Chapter 116

Chapter 116


Allissa

“What do you mean we can’t?” My fingers bit into my hand as I tried to keep my composure.

“It’s a dimension created by the gods. They choose who enters and leaves. We can’t, as in it’s impossible—” I cut Dayanara off, not wanting to hear that type of talk.

“You are telling me that the gods took my mate away from me on purpose?!”

“I’m telling you that Darren being there is the will of the gods. We don’t know why, though.”

“It must be his test. I guess he failed.” Gunnar’s voice was quiet but it was still irritating.

“My mate wouldn’t have failed! You shouldn’t talk about what you don’t know,” I snapped in agitation.

“It’s going to be okay.” Magnus stepped closer to me and leaned down so that his face was level with mine. “I’ll help you. I won’t leave you alone. I'll help raise your child and be there to support—” Suddenly, his words halted. He looked at me as if I was a slug. His brows knit together and then he stepped back. “It vanished. It was there just now, and now it’s gone.” He reached out and grabbed my hand. Lyle snarled at him, moving closer to my side. He pulled me away from Magnus and glared at him.

“My brother’s mate will be just fine. She has Darren and me. We will—”

“You don’t understand. She was my mate, and now she isn’t.” Magnus shook his head. “It’s completely gone. The pull. My beast nagging at me. The connection is gone.” He looked back at Gunnar. “She was my mate, Gunnar. I felt it, but now …” He turned and looked at me almost as if he was disgusted with himself. Like he woke up next to a stranger after consuming too much alcohol. He rubbed his temples and stared at me even harder. “I … feel nothing for you.”

“If that’s really true, then something snapped the mate bond. It must have been a thin thread.” Dayanara came closer. “Maybe you were the next mate for her, and it was too early for her to feel it. Or, something happened … something that would have severed it on its own.” Her eyes widened as she glanced over at me.

The palace shook, an earthquake rolling through the marbled veins of the dragon kingdom. Squall went rigid, eyes flicking to the entrance like he was already calculating the odds of a full-blown attack, but the sound that followed was no mere structural failure. It was a roar, echoing through the castle, to me. The doors, carved by dragons with ancient magic, didn’t creak or crack but detonated off their hinges, a cloud of smoke and splinters erupting as a figure tore through.

“So much for the ancient carve work,” Squall chuckled, more at ease now as a tall figure emerged. He already knew this person wasn’t a threat. Just like I did.

My heart raced and I turned around just as the doors smashed open.

His eyes were wild. He looked like he’d been through hell. He stood in the ruin, shoulders squared, breath sawing in and out as if the air was too thin for him. He looked like he’d dragged himself straight out of the underworld. His hair was a wild black snarl, eyes burning the impossible shade of green that could never be mistaken. But I didn’t trust my eyes. Not yet. The scent was his … Darren. I waited until our eyes met, making sure this wasn’t a mimic or a changeling, or a cruel joke of the gods. His eyes met mine, and I knew. It was him. He was here.

His eyes immediately softened. A small smile reached his lips. “Ally, I’m sorry I’m late.”

A cry escaped my throat as we ran to each other. His arms slammed around me, pulling me into him, hands greedy and shaking as they found the curve of my back, the roundness of my belly, the places only he’d ever known. His scent was pure, electric, with that hint of cinnamon wafers that filled my lungs and made my knees buckle.

I clung to him, sobbing and  laughing and cursing. He buried his face in my hair, inhaled, then pulled back just enough to frame my face between his hands.

“Are you okay? Did they hurt you?” He suddenly became aware that there were people he didn’t know. He looked behind me but then looked confused. “Lyle?! LYLE?!” I heard the small tremor in his voice as he held a hand out to his brother.

“Surprised to see me alive and—” Darren wrapped his free arm around Lyle and crushed the three of us together.

“Thank the gods.” Darren sighed with relief.

I couldn’t help but scoff. “Fuck the gods and their damn games. I’m not here for their amusement. I almost had this child without you! I could have lost you forever.”

“I guess we know why your mate bond to Allissa snapped,” Dayanara said innocently, but I felt Darren’s muscles vibrate in anger.

