Part Six

Two weeks had gone by too fast. Milo and I didn’t go out; I spent time with my family. Abigail was nervous and in the end Nova and Alexis had packed her suitcase for her. My duffel bag had been ready for six days. We couldn’t take any weapons on a commercial flight but Clark had already been in contact with me.

He knew what I knew about Romania and he’d promised me that there would be a drop as soon as I knew where I would be staying. I had given Abigail a burner phone as well so that the two of us could share information if we were separated.

I had everything under control and I wasn’t worried. Abigail though would have to calm down and stop acting so nervous. I understood her fear, not knowing what would happen, especially when they discovered her dragon, but Ryder had explained it to her.

Three nights earlier we had all sat at the kitchen table after dinner. “They won’t kill you, Abby.”

“Your dragon is valuable.” She looked up at me as I spoke and I gripped her hand tightly.

“The King will want you to bond with his son, because any children born from that will be special and that child will be a much stronger ruler than we’d ever had before.” Ryder didn’t mince his words either and I saw Abby swallow.

“So what am I supposed to do?”

“You play along until I get you out of there. I won’t let you bond with the Prince. I promise.”

It was roughly fourteen hours before our flight and my eyes opened at the same time as the front door. Milo had taken Mallory home an hour earlier and I closed my eyes again as the door closed softly. The footsteps were soft and I opened my eyes again as she sat down on my bed.

“You okay?” I asked her.

“I’m going to miss you.” She pulled the duvet away and slid in next to me.

“I’ll be back before you know it.”

Our faces were inches apart and then she leaned forward slightly and kissed me softly. Her eyes were closed when she pulled away and I looked intently at her. I couldn’t accurately describe what I was feeling but I knew for a fact that I’d do whatever she wanted me to do.

“That was a goodbye kiss, if you were wondering.”

“That’s not a goodbye kiss.” Her eyes flashed silver for a split second and I kissed her again.

Her hands were in my hair as I pulled her on top of me and she kissed me back, our tongues exploring and fighting for dominance. It was a kiss filled with need and lust as my hands went under the thin cotton of her shirt.

My erection was pressed against her, there was no way she couldn’t feel it. Her hand snaked in between us and she gripped me firmly as it throbbed in her hand. She broke the kiss off, her chest heaving and then lifted her arms and took her shirt off.

My hands enveloped her breasts and she looked deep into my eyes. “I want this, Wynter.”

“Are you sure?”

“I want to remember how this feels with you. Just once before you take a chosen mate, before I bond with some stranger. I want to feel you, just this once.”

I replied by kissing her again and rolling us over so I was on top of her. One night, I could give her that. There was no guilt, no hesitation as her hands pushed my briefs down. I sat up straight and pulled her pajama bottoms down and smiled. She wasn’t wearing underwear.

“I’ll be right back, Milo has condoms.”

“Wynter ... I’m safe.”

‘I want to feel you, just this once.’ I could almost hear her saying it again. We took our time, touching each other, kissing, exploring and by the time I slowly pushed inside her, she was ready, almost needy. Her legs locked around my waist and I lost myself in the moment.

We moved together, skin on skin, her soft moans the only thing I could hear. I climaxed a few seconds after she did, sweat coating our bodies, our breathing erratic. I pulled out of her and pulled her half on top of me as we lay with our limbs intertwined as we came down from our high.

We fell asleep like that and for the first time in my life I truly slept with someone I loved. My sleep was deep and peaceful, with no lingering nightmares, just contentment. Echo was content too even though he hadn’t really talked to me in the past two weeks since the rejection.

“Quickly, put this on.” Milo’s voice was urgent as clothes hit my face and Alexis sat up straight as she pulled her pajamas back on. “Dad’s coming. Sleep.”

We lay back down as Ally stifled a giggle and Milo climbed in behind me. “Why are you holding me?” My whisper sounded harsh as Milo’s hand moved up and down my side.

“Slumber party, everyone knows I cuddle.”

The front door opened and Milo closed his eyes. Ally’s eyes were closed too and her hand grazed my penis lightly as she smiled. Ryder cleared his throat and I turned my head. “I’m up.”

“Fuck sakes Wynter, open a window, all I smell is you and Milo and dirty socks.”

“Did someone say sex?” Milo sat up straight and Ryder turned the light on.

“He said socks.” Milo rubbed his eyes and cracked a grin at Ryder.

“Why the hell are you three sleeping in the same bed?” Ally had turned over pretending to wake up and she was good, I almost believed that she was waking up.

“Wynter and I talked late into the night, we must have fallen asleep. I have no idea why Milo’s here.” Ryder looked at Milo and for a moment he opened his mouth and then closed it again.

“Fine, I saw you two asleep and it looked so cozy that I just had to climb in behind Wynter’s back. You’re not the only one that’s going to miss him.”

“Breakfast’s almost ready.” Ryder shook his head in disbelief and left the guest house. Milo nodded his head as he heard the kitchen door close and we burst out laughing.

