“I have to get back to Gabriel’s house.” “No.”
My shirt went flying.
“They’re going to be wondering what happened to me. I don’t want them to worry. I have to go back.” “No.”
My pants joined my shirt. I stood with hands on hips as I glared at Baltic, who was still naked, and quickly returning me to that state. “I can see where this is going, and it’s not going to happen. I will sleep alone tonight.” “No.”
My bra arced through the air, landing with a whisper on my shoes.
“Why on earth did I ever think you were a reasonable man?” I cried, slapping my hands on my legs.
He looked up from where he was about to remove my panties, honestly surprised. “I don’t know. I’m not reasonable.” “I’m glad you admit that. Baltic, I’m not going to sleep with you.” “You are my mate,” he said, yanking the last of my clothing off, and scooping me up in his arms at the same time. He carried me over to a large bed, covered in a quilt of white and gold. “I will not make love to you, but you will sleep with me from this night forward.” “That’s going to be a little bit difficult to explain to Brom,” I said, sliding beneath the cool linen sheets. For tonight, I saw no purpose in demanding he return me to Gabriel’s house. Everything would come out in the morning, since I couldn’t hide from either Gabriel or May the fact that I’d found Baltic. Besides, the reconciliation between Baltic and the weyr had to start at some point, and I’d much rather that it began sooner than later.
“Where is this child who should be mine, but who is not?” “He’s with Aisling and Drake because Gabriel insisted that you were going to attack his house. And just so you know — love me, love my son.” He snorted. “I was going to rescue you from Gabriel until I saw you outside.” “Nice change of subject,” I said, amused. “But it’s not going to change anything. Besides, Brom is a good kid. You’ll like him.” “I will not,” Baltic said grumpily, and lay down with his arms crossed.
I leaned over him and raised an eyebrow.
“I will tolerate him because he is of your blood, but no more,” he conceded.
I slapped a hand down on his chest, and tapped my fingers. “I would hope that once we are free, you will take an active role in his life as a loving, supportive stepfather.” His expression was mutinous. “You ask me to raise this child of another man as if he were my own?” “Yes. I expect you to love and cherish him. Brom deserves that. His own father doesn’t give a damn about him.” He gritted his teeth. I narrowed my eyes. We made quite a pair.
“Very well,” he finally snapped, rolling over onto his side so all I saw was his back. “I will do so, but that is the last concession I will make to you! I am the wyvern. You are the mate. It is you who must yield to me from this moment on.” I smiled and snuggled into his back, feeling a weight lift from me that I hadn’t been aware of. Things were going to work out all right despite the overwhelming odds. I could just feel that they were.
Fire raged in and around and through me.
“This has got to end!”
“There is only one way it will end — my way!” A shadow flickered through the flames, a black shadow of the man I loved so dearly, and who was destroying not just his beloved sept, but my heart as well.
“Baltic, you will not win! You have decimated your own ranks trying to beat Constantine into submission, but it is for naught! And now that the green dragons have sworn to aid them against you, it is doubly foolish to pursue what is nothing more than a stupid rivalry!” “Rivalry!” Baltic snarled and stalked across the room of our bedchamber, grabbing my arms in a painful grip. “He has tried to steal you from me. Three times he has tried! He is out there now, rallying yet another force to try to bring down Dauva so that he might take you. Is your love for me so fleeting that you would wish to see both Dauva and me destroyed?” “You are being overly dramatic once again.” He spun away from me as I spoke, staring out of the narrow window to watch the countryside as if he expected to see a wave of silver dragons at the foot of the castle.
I looked at him, this man I loved, and knew that something would have to be done to stop him. The course he was taking was one of madness, one that could have no good end.
“My love, you know I have chosen you above all others,” I said, sliding my arms around his waist and leaning into his back, pressing my cheek against it to hear his heart beating so strong and true. “You are my life, Baltic. I do not want to be Constantine’s mate any more than I want this endless war to continue. You must find a way to end it, to make peace amongst the weyr. You are the only wyvern strong enough to do it.” “There can be no peace for me so long as Constantine lives.” “The war between you and Constantine is private, but the results of it are going to tear apart the entire weyr. This war did not begin with me, and I will not have it end with me!” He turned, the muscles in his jaw tight, his eyes blazing with black fury. “What would you have me do? Go to Constantine with my tail between my legs and beg him to spare the black dragons? Would you have him absorb our sept into his without so much as a whimper? Would you have him strip everything from me?” “The silver dragons have been autonomous for over a century now,” I argued. “You never sought to force them to rejoin this sept until Munich!” Baltic snarled an invective. “That was the day I knew the true depths of his treachery. To steal you two days after you had been brought to bed—” Pain laced through my insides at the reminder. I looked down, tears welling in my eyes at the memory of that time. My poor little babe who did not live through the birth. Baltic grieved the loss as much as I did, but he did not see the truth behind the tragedy. I knew it was a sign that I should not bring life into a world that was filled with so much hate, while he went almost mad with rage and an intense need for revenge.
He stopped speaking, taking me in his arms and holding me so I could weep silently into his chest. “There will be other children, chérie. I swear to you there will.” “There won’t be if there is nothing left for them,” I said, looking into his eyes “You are using the war as an excuse to hurt Constantine. It has to stop, Baltic, or there will be nothing left for us.” “Do you have so little faith in your own sept?” he asked, his arms tightening around me.
“I have only faith in the black dragons, but you are not being honest with them.” He pulled back, strapping a leather scabbard around his waist. “We are at war. They know that.” “But you are allowing them and everyone else to believe you have some grandiose plan for domination over all the septs. You should ask yourself why you are so hesitant to tell them what your true purpose is.” Fire flashed in his eyes, manifesting itself in tangible form as it twisted up my body. “I will do anything to keep you safe. Anything!” “Including sacrifice innocent lives? It isn’t right, Baltic! If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were mad!” A slight noise heralded the arrival of Pavel, who stood in the open doorway, his eyes watchful. “My pardon for interrupting. All is ready. Do we ride?” “Yes.” Baltic bent down to kiss me, his lips sweet, but my heart broke nonetheless. “You will be safe here, chérie. No one has ever breached Dauva, and no one ever will. I will send word to you as soon as I can.” “Don’t go,” I said, knowing it would do no good.