The champagne flute felt useless in her hand. Princess Lauraai stood in the grand ballroom of the dragon emperor’s palace, trying not to think about how many of the people around her might not be people at all. That was the problem with dragons. You couldn’t tell by looking.
The man in burgundy velvet—dragon or human? The woman in emerald silk—dragon or human? There was no way to know until they shifted, and by then it was usually too late. Most of her life, Lauraai hadn’t even known dragons could take human form.
To the human kingdoms, dragons were monsters—winged beasts that took their sacrifices and burned their villages. Then the dragon emperor had sent envoys offering peace, territory, wealth, protection. The sacrifices would end, he promised in writing. In exchange, he wanted a human bride.
Lauraai specifically. She’d laughed when her father told her. It had to be a trick. But the emperor was offering a true peace treaty, and the sacrifices would end.
Lauraai thought of Elvina, her maid, her friend, barely sixteen when her name was drawn. Lauraai had tried to save her with nothing but a sword and desperate courage. It hadn’t been enough. “What does he want in exchange?
” she’d asked her father. “You, as his empress. ”
Lauraai had gaped. “And what happens when he realizes I can’t give him children?
”
Because that was the reality. Lauraai was barren, thanks to the dragon who’d struck her down when she tried to save Elvina. Her brief marriage had ended in annulment. “You’re human,” her father had said.
“He probably doesn’t expect you to bear him an heir. This is our chance, Lauraai. To secure peace. ”
Her brother Caspian had found her an hour later.
“I think it’s a trap. The Dragon Emperor suddenly wants peace, wants to marry a human woman he’s never met. They’ve been taking our people for centuries. Why would that suddenly stop?
”
“Father’s going to accept. ”
“I know. So the question is, what are you going to do about it? ”
Two months later, Lauraai arrived in the dragon capital with Caspian at her side and a necklace around her throat containing enough dragon poison to kill the most powerful being alive.
Now, standing in the ballroom, her hand drifted to the sapphire at her throat as the music stopped. A herald announced the emperor—Cipher of House Ignis, Emperor of the Five Kingdoms, Lord of the Eternal Flame. Lauraai stopped listening. Guards lined up, and she felt the temperature drop as something ancient crossed the threshold.
She had prepared herself for something terrible. She had not prepared herself for the beautiful man in the doorway. Sharp cheekbones, a mouth obscene in its perfection, a full lower lip, the upper one curved with just enough cruelty to make her stomach drop. Tall, easily a head taller than any man in the room, with shoulders broad enough that her first thought was what it would feel like to be held against that chest.
Her mouth went dry. Her hand flew to the necklace, gripping the sapphire until the metal cut into her palm. He was a dragon, a monster. This attraction had to be magic.
Cipher moved through the crowd, distant and bored, until his eyes found hers across the ballroom. The noise faded. His eyes widened, his lips parted, his body went rigid, like he’d just been struck. Then his mouth curved into a smile.
He held her gaze for one heartbeat, then turned away. An attendant appeared at her elbow and led her to where other women were gathering—beautiful women in elaborate gowns, all looking confused. Lauraai recognized Princess Annabella of Ambrose, Lady Selena of Cre. Human princesses.
All of them. They were arranged in a line. Ten women. Lauraai’s stomach dropped.
She found Caspian in the crowd, his expression tight with fury. Then Cipher stopped in front of them. “Welcome, princesses of the human kingdoms. ” His voice was rich and commanding.
“You were all invited here under the premise of a political alliance. I must be honest about the true nature of this gathering. I require a mate, for only a true mate bond can produce an heir, and such bonds cannot be forced. I have searched amongst other dragons for decades.
Recently, a dragon king found his mate with a human woman. I supposed there is no harm in trying. I will not be choosing a bride tonight. I will take willing volunteers as mistresses, court each of you in turn, and should any of you form the mate bond with me and prove capable of bearing my heir, she will become my empress.
”
The ballroom erupted. Lauraai gaped. She had come here thinking she was the emperor’s chosen bride. She was just one option among many.
The humiliation burned—worse, the memory of how she’d stared when he entered, how her body had responded. He’d probably thought she was just another desperate princess angling for a crown. Before she could think better of it, the words spilled out. “Is this how dragons shop for mares?
”
The ballroom went dead silent. Cipher’s eyebrows rose, but Lauraai went on. “What’s next? Will you be assessing our teeth, too?
”
Cipher tilted his head, smile widening. “You object to the process, princess? ”
“Lauraai of Kellor. And yes, this may come as a surprise, but women do not tend to love being paraded like livestock.
”
Cipher took a step closer. “Yet you came here willingly, didn’t you? ”
“I was told this was a betrothal, a political alliance. Not a competition for your bed.
”
Cipher’s smile turned predatory. He addressed the ballroom. “I’ve made my decision for this evening. ” Every person held their breath.
“I will meet with one of you tonight privately, should her royal highness be willing, of course. ”
All the women went rigid. Cipher let the silence stretch. Then his gaze locked with Lauraai’s, intense, focused, like she was the only person in the room.
Her breath caught as he took a step forward. Just one, but deliberate. His lips parted. The crowd leaned forward.
He’s going to say my name, Lauraai thought. Cipher held her gaze, then smiled and turned away. “Princess Annabella of Ambrose. ”
Lauraai’s mind blanked.
Annabella stepped forward. “Your Majesty, I’m honored. ”
Cipher extended his hand. “Shall we?
” He didn’t look at Lauraai at all. Just walked past her like she was invisible. He’d humiliated her, punished her for speaking up. She’d come here with a simple plan: be his chosen bride, get close, strike when he was vulnerable.
Now she was just another candidate in a competition she hadn’t prepared for. She’d come here to kill the dragon emperor. But she wouldn’t be able to do that if she couldn’t seduce him first. —
Lauraai paced her chambers like a caged animal, still wearing the ball gown that now felt like a costume of her humiliation.
“He looked right at me,” she complained. “Smiled, stepped toward me, and then walked away with Annabella. ”
Caspian leaned against the wall, arms crossed. “Does it matter who he chose?
”
“Of course it matters. How am I supposed to trap him if he’s bedding some other woman? ” She forced herself to take a breath. “The plan was to get close to him.
I can’t do that from a distance. ”
“He’ll choose you eventually. Be patient. ”
Lauraai groaned.
“And he thinks he’s so clever, with his stupidly beautiful face. No one looks like that naturally. He’s using a spell, obviously, to lower defenses with those ridiculous cheekbones and perfectly tousled hair. ”
“Sister.
”
“And have you seen his shoulders? Or his sapphire eyes? The whole package is designed to make women stupid. Well, it won’t work on me.
