“You’re kidding,” she said. “Not seriously…”
Draven scratched his head. “Well, sort of an underground cave. And there are some old swords and such… But yes, gold and jewels. When we go back there, we’ll pick out your ring.”
She blinked. “Ring?”
“Right,” he said. “To show the world you’re our treasure.”
She frowned. “You don’t own me.”
Draven nuzzled her neck. “We don’t have to own you to treasure you.” Then he let out his breath and went silent for a moment. “I don’t know how to thank you. Brave, stupid, I don’t know what you are. I guess you’re a dragon-heart, which is a misnomer, because I swear you’re braver than I am…”
She shook her head. “No, I—”
He put a finger to her lips. “Let me finish. I don’t know how to thank you. For saving my partner, for completing my life. For being so ridiculous that we had to bring you back here and take a chance on you. I guess what I mean to say is thanks for turning my life upside down and giving it back to me right side up.”
“Draven! How romantic,” Ran teased, earning him a dark glare.
“Don’t you have anything to say? She saved your life,” Draven retorted.
Ran went still and thoughtful, beautiful features tensed. “No. I think I’ve already said what I wanted to, back when we mated.” Then he pushed up on an elbow, looking down at her. “But I do want you to know I’ll always protect you and love you, with everything I have. I love you, Melissa.”
Her eyes widened as Draven joined Ran, brushing back her hair and looking in her eyes. “That goes for me too. I’ll love you with everything I have. And I’ll protect you more than you would ever want.”
“That’s for sure,” Ran muttered.
She laughed and wrapped an arm around each of their necks, pulling them close in a hug and then letting them go. They stared down at her, looking like typical, confused males. She grinned up at them. “I couldn’t love you more. Both of you.”
Ran lay back beside her. “Yeah, I sort of got that when you risked your life for a one-in-six chance to save me.”
Draven lay back as well. “I still can’t believe you did that.”
She thought about it for a moment. “I guess I should have known I’m a dragon-heart after all.”
“Huh? Why?” Draven asked, looking disturbed that there was something she’d picked up on that he hadn’t.
“I mean, in the end, I’m all about the treasure. Greedy.”
“What do you mean?” Ran asked, rising on an elbow to glare at her. “You didn’t even see the treasure.”
She looked at them meaningfully. “Hell yeah, I did. Something worth more than gold. Something once in a lifetime. I was willing to pay any price.”
The dragons looked at each other in confusion.
She slapped a hand over her face. “The treasure is you. You’re the treasure,” she snapped, and they both widened their eyes in comprehension.
“Sorry,” Draven said. “Dragons can be kind of literal when it comes to treasure.”
“Yup,” Ran said. “But I have to say, ever since you walked into our lives, no other treasure has seemed to matter.”
“It’s settled, then,” Draven joked. “You two have the metaphorical treasure, and I’ll handle the rest.”
Ran grinned and pulled Melissa against him. “Okay.”
Draven’s eyes narrowed. “Never mind. I changed my mind. My treasure too.”
Melissa laughed as she once again felt herself pressed between two possessive dragons as they argued about treasure.
Still, it was all more wonderful than she’d ever hoped. She didn’t need jewels or gold or powers. The greatest treasure was just having someone to love and be loved by. And she had that in Ran and Draven.
She felt calm pulsing through her veins and realized just how different life was going to be from here on out. When the men got tired of arguing, they looked at her curiously.
“What’s wrong?” Draven asked, looking worried.
She shook her head. “Nothing. I was just thinking that nothing will ever be the same from now on.”
“That’s right,” Ran said. “Is that a problem?”
“No,” she said, relaxing into the sheets and the feeling of safety she had from being with both of them. “It’s actually pretty wonderful."
The men relaxed into the bed for a nap, cuddling her in a tangled mass of limbs, utterly overwhelming as usual. Melissa could hardly believe how full her heart felt as she listened to their relaxed breathing.