Princess Lauraai raised her champagne flute and tried 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, 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. For most of her life, Lauraai hadn’t even known dragons could take human form. As far as the human kingdoms were concerned, they were monsters—winged beasts that took sacrifices and burned villages. Then the dragon emperor had sent envoys speaking of dragon cities in the clouds, of civilization beyond anything humans had imagined.
He offered peace, territory, wealth, protection. He promised in writing that the sacrifices would end. But in exchange, he wanted her. Princess Lauraai of Kellor specifically.
The very idea had made her laugh when her father told her. It had to be a trick. Her brother Caspian leaned close. “They’re all here to celebrate your engagement.
”
“Until six months ago, we were at war,” Lauraai muttered. “More like humans trembled and sacrificed their daughters to be left in peace. So really, not much has changed. You’re about to be sacrificed—though the emperor plans to marry you, not eat you alive.
”
“The same difference. ”
She’d thought about her maid Elvina immediately. Barely sixteen when her name had been drawn. Lauraai had tried to save her, sword in hand and desperate courage in her heart.
It hadn’t been enough. The dragon had struck her down, leaving her barren. And now the emperor who commanded such monsters wanted her hand. “This is our chance,” her father had said.
“To secure peace. ”
Caspian had found the truth. “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 stop? ”
Lauraai knew he was right.
But her father had already accepted, so she came to the dragon capital with her brother at her side and a necklace around her throat. The sapphire contained enough dragon poison to kill the most powerful being alive. No one outside her family even knew such poison existed. She touched the necklace as the music stopped.
A herald announced His Imperial Majesty, Cipher of House Ignis, Emperor of the Five Kingdoms, Lord of the Eternal Flame. She’d prepared herself for something terrible. She hadn’t prepared herself for the beautiful man in the doorway—sharp cheekbones, a mouth obscene in its perfection, shoulders broad enough that her first thought was what it would feel like to be held against that chest. Her mouth went dry.
This attraction had to be magic. Dragons could do that, couldn’t they? Cipher moved through the ballroom, distant and bored, until his eyes found hers. The noise faded.
He paused, eyes widening, lips parting, body rigid, like he’d just been struck. Then he smiled and moved on. An attendant led Lauraai to the eastern wall, where other women were gathering. Beautiful women, all noble, all confused.
Princess Annabella of Ambrose. Lady Selena of Cre. Ten of them, arranged in a line. Lauraai’s stomach dropped.
“This isn’t my engagement ball,” she breathed. Cipher stopped in front of them. “Welcome, princesses of the human kingdoms. 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. Such bonds cannot be forced. I will not be choosing a bride tonight.
Instead, 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’d come here thinking she was his chosen bride.
She was just one option among many. The humiliation burned. The word spilled out before she could stop it. “Is this how dragons shop for mares?
”
The ballroom went dead silent. Cipher tilted his head, smile widening. “You object to the process, princess? ”
“Women do not tend to love being paraded like livestock.
”
“Yet you came here willingly, didn’t you? ”
“I was told this was a betrothal, not a competition for your bed. ”
Cipher’s smile turned predatory. “I’ve made my decision for this evening.
I will meet with one of you tonight privately, should her royal highness be willing, of course. ”
His gaze locked with hers, intense, focused. He held it, then smiled and turned away. “Princess Annabella of Ambrose.
”
Lauraai’s mind blanked. He walked past her like she was invisible. To humiliate her, punish 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, and she couldn’t kill him if she couldn’t seduce him first. Caspian found her pacing her chambers, still in the gown that felt like a costume of her own humiliation. “Does it matter who he chose? ”
“Of course it matters.
How am I supposed to trap him if he’s bedding some other woman? ”
“He’ll choose you eventually. Be patient. ”
“Patient?
” She thought of his stupidly beautiful face. “He thinks he’s so clever, with his ridiculous cheekbones and his perfectly tousled hair. He’s using a spell to lower defenses. ”
“Sister, are you sure this ‘spell’ isn’t just attraction?
”
“The whole package is designed to make women stupid. Well, it won’t work on me. ”
Caspian said nothing, deeply unconvinced. A servant arrived.