”
Caspian said slowly, deeply unconvinced, “Right. ”
Lauraai took a breath. The anger was draining away, leaving something heavier. “Do you remember Elvina?
”
“Your maid? Of course. ”
“I failed to save her. She was only sixteen.
And then father practically threw me at them. ” Her voice hardened. “I need to kill this emperor. He commands them all.
Every dragon, every sacrifice—it all flows from him. If I can’t have children, if I can’t save Elvina, at least I can end this. ”
Caspian squeezed her shoulder. “You will.
We just need to get you close. ”
A sharp knock on the door made them both freeze. A servant entered, bowing deeply. “Princess Lauraai, His Imperial Majesty requests your presence.
Immediately, your highness. ”
Lauraai’s heart jumped. She smoothed her gown with hands that wanted to shake. “Lead the way.
” Her hand drifted to the necklace at her throat. “Don’t wait up,” she told Caspian with a smirk. “Be careful,” he said. The corridors seemed endless.
Dragon motifs everywhere—carved into walls, woven into tapestries, inlaid in gold. They climbed stairs higher and higher, the corridors narrower. Private quarters. They were going to his chambers.
This was what she needed. Privacy, a chance to get close. But that meant being alone with him—with those eyes and that body that had made her forget why she was there. The servant stopped at massive carved doors and retreated quickly.
Lauraai touched the necklace one last time and pushed the doors open. She saw a massive fireplace, an enormous bed, and then movement by the windows. Cipher stood with his back to her, silhouetted against starlight. He wasn’t wearing a shirt.
The thought “That’s cheating” crossed her mind. He turned slowly, and Lauraai’s brain short-circuited. His chest was defined in a way that suggested he didn’t just command armies—he trained with them. Firelight played across bare skin, across muscle that shifted with each breath.
“Princess Lauraai,” he said, amused. “I’m glad you could join me. ” He took a step toward her, and Lauraai’s mouth went dry. Stop looking at his abs, she told herself.
Stop looking at his abs. “Your Majesty. ” Her brain finally formed words. “You summoned me.
”
“I did. ” Another step. He stopped just out of reach. “Tell me, princess.
Am I making you nervous? ”
And Lauraai realized, with a clarity that cut through the fog of desire, that she was in deep trouble. —
“Where’s the other princess? ” she heard herself ask.
“Annabella, the one you chose? ”
Cipher’s eyebrow rose, a knowing smile curving his lips. “Jealous, princess? ”
Lauraai’s spine went rigid.
“Worried, actually,” she lifted her chin. “For all I know, you’ve eaten her. ”
Cipher looked genuinely offended. “I wouldn’t eat a human,” he said with complete sincerity.
“My body is a temple. The princess retired for the evening. I don’t think she was quite ready to be my mistress yet. ”
Lauraai processed this slowly.
“So, one has to be ready then. ”
“Willing,” Cipher corrected deliberately, his voice dropping. “Willing is the better word. ”
Lauraai couldn’t help herself.
A laugh escaped, bitter and sharp. “Oh, so you like your women willing, do you? How noble of you. ”
“Of course.
A bond would be unlikely to form should my mistress not be willing. ”
Then he began moving toward her slowly, deliberately, each step eating up the space between them until he was right there, towering over her. Lauraai’s breathing went shallow. His pupils dilated, swallowing up the color until only a thin ring of fire remained.
“So,” Cipher asked. “Are you willing, princess? ”
Her mind raced even as her body screamed its answer. She had the poison.
This was the opportunity she’d been waiting for. Her mouth opened, but the words wouldn’t come. Cipher sighed. His hand came up slowly, and one finger traced her cheek with devastating gentleness.
“Perhaps not then,” he murmured. He turned away, dismissing her. “Wait,” Lauraai protested, breathless. She couldn’t let this opportunity slip away.
“You may return to your chambers, princess,” he said, reaching for a wine decanter. “I won’t keep you. ”
The dismissal stung like a slap. “Traditionally, we humans have drinks first,” she scrambled.
“You know, to get to know each other. ”
Cipher finally looked at her, one eyebrow raised. “Do you? Fascinating.
”
The condescension made something hot twist in Lauraai’s chest. “Well, I’m sorry, but you can’t expect me to just—” she gestured helplessly. “Your Highness, if you’re uneasy, you may leave. ” He waved toward the door.
“Nothing is keeping you here. ”
“I’m not uneasy. I am, in fact, very easy. ”
Cipher snorted—actually snorted with laughter, the sound rich and warm.
“That’s not what I meant,” Lauraai said, realizing. “All right. ” He beckoned her with one finger. “Come here.
”
She found it infuriating. The arrogance, the presumption. Then again, this was why she was here—to get close enough to poison him. Cipher waited.
“Well? ”
“Well, what? ”
His smile sharpened. “Go ahead.
Seduce me. Show me why I shouldn’t call one of the other disposable human princesses and keep you instead. ”
Lauraai’s hand moved before her brain could catch up. Crack.
Her palm connected with his cheek, the sound echoing through the chamber. Silence. Then Cipher laughed. He turned back to face her, eyes bright with genuine delight.
Lauraai was shaking with pure rage. “How dare you? ” Her voice came out low and dangerous. “How dare you speak to me like I’m some common—?
”
Cipher stood abruptly. Suddenly he was in her space, towering over her. “How dare I? I told you that you could leave.
You chose to stay. ” He leaned closer. “Presumably because you long to be my mistress or perhaps even my wife. For why else would you be here?
”
Lauraai opened her mouth, but before she could speak, he bent. His lips brushed her ear, sending shockwaves through her body. “Unless, of course, you’re here for a different reason. To kill me, perhaps?
”
Lauraai’s breath caught. “You really think I wouldn’t find out? ” Cipher’s voice was soft, almost gentle, which somehow made it more terrifying. His hand found her lower back, warm palm pressing through fabric, pulling her forward against him—his bare chest against her body, every ridge of muscle pressing into her.
She gasped. She could feel everything—every beat of his heart, the iron-hard length of his arousal pressing against her belly. He wanted her. The knowledge shot through her like lightning.
Her hands were sliding up his chest, over all that bare skin, hot and smooth and hard. She felt him shudder, felt his control slip. “I have powers beyond your imagination, princess,” his lips moved against her neck, “and an entire army of informants at my disposal. ” His hand spread wider on her back, possessive.
“Not all of them dragons. Some you probably thought were your friends. ” He nuzzled into the space between her neck and shoulder, and Lauraai trembled. “If you want to succeed, I suggest you be a little more clever.
