Page 7 of Guardian of the Cursed Egg (Dragonis Academy #2)

Vaughn

While Mina runs the gauntlet, I listen to Abraxis and Callan recount how his fear of rejection and feelings of unworthiness nearly cost him his bond with her. Their words settle heavily in my chest, striking a chord too deep to ignore. I lower my head, shame coiling tight around my ribs.

“I don’t feel worthy either,” I admit quietly, the words slipping out like a confession. “I’m a gargoyle. Technically, from a cursed clan.” My breath escapes in a sigh, and my eyes drift back to the lights flickering along the gauntlet.

“Protecting her when she didn’t expect kindness from a stranger meant a lot to her,” Callan says, his voice steady but tinged with something softer. His gaze follows Mina’s every move. “She told us about it several times.”

His words hit harder than I expect, stirring something restless in me. I almost ask if she ever said my name, but I already know she didn’t. She didn’t know it back then. It’s better that way, I remind myself. It always is.

“Your clan is rather large. It’s hard to inquire who saved my mate without making the entire clan uncomfortable,” Abraxis remarks, his tone cool but pointed.

He doesn’t look at me, but he doesn’t need to.

I know he’s right. A dragon looking for me?

That would’ve been a death sentence for my people.

They would’ve sent me away without a second thought, just to protect the others.

The moment the gauntlet powers down, Callan shifts, wings snapping out as he takes to the air after Mina.

Abraxis stays grounded, his expression distant as he stares at his feet.

After a beat, he nods to himself, a quiet acknowledgment.

“They’ve come a long way,” he murmurs, more to himself than to me.

Then his gaze sharpens, and he smirks, tilting his head in my direction.

“Callan’s terrified,” he says, his voice low but pointed.

“Terrified his bond with her will break because it’s not as strong as mine and hers.

” He pauses, the smirk turning faintly indulgent.

“A dragon’s bond will always trump the others in the nest. He keeps forgetting that.

It doesn’t mean she loves you—or him—any less.

The bond is just … different.” This time, he looks me in the eye, intent, as if trying to drive the point home.

I nod slowly. “I understand,” I say, my voice steady. “It’s like if I had a female gargoyle mate. That bond would naturally be stronger than any other, no matter the species.”

Abraxis arches a brow, a flicker of surprise crossing his face before he nods in agreement. “Exactly.”

Before we can say more, Callan lands nearby, and Abraxis shifts his focus, moving to Mina. His concern is obvious as he checks her over, explaining something about senior staff duties. Mina listens, nodding along before glancing my way and agreeing to fly back with me.

But it’s not her response that holds my attention—it’s the look in Balor’s eyes.

The raw longing there is unmistakable. I’ve worn that same expression, carried that same ache for months as I watched Mina from a distance, wishing, hoping, doubting I could ever be enough.

The vulnerability on his face is as clear as daylight, and I know he’s wrestling with the same feelings now. But as far as I know, he is not a mate.

Mina steps closer to me, and I move without thinking.

I scoop her up into my arms, holding her tight against my chest, her warmth grounding me as her trust wraps around me like a warm blanket.

She doesn’t flinch, doesn’t hesitate, not even at the monstrous form I become.

For that alone, I would be grateful—but her trust, her acceptance, her love , are more than I ever dared to dream of.

As I take off, I adjust my grip, cradling her securely as we ascend.

The wind tugs at us, cool and sharp, but it doesn’t reach the heat of her breath against my throat as she drifts into sleep.

She goes soft and limp in my arms, completely at ease, and the sight stirs something deep inside me—a fierce gratitude, an overwhelming awe.

I whisper a silent thanks to whatever god or goddess saw fit to grant me this gift. Mina, my mate, is more than I deserve. Loving, trusting, strong—and mine. The greatest gift I’ve ever received.

Carefully, I land on the balcony of our suite, the weight of my wings silent against the cool stone.

Stepping through the open double doors, I use my tail to nudge them shut behind me.

The suite is quiet, dim, and heavy with the lingering scent of smoke and iron.

My steps carry me to the shared bathroom, large enough to fit all of us smaller shifters in our shifted forms if needed.

One of Callan’s oversized hammocks is strung in the corner, fluffy and worn from how often he uses it when he shifts into his gryphon form.

It’s his makeshift nest, but tonight, it’s Mina’s resting place.

I lower her gently into it, mindful of her stillness. She’s caked in blood—some of it hers, some not—and an assortment of grime I don’t care to identify. She’ll need this. Something warm and safe.

Moving quickly, I head to the bathtub, turning on the taps and adjusting the water temperature until it’s steaming but not scalding. As it fills, I shift back into my human form, my tail and wings dissolving into my flesh with a faint shudder. Reaching for my phone, I text Abraxis.

Vaughn: What scent does Mina like in her bath?

He takes a few minutes, and then my phone buzzes with a list.

Abraxis: lavender, lilac, rose, or vanilla. I choose lilac. It’s the least cloying and won’t overwhelm her.

