Every Miraculous Moment (Hyena Heat #6)(20)

Mack perched on her shoulders. Her parents and Tonya stood with her, watching as the male who had tormented her for twenty years was destroyed by the king and the elders. She recognized the king because he was one of the largest dragons in the clan. His nephew was no match for so many males.

The dragons used their fire to turn Tais’s remains to ash, which they ate. Then the males circled the clearing where Miracle and her family waited, shifting smoothly into their human forms as they landed. Miracle, her parents, and Tonya shifted, but Mack didn’t. He’d told her that wolves had to stay in their shifts for several hours, but dragons had the luxury of being able to change forms back and forth without delay. She knelt next to Mack, resting her head against his neck.

“Thank you,” she said, her voice thick with emotion.

He growled and sat on his haunches, watching the dragons as they spoke quietly on the other side of the bonfire that the wizards had made. Her parents sat down next to her with a groan.

“That was fun,” her dad said.

“Dad!”

“What? I haven’t fought in ages. Felt good.”

“You’re ridiculous,” her mom said, smiling.

“I thought he was going to burn the forest to the ground, the *,” Tonya said.

Miracle lifted her head from Mack’s shoulder and asked the king and the elders, “Are you all okay?”

“Yes,” the king said, standing before them with the elders at his back. “What happened here? We heard the battle cries and changed to investigate. Tais was fighting you all, and the scent of black magic is thick here.”

Tonya cleared her throat. “Tais tricked me into coming to Elon and Dina’s home. When I arrived, they weren’t there, and he drugged me. I woke up when one of the wizards forced me into my shift. Before I could free myself, they tied me down and threatened to kill Elon and Dina. They were trapped in some kind of spell, and I couldn’t get free. The wizards forced me to cry by pulling my scales off, and they collected my tears in vials.”

The king’s gaze settled on Mack. “This is your mate?” he asked Miracle.

“Yes,” she answered.

He was silent for a long moment, and then he said, “We’ll see you in the morning. Arrive at my home for the morning meal at eight sharp.”

The dragons moved away, shifting and rising to the sky as one. They circled, crying out, and then disappeared to the other side of the mountain.

“That was weird,” her mom said. “We haven’t had a meal at the king’s house since your mating day.”

Miracle hugged her parents, kissing their cheeks, and then hugged Tonya. “I’m sorry you were hurt because of me.”

She scoffed. “It’s not your fault that the king’s * nephew had a few screws loose. He should’ve been put down long ago. Our archaic laws keep females tied to males they don’t love, and let nutcases wander around free.” She turned her attention to Mack. “Do wolves have arranged matings?”

He shook his head.

“Must be nice,” Tonya muttered.

Miracle grinned. “Choosing a mate with your dragon isn’t just nice, it’s amazing.”





*





Miracle and her family shifted back into their dragon forms, and Miracle held Mack against her chest as she flew over the mountain and down toward a gated community. They shifted in front of a small home. Mack waited while they said goodbye to Tonya, who promised to meet them in the morning at the king’s home.

By the time they’d walked into her parents’ home and then everyone had showered and dressed, Mack was able to change back into his human form. Their bags were still at the airport. He suspected that they’d probably been destroyed by security, since they’d been left unattended. When he emerged from the bathroom wearing Elon’s jeans and a flannel shirt, Miracle was sitting on the bed waiting.

She ran to him, and he caught her in his arms, their lips meeting hungrily.

“Thank you for fighting with me,” she said, trembling in his arms.

“I couldn’t let you go to battle without me. They’re my family, too.”

She sniffled and rubbed her cheek on his chest. “I was terrified. I’ve never had to fight like that before.”

“Well, it was a first for me, too.”

He hadn’t been afraid to fight or die to protect Miracle and her family, but he’d been afraid that his wolf would be no match for the dragon. He’d thought he’d be ashed in two seconds and leave his mate vulnerable to her lunatic former mate. Fortunately, Miracle and her family were fierce fighters, whether they believed it or not.

They spent an hour talking with her parents before they were all ready for bed. It had been a harrowing few hours, and Mack was looking forward to a peaceful rest with his mate.





*





The next morning, Tonya was waiting in the family room.

She hugged Miracle tightly and then looked at Mack. “You need to properly introduce me to your mate, woman.”

Miracle chuckled. “Tonya, this is Mack. Mack, this is my kinda-crazy-sister, Tonya.”

Tonya gave him a swift hug and stepped back, hooking her arm through Miracle’s. “Welcome to the family. And I’m only mildly crazy.”