"We will protect them." Cage snarled and gripped her even tighter in his arms. "The other Wyverns and their mates have pledged to help us. No evil will keep our children from living."
Oh, how she loved his fierce protectiveness. "Tell us what to do and we'll do it. Help us help them."
Señora Boh nodded and rubbed her hands together. She closed her eyes and the white light glowed from between her palms.“Focus all your energy, the power you yield over the elements, the light in your souls into the babies. Together you can block the darkness and I can bring them out into the light.”
The witch swirled her hands and the light over Azy’s belly forming an oblong ball of light, like a golden egg of magic, energy, and power. The babies moved inside of her and she squeezed Cage’s hand tighter.
"I love you, Azynsa. You are my life and, "he swallowed, "while I am scared to death that there are evils out there in the world that we may not be able to keep from our children, I am so excited to have a family with you. I cannot wait to see them at your breast, watch them grow, teach them the ways of the warrior, train our first born to become the next Wyvern of the Gold Dragons."
There was so much emotion in Cage's words and Azy felt the beautifully strong power and energy he poured into them. "I never thought I would have a life like this. I'm so happy it's with you. We've already faced tough times and I'm sure there are more ahead. Where you go, I go, Cage. I love you so much."
Golden swirls of magic floated through the air around them. The babies pushed against her and Azy had never felt so safe in her life. Her babies would be okay. She and Cage had so much love and life to look forward to.
"It's not enough." Señora Boh frowned and her voice was strained. She even had sweat beading over her top lip. "We need more magic. I’m losing them."
What more could they give? She and Cage were already sharing every bit of love they had.
"Kiss me, Cage. Let me feel your love, let them." She tipped her face up to his and brushed her lips across his. This kiss wasn't filled with their normal heat, it wasn't about lust, but being together. It was so beautiful, Azy was sure she heard music.
Cage broke the kiss and rubbed his nose against hers. "Do you hear that?"
From below, down on the beach, three voices lifted up in song so beautiful it brought a tear to Azy's eyes. Her mermaid sisters were singing a lullaby. One that Azy was sure she'd heard long ago, but their voices weren't the only ones.
The Mami Wata had barely been friendly to her, but they had taken her in. She’d never thought of them as family. Yet here stood three of them, here in their time of need.
How had she ever thought she didn’t have a real family?
She’d thought it would always be just her and Cage, the two of them against the world. But it never had been.
The world hadn’t been against them from the beginning. It had been conspiring for them.
Against all the odds and evils put in their paths they had found the way to each other.
At each step, each challenge the dragon warriors, the amazing women they had mated, and even the mermaids had been there to help overcome the forces trying to stand between them.
That’s what a real family did. Family was a powerful force, forever. Family was forever.
Forever.
Was it? Hers hadn’t been. Her mother had left her and then died before she could even know her. Her father had been killed when she was only eighteen.
Her life was completely different now and she knew the answer. For the first time in her life, she knew it in her heart. Even if her own parents weren’t here now, they were always with her. Just like she would be for her children. No matter what. Forever.
"I know what to do to fill the babies lives with all the magic we need."
United
Cage was sure as shit glad Azy was calm and collected because, while he was the warrior, the leader of his Wyr, and maybe more, he needed her to keep him from returning to that place of fear he'd been living in the past few months. He'd feared for her life, for the lives of every dragon in his Wyr,that he was not going to be the leader they needed to rebuild after the attacks, and deep inside, his worst fear, that he wouldn't be the kind of father his twins needed.
He'd kept all of that bottled up inside, not wanting to put the burden of those worries on her or ask his brother Wyverns for help. They'd done enough. Except already today he'd learned they were all more powerful when they worked together and shared the weight of the world and its battles with each other.
Looking down at his beautiful lover, the woman who held his soul both literally and in her heart, Cage knew he was lying to himself. His real problem lie rooted in the knowledge that Azy, the other Wyverns, his Wyr, and his children would think he wasn't fit if he was scared. So he'd hidden those worries by wrapping them up in a disguise of control. He hadn't let anyone see his dirty little secrets.
Until he'd lost his soul shard to the succubus, he'd never really needed to be a leader. His Wyr followed him because that's what they were expected to do. Not because he was some great warrior.
He wasn't trying to protect them, any of them. He'd been protecting himself. Screwing around with everyone's lives by not living up to even his own expectations of what the Gold Wyvern should be. He was such a dumbass. Azy was a better leader than he'd ever been. Today and for the rest of his life he would do his best to have courage and be the mate she deserved. Starting right now.
"Tell me what you need, mate and I will make it happen."
