Page 65 of Ruling in Flames (Reborn 5)
20
CROY
“Maya’s mating heat has broken.”
Az’s words had my head snapping up as he strolled into the main lounge on the second floor, a space near all the bedrooms but relatively private. I briefly noticed that his hair was damp, most likely because he’d just taken a shower with her—lucky bastard—and he was dressed for the day. Something I had managed myself, although only barely, because the majority of my attention had been on wondering if I could go see Maya again.
In the past four days we had been trying our best to not overwhelm our little mate, taking turns going in there and making sure she was as comfortable and as satisfied as possible. The woman was insatiable in this state, and I fucking loved it—although I did worry she would be exhausted when it ended, when the hunger for us melted back to a normal level and she remembered all the other essential parts of surviving outside of mating.
Like food.
Maya had all but refused to eat since the start of the mating heat, and while none of us had directly confronted her about it, it had caused a panic in the group. We’d managed to get her to drink water, but outside of that, nothing. Luckily, after some research, I learned that it was pretty normal for those basic needs to be suppressed because a phoenix’s magic was only focused on that singular goal of mating and nothing fucking else.
And we sure as hell had mated her. I should’ve known something changed today, because in the past four days I had been not only constantly hard but unable to sleep, only able to focus on being as close to her as possible and wanting my cum inside of her. While I very much wanted that exact same thing right now, I could also think a bit more clear-headed, my focus more tailored to making sure Maya was okay following such an event.
“How can you tell? Also, where is she?” I asked, taking a sip of my coffee and muting the news I had on in the background. Bella, who was sleeping on my lap, mewled in complaint as I shifted my weight but almost immediately went back to sleep, making me smile. The tiny feline had slowly started to accept me, no longer convinced that I was a predator she had to defend Maya from. Why a dragon didn’t bother her but a wolf would, I would never understand.
Then again, she was carrying Atlas’s shadow dragon magic on her, a faint but noticeable signature of it, so maybe she considered herself part dragon.
“She went to sleep in her nest instead of the bed after we took a shower,” he explained, his voice holding a soft affectionate note. “She was exhausted. I’m not sure how else I can explain it besides that, and that her magic feels different, more relaxed and subdued.”
His answer was honest, and I nodded in understanding, motioning to one of the nearby chairs. A seat he took immediately, seeming slightly tired. I didn’t blame him—Maya had worn me out as well. I don’t think any of us had truly realized what the mating heat would be like, and I was just hoping she was happy, because that was all that mattered in the end—Maya’s happiness.
There was also a not so small part of me that hoped this mating heat would result in something else, something other than our group and bonds growing closer. I was hoping that we’d knocked her sweet ass up. I didn’t try to analyze the urge too much or overthink it—instead, I just banked on her getting pregnant considering how much cum we had stuffed her full of.
Fuck. My cock hardened as I tried to direct my brain elsewhere. That was the last thing Maya needed right now, especially if her mating heat was over.
My smile grew as I considered the real possibility of her being pregnant. I would’ve never thought a family was in the cards for me. Then again, I would’ve never thought Maya was in the cards for me. Everything about this felt absolutely right, and I wanted nothing more than for Maya to wake up from a long rest and realize that everything was about to start. There no longer was anything hanging over our head—just a vast future ahead of us.
A sudden noise at the archway into the room drew my attention as Atlas joined us.
“How are the boys?”
When Maya’s mating heat had hit so suddenly, we had the boys transferred to the guest house where they could have their own level of privacy as well as around-the-clock medical care. They had woken only eight hours after arriving, and in between being with Maya, we had all taken turns visiting them and hanging out with them.
The nameless boys were as young as we had assumed, and they were scared. While I knew we were doing the best we could to comfort them, even having brought out several of the older men and women from the mountain village to try to talk to them, we weren’t the most nurturing and comforting individuals to be around. So far, no one had really gotten them to talk at all, and I had a suspicion that Maya would be more successful at it than any of us.
“Good. They came on a walk with me in the back yard,” Atlas said. My brows raised in surprise since they hadn’t left the building until this morning. “Now they’re hanging out with the twins and Sai, eating some breakfast.”
“Where’s Marco?” Az asked.
I chuckled. “Henry and him are still sleeping.”
Atlas made a concerned noise. “Are they sick or some shit?”
“Nah, Maya wore them out.” I chuckled again, finding it funny that such a small slip of a woman could bring eight powerful men to their knees. It was amazing.
“Ah.” Atlas smirked. “Where is she? Is she okay? Who’s with her?” I could practically see the worry emanating off of him, and I knew that he was far from the only one feeling on edge when it came to her well-being.
“Sleeping. We think her mating heat has ended,” I explained.
Atlas breathed out in surprise before nodding slowly. “Well that makes our plans going forward a bit easier. There was a potential we would’ve had to separate.”
“Why?” I asked, suddenly concerned.
“The younger flight from back in Seattle wants to join us,” Atlas explained. “I received correspondence from Alpha Creed this morning, so we have to pick them up and bring them here. They offered to fly them commercially, but I would rather not risk it.”
Because if there were people who were unhappy with them in the Dreki realm, they would be in danger for a sizable period of time. It was probably better to be somewhere with as much support as possible.
