Page 13 of Dragon Keeper
His brothers stood behind him, and Tyr wanted to wail and stamp and rattle, but what if his scales fell off?
“I have to go, Riley,” Sloan said, turning so he was half facing his brothers. “I gave you a month, but I can’t do this anymore. It’s one thing for me to be sick. It’s another for my mate to be fading and to be killing the bees.”
Sloan didn’t wait for an answer. He just stepped through the door at the end of the conservatory and reached for Tyr.
As soon as they made contact, Tyr cried out and fell to his knees, pulling Sloan down with him. The delicious relief fromthe pain, from the ache that had turned to a daily grind of agony, made him pant.
“Oh, love. I’m so sorry.” Sloan held him, letting him lean into that hard body, but he knew Sloan was hurting too. He could feel it now. Under his skin, humming in his head like his bees.
Sloan.
Tyr’s dragon popped out of him without a single thought, and he wrapped his wings around his mate, holding on, surrounding Sloan and defending him.
I’ve come to take you home.The brothers could come or go as they would. It didn’t matter. He didn’t care.Can you fly?
Brayden was beaming at them through the window. “I’m going to go get all of our shit. I’ll bring it all down maybe in a day or two. We’ll give you some time to bond, but we’re coming.”
Sloan nodded once, shrugged. “You do you, brother. I’m home now.”
Tyr roared, a wild, happy sound that had never, ever come out of his body in his entire lifetime. It was pure joy and victory and relief all braided up into one to make a shining plait of peace.
Now it’s time to go home.He nudged Sloan with his muzzle.Can you fly?
For you, I could change worlds.Sloan shifted, and suddenly he realized how much larger his alpha dragon was than him. Sloan was massive, the size of Hawk or possibly Gavin. Maybe even Caderyn.
Maybe not.
Sloan was beautiful—a stunning mixture of crimsons and the sea and emeralds.
And when Sloan stretched his wings, it was a glorious sight.
As they took off, he heard Brayden’s wild whoop.
I promise we’ll be down to visit you in a few days. We’ll fly down.
Yes. Fly.Sloan’s pleasure was palpable, ringing in his belly like sipping a glass of cold mead on a hot day.
They made a beeline for the cottage, landing softly and, as they did, the bees swarmed them—dancing and buzzing and rejoicing that Sloan had come home.
They’re huge.Sloan’s eyes were as big as saucers.
They are amazing. They say welcome. You’ll learn their language. They’re so happy you’re home. Almost as happy as I am.
He let his dragon go, shrinking down, holding out his hands so that his beloved family could gather his strength and the fact that balance was restored to their home.
“I—” Suddenly, he was worried. What if Sloan didn’t love his cottage? “Welcome home?”
Sloan’s dragon fell off as well, and he grabbed Tyr’s hands. “Thank you, love. It’s amazing.” Sloan looked at his stone cottage with its thatched roof and leaded glass windows, just beaming.
“Come inside and see where we’ll sleep.”
“Yes.” Sloan let Tyr lead him inside, looking about at everything, his curiosity intense and palpable.
The inside of the hive was intended to be cozy.
He didn’t understand the idea that so many dragons had of large rooms with nothing contained in them. His home was a warren of one little room after another—all big enough for a dragon of course, so in human form they felt spacious.
Each cell led into another, the curved doorways opening into new rooms and, as he took Sloan deeper into the hive, he felt more and more alive. The kitchen was in the back, and it was full of light and windows that were left open if it was warm enough for the bees to come in and visit.
