Hey guys. This is a general heads up/content warning.

This chapter contains an explicit sex scene. If you are reading this , you are consenting that you are at the age of 17 and above as per the guidelines.

Here is a quick link to the content guidelines if anyone needs a reminder: https://support.wattpad.com/hc/en-us/articles/200774334-Content-Guidelines

Thank you

~

Keoni could hear Nolan outside his door long before he knocked. He was nervous. There was probably a lot on his mind. Had he the time, he would have let Nolan stand out there all day to gather his thoughts. But he did not have the time and, really, neither did Nolan.

"Come in." he called out.

Nolan hesitated before opening the door. He took one look at the stacks of files weighing down the desk and stammered; "Sorry. I didn't realize you were busy. I'll come back later."

"I am always busy, Nolan." He dropped a file on another mountain and shifted it onto a side table to make room. "There is always work to be done. Contracts to be negotiated, licenses to be renewed, grants to apply for... you know how it is."

"I thought Quin took care of most of this stuff."

"To say the dragons have been preoccupied lately would be a grievous understatement." Now able to see the surface of the desk, he indicated for Nolan to sit down. "I will admit. I wasn't expecting to see you quite so soon. It hasn't even been twelve hours since she woke up."

Nolan didn't meet his eye, instead looking out the large windows to the city. "Aren't there a dozen open offices on the compound? What are you doing working in the downtown core?"

He was avoiding the topic of Rhiannon. Keoni laced his fingers together, reminding himself to be patient. Nolan had long since earned his respect, and the situation with the girl was... complicated.

"I like the separation of home and work." he explained, humoring Nolan's question. "When I am home, I can give my full attention to Ares. When I am at work, I can devote everything to the needs of the kin."

Nolan nodded slowly and they fell into a dull quiet. Keoni tapped his knuckles. Patience, Keo, he could almost hear Ares' voice in his head. As if Ares of all dragons had any ground to stand on. Keoni only seemed inpatient because he had to think on a human timeline, but he did think through his every action. Unlike any of the dragons. None of them had bothered to say where they were even going before taking off. They didn't even wait to see if any of this would have an effect on Rhiannon or the rest of the kin. They just... left.

Nolan sensed his impatience and cleared his throat. "I came straight from the Counsel." he continued avoiding the dragon in the room. "They know about the yfeerie, though not that we call them yfeerie. They can't decide whether to focus on the demonic attack or the dragons. I've managed to delay any discussions for six weeks. At some point we'll have to talk about what I can and cannot tell them."

"Nolan," Keoni kept his voice gentle.

"Atticus does know. He's a good guy, he's not going to say anything... Not that anyone would believe him. He can be useful too, so-"

"Nolan."

Nolan fell quiet and finally met his eyes. Keoni had always marveled at the colour of his eyes. Such an intense blue that they could belong to nothing other than someone of dragonkin descent. Even as a vampire, Nolan's eyes had never dulled. Evidence that there was still some dragon magic in his system, however muted by the parasitic nature of his new species. His children, all his children, shared his eyes, making them recognizable by dragonkin across the world. One look and the kin could identify the children of this yfeerie.

"You didn't come here to speak about the Counsel or Atticus Shaw."

Nolan remained perfectly still, unable or unwilling to answer. Keoni wished he could give him all the time in the world to come to terms with this whole situation. But he couldn't. He couldn't wait for Nolan to snap out of the concerned significant other and back to the calculating politician. Rhiannon couldn't wait.

"How long have Nekros and Phoenix really been missing?" he finally asked.

Okay, he hadn't been expecting that exactly. But this was good. They were on the right track. "Why would you ask that?" He hated dancing around the question. He wished he could speak plainly to Nolan of all people. He'd almost forgotten how restrictive the laws were in Quin's territory.

Nolan nodded slowly. He knew that they had to play this stupid game. "Was it around the same time of that mass unbinding Sophie told me about?"

"That is a reasonable conclusion."

In other words, yes.

His eyes narrowed slightly. "Why not say anything until now?" he asked. "Why wait thirty years before going to the Counsel or declaring war? Do the kin even know?"

