Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 66405 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66405 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
"Of course he understood me—I’ll tell you how I know. After he burned up Sheelash and Prissa and Sambla, a group of guards ran in and started attacking him. He was about to burn them too, but I didn't want him to. So I made him understand that he shouldn't and he did what I said."
“So you’re saying he obeyed your order not to incinerate those guards even though they were attacking him at the time?” Drago’s golden eyes were wide with shock. “I can’t believe it!”
“That’s exactly what I'm saying!" Addie nodded. "Oh, and he purred when I petted him too."
“He purred—you’re telling me my Drake purrs?”
He looked so shocked that Addie couldn’t help laughing.
“Yes! Don’t look so surprised. I’m beginning to think that I know more about your Drake than you do.”
“I’m beginning to think you’re right!” he muttered. Then he frowned and got an inward-looking expression on his face. “The fuck? This has never happened before.”
“What? What’s wrong?” Addie was instantly concerned. “What’s happening?”
“Nothing bad,” Drago said quickly. “It’s just…I think my Drake is trying to talk to me.”
“But I thought you said he couldn’t talk—that he didn’t know any words,” Addie said.
“Well, he must have picked some up. Maybe it happened when the two of us Bonded,” Drago said. “Here—let me let you hear.”
He seemed to open some kind of mental channel because Addie suddenly heard a third voice in the conversation with them.
“Feel…you. Feels…good,” a deep, gruff voice was saying.
“Er, yes—yes, I feel you too,” Drago sent back hesitantly. “And I can feel that you feel good, too. Maybe because I just Bonded Addison to us.”
“Love…mate. Love…Addison,” the Drake sent.
Addie felt her heart melting.
“I love you too, Drake,” she sent herself through the three-way connection.
Immediately, she felt a warm glow of possessive, protective love flowing to her and from the Drake, and from Drago as well. And in the sweet, deep connection, she felt a healing taking place.
There had always been a gap between Drago and his Drake, she understood now. There was a divide—a fracture between them that neither had been able to heal. But now that the three of them were together, Addie was acting like glue to bind them and bridge the gap between them. As information and understanding flowed, the Drake’s speech got better.
“I’m sorry I was so angry at you for so many years,” she heard Drago send to the creature inside him.
“And I…feel sorry…for causing you…pain,” the Drake replied. “I was frightened…the first time I came out. Fear…made me angry. And anger…brought the flames,” came the deep, rough voice.
“I didn’t understand you before,” Drago sent back. “But I want to. I wish…I want us to be friends. After all, we share a body.”
“I want…to be friends…to,” the Drake replied. “And I want…to see Addison.”
Addie felt a rush of love go through her for the big beast.
“Of course you can see me again soon,” she sent back. “Now that Drago understands you would never hurt me, I’m sure he won’t mind giving the two of us some time together. I’d like to take another ride with you—on your back, this time.”
A surge of elation came from the Drake.
“I would love…to go flying…with you!” he sent.
“I’d love it too.” She looked up at Drago. “Would that be okay?”
He stroked her cheek gently as he looked into her eyes.
“Yes, baby—that would be fine. In fact, I think everything between the three of us is going to be fine from now on. Thank you for bringing us together.”
“Yes…thank you,” rumbled the Drake in her head.
“You’re welcome—I love you both!” Addison sent to them. And the she poured out a river of caring and love to both Drago and his Drake. After all, both of them were her Mates now.
As her heart swelled with emotion, she couldn’t imagine being happier. She had no idea that yet another blessing was coming her way…
EPILOGUE
ADDIE
“Yes, you were right Addison—you’re pregnant.” Commander Sylvan—who also happened to be a doctor—handed Addison a tiny pink flower he had pulled from the small machine he’d fed her blood sample to. The unique thing about Kindred pregnancy tests was that they told the sex of the baby at once—in the form of colored flowers.
“A baby girl!” Drago breathed, leaning over to look at the tiny pink bud in the palm of her hand. “The Goddess has truly blessed us!”
Addie smiled at his reaction. Because the Kindred were ninety-five percent male, they valued females highly. Any warrior who was able to father a daughter was considered to be extremely favored by the Mother of All Life.
But as happy as she was, she was still concerned.
“Commander Sylvan, are you sure the test would let us know if there were any…complications with the baby?” she asked anxiously. “I mean, after the Vargans made me drink the spider poison, I was told there could be, um, side effects.”