”
Lauraai found her voice. “I’m not trying to kill you,” she whispered. Cipher’s eyebrow arched. “No?
”
Lauraai shook her head. “No. ”
The lie hung between them. They both knew it was a lie.
Then Lauraai pressed her lips to his. Lightning and fire, every nerve ending lighting up at once. Cipher responded immediately, his hand fisting in her hair, angling her head exactly how he wanted it. The kiss deepened, neither of them gentle.
His tongue slid against hers, and the sensation made her knees buckle. She made a sound. Cipher groaned in response. Suddenly they were moving—walking her backward, still kissing her until her back hit the wall.
The impact drove the breath from her lungs, but she didn’t care. His body was pinning her there, all that heat and hardness pressing her into stone. His mouth was still on hers, and his hands were everywhere. Her back arched, pressing her breasts against his chest, and she felt his sharp intake of breath.
Then Cipher stepped back, leaving her gasping and disoriented. “Good night, princess,” he said, chest heaving. “You may return to your chambers. ”
Lauraai stared at him, too stunned to move.
Cipher was already turning away, like nothing had happened. Like that kiss—that world-ending, reality-shattering kiss—meant nothing at all. —
Lauraai had been in the Dragon Emperor’s palace for three days since that kiss, and she hadn’t seen him since. She was here to kill him, not pine after him.
Unfortunately, her body didn’t seem to understand that. Every night she woke from dreams she couldn’t quite remember—his hands on her skin, his mouth trailing fire down her throat. She’d wake gasping, an ache between her legs that no amount of cold water could ease. It was humiliating.
It had to be some kind of enchantment. She’d been married before and never felt this desperate, clawing need. Evening found Lauraai on her balcony, staring at a plate of food she had no appetite for. The sun was setting, painting the sky in shades of orange and gold that reminded her too much of his eyes.
Everything reminded her of him. Below, the capital sprawled in all directions, and above, dragons wheeled through the air, silhouetted against the dying light. They were beautiful, she had to admit. One dragon in particular caught her attention—larger than the others, with black scales that gleamed, lightning crackling across its wings in faint dancing arcs.
Lauraai leaned forward, wine glass forgotten. She knew with bone-deep certainty that it was him, Cipher. The dragon circled the palace once, twice, then dove. Lauraai’s breath caught as he pulled up at the last moment, landing somewhere out of sight.
She imagined him shifting, scales melting back into skin. Her thighs clenched. He wasn’t going to choose her. She knew that now.
Three days he’d spent with the other princesses. He’d invited her here not because he wanted her, but because he knew she was a threat. If she wanted any opportunity to complete her mission, she’d have to create it herself. I’ll have to seduce him.
The thought sent heat spiraling through her belly. She’d have to be smart about it, strategic. Lauraai poured more wine. The world had soft edges now.
She’d need to catch him alone, make herself irresistible. She could do this. She would do this. Another glass just to be sure.
When Lauraai stood, stars were appearing and the balcony tilted slightly. She grabbed the railing, blinking hard. Not that it mattered. Time to find the dragon emperor.
In the palace corridors, the walls seemed to wave slightly. Lauraai put one hand on the wall as her guards materialized behind her. “I’m going to see the Emperor,” she announced. “Your Highness, it’s quite late.
Perhaps in the morning. ”
“No, now. ”
Lauraai started walking. She had no idea where Cipher’s chambers were, but somehow her feet knew the way.
She turned left without thinking, then right, then up a staircase. There was a warmth in her chest, a pull, like a thread connecting her ribs to something distant. Then she was standing in front of those massive carved doors. Lauraai knocked hard.
“Your Majesty,” her voice echoed. “I know you’re in there. ”
The door swung open. Candlelight painted shadows across his chest, and his hair was slightly damp.
“Fancy meeting you here? ” Lauraai greeted. Cipher’s eyebrow rose. “Fancy meeting me here, in my room?
”
Lauraai beamed at him, trying to step inside with devastating grace, but her foot caught on the threshold, and she pitched forward with a small yelp. Cipher’s hands shot out, catching her by the waist. And suddenly they were touching. She could see his pulse beating in his throat.
Her hands landed on his chest and started moving—exploring up over his shoulders, gods, his shoulders. Then back down over his chest, his abs hard as stone. Lower. His hand caught her wrist.
“Lauraai,” he warned. She looked up. His eyes were glowing brighter than she’d ever seen them, nearly gold. His jaw was clenched tight.
“I can’t help it,” she informed him. “It is your fault for enchanting me. ”
He paused. “Enchanting you?
”
“Yes. ” She swayed, and he held her upright. “You’ve cast a spell on me. ”
Cipher stared at her for a long moment.
“You’ve been drinking, haven’t you, Lauraai? ”
The way he said her name made her stomach flip. “Not at all,” she replied firmly. Then, “Well, maybe a little.
”
“A little,” Cipher repeated. “A little more than I should have,” Lauraai conceded as the room swayed. “But it doesn’t matter because I have something important to tell you. ”
“Do you?
” His thumbs were stroking small circles on her waist. “Yes. I resent you. ”
“You resent me?
”
“I resent that I can’t stop thinking about you,” Lauraai clarified. “Every night I dream about you. About that kiss, about your hands on me. ” She slid her hands up to his neck, fingers threading into his hair.
“What did you do to me? ”
Cipher’s hands tightened on her waist almost painfully. “You’re drunk,” he said, but his voice had gone rough. He wanted her.
She could see it, feel it—the tension in his body, the way his gaze kept dropping to her mouth. “You should go. ”
“Don’t want to. ” Lauraai pressed closer until she could feel the heat of him seeping through her gown.
“This is a terrible idea,” Cipher muttered. But he hadn’t let go of her. His head dipped. His mouth came inches from hers.
She could feel his breath ghosting across her lips. Then he stopped. “You need water,” he said, stepping away. Lauraai swayed without his support.
“And something for the hangover you’re going to have. ”
“I’m not going to have a hangover,” Lauraai protested. “I feel wonderful. ”
Cipher returned with a glass of something that shimmered faintly.
“Drink this. It’s a hangover cure. ”
She took the glass, sniffed it suspiciously. “If you poison me, I’ll be very annoyed,” she declared, making him smile.
The exhaustion hit her all at once—the wine, the medicine, the days of stress and unfulfilled desire. Her legs went weak. Cipher caught her before she could fall, lifted her easily, one arm under her knees, the other supporting her back. Lauraai’s head fell against his shoulder.
She felt him sigh, felt him press his face into her hair for just a moment. “You’re going to be the death of me, princess,” he murmured. Lauraai smiled, eyes already closed. —
Lauraai opened her eyes and stared at her familiar ceiling.
