THE next day, Ember walked into the gala opening of the Dragon’s Den Casino with her head held high and on the arm of the Duke of Wyvern, her husband, whom everyone flocked to as soon as they entered the room. Music blasted from the bar as a cover band played every party anthem in quick succession. They had the crowd on the wide dance floor jumping to “1999” by Prince. Their last song had been Bon Jovi’s “It’s My Life.”
She stepped backward as half the room rushed them like a tidal wave.
Cai grabbed Ember’s hand and tugged her against his side, his burly arm wrapped around her waist.
With his other arm, he shook everyone’s hand, even women who tried to divebomb him for a hug and a kiss. He introduced Ember to everybody as his wife, for the naturals, and as his dragonmate and duchess to the witches, mages, vampires, fae, and the cornucopia of shifters. Magic poured off them like heat waves.
The natural women seemed less impressed, still trying to get close to Cai before he turned his shoulder to them and pushed farther through the partying crowd.
The supernaturals didn’t even look Ember over before they stepped back. Cai had mentioned that it’s unwise to come between a dragon and their dragonmate. Sometimes, people got a little scorched. Sometimes, they lost their spines.
Bethany and Willow were standing with their dragons, two more tall, muscular specimens of the dragon-shifter type.
Mathonwy, the Duke of Draco stood next to giggly, little Bethany. His dark hair made him the epitome of tall, dark, and classically handsome, but when he glanced at Ember, his eyes glowed with molten gold and sparks. Bethany was a home and hearth witch, and most of the time, her domestic apparitions could clean, organize, and polish a room in minutes. Sometimes, they infested fountains and tried to eat people.
Arawn, the Duke of Tiamat, was tall and more Germanic-looking. He was blond as a Norse god, with the wide shoulders necessary to wield a war hammer. His eyes held the blue-hot fire of a deep-space star, and he was a bit more somber than the other two guys. Willow, of course, was as slender as her name, as if the steam from her potions had made her sweat off any excess weight.
Cai and Ember joined them for the gala opening, and as soon as they walked up, she felt Cai tense. She sent a pulse of comfort through their bond, and he relaxed a little, but the air was definitely snapping with something aggressive.
Willow and Bethany glanced up at their respective mates, too, and all three girls shrugged and eye-rolled at each other. Men.
Math extended his hand to Cai. “So, this project is finally finished, and we can all go back to New Wales tomorrow.”
A frisson of anticipation ran through Cai that Ember could feel as a shiver of wanting. Cai said, “Yes, I suppose this casino somehow managed to open on time and with a spectacular display in the fountain out front that no longer smells like a medieval gutter, thanks to my dragonmate.”
They all laughed, though Ember’s face warmed because she was blushing.
Yes, when they had walked in through the courtyard in front of the casino, the elementals had all been working in sync, or at least their mutual antagonisms were all equally matched. The fire, water, and whirlwinds had been astonishingly beautiful as they towered, fell, and lit up the night sky.
Arawn said, “And those algae-sucking apparitional serpents are healthy and rambunctious due to the expert care of my dragonmate,” and he smiled fondly at Willow.
They all agreed, smiling and nodding.
Math said, “And the hotel and casino were in excellent shape for the opening, due to the efforts of my dragonmate and her many apparitions.”
They all nodded and agreed again.
Ember wondered just how long this friendly competition between the three alpha dragons was going to remain friendly because all three of them were eyeing each other like this could get interesting.
Finally, after a bit more subtle one-up-manship, the three girls dragged their dragon shifter husbands to the far corners of the room.
Once Ember got Cai over by the buffet, she grabbed a plate and attacked the table. “What was all that about, really?”
Cai sighed. “We’re all a bit worked up about whether the Dragon Scepter will pick a new monarch tomorrow, and whether it will be one of us. Like I said, dragons used to claim the throne through trial by combat. That’s the natural order, and to some extent, our dragons are preparing to go to war tomorrow. The dragon testosterone is running a little thick, today.”
She laughed at him. “Would you really fight and kill your friends since childhood for some throne?”
The emerald fire in Cai’s eyes leaped higher. “Absolutely.”