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It felt wildly impersonal considering what the witch had put his people through. And he watched as the pebble shot from his hand and joined the overwhelming number in the “die” basket. Only three found their way into the “live” alternative.

It was nearly unanimous.

“Antoni Barros will face death. It is now that we will ask for an executioner from those affected by his crime. Do we have a volunteer?”

“ Let the witches have him. ” He passed to every shifter.

He saw a moment where the Sphinx Alpha looked like he wanted to rebel, but his eyes shifted to Rowan, who gave a slight shake of her head. He remained seated.

The other shifters, who had yet to really get to know his mate, looked astounded, and they all took their turns re-evaluating her.

Cherry Young and Dae Kang interrupted this by both surging to their feet.

Cherry leveled Dae with a look of displeasure. “It is my battle, Dae.” She said so softly that Alessandro would’ve missed it if he didn’t have heightened senses.

The witch clenched his fists and sat back down.

Cherry’s eyes roved over the shifters who had remained sitting. When they rested on Rowan, she gave a small disbelieving shake of her head before bowing her head in a silent thanks.

Epilogue

Crashing to the floor of her wrap-around porch, the topmost plate Rowan had seen teetering too late went flying in separate directions. A sharp shard sliced across her shin.

Hissing in pain, she dumped the rest of the food as carefully as possible onto the small bistro table she’d dragged out from her kitchen.

The shrill sound of the alarm she’d set to signal when Alessandro was to arrive according to a very well paid off Earth General set her heart hammering into her throat.

Relax, Dahl! He’s your mate, isn’t he?

Snapping her fingers to send the shattered plate to the trash, Rowan struggled to find the sexiest way to greet her man. Changing pose after pose until she achieved the perfect idea by leaning against a banister on the porch with a flute of champagne in her carefully manicured hand.

His magic curled around her before he appeared. His hand gripped the hair closest to the base of her skull, tugging her head back before he completely dominated her mouth.

Well, what a pleasant surprise.

Rowan sent the flute of champagne flying so she could turn and fully receive everything he was pouring into her.

It was in taking this in that she realized he was enraged.

She tried to pull back, but the hand that wasn’t tugging her hair to give him full access to her lips slid down to cup her ass and hold her hips flush to his.

What the hell had made him so desperate?

“Stop.”

He went stock still at her telepathic command, but he didn’t pull back.

He was panting, his heartbeat so loud it was ringing in her ears.

She pulled away to look up at him. Scales roiled to the surface of his face, and his eyes were glowing red, alerting his displeasure

“What happened?” Her hands cupped his cheeks.

“I received a memory.”

Rowan raised an eyebrow. “What was it?”

“You lost your virginity.”

“Oh?” She couldn’t actually remember much from that night. Her succubus had furled to life with a bang in the middle of a high school party and, well, with the buffet of lust driven teenagers on the cusp of adulthood, Rowan had let control slip away.

“It was a fucking orgy.” He growled.

She grimaced at the tone. “Maybe we should prevent my sex memories from transferring. That was one of my…softer nights.”

“Softer?” The words escaped him like a curse.

“San, we were a bunch of teenagers. None of us had any experience.”

“They worshipped you.” He growled. “At that moment, they would have done anything you asked of them.”

“Is that the problem? Because let me tell you, they’re all like that. I’m a very skilled succubus! As the receiver of some of my best moves, you should be able to understand.”

“That’s exactly the problem!” Alessandro snapped. “If they even feel a fraction of how I feel…you aren’t safe.”

Rowan let out an involuntary laugh.

“You dare laugh?” Alessandro growled and Rowan noted the ice around him as if were his tell of coming close to losing control.

“I have to find humor in this or you’re going to piss me off.”

The ice grew, and her temper flared.

“How many times must I remind you? I am not a fucking damsel in distress.” She hissed, snatching the bottle of champagne off the bistro table she’d spent so much time trying to perfect.

The candles she’d lit seemed to mock her wasted effort.

Disgusted, she waved a hand to put them out.

