BONUS CHAPTER

Missy.

My entire life had changed.

Besides the obvious of moving into a completely different realm with dragon shifters, my heart had felt it the most.

The instant I saw Stetson standing in the entranceway to Poppy’s home, I froze. Not only was he the most beautiful man I’d ever seen, he was staring at me like he wanted to eat me alive. The night following had been magic. I knew Poppy was in love with Daegal, and I heard her talk about it, but it was completely different to feel it for yourself.

To feel the love in a man's hands. The way he touched you was different. The way he spoke.

Books and movies made longing seem romantic. It wasn’t.

When I had to go back to Earth and let go of the other half of my soul, I felt like I was splitting into pieces. Even when Stetson brought me back, saw my apartment, and spent the night, I felt overwhelmed with grief.

I put in a two-week notice and spent every second I could with my parents. I knew how difficult it’d been for Poppy’s parents when she ‘moved.

The night of the two weeks, Stetson showed up like a thief in the night. He grabbed my luggage, and me, hours before we planned to meet. He said he couldn’t wait another second to be with me. He took me through the portal back home with him.

It was a difficult pill to swallow to leave behind everything I knew.

Though now, I was in the midst of a world that made sense. One that bled together. One that did everything together. I didn’t realize what I was missing until it slapped me in the face.

I stepped out onto the front porch and slid into my rubber boots. The basket in my hand was for the chicken eggs. I’d never been a farm girl growing up.

I’d lived in the city my entire life. Now, I was getting up to collect eggs so we could have breakfast. I enjoyed the solitude of the walk toward the barn.

The humid breeze tossed my hair around my shoulders and I inhaled the fresh air. Everything felt cleaner here. Most likely because of the lack of factories and chemicals.

The chicken coup was set off to the side of the barn.

I opened the screened door and walked inside. Most of the roosters scurried out while the hens took their time. I tossed chicken feed outside of the door and watched them run out.

Reaching up to my tiptoes, I began to search the nest for eggs. I put my tenth egg into the basket when I heard someone whistle behind me.

I looked over my shoulder at Stetson standing in the doorway to the coup. He was leaning against the doorframe, his arms folded over his chest and a devilish smile on his mouth.

“Don’t come in here distracting me from work,” I said, hiding the smile in my voice.

Stetson chuckled, not listening to a word I said, and shut the door behind him. One chicken hadn’t made it out and began to run around until he opened it back up and let him go free.

“You’ve got the chickens worked up,” I said, closing my eyes as he dipped his mouth against my neck. Just the feel of his breath against me put goosebumps against my skin.

He placed one palm on each side of my head and kissed the mark on my neck. “The chickens can get over it.”

I chuckled when he ran his cheek against my skin. The scratchy feeling of his scruff against me made me laugh. He put the basket to the ground, picked me up, and pushed me against the nest. Those dark eyes lingered on my face and down to my mouth.

I’d never been loved like this on Earth. Maybe it was the connection or the fact he was a dragon shifter. Either or, I was so complete here that I couldn’t imagine leaving this behind. I snaked my arm around his neck and used the top of his boot to lift myself up to his hips. “See, I knew you wanted me. It was the first thing I thought when I woke up this morning.”

I laughed. “Yeah, because when is that not on your mind?”

Stetson breathed in my scent. “I wish you could have met Jeremiah,” he said. “He always knew I’d find love.”

I’d heard so much about him over the last few months. He sacrificed himself to save the kingdom. “Me, too,” I said, tracing my fingertips against his mouth.

Stetson kissed me deeply.

Stars twirled in my mind and warmth enveloped me. There wasn’t anything better than being kissed by him.

“Smoochy kissing in the chicken coup.”

My eyes popped open at the sight of Lil’ Jeremiah standing at the door. He’d grown at an abnormal rate over the last few months. He grew in spurts, which made Poppy sad that she was missing so many little things.

“Eavesdropping and spying on your Aunt and Uncle. That’s just as bad,” Stetson said.

Jeremiah narrowed his eyes and made a kissing sound with his lips. Stetson put me down and rushed toward the door.

Jeremiah took off running, and I watched with a smile on my face. Stetson reached to grab him when Jeremiah screamed. It wasn’t playful.

I ran over, seeing some of the dragons in the distance staring our way. Jeremiah was on all fours with wings on his back. Stetson reached down and touched them. “Those came in earlier than I expected. Are you okay?

Jeremiah stumbled upward and attempted to look at them on his back. “Where’s Dad? I’m scared!”

“Hold on,” Stetson said, when Daegal appeared out of nowhere.

He dropped from the sky and landed beside Jeremiah. A ghost of a smile dusted across his face. “Your wings,” he said. “They’re early.”

Jeremiah looked up at Daegal with a curious look, hoping for approval, and Daegal gave it to him. “Congratulations—“

“Can we test them out?” he shouted. “Where’s Mom? Can I fly to her?”

“Calm down, son. You have to practice first. Let’s go show her why don’t we?”

Jeremiah nearly jumped into Daegal’s arms. “Take me there now.”

Daegal gave him a sheepish look. “I’m the King, not you. Stop bossing me around.”

He stuck his tongue out at him and laughed when Daegal shot into the air. Stetson walked over and gave me a look. “Poppy is going to have her hands full with that one. All he’ll want to do is fly now.”

I chuckled and picked up my basket. “If I had wings, I’d fly everywhere, too,” I said.

“Our children will have them,” Stetson said, running his finger against the frame of the door. I watched his face almost flush from the embarrassment at the subject.

“Are you blushing, Stetson?”

He rolled his eyes. “We just hadn’t talked about that and I’m not sure what you think about it.”

I shrugged. “I think when the time is right, we’ll have babies if God wants us to, but I don't mind it just being you and I until then."

Stetson stepped over and wrapped his fingers around the back of my neck. “God gave me the perfect mate, “ he whispered against my mouth. “I’m so in love with you.”

I closed my eyes and smiled at him. “I’m so in love with you.”

Stetson grabbed the eggs and swooped me into his arms. “Let’s go cook these. Poppy brought by some bacon, too.”

“Oh, thank sounds good,” I said, clinging to his deltoids. “I can walk, ya know.”

Stetson grinned. “That doesn’t mean you have to.”

He shot into the sky and I clung to him. The air flew into my hair and it tossed around my shoulders. There was so much happiness inside of me that many days I thought I would open my eyes and wake up from this dream.

Until then, I planned to live like this was forever.