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They didn’t make it to the Dragon Day festivities until late afternoon. Of course, they’d had to enjoy the picnic packed by Keres’s cook. Rimi didn’t want to be rude, of course.

She could tell by the expression on the other mates’ faces as she floated the luncheon excuse by them that they questioned what actually had delayed Keres and her arrival. Quickly, she distracted them.

“I wanted to go see the dragon statue. Does anyone wish to come with me?”

“Argenis said all the names are there now. Let’s go check it out.” Ciel chimed in her support of that idea.

“Stay together,” Drake warned.

“Of course,” Aurora promised.

They walked two blocks from the festival site to the main town square. Everyone greeted them along the way, wishing them health and happiness. Several small children gave them flowers and blew kisses to them.

It was impossible not to be swept up in the day's excitement. Approaching the stairs leading up to the ancient dragon statue, the group stopped when they reached the base. Flowers lined each step in a gorgeous display of color.

The amount of time it must have taken the townsfolk to gather and place all those blossoms astounded Rimi. She clasped her hands to her heart as her gaze ran over all the names from the most ancient on top toward the bottom.

Aurora’s name was first for their group, of course. It must have been scariest for her without any other new mates to talk to. Aurora had welcomed those who came after her with warmth. She’d answered questions openly and honestly to make the next mates’ transitions as easy as possible.

Ciel, Lalani, Skye, and Brooks’s names followed Aurora’s. Each had connected with the others and, in turn, helped the next arrival acclimate. Rimi loved each of them. She’d never had friends, but knew deep inside these special, fated mates were more than simple acquaintances. They’d become family.

Rimi stared at her name. Next to the final letter of her name was an addition she hadn’t seen before.

With no last name like the others, Samuel, the stone mason, had returned to add a special character for her.

A small dragon’s footprint (or would that be claw mark?) decorated her name on the right. She loved it.

“Look, Rimi! You’re the only one with a dragon print. Everyone will remember for eons how special you are!” Ciel said.

Linking her elbow with her friend’s arm, Rimi corrected her firmly. “We’re all special. Think how many Wyverns there have been since the founding families signed the pact. The odds of us being a fated mate are astronomical.”

An older woman moved up beside them, carrying a heavy tome in her hands.

Brooks smiled at his grandmother, Elenore, who’d emerged as the spokesperson for the current Guardians of their founding family’s tome.

“The city of Wyvern can never celebrate you enough. Thank you for caring for our dragons. Without you all to tether them to sanity and our world, Wyvern would have been lost centuries ago.”

“I think I can speak for the others,” Lalani spoke quietly. “We only followed our hearts.”

“That is the best reason to choose your path in life,” Elenore assured them with a smile.

Rimi? Are you safe? Keres messaged her.

Yes, my love. We are. I’ll return in a few moments.

Do not stay away too long. I miss you.

She smiled at the black dragon’s message. Rimi doubted whether anyone could have foretold his destiny—from struggling to maintain his sanity to caring Daddy.

“Drake is getting impatient. I should go back,” Aurora said.

“Ditto,” Brooks echoed. “Let’s all go together.”

“I don’t think you’re going anywhere,” a hauntingly familiar voice said from behind them.

Evan! Skye broadcast a message to Rimi and their dragon shifter mates.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Elenore whirled and smacked the side of Evan’s head squarely with the heavy tome she held.

The evil henchman tumbled to the ground.

The Wyverns who had gathered in the town square for the celebration quickly realized what was going on from the mates’ reactions.

After a quick scuffle, they secured the handful of men and women who’d stood at Evan’s back.

Rimi looked at the crowd in amazement. “Thank you all. Elenore....” She had no idea what to say to the elderly woman.

“What the he… heck, Grandma.” Brooks corrected himself as he spoke.

“Brooks made me promise not to let anything raise my blood pressure. Whacking that scoundrel with the book seemed to be an effective way to solve two problems simultaneously. Oh, dragon feathers. That jerk’s hard head tore the binding.”

“We’ll find an expert to fix it, Grandma,” Brooks assured her, taking the heavy volume from her hands.

“We’ll need to. I trust the dragons will stick around for hundreds of more years.

The future Battlefields will need to know their commitments,” Elenore said proudly.

“Speaking of dragon assistance, Brooks, could you sweet-talk Rogan into going to pick up your cousin Amber and her family? She would be perfect as the next Guardian for our family.”

“Grandmother? What are you telling me? Is something wrong with you?”

“Heavens, no. At least nothing more than was wrong with me last week. Just planning ahead, Brooks.” When Elenore noticed everyone eavesdropping on their conversation, she added, “Oh, my. I’m interrupting the celebration. We’ll talk later.”

“We will,” Rogan assured her with a nod.

Their dragons had arrived with a flurry of commotion and worry, along with the volunteer authorities. The latter immediately secured Evan’s crew and their still unconscious boss. Elenore and that book packed a wallop.

“Are you okay, Snowflake?” Keres asked, wrapping his arms around her after everything settled back to a joyous celebration.

Rimi nodded and hugged him hard. “I’m okay. Wyverns protected us.”

“Of course they did. The pact was never designed to be a one-way street, but a symbiotic relationship where we take care of each other. That’s how Wyvern has survived all these years.”

Mom! Dad! I’ve found a horde that has an opening. Well, it’s the second one I’ve found. The first one was definitely more predatory than I wanted.

Slate? Are you okay? Rimi could sense an underlying sense of pain from her son even from the long distance away.

Had that first horde hurt him? Her mom instincts jolted her into readiness to kick some dragon booty.

Keres bristled beside Rimi. She patted his chest to calm her mate as the other dragons headed their way to find out what had put the black dragon on edge.

Wiser, but okay. I don’t need you to go ninja on them. I’m going slower with this second group.

Smart, Slate. There aren’t many new dragons born. Remember, they need you as much as you’d benefit from them.

Come home and visit? Rimi suggested.

Someday, Mom. Dad, take care of her , Slate requested with steel in his voice that made Keres smile.

Will do, Slate. Thanks for messaging us.

Slate? Rimi wanted to ask a million more questions, but her son had cut the connection.

Looks like we’ll have to make another one, Snowflake. I’m up for practicing.

Rimi blushed, remembering how good their lovemaking was together. When the mates laughed at her expression, she knew they had no doubt something intimate was going through her mind. Already, they knew her too well.

“Come on, Rimi. Let’s go get a slice of pizza. Angelino is cranking them out tonight,” Brooks suggested, taking her hand to tug her away from Keres. The others swarmed around her and they whisked her into the crowd.

Rimi smiled over her shoulder at Keres, who laughed at the mates’ antics.

The other dragon shifters slapped him on the back, having fun as well.

He was part of the horde. They hadn’t given up on him and wouldn’t now.

Losing herself in the celebration, Rimi didn’t pause to compare her previous existence to her life now.

Keres had rescued her, and she saved him.

The creators of the pact between the dragon and Wyverns couldn’t have known the impact of their agreement.

But the dragons would continue to protect the citizens from all forms of evil, no matter what happened in the future.

Only the luckiest of the citizens would experience a fated mate bond.

Rimi spotted a lopsided dragon drawn on the back of a teenager’s hand as she leaned against a nearby pillar. The young woman watched the dashing male dragon shifters celebrating with their mates. Could a dragon shifter’s love await her in a few years?

Only if fate smiled upon her.