Con was the last to leave the cavern. He bent and hefted Gorul’s body over his shoulder before he too departed.

“Thank you,” she told Thorn.

“I promised he would be dealt with.”

“And I knew you would keep that promise. You could’ve killed him, and then shown me the body.”

Thorn’s gaze was penetrating. “I knew you needed to do this.”

She eyed Thorn, wondering why he looked as if he might be sick at any moment.

“I spoke to Ulrik,” she said to break the silence.

Thorn’s look grew even grimmer. “None of us can shift or fly now. I doona know how long it’ll last either. Did Ulrik hurt you in any way?”

“No, though I don’t know what his plans were. There was another man. He kept to the shadows, but he frightened me more than Ulrik. Then there was Kyle.”

Thorn ran a hand down his face. “You got free of him on your own. You’re a survivor.”

“They kept telling me you would never find me.”

“Nothing was going to keep me from you.”

If only he knew how her knees shook. She didn’t know if this was the end of her time with Thorn, and it made her heart break to think that it was.

Thorn swallowed and slowly walked to her. “I’m not good at this.”

“At what?”

Why did she have to be so damn beautiful? She had been through hell and back, and she stood there as if she could take on the Dark all by herself.

He was in awe of her.

She made him weak and strong, vulnerable and fierce all at the same time.

“This,” he said and motioned between the two of them. “I’ve never been here before.”

Her gray eyes held his, waiting for him to continue.

“I thought what I was feeling would go away. Then I kissed you. I’m drowning, Lexi, and I don’t know what to do.”

Her lips lifted in a soft smile. She reached out for his hand, and said, “Then we’ll drown together.”

Thorn hadn’t realized how much he feared that she would want to get far away from him until she spoke. He yanked her against him, kissing her deeply.

He pulled back, but cupped her face with his hands. “You know every secret I have. I want you in my life now and forever, Lexi Crawford. I want you as my mate.”

Her smile was radiant as she gazed up at him. “I’ve been yours from the very beginning. I’ll always be yours.”

“I love you.”

“And I, my Dragon King, love you.”

They were laughing through their kisses as they took their clothes off. Then Thorn lifted her so that her legs wrapped around his waist.

He turned them so her back was to the wall. She slowly slid down his cock, a sigh escaping her lips. Her nails dug into his back as he began to rock his hips.

Even as his life was turned upside down, there was one calm in the storm—Lexi. She was his, and he was hers.

For now and always.

EPILOGUE

Three days later …

Another couple wanting the mating ceremony. Con hadn’t been surprised after seeing the smiles Thorn and Lexi wore when they finally returned to the manor. And with the Kings’ enemies closing in, none of the couples wanted to wait any longer.

Con shut all four black velvet boxes. Then he rose and put on his suit jacket. He adjusted the gold dragon-head cuff links and grabbed the boxes.

His first stop was Iona’s room. She opened the door with a smile. Her blond hair was piled at the back of her head with long strands falling about her face.

Her black dress was lace at the bodice with a high neck and long lace sleeves. The back dipped into a V to her waist where the dress then fell in several layers of black tulle.

“This is from me welcoming you into our family,” Con said and handed her a box.

Iona took the box and opened it, her mouth falling open. She picked up the necklace where a large black pearl hung with a diamond atop it. “It’s gorgeous. Thank you.”

Con bowed his head and smiled. “I’ll see you below.”

He closed the door behind him and walked down the corridor to Darcy’s room. Con rapped his knuckles on the door. As soon as he heard Darcy bid him enter, he opened the door.

Darcy turned from the mirror and held out her hands. “Do you think Warrick will like it?”

Con smiled as he looked at the strapless jade dress that came to mid-thigh at the front but dropped down to her ankles in the back. Around Darcy’s waist were crystals that matched her strappy stilettos. “I doona think Warrick will care what you wear. He’s going to be thinking of getting you out of it.”

Darcy looked down at herself. “I hope so. Is it time?”

“Almost. I came to give you this,” he said and handed her the box.

She took it, a frown marring her brow as she opened it. “Oh, my,” she murmured.

Con watched as she touched the five jade beads attached to the gold bracelet. She looked up at him in such surprise that he smiled.

“Let me,” he said and put it on her right wrist.

“Thank you. It’s perfect.”

Con winked at her and backed out of the room to go to the third mate—Grace.

Grace had come onto Dreagan to get past her writer’s block and finish her book. In the end, she found the love of Arian, who couldn’t live without her.

Con knocked on her door.

“Come in,” Grace’s muffled voice came through the door.

He opened the door and found her rushing about the room. There were a pair of silver stilettos waiting to be put on while Grace rushed about the room barefoot.

She wore a turquoise beaded gown that looked as if it came right out of the 1920s. The sleeveless, long-waisted dress flattered her thin frame and short blond hair. The front dipped low, showing ample cleavage while the bottom hem was scalloped.

“Grace,” Con said to get her attention.

“Give me a sec. I can’t find the headband I bought. Ah, ha!” she cried as she found it and hurried to the mirror.

She placed the band across her forehead, the turquoise matching the dress to perfection. Her gaze met Con’s in the mirror before she turned to face him.

“I’m here to give you this,” he said and held out the box.

Grace eyed it before she hesitantly took it. “I heard you do this for all the mates.”

“And yet you thought I wouldna with you?”

“It did cross my mind.”

Con stood there while she opened the box and merely stared without saying a word or giving any emotion away on her face.

He was normally good at picking out the right pieces for the mates, but he must have gotten it wrong this time.

“I would ask that you wear it now, but after the ceremony, you can pick out whatever you’d like.”

She lifted her dark blue eyes to him. “Why would I want to do that?”

“You doona like it.”

“I love it,” she said.

That’s when he saw how her eyes were filled with tears.

“It’s perfect.” Grace sniffed as she took the anklet and sat to put it on.

After it was clasped on her right ankle, she ran her hands over the rose gold links to the heart in pure turquoise.

Grace looked up at him, smiling widely. “Thank you.”

“My pleasure. I’ll see you downstairs shortly,” he said before he left.

Con paused outside of the room of his last visit. He hadn’t wanted to like Lexi, but he hadn’t been able to help it from the first time they met. She had spunk and spirit—all the mates did—but there was something about Lexi that he recognized immediately.

Perhaps it was because she reminded him of someone from his past.

Con knocked. A few seconds later Lexi opened the door, her brow knotted in a frown. “What’s the matter?” he asked worriedly.

Surely he hadn’t been wrong about her. She couldn’t back out now. Thorn would be devastated.

She rolled her eyes and walked away. “I should’ve chosen a more traditional dress. He’s going to hate it.”

Con walked into the room and closed the door behind him. Then he took Lexi by the shoulders and turned her so that she faced the floor-length mirror.