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R egis smiled at Ira in her father s arms. Avor had this expression of wonder on his features every time he looked at her. After the rolling party, Ira hadn t gotten enough sleep, but she was smiling happily.

Elaheh, Kay, and Vega had gone with Vaayu and his guards. The younger dragons were sober as their urge for a female of their kind was understood.

The ladies from the Stronghold who were still there were safely at one end of the palace.

Rex was going to be on monitoring duty with her mates. Rex s cheeks were still pink every time they looked at her, so she wasn t going to get much sleep. Kael and Ignis would take turns listening for the little princess. They were her uncles now, after all.

Avor smiled. You didn t ask me what I do?

Oh. It didn t seem important at the time. You are here with us. That was all I was after.

I own land and let developers bid on it. The nearby neighbourhood is one. There are two more in the works.

How did you manage to get started?

Other elves were still loose, and the dragons knew who I was. They helped me start, but their alphas didn t know what had happened.

Oh, you were sneaky. She smiled.

I was.

They entered the new palace, and she directed him toward Ira s room. They were met in the wide hallway by Rex and her mates, who smiled. Avor inclined his head. I ve got her.

When Regis directed him to Ira s room, he carried her in and set her gently on her bed.

Regis kissed her daughter s forehead and used a little energy to change her into pyjamas. Avor tucked her in and kissed Ira s head. Night, my princess.

Regis sighed and took the arm that Avor offered her. Outside her daughter s room, Rex said, I ve got this. Have a good night. Take another day. If she is up, she goes to school tomorrow.

Regis nodded. Thanks.

You let me have my time; I can let you have yours, but I have to ask, how did the food trucks show up?

Emerald.

Ah, that would explain the petit fours. Rex smiled. Go on and have a night together. You must be exhausted. We will watch over Ira.

Avor chuckled and said, Lead the way, my lady.

She felt a blush on her cheeks as she took him by the arm to lead him to the third floor.

You have made the halls wide and tall.

Yeah, well, I have met you. I factored the wings in. Regis smiled.

They walked to the large double doors, and he chuckled. Invite me in?

I did that last time, and the result is downstairs.

He chuckled. I could only dream of getting that lucky a second time.

Regis smiled. That wasn t luck; that was research. I had the test and was ready to start her before Rex and I got into that vehicle.

So generous. He frowned as she opened the doors. I am surprised you were able to bear her so easily.

She walked inside, and he entered the room after her, closing the doors behind him.

It wasn t easy. I had all the energy I had taken from you, every drop of fire I could hold. After that started to wear out, I got wobbly, but then... oh... I met Kay.

He paused. That would explain it.

Yeah, she held my hand, baked me treats, and gave me a cookbook of her specialties that I used to open my bakery. Regis blinked. And I didn t know who she was.

Avor pulled her into his arms and held her. They stood like that for minutes or hours, Regis couldn t have said.

When she lifted her head to his, he was there, and their kiss woke memories for her that Tawney had kept for herself. Clothing rustled, he kissed her tears, and eventually, they moved together on the bed, whispering words of relief and joy until dawn broke.

Regis groaned, and Avor kissed her shoulder, chuckling. Sore?

Out of practice. The last thing that was in there was Ira.

Avor laughed.

Regis smiled and stroked his cheek. I remember the laugh.

I smiled a lot the first time and grinned for a decade the second, knowing that our time together was getting closer. Now that I can actually learn the kind of person our daughter is, I can see the future as a whole getting brighter.

What did the dark elves want here to start with?

He chuckled. To set up an outpost to stop incursions from other dimensional forces.

Like djinn?

Like any number of forces who had already been picking at human populations like popcorn. Entire early cities simply disappeared.

Regis blinked. You are serious.

I am serious. He kissed her shoulder again, slowly working his way to her neck.

Regis shivered. So, where have you been living?

A few streets over. Close enough to keep an eye on you but not so close that it was creepy.

She giggled at the modern usage.

Avor slid his fingers between her thighs and stroked gently. Aw, was it too much?

She laughed. I think you made up for Ira s lifetime. I feel a little swollen.

