Chapter 15: Refugees

A Few Months Later

Draven

I had settled into my mother's fortress, my wife had started reading up on our customs to familiarize herself with dragons, and she was fascinated about, Ravena. I told her what I knew about the coup that placed Roman on a throne he was not ready for but forced it. My father has been my mother's personal bodyguard since finding his mate, and I was happy that Lucia was making him happy, my little brother, Sono, was visiting me today as I looked at him learning to shoot arrows out by the tree. I didn't hear when my wife walked into the room, but I felt her near me, I smiled, I had finally marked her a few weeks back, and she was asleep for a few hours after the marking, She was heading into town with Mia to get a few things and I smiled, kissing her soft lips, she mouthed, "I loved you, see you when I return," I pull her back to me, kissing her again, my bond was growing since the mark.

I kissed her mark and her body shivered, I decided to test a theory and mind-link her, "I have fallen madly in love with you," she looked at me, her eyes opened wide in shock, she asked, "Is that you, Draven?" I nodded, and she hugged me excitedly and said, "Let me hear your voice again." I inhaled her vanilla scent and said, "Hurry back, my love so that I can have a meal later," I smelt her arousal as she giggled before running out to meet my mother. I watched my mother and wife enter the carriage heading into town with a few guards behind them on horses, including my father. I turned to head into the library when I met my father-in-law with many books on the desk, he was fascinated about being there. He looked at me and smiled before drinking his whiskey and I nodded before looking for a spellbook, I wanted to unbind my dragon.

I found what I was looking for and headed down to the gazebo to read it, I saw a small dragon landing with her mother behind her. I took my jacket off and handed it to Queen Ruby, I bowed, and she smiled, saying, "You don't have to do that, you are a Prince and Mia's son." I was shocked because I never realized that since I was the Ice Queen's son, I was also a Prince, I mind-linked Ruby that my mother went into town. She smiled and said, "I was dropping little Seria off because she keeps begging me to come over, my boys are out training, so I couldn't let her come by herself, do you mind watching her until Mia gets back?" I could see how much she loved her daughter and I linked, "I have no problem keeping the little one," Seria kissed her mother and ran to me as I picked her up placing the jacket around her as Ruby took off.

Seria met up with Sono, and they headed down to the lake to play, I trusted my brother, so I didn't go with them, since the lake wasn't far from here. I saw Herman walk out to me, look into my face, and say, "I love it here, what do I do to become one of you?" I didn't know how to answer that because it never occurred to me that they could be changed into one of us, which would solve the fertility problem between Callie and me. I signed, "I will look into it," he smiled, running off inside the Palace, I found the spell I needed and would need help with it, I needed to ask the local witch to help me, but I would talk to my parents first. I saw a strange dragon in the courtyard and a servant handed him a pair of pants, I had never met him, and I was notified by a servant that my great uncle was there to meet me.

I nodded for them to let him into the garden, I watched him walk towards me and had a strange feeling about him, he smiled, and I looked at his lips as he said, "My dearest nephew." I signed, "My mother isn't here, and she never told me about you," he looked shocked that I was deaf and said, "Ahh I see, I guess I can wait until she returns so she tells you about me." I escorted him back inside the Palace, I knew he was talking, but I couldn't hear anything, he turned to me when we got into the foyer and said, "I will wait here," before sitting and watching the painting on the wall. I turned to walk out when he tapped me on my shoulder and looked at me, I read his lips when he asked, "Do you know about the history between your grandfather and King Dominic?" I felt like something was off when I heard screams in my head, bells went off signaling rogues and I ran to the window remembering my siblings were by the lake, I jumped out the window heading to save them.

*****

Sono

I took Seria to the lake, where we could play for a while, this gave my brother time to relax before our parents returned from the town. Seria was a cute little dragon, but she was feisty, she loved her parents and seemed to cling to me since I got here, I didn't mind and loved it there. It was different from what I was used to, the dragons were friendly and welcoming us here, I learned so much from the library realizing a lot of different shifters exist. We had been there for about an hour when we heard growls, we looked at each other, Seria was playing with the mud by the embankment and I called her over. We saw dogs but the closer they got, I saw that they were musty wolves, they looked starved and crazy, I saw a kid running toward us. He looked hurt and fell at our feet, the wolves charged at us, I picked the boy up and slowly backed away while Seria held my pants in fear.

The boy was crying, and I yelled, "Leave us alone, go away," they slowly walked toward us growling, leaning in for the kill, Seria pulled my pants. Her hands were hot, but I kept watching them, I held her hand, put the boy on my back, and said, "Don't let go," he held me tightly, and we turned around and started running and heading to the open field. They were chasing us and I tripped and fell over, I felt the heat of the dragon fire and saw Seria's dragon burning the wolves, she jumped in front of us screaming, not allowing them to come near us. Seria spread her wings, covering us as the heat intensified, I saw two dragons breathing fire above us burning them alive, and the howls of pain echoed throughout the land. I screamed and covered the boy who was crying, feeling the heat, but I was being protected by, Seria before I saw my brother run toward us.

One of the dragons landed and nudged Seria, she changed back and so did Queen Ruby, she picked a crying Seria up, who yelled, "Mummy." My brother pulled me toward him, hugging me, and I saw my father land behind him and check me out, King Dominic and the other dragons arrived. Queen Mia was still in the sky looking at the wolves who were not dead and were being rounded up, she was ready to burn them again, I saw fire in her eyes before she landed and changed back. Seria yelled, "Mama," before hugging Mia and saying, "I protected Sono, did you see?" Dominic picked her up saying, "My brave warrior, I am so proud of you," as she hugged her father, she protected me, I smiled because I would be forever grateful to the little dragon. My brother looked at the boy, he was around four and scared, Draven linked him, and they were talking to each other.

*****

Ruby

I was scared when I heard the bells, Roman chased refugees to our borders, he was hunting them down and killing them off, I never understood how his men got this far inland without help. I had Seria in my hand, she protected Sono and the young boy, my heart was beating so fast when I saw her burning the rogues trying to protect them. Mia looked at me, and we went into mama mode, no one messes with our hatchlings, and we burned them, Dominic was not far behind when I first linked him and Pax was killing them off before they joined us. Draven was fast on legs, but we needed to unbind his dragon, we were so proud of our little one, Dominic kissed me and then Mia, I didn't feel jealous, and I was surprised, maybe my dragon and I were beginning to accept he had both of us in his life.

I was ready to take Seria home, but she wanted to stay with Sono, so I had one of the guards give him and the orphan boy a ride back to the Palace escorting my daughter. The prisoners were in chains, they were Roman's men, and they had been hunting refugees for days, we found a few refugees hiding in caves and one wolf had lost her son. She was crying hysterically, Mia calmed her down, letting her know that her son was safe, and the refugees were taken back to the Palace while the prisoners were imprisoned. Dominic looked at me and said, "Roman will either send for his men or use it as a way to come here to negotiate a treaty," he looked at Pax and said, "I have a mission for you because if he comes here, I will kill him and Aidan won't get this revenge." I held my husband's hand so he could calm down, he was angry they attacked our daughter, Mia held his other hand, and he looked at both of us before we walked in unity back inside the Palace.