"Of course, they know." Keoni couldn't hide his annoyance this time. "Quin and Luna made the decision to keep it quiet outside of the kin. They did not think it would take this long to find them again. In addition, there was-" His jaw slammed shut painfully when he tried to say her name. He ground his teeth together, working his mouth back open to finish the sentence. "There were extenuating circumstances that made it difficult to act on."

Another tense silence. Keoni could almost smell how hard his mind must be working, trying to read between the lines and figure out what couldn't be said aloud. "I'm guessing not everyone agreed on that choice?"

"Your guess would be correct. In terms of the dragons, Tiamat and Ozin were unsurprisingly in agreement with Quin and Luna."

"They never liked making a scene."

"Precisely. Ares, Valkyr, and Lysander were vehemently against the idea."

Nolan straightened in his chair. "Valkyr and Lysander are awake?" he asked weakly.

"Luna woke them when Nekros went missing."

"Gods above... How is that going?"

"Poorly." Keoni chuckled. "Valkyr was terribly upset to hear that she couldn't just kill someone for disagreeing with her anymore. And Lysander... I can't remember, did you ever meet either of them?"

"Valkyr, no. I met a few of her kin over the years, and their general attitude towards anyone who wasn't dragonkin made even Constantine wary of going too deep into her territory. I met Lysander once... but... damn, it was so long ago, I can't really remember. He was quiet, I know that."

"Yes. He still is. He relies heavily on his kin to speak on his behalf. Except when Nekros went missing. It was the first time I had ever seen him agree with Valkyr on her methods."

"I'm surprised Luna didn't side with them. She's never been afraid to throw her weight around, especially in defense of her brother."

"I do not think she was in the right mind to make any decisions that day."

Keoni sighed heavily and glanced at the clock on the computer in front of him. They were coming up on sixty-five hours since Nekros's "call" and the rest of the dragons had taken off. Keoni had felt it without hearing his voice, but it had not felt like his magic. Not entirely, anyway. Most of it had been wild and uncontrolled, far more powerful than what it needed to be. That had been Rhiannon's power. But there was still a small, barely discernible spark of magic that was neither father nor daughter's. It could have been Phoenix's... but there was something wrong about it.

Sixty-five hours since Rhiannon had begun to awaken. A process that hatchlings spent their entire lives preparing for. A process that was supposed to take well over a year to be fully complete where the individual could shift and use their magic at will. It should have been something exciting for her. It should have been something to celebrate. The first true dragon hatchling becoming a fully fledged adult. Instead, this moment was filled with pain and fear.

The violence of her awakening reminded Keoni of the first elven war. The elves had created a kind of magic that could force the dragonkin into awakening early, and then use the newly awakened hatchlings against their enemies. It was exactly what led to the development of the dragon bond. That war was the greatest slaughter the world had ever seen before mankind. Hundreds of kin had died in the forced awakenings or being forced to fight. Thousands of elves met the wrath of the dragons, sending them back to their equivalent of the stone age. Keoni had only been a hatchling himself at the time, but he did remember the fear from those days. It had been a dark time for the dragonkin.

Keoni forced his attention back to Nolan, who was staring at a stack of security contracts on the table. It looked like he was gong to be the one to bring her up. "How is Rhiannon?" he asked as gently as he could.

Tension rippled through Nolan. The troubled expression intensified. "I don't know." he replied in almost a whisper. "We haven't had the chance to really talk yet."

Keoni's eyes widened. "She is alone?"

"No," Nolan shook his head quickly before going rigid again. "Dáithí is with her."

Keoni had to fight to keep himself from physically reacting to the name. His issues with the serpent had nothing to do with Nolan, though Nolan had his own reason to disliking him. "Do you..." he searched for the right word. "Trust him?"

"I want to. Gods, do I want to."

"But...?"

"But... Rhia is vulnerable right now. All she knows of the dragons and the kin are what I and Dáithí have told her. When I told her what I was, I didn't exactly sing their praises. I can't imagine Dáithí would have said anything positive either. If I'm being entirely honest, I don't want her to be bound to any of the dragons, but I want her to at least have the chance to-"

Keoni couldn't stop himself from laughing, cutting off Nolan's words and earning a second narrowed-eyed look from him. "I'm sorry, Nolan," he chuckled. "I didn't mean to interrupt, but you do not need to worry about the bond. She can't be bound."