“Princess Lauraai, His Imperial Majesty requests your presence. Immediately. ”
Lauraai’s heart jumped. Her hand drifted to the necklace.
This was it. She followed the servant through endless corridors decorated with dragon motifs, climbing higher until they reached private quarters. His chambers. She needed privacy, a chance to get close.
But that meant being alone with him, with those eyes, that body that had made her forget why she was there. Focus. You’re stronger than dragon magic. The servant retreated.
Lauraai pushed open the massive doors. A fireplace, an enormous bed, and Cipher standing by the windows—back to her, silhouetted against starlight, shirtless. She gaped at his back. That’s cheating.
He turned, and her brain short-circuited. Chest defined like he didn’t just command armies, he trained with them. Firelight played across bare muscle. Stop looking at his abs.
Stop looking at his abs. “Your majesty,” she managed. “You summoned me. ”
“I did.
” He stepped closer, stopping just out of reach. “Tell me, princess. Am I making you nervous? ”
Lauraai realized with terrible clarity that she was in deep trouble.
“Where’s the other princess? ” she heard herself ask. “Annabella, the one you chose? ”
“Jealous?
”
“Worried, actually. For all I know you’ve eaten her. ”
Cipher looked genuinely offended. “I wouldn’t eat a human.
My body is a temple. ” He snorted, delighted. “She retired for the evening. I don’t think she was quite ready to be my mistress yet.
”
“So one has to be ready then. Willing? ”
“Willing is the better word. ”
“Oh, so you like your women willing.
How noble. ”
He began moving toward her, each step eating up space until he towered over her. Her breathing went shallow. His pupils dilated, swallowing color until only a thin ring of fire remained.
“So,” he asked. “Are you willing, princess? ”
Her body screamed yes. Her mind screamed the plan.
She had the poison. This was the opportunity she’d been waiting for. Her mouth opened. No words came.
Cipher sighed. One finger traced her cheek with devastating gentleness. “Perhaps not then. ” He turned away.
“Wait,” she protested, breathless. She couldn’t let the opportunity slip. “Traditionally, we humans have drinks first. Get to know each other.
”
He raised an eyebrow. “Fascinating. ”
“I’m sorry, but you can’t expect me to just—”
“Your highness, if you’re uneasy, you may leave. Nothing is keeping you here.
”
“I’m not uneasy. I am in fact very easy. ”
Cipher actually snorted with laughter. “All right.
” He beckoned with one finger. “Come here. Go ahead,” he said, leaning back against the window ledge. “Seduce me.
Show me why I shouldn’t call one of the other disposable human princesses and keep you instead. ”
Her hand moved before her brain caught up. Crack. Her palm connected with his cheek.
Silence. Then Cipher laughed, eyes bright with genuine delight. “How dare you speak to me like I’m some common—” Lauraai began. He was suddenly in her space.
“How dare I? I told you that you could leave. You chose to stay. ” He leaned closer.
“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?
” His voice was soft, almost gentle, which made it more terrifying. His hand found her lower back, pulling her against him, his bare chest pressed to her body. “I have powers beyond your imagination and an entire army of informants. Some you probably thought were your friends.
”
She trembled. She tried to speak. “If you want to succeed,” he murmured, gaze dropping to her lips, “I suggest you be a little more clever. ”
“I’m not trying to kill you,” she whispered.
His eyebrow arched. “No? ”
She shook her head. “No.
”
The lie hung between them. They both knew it. Then Lauraai pressed her lips to his. Lightning and fire.
Every nerve ending lit up at once. Cipher responded immediately, hand fisted in her hair, angling her head exactly how he wanted it. The kiss deepened, neither of them gentle. His tongue slid against hers, and her knees buckled.
He walked her backward until her back hit the wall, body pinning her there, mouth still on hers, hands everywhere. She arched into him, and she felt his sharp intake of breath. Then Cipher stepped back, leaving her gasping and disoriented. “Good night, princess.
