The Dragon Legion Collection(91)

Aura regarded him with new wariness. “And without the son, you don’t want me?”

“I want both!”

She leaned closer, her gaze intent. “Which do you want more?”

Thad stared at her. He knew his answer was important to her, and he could guess why, but the situation made no sense. “I shouldn’t have to choose,” he said. “The firestorm should be satisfied, and we should be planning a life together, you, me and our son.”

Aura shook her head. “What if I told you that I was never going to have your son?”

“What?” Thad took a step back, moving away from the distraction of her enticing touch. “Why not? Don’t you want to have a child?”

Aura held his gaze, her own resolve clear. “I don’t want to only have a child, Thad, and I don’t want to have a child alone.”

“But I promised you...”

“I know.” Aura frowned. “But you were wrong and I knew it.” She met his gaze and smiled slightly. “I couldn’t resist you.”

Thad took a step back. “I don’t understand. You knew the firestorm wouldn’t be satisfied, and you didn’t tell me?”

“I didn’t know that, not exactly.” Aura sighed. “I see the future, Thad. It’s my gift. When you came to me, I looked into the possibilities of the future. There was no child in our joined future.”

Thad shook his head. “That’s impossible. That’s how the firestorm works.”

“I know you believe that. I was uncertain, because you were sure there would be a son, yet my vision was so clear that there wouldn’t be one.”

“That’s why we came here,” Thad said in sudden understanding. “That’s why you wanted me to eat a golden apple.”

“I needed to know whether you were telling me the truth.” Aura shrugged. “You were, at least as much of it as you knew.” She smiled slightly, her expression apologetic. “But you were wrong, Thad. There is never going to be a son from our union  .” She lifted her hand and the firestorm’s flames danced between them. “Looks like you’re the only one who expects otherwise. Is that so bad? We could have a lifetime of nights like this together.” Aura reached for him. “We can share so much pleasure, without worrying about consequences. Think of a hundred nights like last night, a hundred flights across the seas, a hundred secret refuges that only you and I can reach together. We could have so much together.”


Thad was tempted, but he caught her hands in his. “Not if I’m a failure to my kind.”

“You don’t know that’s true.”

“There has to be some reason! The firestorm is always satisfied.”

“We could have each other,” Aura urged.

Thad spun away from her and paced. Was it a curse from Cadmus or his own failure at root? The problem was that he couldn’t think of how he had failed his kind. He felt Aura watching him and was aware that the firestorm’s heat faded with distance. He turned back to study her and couldn’t help but notice that she wasn’t as agitated as he was.

In fact, she seemed disappointed. He couldn’t bear the sight of her resignation. Just then, Thad remembered Rafferty’s firestorm. Rafferty’s mate hadn’t been able to conceive a child at all, but the firestorm had brought them together and subsequently brought a daughter to them. Was there something wrong with Aura? He couldn’t believe it. Was there a kind of sorcery in this garden that obstructed the firestorm? No matter what was going on, he had to follow Rafferty’s lead and be true to his mate.

He marched back to Aura’s side, feeling the heat build between them with every step. He saw the sheen of tears in her gaze, although she tried to hide it. “Tell me,” he invited in a murmur.

“I had hoped that I might be enough.”

Her words cut deep, because Thad had never meant to imply that she was less than his every dream come true. “You are enough,” he insisted. “I will stay with you. The Great Wyvern chose you as my destined mate because our futures are entwined, and because there is more that we can do together.”

She eyed him. “But a son was part of your expectation.”

Thad had to nod agreement to that. “But you accepted me, only because there wasn’t going to be a child,” he said, no accusation in his tone. She dropped her gaze in acknowledgement and his heart clenched. “Why don’t you want my son, Aura?”

“It’s not your son, Thad. It’s any son. Any child, really.”

Had Aura been able to interfere with the firestorm’s promise?

Aura turned her back on Thad, and he knew this was important to her. He followed her and caught her shoulders in his hands, bending to touch his lips to her neck. He felt her shiver in response to the same shimmer of heat that erupted from the point of contact and rolled through his body. He could have tried to change her mind with passion, especially with the firestorm on his side, but Thad sensed that he had to listen. “I won’t abandon you, Aura. I promise. Son or no son, our futures are bound together.”

Her hand rose so that her fingers entangled with his, and he felt her trembling. “I believe you,” she admitted quietly, and he was relieved. “But I still don’t see a son in our future.”

“You think you know why,” he dared to guess and she nodded once. “Aura, tell me.”