.
The grotto was illuminated by the blue light crystals that were embedded in the walls of the cave, along with the brilliant glow coming from the three tiers of purple pools that were present. The sound of trickling water echoed through the cavethat came from the water spilling from small cracks in the rocks that fed directly into the top pool.
The tiers of pools acted like a large waterfall system, each pool spilling into the next. The air was cool and refreshing, which seemed odd for being so deep in the mountain, especially since there was steam rising from the surface of the lowest pool.
As they moved deeper into the grotto, she noticed a cushioned seating area had been set up in one corner, complete with a stone firepit and shelves carved into the rocks. She could imagine the two of them hanging out in the grotto with their brother, Eron, when they were younger. It was the perfect place to relax, share stories, and whisper secrets.
“Each pool of water is a different temperature,” Dominic explained. “The lowest pool is heated by the rocks below, while the top tier is cooler from the water trickling down from a source high in the mountain.”
Deciding that a dip in a natural hot spring sounded lovely, she unzipped her jacket and slowly started to remove the other layers she was wearing. She could feel the heat of her mates’ eyes on her, feel the intensity of their desire for her, and it fueled her with courage.
When she stood before them naked, she held her hands out to them.
They went to her without hesitation. Dominic got to her first, pulling her into his arms and claiming her mouth in a fierce kiss. She met his passion with equal fervor, worshiping him with lips, tongue, and teeth. When she broke the kiss, she rested her head on his chest.
“I love you, Dominic,” she whispered softly, her breath caressing his skin.
“And I love you, Kylie. Even when all the stars fall from the sky, I will remain by your side, loving you.”