You may return to your chambers. ”
Lauraai stared, too stunned to move. He was already turning away, like that world-ending kiss meant nothing at all. Three days passed.
Three days of dreams she couldn’t quite remember—his hands on her skin, his mouth trailing fire down her throat. She woke gasping, an ache between her legs that no amount of cold water could ease. It was humiliating, and it was all his fault. It had to be enchantment.
She’d been married before and never felt this desperate, clawing need. On her balcony, watching the sunset, she saw dragons wheeling through the sky. One in particular caught her attention—larger than the others, black scales gleaming, lightning crackling across its wings. She knew with bone-deep certainty it was him.
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. She poured another glass of wine. Then another, to be sure. The world had soft edges now.
Time to find the dragon emperor. In the corridors, the walls seemed to wave. Guards materialized behind her. “Your Highness, perhaps you should return to your chambers.
”
“I’m going to see the Emperor. ”
“It’s quite late. Perhaps in the morning. ”
“No, now.
”
She had no idea where his chambers were, but somehow her feet knew the way—a warmth in her chest, a pull, like a thread connecting her ribs to something distant. She knocked hard. “Your Majesty, I know you’re in there. ”
The door swung open.
Candlelight painted shadows across his bare chest, hair slightly damp. “Fancy meeting you here? ” Lauraai beamed, stepping forward with devastating grace. Her foot caught on the threshold, and she pitched forward.
Cipher’s hands caught her by the waist. This way, her hands landed on his chest and started moving—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. It is your fault for enchanting me. ”
“Enchanting you? ”
“Yes.
You’ve cast a spell on me. ”
Cipher stared at her. “You’ve been drinking, haven’t you, Lauraai? ”
“Not at all,” she replied firmly.
“Well, maybe a little. ”
“A little? ”
“A little more than I should have. But it doesn’t matter because I have something important to tell you.
I resent you. I resent that I can’t stop thinking about you. Every night I dream about you, about that kiss, about your hands on me. What did you do to me?
”
His hands tightened on her waist almost painfully. “You’re drunk,” he said, but his voice had gone rough. “You should go. ”
“Don’t want to.
” She pressed closer. “This is a terrible idea,” he muttered. But he hadn’t let go. His head dipped.
His mouth came inches from hers. She could feel his breath. Then he stopped. “You need water,” he said, stepping away.
He returned with a glass that shimmered faintly. “Drink this. It’s a hangover cure. ”
She sniffed it suspiciously.
“If you poison me, I’ll be very annoyed. ”
He smiled. “You’re cute when you pretend you don’t want to kiss me,” she murmured. The exhaustion hit her all at once.
Her legs went weak. He caught her before she could fall, lifted her easily. Her head fell against his shoulder. She 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. She woke in her own bed, still in her gown, tucked carefully under the covers. The memory crashed back.
Wine. So much wine. Deciding to seduce him. She covered her face and groaned.
A knock made her heart jump. Cipher stepped through the door, that insufferable smile playing at his lips. “I came to make sure you’d sobered up. ”
“I’m perfectly sober, just like I was perfectly sober last night.
”
“Really? 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 walked with purpose into my arms. ”
Her face burned. “You’re infuriating. Whatever I said, I didn’t mean any of it.
”
He came closer. “None of it? Not the part about me enchanting you? Or how you can’t stop remembering our kiss?
”
“I was clearly under the influence of—of wine. Obviously. ”
“Obviously. ” He didn’t sound convinced.
“So you don’t find me attractive? ”
“Not at all. You’re quite banal. ”
His fingers trailed along her jaw.
“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 cupping her face. “Were you?
Because your body is saying something very different. Your pupils are dilated. Your breathing is shallow. Your pulse—” his hand pressed against her throat, “—is racing.
” He leaned closer. “You amuse me, princess. ”
“I what? ”
“More than anyone has in centuries.
Your defiance. Your terrible lies. The way you look at me like you can’t decide whether to kiss me or kill me. ” His thumb traced her bottom lip.
“That’s why I planned to make you my mistress—if you’re willing. Are you willing, Lauraai? ”
She put her hand on his chest. “I don’t plan to make you my mistress.
