The Viper's Nest (Kit Davenport #4)(37)

“So cool,” I sighed, running a hand over each of their scaled snouts. “But I don’t suppose you could have told me how to get onto you before you changed?” I arched a brow at Cole, and he huffed a little dragon laugh. “Wow, is it just me, or is everything sounding dirty tonight? Okay, so... crouch down or something.”

Cole complied, folding his front legs so that his chest was against the ground, and I tentatively placed a foot on his bent shoulder, using it as a step to get up onto his back. While I scouted around for a handhold to pull myself up with, Vali huffed warm air into my hair, then used his snout under my ass to boost me up.

Cheeky dragon.

“Yeah, okay. That’s one way to do it,” I agreed, settling myself onto the space between Cole’s wings, my legs on either side of his neck. “I suppose I just, um…” I looked around, then finally decided on two large spikes on his neck as my hand holds. “Okay, I’m good. Giddyup!”

Cole’s head turned slightly to look back at me at this, and Vali’s scaly head shook back and forth with little sparks flickering from his nostrils.

“Nope?” I corrected. “Not giddyup? I’ll keep my mouth shut, shall I?”

The dragons didn’t wait for me to babble anymore, just spread their wings and beat them several times, carrying us up into the air.

“Holy shit,” I exclaimed, grabbing tighter to Cole’s neck-spike things and feeling my stomach plummet back to the ground below us. I loved heights, don’t get me wrong. But the reason I loved them was for the exhilarating feeling that I could fall at any second. Never had I felt it as much as I did on the back of my ice dragon as he carried us sharply up into the sky with only a few massive flaps of his wings. In moments, we were above the cloud cover, and all I could see for miles was stars.

Once we were obscured from the sight of anyone on land, Vali and Cole’s speed slowed to a lazy glide, and I was able to release the death grip I had on Cole’s scales.

“This is incredible,” I whispered in awe, sitting up a little more and marvelling at the cool air tugging and ruffling my hair. Words failed me, and instead I just... enjoyed the ride.

Some time later, after the three of us had glided for what felt like a thousand miles, the cold had officially soaked in, and I was shivering. The guys must have noticed, too, because they both banked in unison, turning us back the way we had come—I assumed, as I had no idea—and Vali sent huffs of warm breath across at me while they flew.

Soon we were touching back down in the clearing near the house, and I slid from Cole’s back in a boneless heap. Not from the cold, even though I was chilled right through, but from sheer amazement at the experience they’d just shared with me.

“No wonder you guys have been doing so much dragon stuff this week,” I gasped, sitting up and rubbing at my arms while they shifted once more.

“Ah yeah,” Cole agreed, tugging on his pants but not bothering to do them up before wrapping his huge arms around me. “Sorry, Vixen. We didn’t even think about how cold it must be up that high.”

“Who cares?” I scoffed, “That was amazing!” Excitement and wonder burned bright inside me, even as my teeth chattered from the cold.

“Give her here,” Vali said quietly, tapping his brother on the shoulder. “I can get her warm again.”

Cole’s arms tightened around me for a fraction of a second before he reluctantly released me to his brother’s embrace.

True to his fire dragon nature, Vali’s skin was scalding hot, almost too hot to touch, but after a moment I cuddled into his bare chest with a sigh.

“Thank you for this,” I murmured with my face pressed into his pecs. “You two are a force to be reckoned with. I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to see you getting along.”

Cole made a noise in his throat, and I pulled back from Vali’s warm embrace long enough to give him a look. “Quit the act, Cole. You love your brother as much as he loves you.”

He held my gaze with his steely gray one, the exact mirror image of Vali’s, and stepped closer to us. “Maybe,” he admitted, tilting my face toward him even as Vali’s arms tightened around me. “Or maybe I just love you, Vixen.”

My heart raced, and it felt like there was a hummingbird trapped inside me, but still I wasn’t letting him off the hook so easily.

“I love you too, Cutie,” I whispered back to him, my lips so close to his that they brushed when I spoke. “But you also love Vali. Admit it.”

The tension in Vali’s body was palpable as his arms clenched around me. His fingers were digging so hard into my waist that they’d leave marks, but still he said nothing. He simply waited, and I knew for sure he was bracing for rejection.

Cole made a gruff noise of frustration, turning his face to look at his brother, just inches away. “I don’t hate him anymore,” he growled, then kissed me quickly, fiercely, before stalking off into the trees and leaving us alone.

“Are you okay?” I raised my hand to Vali’s cheek and brought his face to mine. I may not have been able to read their emotions like they could mine, but I rated myself pretty well at reading people.

“Ah Regina. I am more than just okay. You have no idea how long I have wanted for my brother to not hate me. These things take time, but for now, I couldn’t be happier. Thank you.” His granite eyes were alight with relief and joy, and it made my heart clench painfully for him.