The last thing she remembered was falling asleep against Cipher’s chest. She sat up with a gasp. She was still wearing her gown from last night, but someone—he—had tucked her carefully under the covers. The memory crashed back.
Wine. So much wine. Deciding to seduce him. Lauraai covered her face with her hands and groaned.
A knock at the door made her heart jump. “Come in,” she called. Cipher stepped through, and Lauraai froze. He closed the door, then leaned against it, arms crossed, that insufferable smile playing at his lips.
“What are you doing here? ”
Cipher’s eyebrow rose. “Good morning to you, too, princess. ” He walked to her table, his eyes dropping to her barely touched breakfast.
“I came to make sure you’d sobered up. ”
Lauraai’s face flamed. “I’m perfectly sober. Just like I was perfectly sober last night, too.
”
Cipher’s smile widened. “Really? ” He picked up her teacup, brought it to his lips, took a slow sip while maintaining eye contact. “So you were sober when you stumbled into my chambers and ran your hands all over me?
”
“I was not stumbling. ”
“No, of course not. You were walking with purpose. ”
“With purpose.
Into your arms. ”
Her face was burning. “You’re the one who caught me. ”
“You could barely stand.
”
“Then if you were sober, you meant everything you said. Everything you did. ”
A trap. If she wasn’t drunk, she’d meant every confession.
If she was drunk, she admitted weakness. “You’re infuriating. Whatever I said, I didn’t mean any of it. ”
Cipher came closer.
“None of it? Not the part about me enchanting you? ” Her breath caught. “Or how you can’t stop remembering our kiss?
” His breath was hot against her skin. Lauraai’s eyes fluttered closed. “I was clearly under the influence of—of—”
He pulled back just enough to meet her eyes. “Of wine, obviously.
”
“Obviously. ” He didn’t sound convinced. “So you don’t find me attractive? ”
Lauraai lifted her chin.
“Not at all. You’re quite banal. ”
“Really? ” His eyebrow arched.
“That’s not what you said last night. ”
“I was being sarcastic. ”
He leaned in, bracing one hand on the table beside her. The other cupped her face, his thumb stroking her cheekbone.
“Were you? Because your body is saying something very different. ” His thumb traced her bottom lip. “Your pupils are dilated.
Your breathing is shallow. Your pulse—” his other hand pressed against her throat, “—is racing. ”
“You amuse me, princess. ”
Lauraai blinked.
“I—what? I amuse you? ”
“More than anyone has in centuries. ” His hand slid to cup her nape.
“Your defiance. Your terrible lies. The way you look at me like you can’t decide whether to kiss me or kill me. ”
Lauraai’s breathing had gone ragged.
“Which is why I planned to make you my mistress,” Cipher said. He traced her bottom lip with his thumb. “If you’re willing. Are you willing, Lauraai?
”
The question hung heavy between them. “You don’t plan to make me your mistress? ” She put her hand on his chest, fingers splaying wide over his heart. “I plan to make you my lover.
”
Cipher went very still. His chest rose and fell more rapidly under her palm. “Is that so? ” he whispered.
Lauraai nodded. He studied her for a long moment. His hand slid to cup her jaw, tilting her face up. “Then good.
” He leaned in, his lips brushing her ear. “Because you’ll never be able to bear me a child if you’re not willing. ”
His teeth grazed her earlobe, and she gasped. Guilt crashed through her.
She couldn’t give him children, but that was what he wanted. She should tell him. But his mouth was on her neck, hot kisses trailing down her throat. She’d tell him later.
Cipher’s mouth claimed hers. His hand fisted in her hair, and Lauraai forgot everything—the guilt, the mission, the poison necklace. She kissed him back just as fiercely. She felt his groan rumble through his chest.
He lifted her without warning, setting her on the table, stepping between her knees, taking her mouth again. “Bedroom,” he growled. “Yes. Yes, please.
”
He lifted her again, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. Then he was lowering her onto the bed. He removed his shirt as she traced his abdomen. Cipher shuddered.
“You’re beautiful,” she whispered. Something flashed across his face—surprise, vulnerability. “So are you. ”
His hands found the fastenings of her gown.
His gaze roved over her slowly. Then he bent his head and kissed her collarbone, her shoulder, the swell of her breast through the fabric. “Perfect,” he murmured. “You’re perfect.
”
When they finally became one, she shattered—but something impossibly strange washed over her. Satisfaction that felt masculine. Pride. Fierce arousal.
Her own pleasure layered with sensations that felt like they were coming from him. As if she could feel the sheer depth of his desire for her, the sensations coursing through him, foreign and yet undeniable. Before she could process it, Cipher was kissing her again until she was desperate. “More,” she gasped.
But what she wasn’t prepared for was the emotional onslaught. The intensity of their connection sent pleasure cascading through her, his building alongside hers, and somehow she could feel him following her over. Then they lay tangled together, breathing slowing, hearts finding the same rhythm. She started to wonder about that strange connection.
But then he was kissing her again. “Again,” he murmured against her lips. And somehow she knew he wasn’t just asking. He was desperate for it.
The knowledge was intoxicating. —
Days blurred together. There was only him, only them. Every moment together ended the same way—tangled together, breathless and spent, only to start all over again.
They were insatiable. On the training grounds, when she’d gone to watch him spar, he’d caught her staring and pulled her into an empty armory without a word. In the library, his hand had slid up her thigh under her gown. In the gardens at midnight, they’d taken their time until she was begging.
She was addicted to his touch, his taste, the way he made her feel—to that strange connection humming between them constantly. The poison necklace still sat in her drawer, untouched, waiting. Every night she told herself, “Tomorrow. I’ll do it tomorrow.
” But tomorrow became next week, and next week became next month. She couldn’t even bring herself to care. That night, they were having dinner in his private dining room when she noticed mid-sentence that Cipher had stopped eating entirely. “What is it?
”
He stood abruptly, chair scraping back. He pulled her up, hands gripping her waist, and kissed her hard. “I need you,” he growled against her lips. “Now.
Can’t wait. ”
He lifted her onto the table. Plates scattered, crystal goblets tipped, wine spilled across white linen, spreading crimson stains. “You drive me insane,” he muttered against her skin.
“Can’t focus on anything except having you. ”
Much later, as they lay tangled together in his massive bed, it occurred to Lauraai she’d never felt so connected to anyone. “What is this? ” she whispered against his chest.
“This connection? How come I can feel everything you feel? ”
“The mating bond,” Cipher replied, stroking her hair. “It forms between true mates.
