Battle Ground, Indiana

Claire picked at her dinner, stealing furtive glances at the massive drengr sitting across from her. The king of Dragonwall. At her table. A real king, like something out of a fairytale.

Not that she could truly fathom the gravity of it. All she knew about Dragonwall was what she'd been told. First, from Irelia, and then from these strange beings. But that wasn't even the half of it. He'd claimed they were mates. That she was his queen.

The mere thought left her heart thudding with...what? Eagerness? Wariness? Confusion? Apprehension? So many emotions. She could hardly name them all as they jumbled together inside of her, making her insides squirm and dance.

Earlier, they'd gone to the crater, found it hidden within the cornfield, something her parents hadn't even discovered. Then, much to everyone's shock, both Talon and Jovari had proven themselves by transforming into dragons. Real freaking dragons!

It was only for that reason that her parents were here at the dining table. They had no choice but to believe what King Talon had claimed. Not that they were happy about it. They sat silently as Talon and Jovari rehashed everything for her parents, explaining why they were taking their only daughter away. That it was unlikely she'd ever return.

Her father wore a permanent scowl. "I refuse to believe my daughter threw caution to the wind and married some hulking brute of a king just to help him rule his kingdom."

She gasped. Then her eyes shot to the king, hoping he wouldn't smash their table, roar like a dragon, or shout off with his head. Wasn't that what kings did?

Michael Evans was often firm, having once been a surgeon who held literal lives in his hands. Clearly, the idea of his only daughter married off—without having been involved—rankled.

"I would never hurt her," Talon all but growled, just as Jovari chuckled and muttered the word brute under his breath, as if he found it amusing. "She is more precious to me than life itself."

Claire blinked.

Her father only harrumphed and said, "She'd better be."

"She is." The king's voice was hard and unyielding.

Something hot slid down her insides and pooled in her abdomen. She discreetly studied his scars, the way they lined his face, the most prominent slashing diagonally from eyebrow to jawbone. What had done something like that? Despite them, she found him handsome in an unconventional way. Not so much because of his face, but because of the way he carried himself, his broad shoulders, his towering body, and even the deep rumble of his voice.

But her father was right. He was a brute, with layers upon layers of muscle and a head of messy hair. Not to mention all the growling he did, like a vicious predator.

"Claire Bear, does this sound like something you'd do? Marry this man—this, drengr?" Her father tripped over the unfamiliar word. Unfamiliar to him, but not to her. Because when she'd spoken it earlier, something about it had felt...normal.

Every eye around the table snapped in her direction and she felt her cheeks warm. If she was a queen, as they claimed, shouldn't this be easier? This was the part where she ought to square her shoulders and lift her chin. The part where she gave a nice, concise, definitive answer. "I..."

"An entire kingdom witnessed the ceremony," Jovari said, coming to her rescue. "Myself included. You wore a beautiful black gown and cape. There were scales around your neck."

"Black?!" Her father's eyes bulged. "Why not...white?" he sputtered. Probably because her mother had saved her wedding dress in case Claire might want to wear it.

"Because mates wear the color of their mated's scales," Jovari explained.

She exhaled. She wanted to remember, truly, she did. She tried to picture it. Her standing hand-in-hand with King Talon, dressed in an opulent black gown, gazing into his eyes. As she tried to picture it, Talon met her gaze from across the table. His sliver eyes snared her, and heat rushed to her cheeks. The way he was looking at her now, it looked exactly like she imagined him looking at her during their ceremony.

"I love you more than anything in the world," he murmured, holding her captive, a fly caught in his web. "There is nothing I wouldn't do to protect you, to bring you home, to keep you."

Shivers raced over her skin. His words were bold, daring, possessive. They were a promise. More importantly, they felt right, even if she couldn't remember anything between them, couldn't remember the lead-up that had created the feelings he spoke of. Still, she knew with certainty that she was safe with him, that he meant what he said.

"She doesn't look convinced about any of this," her father huffed, because he couldn't drop it. "Frankly, neither am I."

"Michael," Alexandra murmured, reaching over and placing a hand against her husband's forearm. "Look at the way he looks at her. Do you really think...?"

Her father sighed, then rubbed a hand over his forehead. All the fight seemed to go out of him at that. That's all it was. A father fighting for his daughter, reluctant to accept that she was no longer his little girl.

"Dad, it's...it's fine," she managed. "I'm going with him. I've already agreed."

"So you've said," he supplied. "And we aren't going to stop you."

She blinked at him. "You're...you're not?" She did not expect him to give up so easily. But she was relieved, nonetheless.

"I'm not."

