my mother, which parts from my father. Now, I don’t have to wonder anymore. I know. I have people I can ask if there’s something else I want to know—and all of that is huge.”
Ravi finally sucked in a breath, his eyes burning brightly.
“I’d lost so much without realizing it. And today I gained some of it back. Chandi and Sahan told me about their lives, growing up. They even taught me a few things that I didn’t know about wind dragons.”
Sora cupped Ravi’s cheek and wiped away a stray tear that had slipped from the corner of his eye. He was so glad he’d followed the impulse to call Ravi’s family in to meet him. The joy that radiated from Ravi was infectious.
“No one thinks you’re ungrateful or that you don’t love your family simply because you’ve finally met wind dragons. Because you’ve met blood relatives. We all know your heart is big enough to include the Burkhard Clan as well as the Yamuna Dragons.”
“Thank you,” Ravi whispered against his lips. “Thank you. Thank you. The words don’t seem big enough for what you’ve done.”
“Your smile is all the thanks I need.”
“Still…thank you. I feel like I have a better understanding now of what it means to be me. No one else has ever been able to give me such a gift.”
Sora closed his eyes and touched his forehead to Ravi’s. His heart skipped and jumped in his chest. He would rearrange the heavens to make his dragon happy.
Ravi settled back down in the bed, snuggled close enough that he was practically a part of Sora. Though, Sora felt that it still wasn’t close enough.
“I can’t believe you brought them here,” Ravi said on a sigh.
“I figured it was easier to bring them here since I have no intention of returning home.”
Ravi sat up and stared at him, his mouth hanging open. “I’m sorry. What?”
Sora smiled. “I want to stay here with you. Well, unless you want to move to my home so you can be closer to the wind dragons. I just thought we could stay at Burkhard with your fam—”
Sora didn’t get any further. Ravi let out a shout and lunged at Sora. They rolled, laughing, across the bed until they fell to the floor with a loud thud. They both grunted and resumed laughing in a tangle of sheets on the carpet.
“Really? You really want to stay here? I thought we were going to talk it over some more, as we didn’t really reach a decision,” Ravi said, his fingers digging into Sora’s shoulders as if he were afraid he’d suddenly disappear or maybe wake up from this wonderful dream.
“Yes. Definitely. I hesitated for all the wrong reasons, it seems, in making that decision. I love it here, and you’re so happy. I want to be wherever you are, and this is your home. I want to make this our home. Do you think King Alric will be willing to take in one more mage?”
Ravi tackled him to the carpet and rolled them until they banged into a piece of furniture. “Yes! Yes! Yes! I know we went back and forth, but the truth is, I just…I can’t leave. This is my family, and my family needs me right now.”
“I know. I reached the same conclusion. It would be selfish of me to ask you to leave.” Sora ran an affectionate hand through those dark curls. He’d made the right decision. It was clear from the expression on Ravi’s face. “I will be where my mate is.”
Ravi’s joy somehow tripled. “Then you know? That we’re mates?”
“I do. I think I knew almost from the beginning. It took a minute for my heart to get it through to my head, is all. You feel the same?” He hadn’t meant to make that a question—Ravi obviously felt the same—it was just so much to take in at once.
Sora exhaled and swallowed hard. It was such a relief that Ravi felt the same that it stole all his words away and filled his heart to overflowing.
“I love you, Sora. I love you like the wind loves the clouds and the tops of mountains. I love you as only a dragon can love his mage. Completely and forever.”
Sora pulled Ravi down, sealing their mouths together in a crushing kiss. He’d heard it every time Ravi had called him mine, seen it in every look, but the words had finally penetrated down to his soul.
“I love you, Ravi. You are my