Dragons have one true mate. Our souls recognize each other. The bond lets us share sensation, emotion. ” His expression grew serious, vulnerable.
“I knew the moment I saw you at the ball, Lauraai. That you were mine. ”
Her breath caught as she remembered that first look across the ballroom. “I thought it was a spell,” she admitted quietly.
“So did I,” he laughed, pulling her closer. “But it was just the bond. Just fate telling me you’re mine. ” His expression brightened with hope and excitement.
“And it means you can give me a child,” he said, his hand splaying possessively over her stomach. Lauraai went rigid, ice flooding her veins. “I need an heir for succession,” Cipher said. “The empire requires it, but it’s more than that.
I’ve been alone for so long, Lauraai. A thousand years of duty, responsibility, isolation. ”
Something washed over her through the connection—loneliness so deep and aching, she nearly cried. “I want a family.
I want to watch a child grow, teach them, protect them. ” He looked at her then, eyes so vulnerable it destroyed her. “I want that with you. ”
Lauraai felt like she was drowning.
She couldn’t give him that. Couldn’t give him children because she was broken. And he had no idea. Cipher shifted, propping himself on one elbow.
“Marry me. ”
Lauraai’s heart stopped. “What did you just say? ”
He smiled.
“Be my empress. My wife. ”
She stared at him speechless. Something warm flooded through her awareness—his certainty, his contentment, his assumption that she’d say yes.
But her silence stretched too long. His smile faltered. “Lauraai? ” His voice went quiet.
“Do you not want to? ”
The vulnerability in those words destroyed her. She could feel him through the bond—the fear, the hope, the desperate need for her to say yes. And underneath it all, love.
He loved her. The guilt threatened to suffocate her. She couldn’t. Couldn’t marry him.
Couldn’t give him what he wanted. But then a thought struck her, cold and sharp. It doesn’t matter. I’m going to kill him before he finds out.
The thought should have been comforting. Instead, it made everything worse. So she kissed him instead, desperately trying to convey everything she couldn’t say. He responded immediately, relief flooding through the connection.
He took her kiss as acceptance, and she let him believe it. They made love slower this time, more tender. He was reverent, worshipful—washing over her through the bond, his joy, his love, his absolute certainty that this was forever. It broke her.
“I love you,” he whispered against her skin. “Gods, I love you. ”
After Cipher fell asleep, his head on her shoulder, arm draped across her waist, Lauraai looked down at him. His face was peaceful in sleep, dark hair falling across his forehead.
I love him. I’m in love with him. He wanted to marry her, wanted to build a family with her. And not only could she not give him children, but she had come here to kill him.
Her hand trembled as she touched his hair, gentle, memorizing the feel of it, of him. She slid out of bed and returned to her own rooms, realizing with a jolt that she hadn’t been here alone in weeks. “Lauraai. ” The voice came from the shadows when she closed her door.
Familiar. Unexpected. Lauraai spun, heart hammering. “Caspian?
”
Her brother stepped into the moonlight. He looked tired, angry, desperate. She’d been so distracted, so wrapped up in Cipher, that she hadn’t noticed. “What are you doing here?
”
Caspian’s jaw tightened. “Waiting for you. I’m here to remind you what we set out to do. Why we came here, what you promised.
”
She shook her head. “Casp. ”
But he cut her off, stepping closer, his eyes intense. “It’s time, Lauraai.
Time we kill the dragon emperor once and for all. ”
—
“We have to kill him tonight,” Caspian said. “Before the enchantment he has on you takes hold completely. ”
Lauraai shook her head, still reeling.
“He doesn’t have an enchantment on me. That’s not what this is. ”
“You’ve barely left his bedroom for the past two months, sister. ”
Two months.
Lauraai tried to count backward to remember when she’d last slept in her own bed. She couldn’t. “It’s not magic,” she said weakly. “Well, it is magic, but it’s not what you think.
It’s the mating bond, Caspian. It’s real. ”
“Listen to yourself. Do you hear what you’re saying?
You sound possessed, Lauraai. ”
Doubt crept in, cold and insidious. “I know what I feel. ”
“Do you?
” Caspian released her. “Do you remember why we came here? What the dragons did to us? To Elvina?
”
Guilt crashed over her in waves. When was the last time she’d even thought about Elvina? “I remember,” Lauraai whispered, but the words felt hollow. “He’s at the center of it all.
Every dragon answers to him. Every sacrifice, every life destroyed—he commanded it. If we kill him, we weaken them. ”
“As his empress, I could do more,” Lauraai protested.
“I could make sure the peace lasts. Obtain everything we want without war, without more death. ”
Caspian’s laugh cut through the air. “His empress?
He wants you to be his empress now, does he? ”
“He does. He asked me to marry him. He loves me.
”
“I don’t doubt that. ” Pity flickered across Caspian’s face. “And how will he feel when he realizes you’re infertile, sister? How will he feel when he realizes that you can’t give him the thing he longs for most in this world?
” He took a step closer. “You really think he’ll make you his empress then? ”
She opened her mouth, closed it. No words would come.
“At best, you’ll be his mistress,” Caspian said. “His plaything. And playthings don’t end wars. Oh, I see that he desires you.
I’d have to be blind to miss it. But would his desire for one human woman stop his entire race from dominating ours? ”
Doubt crept in like poison. Because he was right, wasn’t he?
She’d seen Cipher rule, had felt through the bond how seriously he took his responsibilities. He was emperor before he was anything else—including hers. “We must end this, sister. ” Caspian held out the necklace.
“He won’t see it coming. A few drops while he sleeps will suffice. ”
Lauraai stared at the poison, and her mind flooded with images—Cipher asleep in her bed, the way he always reached for her in his sleep, pulling her close. “I can’t,” she said, shaking her head.
She looked up at her brother with tears burning in her eyes. “I can’t, brother. I love him. ”
The admission hung in the air.
Final. For a long moment, Caspian just stared at her. He sighed, long and heavy. “My sister.
I didn’t want to have to do this. ”
Lauraai’s stomach dropped. “Do what? ”
Caspian looked away.
“Break your heart. Humiliate you. ”
“What are you talking about? ”
Caspian finally looked up.
“The emperor has been manipulating you, Lauraai. Before you, he offered marriage to several other princesses—Annabella, Celeste. He told all of them that he wanted them to bear his heir, that they’d be his empress. ”
“No.
” The denial came automatically. But even as Lauraai shook her head, her mind was already working—the ball, the line of princesses, the way Cipher had walked past all of them, assessing them like candidates. “He wouldn’t do that,” she said, wavering. “Ask Annabella.
