Page 56 of Under the Dragon's Spell
Over the next week, I rented a small house for us on the island and prepared to move my mate there. Everything had to be done quickly, because I could see Adrian look more and more tired each day, although I made him eat as much as he could possibly stomach.
It was a good thing he was getting two kids out of this, because once this was over, I was never putting him through another pregnancy again.
Once I got him on the airplane to the island—how ridiculous was it that I couldn't just fly him there?—he slept through the entire flight, although he'd claimed to be excited about the trip.
When the plane landed, I nudged his shoulder.
"We're there."
He blinked sleepily. "There?" He looked outside the window.
"The island, love."
"Oh." He smiled. "Is there food at the airport? I could eat."
"You'll get plenty to eat, but not at the airport. I've had our home stocked and we'll be there in a few minutes." I stood and helped him out of his seat as the plane emptied.
"Yeah? It's close?"
I grinned at him. "Anywhere's close when you have wings."
He grinned right back at me, the sleep falling off him. "I can't wait to see your wings."
"And I can hardly wait to show you."
We walked out of the plane, collected our luggage, and passed security. I was sure my mother would somehow be notified of my arrival as soon as I showed my ID around here, but there was little that could be done about that. I had to make the woman see reason, and soon. I'd picked my mate, and she didn't have a say in the matter.
All that aside, it was splendid to be home. I drew the air deeply into my lungs once we were outside the gates. The sun shone brightly and the trees that lined the roads smelled of the freedom I didn't get anywhere but here.
The freedom to be myself, in my true form.
With another deep breath, I started the shift. I heard Adrian gasp behind me and smiled to myself. The man had likely never seen a dragon. At least, not outside one of those ridiculous circus shows some of us put on. I could give him something better than that. I closed my eyes as I felt my body stretch out, a comfortable warmth enveloping me, welcoming me home. I spread my wings as soon as they formed. I was back, and I was a dragon.
When I opened my eyes again, the ground was a bit farther away than it had been, but my vision was sharper.
I saw my mate in front of me and a growl started in the back of my throat caused by both pride and carnal desire. Controlling my animal instincts was always a little more difficult in this form, but I suppressed the sound, so as not to startle my love.
Slowly, he came closer to me and rested a hand on the black scales of my forearm.
"That's amazing," he said, his eyes glowing. "Our children will be able to do that?"
"Yes." My voice was deeper now. "You're assembling little dragons inside yourself." Which was one reason it was so exhausting, and why I had to get him home. "Ready?"
He nodded.
I lifted him up on my back easily. "Hold on tight."
He put his arms around my neck and snuggled close. I picked up our suitcases, and then I lifted off.
The island spread out beneath us. Mostly beach and overgrown mountains and very little in between—the most beautiful place on earth to me.
The flight to our new home didn't take long. I almost wished it did, because I enjoyed feeling the wind under my wings, but for my mate's sake, I was glad that we could make the trip quickly.
I set him down when we landed in front of our house and turned back.
"Is this it?" He looked at the building with a sense of awe that I didn't understand. The house I'd rented wasn't much. Nothing in comparison to the manor where my mother resided, certainly. "I love it," he said. I tried to see the place through his eyes. The house came with a small garden in the front and a large yard in the back, lots of green around it. His brother's place had been surrounded only by other houses, so maybe it was the scenery he liked.
"I'm glad you do," I said. "But it's only temporary. I can buy us something more suitable when the baby is born and I get the inheritance."