"You could both come with me?" She threw a quick glance at Talon, daring him to deny this request. He'd already agreed to bring Leah and Irelia. What was two more in the grand scheme of things? Especially if it meant having her parents with her. Talon merely stared, his face completely expressionless. Was he always this difficult to read? If so, why had she ever agreed to marry someone made of stone? But he wasn't, was he? He hadn't been stone a few minutes ago, when he'd professed his love so easily.

Her father opened his mouth, then sealed his lips together again.

"That's sweet of you to offer, honey," her mom said, throwing a nervous glance towards the drengr at the dinner table, "but our lives are here. Our friends are here. The farm is here—you know how your father loves the farm." Alexandra exhaled. "You were always destined to grow your wings and fly the nest. While we didn't have this in mind, we won't stop you either."

"But...what if...what if I never see you again?" She glanced at Talon again, waiting for him to supply some form of reassurance. Surely someone with the ability to turn into a dragon could find some way to keep them all together. And yet, she knew deep down that it was not meant to be.

"You will always have us in your heart," her mother said. Claire swallowed against the lump growing in her throat. "It sounds as if your destiny is so much bigger than us, anyway. Than this farm, this life, our world. Sometimes, sacrifices must be made. I suppose this is yours."

She felt the warm droplet before she realized what it was, and dashed her hand across her cheek to wipe it away. But it was too late. King Talon was staring at her, scowling. His features were no longer made of stone. Huh. All it took were a few tears.

Alexandra cleared her throat and said, more brightly than the occasion warranted, "You should all finish your food. You have a long journey ahead of you, and you'll need your strength."

Except, she couldn't manage to take more than a few bites. She hated that they were rushing off. That she was leaving with someone she hardly knew. She understood why. Of course she did. They'd explained the time difference. How every minute was precious. How every moment wasted could mean the fall of their kingdom. Her kingdom?

And yet, she couldn't help but wish there was more time with her family, more time to get to know the male who claimed to be her husband. Then again, something also told her that there'd never be enough time, no matter how much they gave her.

"I should run home and grab a few things," Leah said, breaking the silence.

Jovari looked like he might argue. It was Talon who said, "Very well. We can afford a few more minutes."

"How about some dessert, then?" Alexandra asked.

Leah rushed off, and the rest of them tucked into her mom's baking. "What did you say this was called, Alexandra?" Talon scraped his plate clean. Claire could only blink at him. At how quickly he'd inhaled it.

"Bread pudding. Would you like some more?"

"Yes, please, if you wouldn't mind?"

"I'll get it," Claire blurted, then quickly jumped to her feet. If she sat another moment at this table, her fidgeting would get the better of her. She snatched his plate and disappeared into the kitchen. She was scooping more desert from the tray when she felt a presence behind her. The hairs on the back of her neck prickled, then a shiver of awareness raced all the way down her spine.

She froze.

Hands came up on either side of her, braced against the tile countertop. Caging her in. Instead of fearful, she felt an electric thrill.

His palms were huge, fingers long and elegant. There were ropy veins that started on the backs of his hands and traveled up his forearms, then disappeared beneath the roll of his tunic sleeves. She swallowed against the rising lump in her throat.

"Claire."

His utterance, the way he said her name, sent shivers across her skin. His voice was a low growl next to her ear. His nose dropped to her hair, nuzzling against her as he inhaled, breathing her in. It was a primal gesture that made her insides clench with desire.

But...he was a stranger! She didn't know him!

"I want to touch you everywhere. To kiss you. To hold you."

Her mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water.

She couldn't remember a time someone had spoken to her like this. Probably because no one ever had. Or, at least, that she could remember.

"Then why don't you?" she challenged. Her words were bold. Bolder than she felt. But if he was a king, why hadn't he just done exactly whatever he wanted?

"Because you don't remember. And the last thing I want is to frighten you away."

"Oh." She was almost disappointed. Even if kissing him would feel as if she were kissing a complete stranger. Not that there was anything wrong with kissing strangers. To each their own.

She released the serving spoon clenched in her fingers and whirled to face him. A bad idea. It brought her face inches from his. Her chest brushed against his. A sharp intake of breath filled her lungs. The way he looked at her made her knees weak, like she was the sun and he was a planet, desperate to throw himself into her orbit and never leave.

He lifted a hand and she watched, transfixed, as he caught a strand of her blonde hair, rubbed it between his thumb and forefinger. A breath shuddered out of her when his mouth came to her forehead; his lips were gentle, soft, pressing a kiss there in the most endearing way. The way a husband would kiss a beloved wife.

Suddenly, the idea of kissing a stranger sounded really, really great.

"I think we must be mates," she blurted, then clamped her lips shut.

He pulled back and his mouth twitched. Amusement. She wasn't sure how she could tell, except that deep down she must have known him even if her memories didn't.

"And why is that?" he asked.