Ask Celeste. That first night at the ball, he chose Annabella. Took her to his chambers. After he dismissed her, he sent for you.
And then he went to Celeste, then to Matilda. He’s playing all of you, sister. Keeping his options open in case one doesn’t work out. ”
“We have a bond,” Lauraai cried.
“I feel it. I feel him. ”
“That may be so. But sister, despite this bond that may have surprised even him, what he wants most in the world is an heir.
You’ve felt it yourself, haven’t you? ”
Lauraai closed her eyes against the memory—Cipher’s loneliness washing over her, his longing for family, for a child. “He’ll stop at nothing to get it,” Caspian said. “Even if it means courting nine human women at once.
”
“He said he loved me,” she said, her voice breaking. “I’m sure he does love you in his way. As much as a dragon can love anything. But love doesn’t change his priorities, sister.
”
Lauraai’s mind was reeling. “Dragons have trouble sustaining pregnancy,” Caspian continued. “Ask around. You’ll see it’s true.
Their numbers are declining because they can barely reproduce. Why do you think Cipher suddenly extended an olive branch to a species he’s spent centuries ignoring? It’s because no dragon has managed to give him a child. But recently, one dragon king found a human mate who bore him an heir.
Cipher has been obsessed with testing the theory. This is what all this has been about—finding a human who can give him what dragons can’t. ”
The pieces clicked together with horrible clarity. The timing of Cipher’s peace offer.
The way he’d gathered princesses from across the human kingdoms. “And because the chances are so low,” Caspian continued, “he’s going to try with all nine of you. Whoever can give him a child gets the crown. The rest—if you die trying to bear him an heir, he’ll find others to replace you.
You don’t matter to him, Lauraai. Not the way you think you do. Not the way you matter to me. ”
Tears burned hot tracks down Lauraai’s cheeks.
She wanted to deny it, but everything he was saying made such horrible, perfect sense. She’d seen Cipher with the other women, had felt through the bond how desperately he wanted a child. And she couldn’t give him one. So why would he choose her over the others?
“They’re not like us, Lauraai. They’re cold-blooded ancient creatures, desperate to reproduce and strengthen their numbers. And Cipher is their emperor. His first duty is to his people.
Of course that would be his priority over the love of a human who won’t live even a fraction of his life. ”
Lauraai crumbled. She’d felt the weight of the empire pressing down on Cipher constantly. How could one human woman, even his mate, compete with that?
“Even so,” she whispered. “He swore he would bring peace between our peoples. ”
Caspian’s voice sharpened. “To make human women willing to bear the risk.
Has he told you about the real dangers you’re facing? If you became pregnant, do you know what the chances are that you’d survive carrying a dragon child to term? ” She shook her head mutely. “Close to none, Lauraai.
And he hasn’t warned you. Hasn’t given you a real choice. Because to him, you’re just a human. A means to an end.
”
“Enough! ” she screamed. “Enough, please. ”
Her legs gave out.
Lauraai sank to the floor, her hands pressed over her face as sobs racked her body. She loved him. Gods, she loved him so much it felt like her heart was being ripped out. But how could she trust that love when everything Caspian said made such perfect, horrible sense?
Her brother knelt beside her and pulled her into his arms. “I’m sorry. I know it’s not fair. They’re protecting themselves, making sure their species survives.
But we have to do the same, Lauraai. We have to protect our own. ” His arms tightened. “It’s our duty to our people.
To the girls like Elvina who can’t protect themselves. ”
Elvina. Elvina who had screamed for help. Who Lauraai had failed to save.
“I know you don’t want to hurt him,” Caspian said. “But you must do this for your kingdom, for our people. ”
Lauraai’s mind was a chaos of warring thoughts. She loved Cipher.
That was undeniable. But if he’d been manipulating her, if the bond was just a trick, if she was just one option among many, if he’d been willing to risk her life just to get an heir—could she really let that stand? Could she put her own heart above the safety of her people? If Cipher was thinking of his people first, then she had to do the same.
Even if it destroyed her. “I’ll do my duty,” she heard herself say. The words came from far away, like someone else was speaking. Her voice sounded hollow, empty, like something inside her had already died.
—
The guards outside Cipher’s chambers didn’t even blink when she approached. The room was dark except for moonlight streaming through the tall windows. And him. Cipher lay sprawled across black silk sheets, one arm flung across the space where she’d been sleeping.
He was on his stomach, face turned toward her pillow, seeking her out even in sleep. “I love you,” Lauraai thought, standing frozen in the doorway, the poison necklace burning cold against her palm. She couldn’t move, could only stare at him and feel her heart breaking. And he’d betrayed her.
It hadn’t stopped him from courting multiple women, from lying to her about the others being his lovers. She was disposable, one candidate among many. Lauraai forced herself to move. One step, then another.
She reached the bed. He looked younger in sleep, peaceful. The man who’d held her through the night. The man she was about to kill.
The bed dipped under her weight, and Cipher shifted immediately, his hand finding her thigh. The touch nearly undid her. Her hand was shaking as she pulled the stopper from the poison vial. She leaned over him.
She thought of Elvina screaming as the dragon took her. It’s your duty. But when she looked at his face, all she could think was that she wanted to kiss him instead. She reached out with her free hand and touched his lips, tracing the line of them.
I love you. I’m sorry. The vial touched his lips. Then his eyes opened.
Everything stopped. He smiled—that devastating smile that had undone her from the very beginning. “Can’t sleep? ” he murmured, voice rough with sleep.
His gaze started to drift closed again, trusting. Then he saw the vial. His smile died. “Lauraai?
”
She tried to pull away, but his hand shot out, catching her wrist. “Lauraai? ” His voice changed, sharpened with fear. “Were you—were you trying to poison me?
”
She met his eyes. His expression crumbled, not all at once, but piece by piece. Through the bond, devastation crashed over her—his hurt, his shock, his absolute incomprehension. “Why?
” he whispered. The question shook her so badly that rage rose to fill the cracks. She jerked her wrist free and stood, moving away from the bed. He followed immediately, swinging his legs out of bed.
“You dare ask me that? ” she cried out. “You dare ask when you—? ”
“What?
” Cipher interrupted. “What have I done, Lauraai? Apart from falling in love with you? ”
She whirled to face him.
“And what good is your love when it means nothing? When it hasn’t stopped you from betraying me? ”
Cipher looked like she’d struck him. “Betraying you?
How? ”
“I know you’ve been courting all the other human princesses. I know you asked them to be your empress, too, to bear your child. ”
“No,” Cipher protested, face going pale.
And through the bond, she felt his guilt—sharp and undeniable. So it was true. “No,” he said again. “That was before—before I realized you were my mate.