He smiled and kissed her, her neck, breasts, belly, and nuzzled her navel. When he made himself comfortable between her thighs and opened his mouth, the controlled blast of fire coursed over her and then inside her.

Her sensitive skin took the fire and turned it to pleasure. She moaned and gasped, screaming as the fire took her higher. Avor stopped the flames and moved up, sliding into her. He chuckled. There, all better.

Regis looked at him, stunned. That was... I forgot about that.

He smiled. You got me through my rut, and I got you through it in turn. That is how Kay came to be. How did she get her name?

She said the djinn she flew to named her. They saw her coming and said, it looks like a dragon.

He withdrew slowly and then slid deep. Vaayu will take care of her. I believe that brutal bastard is actually in love.

She looked at him with concern. Brutal? How can you tell?

He nuzzled her neck as his hips moved slowly. Because he didn t kill her. Female dragons have a death sentence under normal circumstances, and he showed up with the cuffs and collar. He knew what she was and wanted her anyway.

She was going to speak, but he rocked in hard, and her body bucked and clenched around him. She sighed softly as her sex tried to milk him, and then he obliged.

Regis groaned and held onto his shoulders as he locked into her, his scales flaring to hold him inside her.

Avor was still and panting. That still takes getting used to.

What does your dragon think of this?

He thinks he was wise to keep me alive when I would have destroyed myself.

He takes credit for Kay and is horribly impressed with himself.

Vaayu has now made it impossible for him to make another female dragon.

He also provided the other dragons with the same treatment, just in case there was a throwback.

Regis looked up at his dark features and glowing eyes. I am glad you are still here.

I will never leave your side again. He kissed her softly and smiled. Well, I will never be out of cellphone range and will be at your side in under a minute.

She laughed. A vow for the modern age.

He smiled. A new vow that I will keep to.

Well, the ladies around me now will not scream and run. They are fighters and willing to kill.

And you?

I know all of them, all of the elves. That s my dubious skill.

Did they all arrive last night?

No, some don t know what they are. Some are in the islands or around the world. She chuckled. The ladies will wonder where their mates are if we run out of guys.

He smiled. You remember Vaayu s promised visit in ten years?

Yes.

He will not be arriving alone. If we tell him what we need, he will bring it. We were never supposed to be the last wave.

She blinked. Oh. That will be... oh. Wait. Colony.

He smiled. Yes. We will restrict our numbers, but we are here now and have already contacted local governments to weave ourselves into the fabric of the modern age.

Which is why we wanted you back in time before we took down the Stronghold.

He stroked tendrils of hair from her forehead. And it worked. We are all integrated into the society that spawned you, and while it has been challenging, I have been watching and waiting for this moment.

That is rather embarrassingly specific.

Avor grinned. You were and are the treasure of my life, but Ira is the jewel. What do you think she wants for over a decade of missed presents?

Regis sighed as the scales on his erection folded again so he could slide. She s into horses, in the worst way, but I don t have time to take her, and while we have a lot of space, I don t know anything about horses.

He slid free of her and dropped to her side, curling her against him. Funnily enough, my people are very familiar with horses. Until we get zoned for a stable in the area, I think I know where we can take her.

She smiled. Alita?

Or Olly. But Alita s horses are more used to riding.

How do you know that?

I have been watching the explosion of betas into omegas and some of them turning into light elves.

He chuckled. My company has been creating houses, building businesses, and working on the expansion that this city is undergoing on the flood of alphas from around the world.

The ladies were hiding, but more alphas just kept coming.

Regis sighed and licked his chest. I know.

It was so perplexing, but I talked to Keres recently, and she explained what happened.

She turned this place into a sanctuary right around the time that Ruby put all of her energy into the soil itself.

Throughout the years, the ladies all blessed the area one by one in different ways.

He stroked her spine. Watching the changes, my people have come to a decision.

What is that?

The laws governing omegas here are strangely confining. Marshall and Dante, along with their firm, are getting ready to start pushing a repeal of the laws.

Regis chuckled. That s cute. We are going a little more direct.

The ladies are going to take over the Omega Centres, one by one.

What they have been doing is horrific. Omega suicides have increased in the last seven years.

Yes, some good matches have been made when the alphas have brought the omega in for medical care, but they are few and far between.