Huh. He was a little surprised that he was even able to say that.

Nolan's eyebrows shot up. "Why? What do you mean?"

Keoni's jaw locked up and he shook his head. "That I cannot say."

Nolan stared at him, confusion and worry written all over his face. Come on, Nolan, he wanted to scream. Take that leap. I know it's a big one, but you're so close.

"It might make her feel better knowing that." Nolan finally said slowly. "Maybe that will make Dáithí slightly less hostile."

Keoni didn't let the disappointment show. It wasn't fair for him to expect anyone to guess what she was. There was a long-standing belief that the dragons could not reproduce. Until Rhiannon, they had all believed that there would only be nine.

"Do you really think Dáithí is the best influence for her?" He tried, and almost succeeded, in keeping his voice even when he said the serpent's name.

"When I left the house, the only person she wanted to talk to was her best friend." Nolan looked away. "When I go back, I will have to tell her that he won't see her because of what she is now. We can hate Dáithí for our own reasons on our time... but he might be her rock right now."

He made a face, like the irony of the situation left a bad taste in his mouth. Keoni worked his jaw, wishing he could find a valid argument. He wouldn't trust Dáithí with lunch money, let alone the health and security of a dragon hatchling. He drummed on the desk with the tips of his fingers before standing up suddenly. "I would like to help Rhiannon as best I can with her awakening." He said sharply. "If not myself, then there are several females in my employ who are more than capable of helping. Do you think you could convince her to speak to one of them?"

"Maybe... I don't know. She might just need a little more time."

"I would give her the time if I could. But the longer we wait to extract the plates, the further out of control her magic will become."

"I know."

Keoni walked around the desk to rest a heavy hand on Nolan's shoulder. "I do not envy your position, my friend. You are the only one who can possibly understand what she is going through. I do not wish to force my presence if she can be convinced to come on her own... but, you must understand, there are things I cannot say in front of your or even the other kin. I do not know when the dragons will return, but they will not wait for her to come around."

Nolan nodded slowly. "I'll talk to her."

"I will send someone tomorrow afternoon."

~

Nolan followed the sounds of the shower and the scent of Rhia's favourite body wash. Some relaxing mix of fruit and aloe. It was the perfect complement to her personality. Sweet, soft, and always brought a smile to his face. He leaned against the doorframe and stared through the heavy steam at her naked form. Her hair seemed to glow against the white of the tiles. As bright as fire. When she turned and saw him standing at the door, those intense green eyes found his. Her smile was beautiful but fleeting. She turned away again and stepped back under the stream of water.

She was still afraid to look him in the eye... or to look herself in the eye. Anything that would remind her what she had turned into.

"This is your second shower today." He said gently.

"I can't get the hospital feeling off my skin." He saw her shoulders lift in a shrug.

"How are you feeling?"

"Uncomfortably sober."

"I'm serious."

She was quiet for a minute. "I have a lot of energy." She finally said. "I feel like I could run forever."

"That's your body adjusting to the magic."

"It feels weird. But..." she took a steadying breath. "Kind of right, at the same time."

"It is your magic. It should feel right."

The heat in the room intensified and her power crackled in reaction to her conflicted feelings. "Are Atticus and Dáithí still here."

"No. Why?"

"Can you pass me a towel?" she asked.

He took a fresh towel from the stack on the counter and moved closer to the shower stall to hand it to her. Her hand closed around his wrist with strength he wasn't prepared for, and she dragged him in after her. He stumbled forward and braced his hands against the tiles to keep from crushing her against the wall. The water was hot enough to sting, but he quickly forgot about it when he looked into her eyes.

Desire flooded his system, and he couldn't stop himself. He lowered his head and caught her mouth in a hard kiss. She eagerly responded, wrapping her arms around his neck and arching her back to press her body against his. He took one hand off the wall to run his fingers down the ridge of her spine. She moaned against his lips, encouraging his actions. He grabbed her ass and lifted her effortless so she could wrap her legs around his waist.