”
Cipher went still. “I plan to make you my lover. ”
A long silence. Then he leaned in, lips brushing her ear.
“Then good. Because you’ll never be able to bear me a child if you’re not willing. ”
The guilt slammed through her. She couldn’t give him children.
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.
His mouth claimed hers, and Lauraai forgot everything—the guilt, the mission, the poison necklace. He lifted her onto the table, then carried her to the bed. When they became one, something impossibly strange washed over her—satisfaction that felt masculine, pride, fierce arousal layered with her own pleasure. As if she could feel everything he felt.
Weeks blurred. There was only him, them—tangled together, breathless, desperate. In the armory when he caught her watching him spar. In the library, his hand sliding up her thigh.
In the gardens at midnight. She was addicted to his touch, his taste, the strange connection humming between them. The poison necklace sat in her drawer, untouched. Every night she told herself, “Tomorrow.
” Tomorrow became next week, and next week became next month. One night, after dinner, they lay tangled in his bed, and she whispered, “What is this connection? How can I feel everything you feel? ”
“The mating bond.
It forms between true mates. Dragons have one true mate. Our souls recognize each other. I knew the moment I saw you at the ball, Lauraai, that you were mine.
”
She remembered that first look across the ballroom. “I thought it was a spell. ”
“So did I. But it was just fate telling me you’re mine.
” His expression brightened. “And it means you can give me a child,” he said, his hand spreading possessively over her stomach. Lauraai went rigid, ice flooding her veins. “I need an heir,” he said.
“The empire requires it, but it’s more than that. I’ve been alone for so long. A thousand years of duty, isolation. ” Loneliness washed over her through the bond so deep she nearly cried.
“I want a family. I want to watch a child grow, teach them, protect them. I want that with you. ” He looked at her, eyes vulnerable.
“Marry me. Be my empress. My wife. ”
Her heart stopped.
She couldn’t. Couldn’t marry him. Couldn’t give him what he wanted. A thought struck her, cold and sharp: it doesn’t matter.
I’m going to kill him before he finds out. She kissed him instead, desperately, and he took it as acceptance. They made love slower, more tender, and through the bond flowed his joy, his love, his absolute certainty it was forever. “I love you,” he whispered.
“Gods, I love you. ”
After he fell asleep, she looked down at him, peaceful, trusting, and realized the truth: I love him. I’m in love with him. He wanted to marry her, build a family, and not only could she not give him children, she’d come here to kill him.
She slid out of bed, unable to stay. Back in her own rooms, a voice came from the shadows. “Lauraai. ”
She spun.
“Caspian. ”
Her brother looked tired, angry, desperate. “I’m here to remind you why we came. What you promised.
It’s time, Lauraai. Time we kill the dragon emperor once and for all. ”
“He doesn’t have an enchantment on me. It’s the mating bond, Caspian.
It’s real. ”
“Listen to yourself. You sound possessed. Do you remember why we came here?
What the dragons did to us? To Elvina? ”
Guilt crashed over her. When was the last time she’d even thought about Elvina?
“I remember,” she whispered, but the words felt hollow. “He’s at the center of it all. Every dragon answers to him. If we kill him, we weaken them.
”
“As his empress, I could do more. I could make sure the peace lasts. ”
“His empress? He asked you to marry him?
” Caspian’s laugh cut through the air. “And how will he feel when he realizes you’re infertile? When he realizes you can’t give him the thing he longs for most in this world? You really think he’ll make you his empress then?
”
She opened her mouth. No words came. It was the fear that kept her awake at night. “At best, you’ll be his mistress.
His plaything—and playthings don’t end wars. ” He held out the necklace. “He won’t see it coming. A few drops while he sleeps will suffice.
”
“I can’t,” she said, shaking her head. “I love him. ”
Caspian sighed long and heavy. “I didn’t want to have to do this.
” He looked away. “Break your heart. ”
“What are you talking about? ”
“The emperor has been manipulating you, Lauraai.
He offered marriage to several other princesses. Annabella. Celeste. He told all of them he wanted them to bear his heir, that they’d be his empress.
