Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 46156 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 231(@200wpm)___ 185(@250wpm)___ 154(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 46156 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 231(@200wpm)___ 185(@250wpm)___ 154(@300wpm)
They were headed to visit her family and pick up the clothes she hadn’t taken to college. Her dragons wished to meet her parents. Skye was on edge at the thought of spending time with her mother. It was always a challenge to act and speak the way her mother required.
Skye rolled her eyes. She’d never hear the end of “How could she have mated with two dragons?” One dragon was bad enough. Her mother would always worry about what the neighbors would say. Was it greedy to have a pair?
Your mother will be suitably honored to have her daughter match with dragons or she will deal with us, Oldrik snarled.
You can’t eat her. Skye laughed.
She will be nice to you. We will not accept anything else, Ardon echoed.
She’s always pleasant. Mom just doesn’t understand. She wants the best for me. I’d love to find out who’s the guardian of our family. I’ve never heard of that.
The dragons circled over the street in front of Skye’s parents’ house, double-checking that everything was safe. Oldrik landed first and shifted. Ardon followed and sent Skye into the blue dragon’s arms.
The front door opened behind them, but Skye didn’t turn until she saw Ardon standing on two feet. Together, the triad walked up the stairs to greet Skye’s father.
“Dad! I’m glad to see you.” Skye forced herself to talk.
“Bluebird, I’m glad you’re here,” her father said, gathering her into his arms for a hearty hug.
“Bluebird?” Oldrik asked, holding out his hand to Mr. Ericsen’s. “I’m Oldrik.”
“My pet name for my daughter. She was all big blue eyes when she was a baby. Call me Tom,” her father requested, shaking Oldrik’s hand before repeating the process with the other shifter.
“Ardon.”
“I’ll be honest, three months ago if someone had told me I’d welcome two men who turn into dragons into my home, I’d have asked what they were on,” Tom confessed.
“The dragon ways had almost disappeared in Wyvern,” Ardon agreed.
Skye could hear the underlying fire in that statement but knew her father didn’t pick it up.
“We were all fools. And very lucky you protect the city. I don’t want to think about what’s happening out there. Come in. Your Aunt Abigail came to join us. You’re going to want to visit with her.” Tom pointed to a stack of boxes by the door before he led the way into a large gathering room. “Don’t worry about packing your clothes. We have everything boxed up for you. Your mom thought that would be easier.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
Freezing in the doorway, Skye studied a large, wrapped package sitting on the coffee table. Something called to her from it. As she stared at it, a light flickered and grew in brightness. She walked forward and dropped to her knees in front of the table.
“The tome?” she asked, looking up at the two women seated on the couch.
“It is. I’ve heard it glows, but I’ve never seen that happen,” Abigail said. Wonder filled her words. She stood and lowered her head in honor of the dragons. “Sirs, I thank you for keeping vigil over Wyvern.”
Struck by her aunt’s homage, Skye clasped her hands to her heart. Her mother awkwardly rose as well. It was obvious she didn’t understand what was happening.
“Guardian. We accept your appreciation and promise to care for your tribute as our mate. Your family is twice blessed,” Ardon announced formally.
“There are no records of this ever happening before,” Abigail said in a hushed tone. “The Ericsens honor you, Oldrik, the blue dragon, and you, Ardon, the bronze dragon. We entrust you with our precious Skye.”
“Skye is a unique mate. We are pleased with her presence and treasure her as ours,” Oldrik stated firmly. He reached down to assist Skye to her feet.
“I want to be close to this,” Skye said, waving a hand at the glowing object.
“Skye, don’t be rude….”
Ardon interrupted her mother’s correction. “If our mate desires time with the record of your family’s pact with the dragons, she will get it.”
“Perhaps we could sit around the dining room table, Amelia,” Abigail suggested. “We can talk, and I can share the family history with Skye.”
“I’d like that.” Skye endorsed that idea. She leaned over to scoop the book up in her arms and smiled as a surge of warmth wrapped around her.
“I should have gotten you together with that a long time ago, Skye. Our family hadn’t produced a mate for a couple of generations. I should have suspected I would be lucky enough to see a matching,” Abigail said, walking with Skye ahead of the others.
The two women sat at one end of the table. Ardon took the spot next to Skye, and Oldrik remained standing, supposedly to see the pages of the book. Skye didn’t buy that. He was vigilant.
I’m safe here.
We’ll make sure of that, Ardon stated.