“I’m tired of having to prove my strength. ”

“It isn’t about you being a damsel in distress!”

“You’re not safe.” She mocked and shook her head, trying to remember why she went above and beyond for such an infuriating man.

Fucking mark.

“Did you set this up for me?” No trace of the anger he’d lashed out with was present.

Rowan looked up and noted that his ice had also disappeared.

“No. It’s for me.” She huffed. “I love setting out two dinner plates full of your favorite food that took me for freaking ever to find the ingredients for. I do it at least twice a week.”

He crossed his arms and scowled down at her. “Is sarcasm really necessary?”

She huffed and looked away again, unable to think about staying angry at him when his forearms, biceps and triceps were all bunched in the position.

He crouched in front of her. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?” She asked, unsure if she wanted to forgive him so easily.

His sigh was the longest she’d heard yet. Apologies didn’t come naturally to him. “I just saw how they looked at you, and I could relate a little too much. The idea of anyone loving you the way I love you. It was unfathomable until I realized you have the power to make anyone fall.”

She blinked down at him and heat traveled from the base of her chest to the very top of her head. She was sure if she looked up, there would be visible steam rolling off.

A slow shit-eating smile took up space on his face. “Are you blushing, Rowan Dahl?”

“That was the first time you’ve said it.”

“It may be the first time I’ve said it, but I’ve felt it from the moment you called me after I closed the gates of Draconis.”

She let out a disbelieving scoff. “You didn’t even say goodbye after that call.”

“If I have it my way, I’ll never say goodbye to you.”

This, more than anything else, deteriorated any anger she’d felt towards this man. She snapped her fingers, and the candles reignited. She beamed at him as he took his seat and revealed the meal underneath a silver plate cover, keeping his food warm.

A tomahawk steak the size of her head sat over a bed of different colored baked potatoes basted in garlic and herbs.

His eyes slid to the touch that had actually taken her the longest to get a hold of.

Mushrooms taken from the town he’d spent the first years of his life with his parents.

They were characteristically bone white and as long as asparagus.

The sight of them transfixed him.

“Do you hate them?” She asked after he didn’t make a single move.

“These are…rare. How did you find them?”

She waggled her eyebrows. “I have a source for all kinds of rare delicacies. Anya mentioned it was the only thing you ever asked her to prepare that she could not accommodate.”

He fell silent again.

Rowan’s heart sank. Preparing the mushrooms had been as tedious as finding them. “If they’re not good, you don’t have to force yourself to eat them.”

“Thank you.” His voice was softer than Rowan even knew it could go.

Relief made her smile. “You’re welcome.”

By the time they finished their meal, they had moved to the hammock, the distance of the bistro table top too far for either of their liking.

Using superior core strength, Alessandro placed the plates on the floor as Rowan held the champagne bottle they’d been drinking straight out of.

How the hell had she gotten here? And she wasn’t thinking about the odd beach the cabin hadn’t moved from since the night Rowan cleansed Antoni Barros. The wings still sat on the pearly sands, the weeping willow and oak tree monstrosity swayed behind them, growing at a concerning rate.

She was referring to the fact a man she’d never thought would know she existed had his arms wrapped around her and they were listening to the waves crashing in front of what was now their home.

“So I’ve been thinking.” She began the proposal she’d been considering for the last couple of days.

“Ahh, I knew you were trying to get me drunk for a reason.” He teased, hand playing with the snow white strands of her hair. Much gentler than when he’d first showed up.

“Since you are kind of handing off duties to Stone and the office is under renovation, we could go missing for a month. Let the mark settle.”

He picked her up as if she weighed nothing.For a moment she thought he might have used a spell, but, as she had to keep reminding herself, he was the Dragon King.

He settled her over his hips, hunger blazing in the glowing silver eyes staring up at her, hardness just underneath the thin layers of their clothing.

“Woman, you were just born to make all of my dreams come true, weren’t you?”

She grinned wickedly, “Of course. I am the Dragon Queen.”