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She felt Gehj’s cheek press against hers, his face burrowing into her hair as he breathed her in. It was only then that she noticed the faint trembling of his body that betrayed just how frightened he had been.

“I was so terrified of losing you,” he admitted and smiled, her fingers burying into his soft feathers that moments earlier had been burning unholily.

Gradually, she was able to release him and draw back enough to give him an embarrassed smile. “Did you find it? The place to make your new home?”

Gehj smiled and nodded his head eagerly. “We did. It is some distance into the mountains, but I cannot wait for you to see it.”

She had to admit that she was excited, too. Now that she had made her decision, she wanted to see the place that would be her new home, and help raise it from the stony mountainsides.

“Found more than that,” Agrel interrupted, and Delilah looked over to see her mate pushing a scrawny teenage boy wearing a wide-brimmed hat an oversized coat out ahead of him.

The boy wilted and stared at them fearfully as his eyes fastened on Delilah. “Please, miss, I have nothing to do with all of this. I want nothing to do with it. The huntsman hired me from the citadel. I thought he would be doing noble things like clearing out some of the tangleweed or the red Andoro Venom-flower that grows in these southern parts. Not killing.”

His eyes fell to the Ragoru. “Is he going to be okay?”

Delilah nodded, her gaze dropping to Zemb. “I think so. It looks like he just hit him with a dart to incapacitate him. I don’t know why he would still want him alive. But I’m thinking that I don’t want to know.”

The teenager nodded and swallowed nervously. “Can… can I go home… please,” he whispered, tears brightening his eyes.

Delilah sighed and nodded. Although part of her believed it was foolish to just let him go when he could tell the Order exactly where they were, he was just a kid. Thankfully, neither of her mates objected. Instead, Agrel inhaled deeply, his wings expanding slightly from his side as he peered at the male.

“The citadel… you know where it is from here?” he asked as he began to break his talons of one by one. Gehj followed suit, and she was surprised to see that they broke away evenly, leaving a tapered claw tip in their place.

The teenager nodded. “Just a few days’ journey to the west. Why? Do you wish to go there?”

Agrel looked over at her. “Delilah…”

She shook her head in answer. “No. I’m not going to the citadel or anywhere else. I’m staying with you.”

Her mate hesitated and glanced over at Gehj. “We have talked about it. It is natural that may wish to be near your own people. You can go and then we could leave here once we get the rookeries established to join you. We know that the humans will not welcome us there, but we could remain hidden and watch over you?—”

“No,” she interrupted again, and she smiled. It was sweet that they were willing to keep hidden just so that they could be with her and give her everything she wanted. But she couldn’t be that selfish and she wanted to be somewhere where she could live and love freely. They would never have that around other humans. “I want to stay here… with you. We want to make our home here with you in these mountains.”

Gehj’s eyes widened. “You… do?”

She laughed, dashing sentimental tears from her eyes that seemed to well up from nowhere. “We are mates, aren’t we? I love you—we love you—so this is exactly where we belong. Right here in these mountains.”

Agrel hooted loudly and threw his hands in the air so violently that the boy skittered away from him, but he gave an uncertain smile as her mate’s wings pumped the air. Delilah laughed at his excessiveness and was still laughing when he suddenly lunged toward her and pulled her into his arms. She spilled out of the wagon with a shriek that quickly turned to laughter once again as he swung her around in the air jubilantly.

Delilah clung to him breathlessly, joy overflowing through her. There the world spun around her with Agrel’s face and the love bright in his eyes at its epicenter. In that whirling madness, she grinned down at her daughter as Lily danced around them, her arms raised in the air.

“Me next, daddy!” she crowed.

“You are next, nestling!” he agreed, and, with another whirl, he passed Delilah over to Gehj so that she landed in the warmth of his arms and wings that were waiting for her.

Wrapped in her other mate’s embrace, Delilah watched them, her heart filled with love and joy as Gehj’s wings closed around her lovingly. They were together—a family. Even Zemb was showing some signs of life, as if roused by their celebration. He twitched and rolled to a sitting position. Throwing himself back against the wagon for support, he shook his head to clear the fog from it.

Lily quickly patted Agrel’s arms in a silent demand to be put down and sprinted over to the Ragoru, practically dancing with her excitement. “Zemb! Zemb, we are going to be a family! We will be staying here, too,” she shouted as she threw herself at the lanky male, toppling him over.

Delilah winced in sympathy. “Oh, Lily, gentle.”

Agrel came up behind her, his arms wrapping around her waist as his wings folded over Gehj’s wings in a loving lock. “He is fine, swiya.”

She nodded, not entirely convinced. She was about to suggest to Lily to sit nicely next to him, but she became distracted by a movement in the corner of her vision. She glanced over at the teenager as he adjusted his hold on Zack’s horse and gathered the reins more firmly. Meeting her eyes, the teenager tipped his hat to her with a small, grateful smile, his lips moving in silent thanks before turning around and leading the horse back in the direction from which he came. She stared after him for a long moment until Agrel cheerfully snatched her up into his arms and Gehj bent to pick up Lily, who stood waiting impatiently with Nimh clutched to her chest.

“Now we go home,” he cooed. Glancing over at the Ragoru, he grinned. “Do not go anywhere. I will be right back for you.”

Zemb waved him off with a snort. “Go away and give me the time to hurl in peace as I prepare to be unnaturally hauled through the air.”