Grabbing the vial from the shelf, I pour a few drops into the water and watch the petals bloom on the surface. Satisfied, I step back and survey my work. The water’s perfect, the room filled with soft steam and lilac. Everything is ready. I turn back to the hammock.

She’s gone.

“Mina?” My voice echoes in the bathroom as I look around, scanning every corner. A soft click pulls my attention to the door. She’s there, her housecoat wrapped loosely around her, her hair still braided but slightly undone. Her movements are slow, deliberate, as she steps into the room .

Her gaze drifts to the tub, then to me, and there’s something unreadable in her eyes. “Are you going to watch,” she says, voice low and tinged with that sharp edge she gets when she’s pushing boundaries, “or climb in with me?”

I can’t move, frozen by the sight of her as she steps to the edge of the tub.

The housecoat slips from her shoulders, pooling at her feet.

My breath catches. Scales gleam across her shoulder blades, shimmering faintly in the soft light.

They fan down her back in intricate patterns, trailing across her hips like a map of power etched into her skin.

Dragon scales. Only the most ancient and powerful bloodlines retain them in their human forms. She slips into the water, her back still to me, and starts unbraiding her hair. The movements are effortless, practiced, and I can’t tear my eyes away.

I’m mesmerized, rooted to the spot, my chest tight with an unfamiliar ache that’s part awe, part something deeper. She doesn’t look back at me, but somehow, she knows I’m watching.

Clearing my throat, I draw in a deep breath, trying to steady myself.

“I wasn’t sure if you’d want me in there with you,” I admit, letting the truth out.

She doesn’t need my walls. Hell, I’m not sure they’d work on her even if I wanted them to.

From what the others have said, once Mina sets her mind on something, there’s no stopping her.

But if I’m honest with myself—and I should be—it’s not her stubbornness that scares me.

It’s the thought of her severing our connection, of me being cut off from her entirely.

That fear’s been clawing at me for weeks now.

“You are my mate, Vaughn. I know it. You know it. The entire nest knows it,” she says, her voice low but firm, like she’s daring me to argue.

She turns to look at me as I pull my shirt over my head, her gaze sharp, unwavering.

“I won’t let another bond be fractured because my mate is being stubborn or having a self-pity party. ”

I flinch at her words—not because they’re cruel, but because they’re true.

She sees right through me, cutting past the excuses I try to build.

She rolls over completely, her arms resting on the lip of the tub, the warm water glistening against her skin as she faces me.

A smile tugs at her lips, soft at first, then mischievous.

For a moment, her eyes drop, and she looks almost shy.

“It’s times like this I wish I had wings like Abraxis instead of my horns,” she says, her voice quieter now, thoughtful.

“I’d spread them wide and just lay here in the warm water.

” A coy smile curves her lips, and she rolls her eyes, that glint of wicked humor sparking in her gaze.

“As if you can’t figure it out, I have a wing fetish. I find them sexy.”

She bites her bottom lip, her golden eyes blazing as they shift, turning into those dragon-slit pupils that never fail to stir something primal inside me.

The heat between us crackles like a storm about to break, and for a moment, all I can do is stand there, caught between awe and the magnetic pull of her.

I blink several times, her words swirling in my head.

Did she really just ask me that? “Are you asking me to shift for you? Wrap you up in my gargoyle’s wings?

” My voice is even, but deep down, I’m hoping that’s not what she wants.

My shifted form is a monster—not grotesque, but rougher, darker.

Not much larger than I am now, but still.

.. different. My skin hardens like stone, and my wings?

They don’t attach smoothly like Abraxis’s.

The leather stretches awkwardly from my back to my hips, jagged and primal.

She wouldn’t even be able to wrap her legs around me if she wanted to .

“Yes, please.” Her smile lights up her face, and then she squeals, scooting back from the edge of the tub. The movement sends ripples dancing over the surface, and every inch of her bare skin gleams through the water. My breath catches—seizes—leaving me frozen for a moment as I take her in.

Before I even realize it, my shift surges to the surface, breaking free with a force I can’t control.

She giggles, crooking a finger at me, her mischievous grin making it impossible to resist. The remnants of my sweatpants shred as I rip them away, exposing everything.

There’s no hiding how turned on I am, and she notices—of course, she notices.

Her smile deepens, heat sparking in her eyes.

So far, so good. I guess. My track record isn’t great; I’ve only ever been with my own kind.

Most others are too scared of us—of me. But not Mina.

Never Mina. I step into the water, barely sinking into its warmth before she’s climbing me like I’m a tree.

Her legs wrap tight around my hips, her hands gripping my shoulders, and I grab hold of her firm ass to steady her.

A soft, pleased purr vibrates through her chest, and she rubs her cheek against mine.

It’s intimate, instinctive, and it sends a shiver straight down my spine.

I don’t know if it’s a dragon thing, some inherited trait from Callan’s gryphon, or just …

her. Mina, always surprising me, always pushing past every wall I’ve ever built.