The other half of my soul. Before I knew what we could be. ”
“Right. Before that though, you had no qualms putting our lives on the line, having us risk death trying to bear you a child.
” Her voice dropped to something dangerous. “Tell me, Cipher—were you ever going to warn me that pregnancy would likely kill me? Or were you planning to wait until I was already carrying your child to mention that little detail? ”
He looked startled.
“It wouldn’t. You’re my mate. Our bond will sustain you, keep you safe. I would never—“
“And what about the other princesses?
” she cut through his explanation. “How will they be sustained? Or do you have a bond with all of us? ”
“Of course not.
I’ve never slept with them. Never even—I merely discussed the possibility of marriage. Courted them in case the bond didn’t—“
“I don’t believe you. ” Through the bond, she felt his shock, his pain.
“Caspian told me. That you slept with them, that you promised them all the same things you promised me. ”
“He’s lying. Lauraai, please.
You’re my only lover. I swear it on my life, on my throne, on everything I am. I told you—only a true mate bond would result in a viable pregnancy. I would never risk the other princesses’ lives needlessly.
”
“And why not? When you’ve cared so little about human lives that you’ve been requiring sacrifices for decades? ”
“I never required those sacrifices! ” Cipher snapped.
“It was you humans who decided, out of fear, that you needed to appease us. We didn’t correct the misunderstanding because if you could be so paranoid, so ready to believe the worst of us without evidence, then why would we trust you not to turn against us? ”
“Oh, please. Why would you even fear us?
You’re more powerful and you’re more numerous. ”
“Our numbers are in decline, Lauraai. A dragon child hasn’t been born in years. ”
“You took those sacrifices,” Lauraai insisted.
“So you’d leave us alone,” Cipher said, his voice going soft. “But we never harmed them. They live among us now, safe. I can take you to them if you’d like.
Let you see for yourself. ”
“How can I believe you? When you invited me here only to keep me as a hostage. When I saw with my own eyes you courting all those others.
” She paused, swallowed painfully. “When it could have been any of them, and it would have made no difference to you. ”
Cipher recoiled. “How can you say that?
After everything we’ve shared. ”
“Because it’s true! Me or them, it doesn’t matter as long as a bond forms, does it? Would you have even chosen me without one?
You didn’t like me at first. Didn’t choose me that first night. ” Her voice broke. “How do I know this bond isn’t some kind of spell?
”
“You really think I’d lie to you? About loving you? ”
Lauraai hesitated. She could feel him through the connection—his pain so profound it made her knees weak.
It all felt real. But Caspian’s words echoed in her mind. His people were dying. He needed to save them.
“Yes,” she whispered. “I think you would. Because you’re the emperor, and this is your duty. Just like killing you is mine.
”
Cipher went utterly still. Something shuddered behind his eyes. “Fine,” he whispered. He extended his hand, palm up.
“Fine. ”
Lauraai stared at his hand, confused. “Give it to me,” Cipher said. “Give you what?
” Lauraai frowned. The poison. He meant the poison. He was going to have her arrested, executed.
She handed him the vial with trembling fingers, waited for him to call the guards. But he didn’t. Instead, he looked at the vial for a long moment, then at her. Slowly, he lifted it toward his mouth, his eyes never leaving hers.
“What are you doing? ” Lauraai asked, panic spiking. “I’m showing you that you can trust me,” Cipher said simply. “What are you talking about?
” Through the bond, she felt his determination. “Stop. ” She was shouting now. “It’s poison, you idiot.
It’ll kill you. ”
Cipher met her gaze. “It won’t kill me,” he said softly. “Because you’re going to save me.
”
The vial was at his lips now. “What are you talking about? ” She shook her head frantically. “I can’t save you.
Cipher, listen to me. There’s no antidote. ”
“Don’t need one. ” And then, before she could stop him, before she could knock it from his hand, he brought the vial to his lips and drank.
—
For one crystalline moment, nothing happened. Cipher just stood there in the moonlight, bare-chested and beautiful, looking at her with those burning eyes. Then his breath hitched. His hand flew to his chest, fingers splaying wide over his heart.
His eyes widened, pupils dilating until only a thin ring of gold remained. “What did you do? ” Lauraai cried out, grabbing his face between her hands. His skin was already changing, going clammy and cold.
“Cipher, what did you do? ”
He was breathing too fast now, short, shallow pants. “I’m fine,” Cipher managed. “Or I will be.
Lauraai. Listen. You need to sit down. ”
She could feel him through the bond—something foreign and vicious spreading through his veins like black ice.
“Guards! ” Lauraai screamed. The massive doors burst open. Four guards poured in with weapons drawn.
“Get healers! Now! The emperor has been poisoned. ”
The guards froze.
The captain looked between her and Cipher with dawning horror. “Poisoned by what? ”
“Just get them! ” Through the bond, she could feel Cipher’s thoughts fragmenting, growing dazed and distant.
“I feel strange,” he said, blinking heavily. “Lauraai, I—” His knees buckled. She caught him as he fell, barely. His weight drove her backward.
The marble was cold beneath them. Cipher’s head landed in her lap, and she cradled it immediately. “Cipher, stay with me. ”
His eyes were unfocused now.
“What is happening? ” he asked, confused. Tears welled up in Lauraai’s eyes. “Why did you drink it?
Why would you do that, you absolute idiot? Why? ”
He brought her hand to his face, nuzzling into her palm. “I thought—” he was slurring now, “—I thought you wanted me to.
”
The words were a dagger between her ribs. “No. No, I wouldn’t have. I couldn’t.
Cipher, I’m so sorry. I was just angry. I was hurt. I didn’t mean—“
“Angry?
” Cipher’s voice was dreamy now. “With me? ”
“Stay with me, Cipher. The healers are coming.
Just stay with me. ”
“I’ll stay with you always. ” He smiled up at her, peaceful, relieved. “You’re mine.
I waited centuries for you. ” His eyelids dropped. “So glad I found you. So glad.
”
“No. ” Lauraai slapped his face, not hard, but sharp enough to startle. “Don’t fall asleep, Cipher. You have to stay awake.
”
His eyes opened again, confused and glassy. Then the doors crashed open. The healers burst through, three of them moving with practiced urgency. “What happened?
” the lead healer asked, already dropping to her knees beside them. “He was poisoned. ”
The healer’s hands stilled. “Poisoned by what?
There’s no poison in existence that could harm the emperor. His dragon blood is immune to—“
“There is now. ” Lauraai met the woman’s eyes. “I gave it to him.