“Really, Ally, you have no idea what I’m doing here?” Milo asked her as he got up from the bed.

“She meant to say thank you, Milo.” I sighed as I pushed my hands under my pillow and looked at him.

“Yeah whatever, I’m not saving your naked asses again.” Milo left my room and closed the door.

Ally’s hand went down my briefs and wrapped around my growing erection. My eyes closed involuntarily as she pushed my briefs down just enough to free the top of my penis. I took a sharp inhale of breath as her mouth closed around the tip and her tongue swirled over my piercing.

“Ally …”

“I guess that’s a goodbye kiss.” She got up from the bed and left me there, painfully erect and wanting more. I heard the front door close and then Milo’s laughter from his room next to mine.

“Screw you, Milo!” He just laughed harder as I got up and took the coldest shower of my life.

“I’d have helped you out but you're not my type.” I almost stumbled over my own feet as Milo and I made our way to the kitchen.

“No wonder Winston thinks there’s something wrong with you.”

“You love my cuddles!”

Nova had gone all out with breakfast, like it was our last meal. Abigail barely ate and she tried to keep a brave face as we said goodbye to everyone, hugs and tears were given freely as Ryder loaded Abby’s suitcase in the back of his SUV.

I hugged Alexis tightly, my face in her neck. I felt her shiver slightly and then I let go, before my penis did something stupid like stand at attention for her. She wiped a tear away and Shae cried openly as I hugged her and she wrapped her whole little body around me.

Nova smiled through her tears as she kissed my cheek and hugged me tightly. I wanted to say that this wasn’t goodbye, but I couldn’t know that for sure, so I kept my mouth shut and slid into the back of the SUV with Milo.

I caught Ryder glancing at me a few times in the rearview mirror as we drove the two hours to Atlanta. Abigail was quiet in the front seat and her shoulders were tense. I couldn’t even begin to imagine what she must feel, I wasn’t the one that they would watch, not like her.

We stood in front of the security gates where Ryder and Milo couldn’t follow us. Abigail was crying freely now as Ryder hugged her tight, whispering in her ear. Milo and I looked at each other and then hugged as well.

“Keep your phone close, we’re going hunting.” His eyes sparkled at that and then he released me.

Ryder looked emotional and I could see he was trying to hide it as he hugged me and slapped my back a few times. “Look after yourself.”

“Always.”

“Even if Abeloth and I have to fly a whole day to get to you, we will.”

“We’ll be fine. Abigail will be fine.” I would keep her safe, no matter what.

“Call me when you land, no matter the time.”

“Take care of yourself, Dad, and good luck getting Shae to stop saying ‘Who’s your daddy’.” Ryder smiled at that as Milo looked away.

“I love you both.” Ryder hugged Abigail again and then I took her hand and we walked towards security.

We sat down near the boarding gate and waited to board our thirteen hour flight to Bucharest. “Try and relax, Abby, whatever happens, you’ll be okay.”

“I don’t want to do this, Wynter.”

“You can’t change your destiny. We were meant to be here, right now, in this moment and whatever lies ahead shouldn’t scare you because I won’t let anything happen to you.” It was a silent vow I had taken the day our tribe was slain when she was just a little bundle in Ryder’s arms. I would always protect her.

“What does Scylla say?”

“That we should hide. The longer she remains hidden the longer I’ll go unnoticed.” I nodded my agreement.

“That’s a good plan. Scylla’s stronger than violet dragons so nobody in the training camp will be able to draw her out. Keep your head down because you have a strong aura as well.”

“What if I’m bonded to someone there?”

“Then Scylla will emerge, stay away from future Sires. I don’t see you being bonded to someone lower than that.”

“I’m sorry that you rejected Cali.”

“I’m not.”

“Did you maybe also reject her because of Ally?”

“Shit.” I should’ve known that Ally would tell Abigail. They were close just like I was with Milo. It made sense for them to share stuff.

“I’m not judging but if you love her like that you should tell her.”

“I’m not really capable of love like that. She knew what she was doing when she came to my room. We both knew and even though I do love her, she deserves better.”

“It seems kind of ironic now. When we were little, right after the wedding, she told me that one day she was going to marry you and then I could marry Milo and we’d always be a family.” It was the first time in two weeks that Abigail genuinely smiled and I smiled as well.

“You and Milo huh.” She laughed softly and shook her head, her eyes sad again.

“I want that whole bonding thing. I want to feel loved and needed and wanted. I like the idea that there’s one perfect person out there for me.”

“There’s no such thing as a perfect person out there for you. You don’t have to be with someone just because that bond pushes you. Find the person that completes you perfectly. Love is something that grows and a bond is formed when two people love each other.”

“Well I can’t see myself calling Milo 'Daddy'.”

I laughed so hard that tears spilled from my eyes and after a few seconds Abigail laughed with me. We were getting strange looks from other people also waiting but I couldn’t stop. Abigail needed to let it out through tears or laughter. It was a good sound listening to her laugh.

“We’ll get through this right?” Her eyes were pleading and her nerves were back. I could only nod.