“What was that? Whose mate?!” Darren lifted his gaze to reveal dark eyes that were ready to kill. His canines bared as his lips curled back.

“Calm down.” Dayanara clicked her tongue. “It was only a replacement mate if you were too weak to pass your own test. It would have served you right if you were that pathetic.” Her voice seemed sharp but I could see the smile pulling at her lips. She was happy, too.

“You gonna introduce us?” Magnus asked as Squall elbowed him.

“Don’t provoke him.”

“Darren, there is so much to get you caught up on. So much to tell you.” I turned and looked back at the dragons. “I guess we’re a little late for the introductions. They all know who you are.” I leaned against his chest, not planning to let go anytime soon.

“Why is my mate here?” He immediately went on the attack and glared at the dragons.

“I guess I’m the guilty one.” Squall stretched his hands above his head in an obnoxious stretch. “I left my warm bed in the middle of the night and ended up saving a puppy from vampires. And I love animals, so I brought her home. I wanted to name her Fluffy or Sparkle, but she kept insisting her name was Allissa. My next pet isn’t going to talk.” I shook my head with an annoyed smile.

“What he meant was he saved me. Ivy had me captured in order to lure you away from the battlefield and kill you. And Alfred … has been brainwashed.” His eyes snapped to mine. “He was the one who freed me and gave me a chance. And begged me to either come back and save him or kill him. All this time, he was a victim.”

He was quiet for a moment before he finally growled, “I won’t give you back to him.”

I laughed and squeezed him tighter, if that was even possible. “Good, because you’re stuck with me. I told him the most I can offer him is my friendship, but we can’t go back. Even if it wasn’t his fault … too much has happened. Besides, I could never be parted from you.” He leaned down and captured my lips. His mouth was warm and sweet. Heavenly tingles rushed through me in a welcome chorus. He parted and I could see the anger in his eyes.

“I’m going to hunt Ivy down and shred her to pieces.”

“Not yet.” Gunnar spoke up.

“Darren, this is Gunnar, the Dragon King. And like I said, there’s a lot we need to fill you in on.”

Darren nodded his head respectfully and stared at him expectantly, which made Gunnar laugh.

“There’s no rush. Let’s get you some clean clothes and cleaned up first. Then we can talk after dinner. Dragons treat their allies well, and our enemies—”

“We barbecue them!” A little voice cheered from the broken door. I turned to see Thorin, Gunnar’s son, grinning from ear to ear.

“Thorin!” Ciera rushed over to him. “You should be in class.”

“I heard an explosion, so I had to come. What if you needed my help?” Thorin gave his mother little puppy dog eyes.

“You can help me best by learning how to be a proper dragon. I can see your father was too relaxed with your studies while I was away.” She turned, shooting Gunnar a look, and he gave her a sheepish smile.

“I might have let him be a little wild. I was when I was a young whelp.”

“No excuses.” Ciera clicked her tongue, her eyes landing on me. “Remember this when you have your little one. Don’t let daddy play the hero all the time. Sometimes he has to be the bad guy, too.” She grabbed Thorin and wagged her finger at Darren. “And you better take really good care of her, because I wanted to keep her here. Look at me, getting all sentimental thinking about you leaving.” She waved her hand in front of her eyes. “You’d think I was the pregnant one. Well, come on you two. Allissa, you can show Darren to your room, and Squall will bring him some clothes. The rest of you get to the dining room.”

I heard Gunnar chuckling as we walked out of the room.

“Damn, I missed that woman so much.”

“If you would have told me you wanted to be yelled at, I would have obliged.” Squall snickered.

“Come on Lyle, you’re with me. Don’t want you getting poisoned again on my watch.” Dayanara’s voice was the last I heard as we moved down another hall. Our arms were locked onto each other, and both of us were relishing in the touch. I could feel him, his emotions and love pouring into me. It was the best feeling in the world.

Finally, Darren was here. He’d made it back. And I couldn’t be happier.

“Ally.” I could hear the hesitancy in his voice and felt a glimmer of shame filter into me. “There is something I need to tell you.”