Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 89222 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 446(@200wpm)___ 357(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89222 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 446(@200wpm)___ 357(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
“Like that top isn’t containing your tits, Bonded One, a water prison couldn’t contain whoever successfully killed me.”
“It’s a swimsuit!”
“It’s lingerie.”
“I was in the fucking pool!”
“You were fucking in the pool, yes.” His grin transposes to a devious one. “That is until the Fee-Fi-Fo-Dumb Draak that’s visiting from up north grew bored with having to entertain himself. I imagine that’s why your screams never quite reached climax level this afternoon.”
“Why were you listening to me fuck my Fated Mate?!” A.D. bites on a lunge forward.
“Oh, gugger off, we all know you enjoy an audience.” Griff tugs at his crooked tie knot. “And I’d really enjoy some bloody tea.”
Bickering that once brought me an odd sense of comfort now weighs like bricks on my back. The commotion of a lively family and a full, growing household remind me of a time when I was once the only dragonling roaming the property, and it was Dad who held the sacred duty to protect us.
A duty he didn’t always execute in the best fashion but still managed to accomplish.
A duty I clearly don’t deserve.
A duty I clearly can’t fucking handle.
For Dragons Sake, it’s not enough to be failing my mate? I have to be failing my father, too?
Voices do their best to penetrate the thick haze of dolefulness I’m dredging through during my wordless exit, yet it isn’t until a delicate hand tugs at mine right before I cross the threshold that I even bother looking up to acknowledge the family it seems I’m incapable of guarding.
Capable.
I’m not.
Wrong.
How can you say that after I let Pint-Size get fucking kidnapped?! I mean, come on, Platinum! I’m the fucking reason they came after her! I knew the risk of taking a prisoner! I knew they’d eventually come for her! I knew they wouldn’t stop coming for Dai until something like this fucking happened! Worst of all I knew…deep, deep, deep fucking down that as soon as we bonded Cami, that made her a goddamn target, and instead of waiting…waiting until we were home, which would’ve been the right and responsible decision, I did the shit anyway. Put her in the ultimate position of risk and for what? To finally shut you up? To prove to my dead parents that Fate finds me worthy of what they had? To show my brothers I’m not the unlovable bastard they whisper around the house that I am? What kind of real mate gambles the life of the creature they love because of their own bruised ego?
When my speech is met by silence, I quietly add one last line.
Precisely.
Dae’s one hand curled around mine unexpectedly becomes two causing Z to leak small puffs of disapproval. “You are not alone.” She squeezes and the cloud of smoke grows thicker. “You will not go at this alone because that’s not what dragons do. That’s not what Draaks do. And all of us in this room are Draaks-”
“I’m not!” Griff rudely interjects.
“Bruised griffin included.” She tosses him the tiniest glare between sentences. “We’re all here and willing to help bring one of our own home at whatever cost. Just tell us what you need us to do, P.”
“Perhaps you could start by letting go of his hand,” Griff good-naturedly grumps. “Not even Snoop Dog could breathe in this shit.”
“You have no idea how disappointing I find it that he’s not actually a dog shifter,” Dae playfully sighs, hand still cradling mine.
“He’s not?!” Ana croaks upon her approaching closer. “Seriously?! What a fucking a waste!”
The urge to smile grows exponentially thanks to a small nudge from a disheartened Platinum.
Care.
They do care, big guy. And I…I don’t deserve that.
Do.
Platinum-
Family.
Platinum-
Love.
“I need some time to…,” my head sways unconsciously back and forth, “think.”
A.D. pipes up from beside Ana at the same time he drapes his arm around her shoulder, “P-”
“Alone.”
“Fine,” Z caves on the group’s behalf, grip slipping around his mate’s waist to pull her to him, away from me. “But Little Tail’s is right. Whatever you’re planning to do, you’re not doing it alone. You’re not Dad. You’re not going to just fly off into the night to be the lone hero that saves us all when you have a family that’s here, that’s willing, that’s ready and knows how to fucking help. We go at this shit together. No buts. No ors.” He tightens his hold while presenting me a challenging stare. “Are we making ourselves clear?”
Seeing the same expression on everyone’s face—including the being in the back who I won’t apologize to directly—leaves me with no choice but to nod in understanding before heading off towards the kitchen.
Maybe Dad wasn’t as close to his brothers as I am to mine which was why he felt he had to go at everything alone?
Or maybe…maybe that’s why he pushed and pushed and pushed for the three of us to be so close? Because they weren’t, and he knew someday we’d all need each other.