Flames of Fury
Chapter 28 - Bonus

Xander

It took a little longer than expected but we’ve finished our last sector and the Alphas are trying to convince Mags to go home and rest. She’s a tank but sometimes they treat her like she’ll break any minute. She’s been getting slower by the hour but she’s carrying twins so I’m assuming that’s to be expected.

“Hey Xander?” Mags all but moans at me and I have to seriously fight the shiver from the flood of memories of when she used to moan my name like that.

Have I thought about a life with her as more than just her guardian? Certainly. Who wouldn’t want Mags? She’s every dragon’s wet dream — and not because she’s going to be Queen, but because you have to earn every smile she gives you, because she could kill you as soon as look at you so when she lets you touch her you know it’s because she’d trust you with her life.

I didn’t understand at first how Ro and Varian had gotten so close to her that week she and Incandis first went to Shadowmoon. I won’t lie, I was a little territorial. She’s been mine for decades – mine to protect, mine to satisfy. But when I saw that she had sparked everything changed, that’s a bond I can understand and it’s one that I respect.

She puts everyone and everything before herself, so seeing that Ro and Varian are just as protective of her as Incandis and I are made letting go of our intimate relationship a little more palatable.

“Why don’t you go back and see how Malin and them made out with mapping. I’ll call you in an hour — or two.” She whimpers as Ro shamelessly nuzzles her neck.

My Queen is dismissing me and I know exactly why – she wants to bring them to the hot springs, her favorite spot in the world. I smirk at her knowingly and I wonder if she’s thinking about the hours we’ve spent together in those pools.

“You going over to —“

“Yeah.” She’s quick to interrupt me and answers my question when a blush creeps across her cheeks, a rare sight indeed. “So, we’ll be okay.”

I can’t keep the grin off my face, my naughty Queen is sneaking off to the hotsprings for some tail. “I read you loud and clear, my Queen. I’ll go check in with Malin. Call me when you want to go home. If I don’t hear from you by dark I’m sending your dad.” I shoot her a wink just to ruffle the Alphas and then teleport back to the war room.

***

I don’t even notice that several hours have gone by, Ember has kept us busy. We now have over a dozen maps roughly sketched out and the detail she was able to provide is incredible. She’s marked where every entrance should be, many of which are hidden or inconspicuous.

But more than that she’s given us some insight on the guard’s rotations and schedules; how many guards in each area, how often they switch, some of the abilities they have.

It occurs to me that I haven’t heard from Mags for a port back home, but then again I haven’t even thought to check my phone. When I finally do, I realize I’ve missed a text and a call from Ro. Shit.

I send him back a few texts to see if they’re still at the springs and if they need a port back, but I don’t get any response. Looking outside the sky is painted red and orange with the setting sun so I remind Ro that I would send Bast to pick them up if they didn’t respond.

Fuck, I’d pay good money to watch that scene unfold – the King catching the Alphas with his baby girl.

I don’t have much time to fantasize about Bast kicking Alpha ass before my phone buzzes with a text from Ro.

Ro: Come get us, bring Ember and blankets. Just you and Ember.

Well that’s strange, what use could they have for Ember and blankets?

“Gentlemen, if I may, I need to steal Ember away for a few moments.”

The guards thank her for her help and begin to pack up the fruits of our labor.

“What’s this about?” She asks when we’re out of earshot of the others. Her hesitation to follow me doesn’t go unnoticed.

“I need to go pick up Mags and the guys, but they asked me to bring you and blankets.” I say with a tone that hopefully conveys that I’m just as baffled by this request as she is. “Here,” I reach for my phone, “you can read it for yourself.”

“No, that’s okay I believe you.” I teleport us up to my room and I grab some spare blankets and towels. “Is she okay? Did she seem like she was in any pain at all today?”

“She’s a little slower than usual and I think her back was hurting but I figured that was all normal pregnancy stuff.” I answer honestly but that doesn’t stop the anxiety from washing over Ember’s face. “Hey I’m sure they’re fine. They went to the hot springs, they’ll never let her out of their sight. She’s safe.”

“Okay, let’s just get over there. The sooner the better.”

— — —

Ember

I’m going to kill every last one of them. Not one of them thought to bring her home sooner. How she hid the fact that she was laboring all fucking day is beyond me.

“Why weren’t you with her?” I shout incredulously at Xander once we’re back in my room, Mags and her babies safely tucked into bed next door.

“She ordered me to go back, what was I supposed to do? Defy my Queen?” He says defensively. “She had the guys, I told them to text if they needed me to bring them back.”

I unleash an exasperated sigh, “if anything had gone wrong —“

“I know!” He shouts as his hands fly up to his head and he runs his fingers through his golden hair. “I know.” He reaffirms more gently this time.

The tension grows patiently between us, Xander looks like he’s replaying every second of his day wondering where he went wrong, what signs he missed.

His arms drop to his sides and he releases a heavy sigh as his shoulders slump forward and his head hangs down. “Thank you.” He breathes. “For taking care of her. Not just today, but while she was in the Hollow, too.”

“It’s nothing, I was just doing my job.” I say honestly though Xander shakes his head like he doesn’t agree with me, but he of all people should know that Mags is our job. Her health, her safety, I’ve come to feel responsible for all of it.

He approaches me slowly but confidently, I take a weary step back unsure of his intentions, but then he wraps his arms around me and squeezes me to him showing me his genuine gratitude with his actions rather than his words. “It wasn’t nothing.” He says softly before loosening his hold on me.

“I’m going to stay outside your doors tonight, if that’s okay. I want to be close by in case of anything.” His hands slip down to my hips, my body reflexively taking in a sharp breath. I wait for the panic to set in, I wait for him to grip me tighter like the handsy guards in the Hollow. But he lets me go, gives me a warm smile, and heads for the door.

“No, wait!” I say quickly, surprising both of us. He cocks his head to the side, curious about what I’m going to say and amused surely by the flush of embarrassment spreading across my cheeks. “You don’t have to sleep in the hallway. You can take a couch in here, if you want.” I’m stammering over my words like a nervous fledgling and I have no idea why.

That’s not true. I do know why. Because for the first time in decades I’m surrounded by people I think I can trust.