Her hands moved to his chest, fisted his shirt and ripped it open, sending buttons flying across the shower. Her touch left trails of fire across his skin as she pushed the shirt off his shoulders. He ground his hips into her pelvis, pulling a groan from her lips. She tilted her head back and he kissed down to her neck, grazing his teeth against her skin. "Take me to the bed." She whispered pleadingly.

A growl of pleasure rumbled in the back of his throat. Pressing her harder against the wall, he pulled the soaked shirt off the rest of the way. Her mouth found his shoulder, her masterful tongue working its way up his neck. His pants were impossibly tight. He needed her. He needed to fuck her. Over and over until they were both exhausted and then he would fuck her again.

Finally free from the shirt, he took her face into his hands and dragged her into another kiss. Her eyes burned with the same need and passion he was feeling. Her irises were glowing slightly. Her pupils were so dark in comparison. Pupils that were vertical slits. The eyes of a dragonkin.

He pulled back, completely breathless. "Wait, wait, wait," he gasped.

She whined and tried to pull him back. He stepped away, lowering her back down, and shutting off the water. She tugged at his belt. Gods, her eagerness made it nearly impossible to keep his head straight. He took her hands in his. "Please," she whimpered. "Please, Nolan, I need you."

"We need to talk."

"Talk after."

She reached for him again. Desperately needing her to be still, he shoved her against the wall again, pinning her wrists over her head. The heat in her eyes flared again and she sucked her bottom lip between her teeth. He slammed his eyes shut and tried not to breathe. Her scent had invaded his senses. Gods, why was this so hard? He wanted her before this all happened, but nothing compared to this.

"Please," she purred, appealing to the dominant part of him.

"I talked to Keoni." He forced himself to say.

She stopped moving and fell completely silent. Slowly he opened his eyes and released her hands. The look of fear and betrayal in her eyes was enough to crush his heart. "Why?" she breathed.

Nolan backed out of the shower, scooping up the towel he dropped and handing it to her. "He just wants to help."

"He just wants me bound."

"No, Rhia,"

He reached out but she took a step back, glaring at him. "The bond controls emotions, actions, and everything else those bastards want." She hissed. "I will not let anyone have that much control over my life again."

"And no one will! You can't be bound to the dragons."

"A simple enough lie to tell."

He sighed heavily and leaned against the counter. "Do you trust me?"

She scowled at him. "That's not fair. You know I do."

"Then trust me. Keoni is sending someone over tomorrow afternoon. I am not asking you to do anything but listen to what they have to say. You don't have to make any promises or commitments, just hear them out."

"No!"

The water on the walls hissed into steam. There was a loud pop from somewhere in the wall. Nolan could hear water spraying out of whatever pipe had just burst. Swearing under his breath, he rushed out of the room. On the main floor he ripped open the utility closet and twisted the valve to shut off the water. Atticus was going to be pissed when he found out.

Back upstairs, Rhia had moved back into the bedroom and found her bra and underwear from the bag he brought from his house. The sight of her half-naked body and her scent sent hormones raging through him again, and it was an effort not to rush her and pin her to the bed.

"Rhia, please," he tried again, keeping his voice low and calm. "I wouldn't ask you to do this if I thought they couldn't help."

"I don't need their help. Dáithí can help me."

"Dái-" Nolan ripped his hands through his hair and hissed. "Dáithí is an extremist! Think Proud Boys, I.R.A., Taliban... He is the dragonkin version of them. He'd rather watch every kin die before one more is bound to the dragons!"

"Well, maybe he's right!" she rounded on him. Tears brimmed in her eyes. "What good is living in this world if I have to be one of them?"

Nolan felt the anger rush out of him as quickly as it came. He stepped towards her and dragged her into his chest. She buried her face into him and started shaking. "You don't mean that." He whispered.

"I don't feel like myself." She said shakily, looking up at him. "This isn't me. I can't even... I can't look at myself in the mirror. Everything is just..."