Page 35 of Hunted (Love and Revenge #5)

Sadavir

T he moon was out, but the waxing crescent was veiled in thin clouds, a silver blur casting long shadows across the beautifully-tended garden behind The Fox.

Herbs of all kinds filled the edges of the lush beds, and the flowers hadn’t died in the fall, the way they should.

They reached upward as if they still remembered warmth—the place was clearly watched over by a fae patron.

One would assume this was Cicely’s doing.

But while the faun did help out, I knew this place was really Yukio’s domain.

The thought of the cold, stand-offish yuki-onna assassin tending his flowers and herbs with such care made me smile.

No one in this strange, wonderful court was what they first seemed.

And I was thankful every day for the amazing omega who had brought me here and given me a second chance at life.

The ground beneath my bare feet was cold, and my breath misted in the November air, but the circle I’d drawn hummed with primal earth magic—old, redolent, alive.

Ruya stood just inside the entrance to the courtyard. I knew why she was hesitating. She was waiting. No matter what flippant, brash things she might say about how to handle her other alpha, I knew she wouldn’t actually go through with cementing this this bond without talking to her.

Ruya was a vision there, hovering between moonlight and shadow.

She wore a loose, simple tunic-style dress.

Her feet were bare like mine. Her hair was braided down her back with strands of silver and gold thread woven into the strands.

Her aura pulsed steadily in a gentle ebb and flow, like breath, like tide. Like the promise of creation.

Part of me wanted to rage at the delay. To be angry at Robin for being so stubborn and prideful. To be angry at Ruya for being so... Ruya in her patience, and understanding, and tolerance for asshole behavior. But I couldn’t be angry today. Not when my whole life was about to change for the better.

Besides, I had learned long ago that you can’t change someone’s nature. And in Ruya’s case, I’d never actually wish to. Her acceptance and understanding was what made her so perfect for each of us, and so infinitely precious.

I sensed the strong, fiery aura approaching from inside The Fox and rolled my shoulders back, forcing myself to take an easy stance when instinct said to pull Ruya behind me and hiss in challenge.

Cicely huffed softly from beside me, giving me a sideways glance that said he knew exactly what I was doing.

“You’re a good man,” he signed to me.

I shook my head. “Don’t go ruining my image, little fae,” I signed back.

He smirked at me. “Not little.”

I chuckled at the obvious double meaning in his words, conveyed by that wicked quirk of his lips.

Cicely was utterly devoted to Ruya, and he had clearly made up his mind to get in my good graces so I wouldn’t shoulder him aside with my legendary alpha possessiveness.

Not that I intended to do anything of the sort. But who was I to dismiss his efforts?

“So I’ve noticed,” I signed back, winking at him before I schooled my face into seriousness once more.

He nudged my shoulder with his own, and a gentle, hesitant magic nudged at my defenses.

Curious, I let my shields down a bit. I was rewarded with a rich baritone in my head, the words laced with friendly warmth.

Don’t worry. She loves you just as much as she loves Robin, he said, still looking ahead toward Ruya, not giving any indication that he was speaking to me.

But things are more... fragile... with the dragon.

Thank you for letting them have this, even though it’s your day.

I huffed a soft laugh. I didn’t know how to respond mentally, whether Cicely would be able to read my thoughts with his fae gift, or if I could project to him somehow. So I simply waved a dismissive hand to indicate that I understood what he was saying, but that this was truly nothing to fuss over.

Robin appeared in the doorway to the courtyard, as gorgeous and drenched in power as always.

Her golden eyes glowed as she shot a brief glance my way before focusing on Ruya with an intensity that even I felt in my bones.

“Oh, there you all are.” I angled myself to better read her lips, Cicely softly filling in the blanks in a quiet mental whisper.

Robin’s body language was carefully casual and unconcerned.

“Having a little evening nip of fresh air with your pets, are you love?”

The way the dragon alpha hid behind flippant disregard was truly awe-inspiring sometimes—but mostly it was just irritating.

I preferred it when people were more forthright with their thoughts and feelings.

I crossed my arms over my chest. This was Ruya’s moment.

It wasn’t my place to tell Robin to drop the act and stop being such a spoiled princess.

Ruya, as usual, handled it all with far more grace than I ever could.

