Page 67 of Flameborne: Fury
She sighed again, but nodded and leaned back into me as we flew on, holding each other, the dragons called back and forth, anticipating our arrival home.
25. In it Together
~ BREN ~
“Kgosi’s letting them know we’re here and we’re safe.” Donavyn squeezed me and his stubbled chin scraped against my ear because he’d lowered his chin to talk so I’d hear him over the wind.
My nerves kicked up a notch at the same time thedesiresurged, which wasn’t helpful.
Akhane screamed, and Kgosi’s flapping sped up. That coiled need twisted low in my belly and made my legs tingle. I wanted to make the dragons turn around and fly us back to the privacy over the border, or keep going beyond the Dragon Keep so that we could land in a meadow miles away and—
“Hey, hey. Rest. I won’t say anything unless it’simperative.Not yet. We’ll figure this out.”
Nodding, I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, focusing on the heat where my back rubbed against his chest.
It was too late to turn away or fly past. The Keep was in sight and already dragons were leaping into flight, spiraling up to meet us, screaming.
Akhane called, and Kgosi roared, and the other dragonsflew faster, wheeling around the Keep, screaming, calling them home.
When Kgosi tipped west, I tensed.
“We have to go straight to the Palace, Bren. This can’t wait,” Donavyn reminded me, his tone apologetic. His hand splayed on my stomach and I placed mine over it as fear rocked through me.
He would walk away. He would become the General again—heard by Kings and followed by the most powerful soldiers in the world.
I blinked.
In my mind and heart, a curtain was swept aside. For the past day I’d been living a dream, but now I woke returned to reality. I gripped Donavyn’s hand on my stomach, curling my fingers between his, my nails scraping my leathers.
Kgosi roared again, Akhane screamed over him. We banked and began the spiral towards the massive courtyard at the foot of the Palace that towered, even over Kgosi.
“Bren, what is it?” Donavyn was alarmed.
“Nothing, only…” I was panicked. Out of nowhere, it had all become real—or rather,unreal.
Donavyn was my mate. He was also the Battle Commander. The leader of our dragon society. The King’s trusted man. And I was—
“Don’t hesitate. In a few minutes we’ll be down and I’ll have to call for the King immediately. Tell me. I’m here.I love you.”
Those words were like cold water to the parched tongue of my heart. I sucked in a breath and looked over my shoulder at him again. “Do you? Really? Or is it just Akhane’s heat?”
His face grew tight. “Bren, if I’d known you truly questioned this, I would have taken more time—”
“I don’t question how you feel right now. I just know that when we land, it’sreallife. All the people, all the pressure, all theposition. Whether they know about us or not, are we… is this…?” I stammered.
“Yes,” he growled, and pulled me back, hard against his chest. “If we weren’t in sight of them already, I’d kiss you andshow you,”he muttered in my ear. “But as things are, if you don’t want them to know, I’m forced to simply give you words: No matter what, Bren. No matter when. No matter how the consequences may fall, you’re mine. And if you’re ready, I’ll shout that the moment we land.”
“No!”I squeaked, panicked.
Donavyn gripped me, brushing his nose against my jaw and lips against my neck in the briefest touch, one hand sliding down my inner thigh for a half-second when it wouldn’t be noticed by eyes on the ground.
Then he growled in my ear, “We’re in this together. You’re mine. I’m yours. The rest of the world can go fuck themselves.”
I sucked in a breath and let my head sink back against his shoulder for one breath before we circled again and had to brace for landing.
The Palace courtyard was a cacophony by the time Kgosi brought us to a standstill. Dragons wheeled and screamed above. But we were also circled by rings of servants, palace guards, and a handful of Furyknights, their numbers growing by the moment. Dozens of them rushing through the gate in the Palace grounds wall, calling for Donavyn chanting and cheering.
And that was when it hit me. The General of the Furyknights, the Battle Commander, had ridden the Primarch of the dragons to find us. Akhane and I. They’d pursued uspersonally.
