Page 14 of The Dragon’s Stormwoven Bond (Dragon Flight Academy #2)

Valen

I looked down at my phone, my dragon pushing to get out and fly directly to him. I wasn’t sure what had happened, but I didn’t need to know the details to know that my place was by his side and not in my stupid office.

All I knew was that my mate needed me, and that was enough. Katrina had called, and when I didn’t answer right away because I was in a meeting, she texted, saying to come to her place immediately.

As soon as I saw her text, my phone beeped with another. This time it was Rhythe letting me know he was on his way to Pep. Something was seriously wrong if she was calling for both of us.

I didn’t hesitate. I got up from the meeting without a word and took to the skies, thankful for my ability to cloak my dragon from the outside world. Old age had its benefits.

I flew quickly to Eryx’s home. Clearly, our secret was out now. That much was a given. Other than that, I had no idea what had happened to my mate. All I knew was that I had to get to him, to comfort him, to take all of his hurt away.

Never in all my centuries had I flown as fast as I did to get to my mate, and I shifted to my human form just as my feet hit the ground. I bounded up the porch stairs, my heart leading me to where my mate was.

Eryx met me at the door. His face was red with anger, his fists balled at his sides, the scent of smoke heavy on him. I knew it would be bad, but… “Valen, how could you—”

I held up a hand. “Not right now, Eryx. I need to get to Pep.”

I’d work on fixing things with my father-in-law later. For now, my mate was all that mattered, and if Valen couldn’t see that, he could try and stop me. He’d lose. But he could try.

“Oh, my son, who’s clearly expecting your clutch?” He spat. “This is how I find out that you two are mated?”

I stopped in my tracks, stunned. “A clutch?”

My joy at the news was interrupted as Eryx took a step back like I had slapped him, the smoke scent intensifying and his eyes the color of his dragon’s.

“You didn’t know?” As pissed as he was before, that level had multiplied.

“Eryx. Not now. Leave him alone,” Katrina said. “Valen, up here.”

Katrina had never been my biggest fan. She thought that sleeping with anyone other than your fated mate was abhorrent, and therefore, in many ways, so was I.

But she had mated young, and her experience was that of true love.

She didn’t know the loneliness that came with centuries of being without a life partner.

I did. And while I might not have made the best choices through those years, they only made me appreciate what I had with Pep even more. He had become the center of my universe.

Maybe Katrina saw that. Whatever the reason for her apparent change of heart, I was grateful for the save, because fighting with her mate when I could be comforting mine wasn’t going to happen. I followed Katrina’s voice.

She led me to a room where Pep sat in a nest surrounded by blankets. His eyes met mine, tears welling up in them. He looked like he had been through it, and it crushed me.

“Valen…” His voice cracked, and the tears fell even harder.

“I’m here. I’m here, mate.” I climbed into the nest with him, and I gathered him into my arms. “What is it? What do you need?”

“I need to go home. But I can’t leave the nest. What… what’s wrong with me?” His words were mumbled and broken up by sobs. If only there were a way to take all the hurt pouring off of him away. I’d cladly bear it all.

“Nothing is wrong with you, my sweet mate.” I kissed the top of his head. “Absolutely nothing. You’re doing what comes naturally—preparing a beautiful place for our clutch.”

“My dad—”

I put my hand over his mouth. “We’re not worried about that right now. How about we get you home? We can set up the nest right in the living room where it can get the most sun.”

I wasn’t sure how we were going to get it there. I came here on my wings and currently had zero articles of clothing on.

“How? I can’t leave the nest.” He buried his face in my chest. “Mate, I can’t leave the nest.”

“Rhythe is here,” Katrina said.

I hadn’t even noticed she’d walked in the room behind me.

Hearing my brother’s twin was here was a huge relief.

There was only one other person on this planet I trusted fully with my mate and that was his twin.

And that was shitty to say knowing how much I loved and respected his parents, but the truth was, he and Rhythe had a connection that was nearly as deep as my mate and I had, despite being a very different kind.

They would forever have each other’s backs.

“What if I carry you, and Rhythe carries the nest?” It was the best sort of plan I could come up with on the fly. “Will that work?”

Pep nodded. I climbed out of the nest and lifted him into my arms. I wouldn’t leave the room until his brother was here. He needed to be by his nest.

Less than a minute later, Rhythe stood by the door, his eyes darting from the nest to my mate and back again. He tapped his belly and then pointed to my mate, and I nodded. He broke into a huge smile. The worry still filled his eyes, but he was happy about the clutch. That much I was sure of.

“We need this at our house.” It wasn’t a full explanation, but he could fill in the dots.

“I’ll take good care of it, Brother. I promise,” he said. “I’ll get it to your place in one piece, and then I will help you make this the most amazing nest ever.”

“We know you will,” I said.

I left the house without another word. I couldn’t look at my friend.

I knew that a discussion needed to be had.

In actuality, probably more than one. He was livid right now, and I deserved every single speck of his anger.

But my mate needed me more than my friend needed my groveling.

He had a mate and multiple clutches over their mating. He of all people should understand.

“You can take my car,” Rhythe said. “I’ll fly with the nest directly to your place.”

“You sure?”

He nodded.

Pep clung to me, his breathing evening out as his anxiety came down. By the time I got to the car, I was comfortable enough to let him go for the drive. I would still need to be touching him, but that was a fairly consistent state when I was with my omega.

I placed him gently in the passenger side of the car and buckled his belt for him. He whimpered when I let him go. My dragon mimicked the sentiment.

“If we are going to go home where our nest will be waiting, I have to get in the seat beside you.” I kissed his forehead. “You can take my arm when I get into my seat.”

That must’ve been exactly what he needed to hear, because he relaxed into his seat.

As I climbed into the driver’s side, my nakedness became a concern for the first time since I flew here.

Shifters didn’t care about seeing unclothed body parts.

It was common to do so. But a human police officer pulling over someone speeding? They would take real issue with it.

Which led me to driving home more like a snail shifter than a dragon one. Better to take a few extra minutes than to pay those consequences. At least that was what I kept telling my mate who was pushing me to have us there already.

Rhythe beat us there. There were no speed traps in the sky for him to worry about. He had placed the nest inside the living room and was sitting on the porch when we pulled up.

As much as I wanted to thank him, I walked right past Rhythe as I carried Pep inside. He’d understand. He was my mate’s twin. I called his name as I walked through the door, glad he followed us inside.

I climbed into the nest, cuddling my mate close. We would figure out how to make it what Pep envisioned later.

“Let me know if you need anything,” Rhythe said.

“Pillows. Lots and lots of pillows. The soft kind,” my mate said.

He was already feeling better if pillows were his top priority. His brother promised he’d hook him up and left.

I held my mate for a long time in the nest.

“My dad is so mad,” he said. “I’ve never seen him that mad.”

“He’s hurt that we kept it from him,” I said, “but he will come around.”

At least that was what I kept telling myself. We’d find out soon enough.