”
Silence crashed through the room. “Arrest her,” a guard said, voice tight with fury. “She just confessed to assassinating—“
“No! ” Cipher’s voice cut through the chaos, weak but commanding.
His hand shot out, grabbing Lauraai’s wrist. “Back away, all of you. You’re speaking of your future empress. Be more respectful.
”
The young guard gaped. “But Your Majesty, she poisoned you. ”
“She did not. I poisoned myself.
”
Lauraai started crying in earnest—great, shaking sobs. “It’s my fault. It’s my fault. ”
Cipher’s hand left her wrist and found her face.
His touch was gentle despite the tremors running through him. “You’re my mate. You can heal me. ”
Lauraai stared at him through her tears.
“I’m not a healer. ”
“You don’t need to be. ” His eyes were closing again. She could feel him slipping away.
“Only you can save me, Lauraai. ”
Then his hand fell from her face. His body went completely limp in her arms. “Cipher?
” Lauraai shook him gently, then harder when he didn’t respond. Nothing. Through the bond, she felt the poison seeping through him like darkness spreading across light. “I don’t understand,” Lauraai exclaimed.
The head healer was staring at Cipher with an expression caught between horror and fascination. “I think I know what he means,” she said slowly. “Then tell me! ”
“Through mate bonds, you can share life force.
It’s a power unique to true dragon mates—a way for bonded pairs to sustain each other when one is dying. ”
“But I’m not a dragon. ”
“You don’t have to be. One of the dragon kings, Yesper of the Northern Territories, took a human mate.
Last year, there was an assassination attempt on his life. Poison arrows. He should have died within hours. ” Lauraai’s mind flashed back to the girl they’d been trying to save—Oilia, the massive white dragon she’d shot with three poisoned arrows.
“But his mate saved him. Try. You’re the emperor’s mate. If anyone can save him, it’s you.
”
Lauraai looked down at Cipher. His face was pale as death. His lips were going blue. She pressed her hands to his chest and tried.
Closed her eyes and reached for that connection between them. Nothing happened. “It’s not working,” she panicked. “Keep trying.
Focus on the bond, on what connects you. ”
But all Lauraai could feel was him dying. “What about one of the other princesses? Maybe they could—maybe if one of them tried—“
“His Majesty doesn’t share a bond with anyone else.
True mates are rare, your highness. Once in a lifetime. You are his. There is no one else.
”
The words hit her like lightning. There is no one else. And Cipher had drunk poison—actual poison that was killing him right now—just to prove that to her. He’d done it all on purpose, to make her see.
That stupid, foolish, arrogant, beautiful dragon. Rage flooded through her, hot and fierce. It burned away the fear, the panic, leaving only fury. How dare he?
How dare he make her watch him die just to prove a point? She was going to save him, and then she was going to kill him. “You don’t get to do this,” Lauraai growled. Her hands pressed harder against his chest.
“You don’t get to prove your love by dying, you absolute idiot. ”
Something shifted. A warmth bloomed under her palms, faint at first, then growing stronger. “It’s working,” one of the younger guards gasped, but Lauraai barely heard them.
She was focused entirely on the bond, on the golden thread connecting her to Cipher, on pouring everything she had into it—her anger, her determination, her absolute refusal to let him go. You’re mine, and I’m not done with you yet. The light grew brighter, spilling out from between her fingers. She felt it flowing through the connection, her life force mixing with his.
Come back to me. That’s an order, you bastard. Cipher gasped. His eyes flew open, glowing so bright they were almost white.
Everyone in the room gasped. Through the bond, Lauraai felt the cold and pain receding, felt warmth flooding back into him. “Cipher. ” She breathed.
His eyes found hers immediately. He smiled, then frowned, confused, taking in the tears running down her cheeks. “Lauraai? ”
His hand came up slowly to cup her cheek.
“You saved me,” he said dazedly. “You idiot! ” Lauraai screamed. She grabbed his shoulders with both hands and shook him.
“You absolute fool. You could have died. ”
Then she kissed him—pressed her mouth to his with all the fear and relief and overwhelming love crashing through her. Kissed him like she could make him understand how terrified she’d been, how much he meant to her, how she would never doubt him again.
Cipher’s hand slid into her hair, pulling her closer despite his exhaustion, kissing her with lazy contentment. When they finally broke apart, he was still smiling. “I love you,” he murmured, his voice soft and drowsy, but utterly certain. Lauraai laughed through her tears.
—
Three months later, Lauraai lay tangled in silk sheets with her husband, her mate. Both of them still breathing hard, skin slick with sweat. Cipher’s arm was wrapped possessively around her waist, his other hand lazily stroking through her hair. He pressed kisses to her temple, her cheek, her lips—like he couldn’t get enough even after everything they’d just done.
“I love you,” he murmured against her mouth. “I know. ” She smiled, then softer. “I love you, too.
”
She could feel his contentment through the bond, warm and golden and absolutely certain. Three months of marriage, and he still looked at her like she was a miracle. But there was something she needed to tell him. Her smile faltered, her hand pressing against his chest, feeling his heartbeat slow.
“Cipher,” she started, then hesitated. “Remember how I told you I was infertile? ”
His expression changed immediately, went soft and pained. He cupped her face with devastating gentleness.
“My love,” Cipher said, his voice tender. “I told you—you are my mate, and nothing will change that. I have you. I’m not alone anymore.
That’s all I need. That’s everything. ”
Lauraai’s chest tightened with love. She kissed him to stop the words, to stop him from trying to convince her he didn’t care about the one thing she knew he wanted most.
When she pulled back, she was smiling. “I know,” she said. “And I’m glad I’m enough for you. ”
Cipher smiled back, stroking her cheek.
“You’re more than enough. ”
“You’re—but also—“
Lauraai interrupted, her smile widening. “Turns out I’m pregnant. ”
Cipher froze.
“What? ” His voice was strangled, shocked, like she’d just told him dragons could fly to the moon. “I couldn’t believe it either,” Lauraai said, watching his face carefully. “But the healers confirmed it this morning.
Three times, actually, because I kept making them check again. ”
“What? ” Cipher said again. His hand moved to her stomach, pressing there with trembling fingers.
“You’re going to be a father. ”
For a moment, Cipher just stared at her. Then he laughed. Pure joy, bright and unrestrained, seeped through their bond.
He pulled her into his arms and kissed her deep. “A child,” he whispered against her lips between kisses. “Our child. ”
“I know,” she said, laughing now too, tears streaming down her face.
And as Cipher held her close, his hand protective over the new life growing inside her, Lauraai sent a silent thanks to whatever fate had brought them together. She’d come here to kill him. Instead, she’d found everything she’d never known she needed.