”
“Impossible. ”
“Ask Annabella. Ask Celeste. That first night at the ball, he chose Annabella, took her to his chambers.
Do you know what he did after he dismissed her and sent for you? He went to Celeste, then to Matilda. He’s playing all of you, sister. Keeping his options open.
”
“We have a bond. I feel him. ”
“That may be so. But what he wants most in the world is an heir.
You’ve felt it yourself, haven’t you? ” She closed her eyes against the memory of his loneliness, his longing for a child. “He’ll stop at nothing to get it. Even if it means courting nine human women at once.
”
“He said he loved me. ”
“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.
Dragons have trouble sustaining pregnancy. 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? Recently, one dragon king found a human mate who bore him an heir.
Cipher has been obsessed with testing the theory. The chances are so low, 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 down her cheeks.
Everything he said made horrible, perfect sense. “They’re cold-blooded ancient creatures, desperate to reproduce. Cipher’s first duty is to his people. Has he told you about the real dangers?
The chances you’d survive carrying a dragon child to term? ” He stepped back. “Close to none. 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. She sank to the floor, sobs racking her body. Her brother knelt and pulled her into his arms.
“I’m sorry. It’s not fair. But they’re protecting themselves, making sure their species survives. We have to do the same.
To the girls like Elvina who can’t protect themselves. ”
Elvina, who had screamed for help. Who she 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. ”
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. Her voice sounded hollow, like something inside her had already died.
The guards outside Cipher’s chambers opened the doors without a blink. He lay sprawled across black silk sheets, face turned toward her pillow, seeking her out even in sleep. I love you, she thought, standing frozen, the poison necklace burning cold in her palm. And he’d betrayed her.
She was disposable, one candidate among many. She forced herself to move. She reached the bed, sat, and Cipher shifted, hand finding her thigh. The touch nearly undid her.
She pulled the stopper from the poison vial, leaned over him. She thought of Elvina screaming. It’s your duty. But all she could think was that she wanted to kiss him instead.
She touched his lips with her free hand. “I love you,” she thought. “I’m sorry. ” The vial touched his lips.
His eyes opened for a heartbeat. Then he smiled, that devastating smile that had undone her from the beginning. “Can’t sleep? ” Voice rough with sleep.
Then he saw the vial. His smile died. “Lauraai? ” Fear sharpened his voice.
“Were you trying to poison me? ”
She met his eyes. Through the bond, devastation crashed over her—his hurt, his absolute incomprehension. “Why?
” he whispered. Rage rose to fill the cracks. “You dare ask me that? What good is your love when it hasn’t stopped you from betraying me?
I know you’ve been courting all the other princesses. Asked them to be your empress, to bear your child. ”
“No, Lauraai. That was before I realized you were my mate.
”
“Before that, you had no qualms having us risk death trying to bear you a child. Were you ever going to warn me that pregnancy would likely kill me? ”
“It wouldn’t. You’re my mate.
Our bond will sustain you. I would never risk that. I’ve never slept with them. Never even—I merely discussed the possibility in case the bond didn’t—“
“I don’t believe you.
” She felt his shock, his pain through the bond. “Caspian told me,” she continued. “That you slept with them, promised them all the same things. ”
“He’s lying.
Lauraai, please. You’re my only lover. I swear it on my life, on my throne. 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. 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 without evidence, why would we trust you not to turn against us? ”
“You took those sacrifices so you’d leave us alone. ”
“But we never harmed them. They live among us now, safe.
I can take you to them, 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? When it could have been any of them and it would have made no difference to you?
”
“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.
You didn’t even choose me that first night. 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 his pain through the connection, so profound her knees went weak. It all felt real. But Caspian’s words echoed. His people were dying, and 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.
Then he extended his hand. “Fine. Give it to me. ”
“Give you what?
”
“You know what. ”
Horror flooded her. She handed him the vial with trembling fingers, waiting for him to call the guards. Instead, he looked at it, then at her, and slowly lifted it to his mouth.
“What are you doing? ” Panic spiked. “Stop. It’s poison, you idiot.
