“I like making love to a dragon,” she said. “I think we’re going to have fun.”
“Oh, you have no idea,” he said, thinking of flying with her, traveling the world with her, spending treasure with her. Everything he could offer her.
He pulled out of her and fell over on the bed, wanting to cover her with his body. “From now on, it’s going to be heaven.”
Her arms came around him, keeping him grounded and safe as they always did. “It already is.”
His heart was full as he kissed his mate once again.
Epilogue
“I’m disappointed in you, Citrine,” the oracle said, staring at him over her horn-rimmed glasses with misty grayish-purple eyes. “I never thought you’d abandon your post.”
“It was an accident,” he said. “Well, I wasn’t thinking.”
She took off her glasses and set them on the desk, her expression thoughtful. She had a different color of hair every time he saw her, but today it was a dark, wine red. She eyed him narrowly.
“I think perhaps you’ve found someone important, then. I heard it was a woman you went after.”
“Yes, but I didn’t find her.” And I need to, he thought.
“I see,” she said.
“Plus, we hadn’t heard from Mercury for some time. I thought people were tailing him.”
“It’s hard to tail a shape-shifter. I think we all assumed he was licking his wounds after being defeated by Iron. I certainly didn’t think he would come back in this way or that he would be so devious.”
“He has told you everything, then?” Citrine asked.
“He has had no choice,” she said darkly. “I’m afraid he is irredeemable. And you know how much I hate to waste a dragon.”
“What are you going to do with him?”
“Put him in cryo-sleep, for now,” she said. “Until we figure out more about him. His cellular composition is… interesting. But anyway, let’s talk about this woman you are searching for.”
“Robbie,” he said. “Mercury chased her off.”
“As I understand it, she has other obligations, and he simply reminded her of them. She is the alpha female of a wolf pack, and I think you can understand what that means.”
He did, but that didn’t mean he had to accept it. “It means she is expected to mate with an alpha male.”
“She may even have her pick if another alpha is willing to challenge her fiancé.”
“Barbaric,” Citrine said.
“On the other hand, perhaps a dragon could even challenge him.” The oracle’s eyes were shrewd, and Citrine picked up on her point.
“I do plan to go after her,” he said. “I don’t know what this is between us, but I know I can’t let her go. Not until I find out if she wants this. No one should have to mate against their will, and… she’s my friend.”
“Oh, is that it?” the oracle asked, not looking convinced in the slightest. “Your only reason? I knew you were selfless, Citrine. Always my politest, most well-behaved dragon. The only one to never need a collar. I never had reason to worry about you, until now.”
Prickles went up his neck. She couldn’t mean—
“And I’ve been worried about you, that you’re just so repressed you won’t even know happiness when you see it. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t send you to that club, hoping you would find a mate also. Alas, it seems for you, things are complicated.”
Citrine shrugged. “Not too complicated. I just have to find her and bring her back. We need her help with the club and—”
“Two of your dragons are mated,” she said. “And I have a plan as far as helping Sever along. I know he is terribly traumatized by what happened in his past life with Mercury tricking him into thinking he had a mate.”
“He will want to ask Mercury about that eventually,” Citrine said.
“But he didn’t when I asked him before putting Mercury to sleep.”
“I see,” Citrine said.
“You see, some people find it very difficult to face their feelings, and unless something forces them to, they will keep running away.” She looked at him meaningfully. “So I’m going to allow you to go after Robbie.”
“Thank you.” He let out a sigh of relief. He wouldn’t breathe easy again until he laid eyes on Robbie again, her frustrating eyes and frustrating smile and… everything he loved about her already.
“I can see you have feelings for her, and I support that. I do want you to be happy, but I have to say that I can’t let you go out uncollared again.”