She straightened her spine and lifted her chin, that queenly look falling over her that said no one around her stood a chance at disagreeing with whatever she had to say.

“I knew you’d come,” she said with a calm expression on her face.

I shouldn’t eaves drop on their conversation, but... I couldn’t leave Ruya and Robin alone right now. There were some limits to my tolerance.

Robin pressed her lips together, and I knew she was humming in that way of hers—indicating the topic at hand was skirting on boring, she was so unconcerned.

I had spent far too much time learning her mannerisms, it seemed.

“Mmm... did you?” Robin said, her who-cares reply belied by the growing tension that coiled through her body.

“I thought it was an invitation-only affair.”

“I planned to tell you,” Ruya replied, unruffled. “But I didn’t want to cause you more problems until I absolutely had to.”

“You think I don’t know everything that goes on in my court? In my nest?” Robin asked, arching a red-gold brow. “You hardly needed to make an announcement. I may be... less than perfect at the moment, but I am the alpha leader around here.”

Ruya shook her head. “Still, I need to tell you. And you need to hear it, I think.”

Robin waved a hand in a get-on-with it gesture. “Well?”

Ruya kept her shoulders squared and her chin up, her body language brooking no argument. “I’ve decided to bond with Sadavir. To accept him as my true mate.”

Robin tilted her head, her aura building, power leeching out from inside like a planet about to go supernova. “And you are doing this of your own free will?”

Ah, of course. She was concerned about my influence over Ruya.

Omegas were so vulnerable to abuse and manipulation.

She was right to be concerned, especially with the way things were between her and Ruya at the moment.

She feared she had driven Ruya to take desperate action just to feel safe and wanted.

But while there may be some truth to that, Ruya wasn’t having it. She was unflinching in the face of the dragon alpha’s growing rage—probably because she knew at least some part of that building fury was directed at the alpha herself, rather than at me or Ruya.

“I am,” Ruya answered simply. “Because I love him. And because we are meant for each other. I feel it in my soul.”

Pride swelled in my chest. She was so glorious. So perfect. And she had chosen me as her alpha and her partner.

I braced myself for the fallout. Felt the spike in Robin’s destructive dragon magic and tensed, ready to snatch Ruya away before she could be harmed by Robin’s outburst. But Cicely grabbed my arm and squeezed. Wait, he said in my mind. Give her a chance.

Robin moved quickly, with all the power and deadly grace of a striking predator.

Smoke curled from her nostrils and her golden skin shimmered faintly as the light caught on fine scales that hadn’t been there seconds before.

The hand that darted out to grip Ruya’s face was tipped in long, wicked claws that dented Ruya’s perfect opal skin.

Cicely squeezed me harder, his grip on my arm painful enough to stop me from lunging. Barely.

Robin tilted Ruya’s head back and kissed her, hard and possessive, a claiming, a punishment.

.. whatever it was, it was rough and fierce, and it made my inner beast rattle his tail in warning.

But Ruya didn’t flinch, didn’t struggle or cry out.

She leaned into the kiss, surrendered to Robin, then pushed forward, giving as good as she got.

As suddenly as she had struck, Robin pulled back, releasing Ruya completely. Her eyes flashed, slit-pupiled dragon eyes, as the beast looked out from inside her. Then they returned to normal human shape—though still glowing fiercely. “Good,” she bit out.

Then the alpha of the rebel court spun on a heel and strode back into the building without a single protest or backward glance.

We all stood there frozen for a beat. Then Ruya lifted her hand to press her fingers to her mouth, and I couldn’t just stand there and observe any longer.

I rushed to her side and brushed her hand away from her face, cupping her cheek to make her look at me while I searched for damage.

I would kill the dragon if she had harmed my mate. ..

Ruya looked up at me, her lips swollen and face flushed, but otherwise unharmed. I was startled out of my protective rage when she started laughing.

“Good,” she said between chuckles. Pulling out of my grip, she shook her head.

“I take it you got all of that?” she said with a tilt of her head, her expression telling me she wasn’t mad about me and Cicely listening in.

“All that worry that she’d never forgive me, and all she says is, ‘ Good?’” She wiped tears from the corners of her eyes as she tried to get her laughter under control.

I didn’t know what to say.