It’ll kill you. ”
“It won’t kill me,” he said softly. “Because you’re going to save me. ”
“I can’t save you.
There’s no antidote. ”
“Don’t need one. ”
Before she could knock it from his hand, he brought the vial to his lips and drank. For one crystalline moment, nothing happened.
Then his breath hitched. His hand flew to his chest, eyes widening, skin going clammy and cold. “What did you do? ” Lauraai screamed, grabbing his face.
“Cipher, what did you do? ”
“I’m fine,” he managed. “Or I will be. You need to sit down.
”
“Guards! ” she screamed. The doors burst open. “Get healers!
Now! The emperor has been poisoned! ”
Through the bond she felt his thoughts fragmenting. “I feel strange,” he said, blinking heavily.
“Lauraai, I—” His knees buckled. She caught him barely, cradling his head in her lap. “Stay with me,” she sobbed. “Why did you drink it?
Why would you do that, you absolute idiot? ”
“I thought you wanted me to. ”
The words were a dagger. “No.
No, I wouldn’t have. I couldn’t. I was just angry. I was hurt.
I didn’t mean—“
“Angry with me? ” His voice was dreamy. “I’ll stay with you always. I waited centuries for you.
So glad I found you. ”
His eyes dropped. The healers burst through, and Lauraai confessed everything. “I gave it to him.
”
“Arrest her,” a guard said. “She confessed to assassinating—“
“No! ” Cipher’s voice cut through, weak but commanding. “You’re speaking of your future empress.
Have more respect. ”
“But she poisoned you. ”
“She did not. I poisoned myself.
”
Lauraai started crying in earnest. “It’s my fault. ”
Cipher’s hand found her face. “You’re my mate.
You can heal me. ”
“I’m not a healer. ”
“You don’t need to be. ” His eyes were closing.
“Only you can save me, Lauraai. ” Then his hand fell. His body went limp. The head healer spoke.
“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 took a human mate. Last year there was an assassination attempt—poison arrows. He should have died within hours. His mate saved him.
Try. You’re the emperor’s mate. If anyone can save him, it’s you. ”
Lauraai pressed her hands to his chest and reached for the bond.
Nothing. “It’s not working. ”
“Keep trying. Focus on the bond, on what connects you.
”
But all she could feel was him dying. Then the words hit her like lightning—the healer had said there was no one else. True mates are rare, once in a lifetime. You are his.
There is no one else. And Cipher had drunk poison, actual poison killing him right now, just to prove that to her. He’d done it on purpose. Rage flooded through her, hot and fierce.
How dare he make her watch him die 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,” she growled, pressing harder. “You don’t get to prove your love by dying, you absolute idiot.
”
Something shifted. Warmth bloomed under her palms, growing stronger. She felt light pouring into the bond—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. Through the bond, she felt the cold and pain receding, warmth flooding back.
“You saved me,” he said dazedly. “You idiot! ” she screamed, grabbing his shoulders and shaking him. “You absolute fool.
You could have died. ” Then she kissed him, pouring all the fear and relief and love into it. When they broke apart, he was still smiling. Three months later, Lauraai lay tangled in silk sheets with her husband, her mate.
Cipher pressed kisses to her temple, her cheek, her lips, like he couldn’t get enough. “I love you,” he murmured. “I know. ” She smiled.
“I love you, too. ”
But there was something she needed to tell him. “Cipher,” she started. “Remember how I told you I was infertile?
”
His expression softened, pained. He cupped her face with devastating gentleness. “My love, 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. ”
“I know,” she said.
“I’m glad I’m enough for you. ” She smiled wider. “But also… turns out I’m pregnant. ”
Cipher froze.
“What? ”
“The healers confirmed it this morning. Three times, actually, because I kept making them check again. You’re going to be a father.
”
For a moment he just stared. Then he laughed—pure joy, bright and unrestrained, seeping through their bond. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her deep. “A child,” he whispered against her lips.
“Our child. ”
“I know. ” She was laughing now too, tears streaming down her face. 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 never knew she needed.