"Because the idea of letting you touch me everywhere, kiss me, hold me,"—she threw his words back at him—"sounds really really good right now."

Molten fire flashed in his eyes. His pupils blew wide. He lowered his head, his gaze fixed on her mouth. Her pulse ratcheted up, racing in anticipation—

"There you are. Your mother wanted to see if you needed—"

Talon went rigid, eyes still locked with hers.

"—help. Am I interrupting?" Something about the way her father said it meant he knew he was, and he'd done it on purpose. It was probably a good thing.

She blew out the breath she'd been holding. "Nope. No. All good here," she managed, stepping around Talon. Her cheeks flamed. She felt like she was fifteen again, getting caught with Jake in the barn.

Her father lifted his brows, then turned to Talon and said, "I'd like a word with my daughter."

Talon nodded once, his jaw clenched, then walked out. She watched him go.

"For a king, he's surprisingly restrained."

"Dad!" she hissed, double-checking the doorway, that he'd actually gone back to the dining room and couldn't hear them.

"What?" Her father shrugged. "I half expected him to start making royal decrees, or whatever it is that kings in his world do. I'm sure he's used to getting his way."

Her mouth popped open. "Is that why you've been bating him this whole evening? All that brute nonsense?"

Her father's grin was slow. "I wanted to see what kind of man he is."

She snorted. "Firstly, he's not even human, so he's not a man, but a drengr male. Secondly, what if he'd just...incinerated you on the spot?!"

"Then he wouldn't be deserving of you," he said, lifting his eyebrows. She crossed her arms, glaring at him. "Marriage isn't easy, Claire Bear. It takes effort, hard work, and a great deal of patience."

"Well, he certainly had patience, dealing with you."

Michael Evans sighed. "You're really going through with this." It wasn't a question.

A niggling spear of doubt crept in. "You...you don't think I should?"

"I didn't say that." He came to her and rubbed her arms as if she were cold. "I think...I think that whatever's going on with you, the markings, your disappearance, your missing memories, this is the answer to all of it. I don't think you have a choice." He blew out a breath. "I mean, it defies everything I've ever known about the world—magic and dragons and sprites and all that. I'm a man of science, after all. You know that."

"Your brain must be exploding right now," she teased.

"Actually, it's imploding. But yes."

That brought a laugh to her lips. She couldn't help herself. She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him, squeezing as hard as she could.

"Apparently I saved the life of his guard," she told him, her voice muffled against his shoulder. "I don't remember it, but when he fell, he was bleeding to death and I stitched him up." Her father made a humming sound. "Looks like some of your knowledge wore off on me after all."

"Of course it did," he said, sounding proud. "I'd expect nothing less from my daughter. Nothing less from a queen. Do parents have to say Your Majesty if it's their own kid?"

Her laugh was more of a snort. She pulled away and wiped her eyes. "I don't think so. I wouldn't want you to, anyway. It sounds too weird coming from you."

His eyes twinkled. "You'd better go and get some time with your mother. She might not look it, but as soon as you leave, she'll be a sobbing wreck."

"Thanks, Dad. For everything. You...I'm really lucky to have a dad like you."

Something flashed over his face, there and gone. It looked a lot like tenderness. "And I'm more lucky—and proud—than you could ever know." He cuffed her on the arm. "Now go, see to your mother."

She knew exactly why he was shooing her away. He needed time alone, to process, before they said their final goodbyes. Her gut wrenched but she did as he said, grabbing the second serving of bread pudding for King Talon. He was back at the table, where she deposited it.

"Mom?" Her mother was smiling, soaking up whatever story Jovari was regaling her with. Apparently all the juicy details of their wedding. "Do you...do you think you could help me pack a few things?"

Her mom blinked, then smiled. "Of course, honey. We'll leave these three to their dessert."

"I ought to grab a fe things myself," Irelia said, hobbling to her feet. "Thank you for the fine dinner, Alexandra."

"It was my pleasure, grandmother."

Claire linked her arm through her mother's and together, they went upstairs to soak in their last moments together.

💕❤️💕Don't forget to heart this chapter!❤️💕❤️

Dear Reader,

Sigh. This chapter is so bittersweet for me. On the one hand, I wanted to give Claire and Talon a bunch of time in her world to explore all kind of fun ideas, like Talon learning how to drive a car, or grill a burger, or go to the movies. But, unfortunately, they just don't have the time. Months are flying by in Dragonwall, and the kingdom is barely hanging on by a thread. Being a ruler means doing hard things. They simply don't have the freedom to "hang out and have fun." But it's fun to imagine up scenarios where they do. So...drop your favorite scenarios here!

Anyway, it was a real challenge for me to wrap up this goodbye in such a short span. We have one more chapter with Claire next week, as she says her final goodbyes to her family. See you then!

--Mel