anxiousness had everything to do with it, but she could move on from it so long as Arysteon and Serek were with her.
When Arysteon returned, the camp was tidied and Serek was in a fresh diaper cloth, chewing on the last of Leyloni’s stash of sunfruits. Leyloni grinned at the sight of her dragon, and that grin only widened when he lifted his hands to display the fish he’d caught from the nearby river.
Soon enough, the three of them were sitting around their small fire, eating the tender, flaky fish in comfortable, appreciative silence. Arysteon picked little pieces off his portion with his claws, ensuring there were no tiny bones within, and passed them to Serek. The baby accepted each one happily, shoving even the smallest pieces into his mouth with his entire palm and smacking his lips.
“We still have a long way to travel before we reach the far edge of the forest,” Arysteon said as he divided another of the fillets with his claws, “but we must plan for the possibility that the comet will still be in the sky when we find the Snow Tree tribe. If that is the case…we will need to wait for it to pass before making contact with them.”
Frowning, Leyloni placed a hand on Serek’s back and helped him drink from her waterskin. “Why would we need to wait?”
“Because the Heat will only intensify as it continues, and it will increasingly affect me. And you are my mate.” His expression darkened as he met her gaze. “I cannot be certain of how I will behave in the presence of other males. It is likely that I will see them as threats to my claim on you, and the Heat will drive me to act upon it.”
“Oh. I…I did not know. Our stories speak of the world being more dangerous under the blood moon, of beasts becoming far more aggressive…” She paused when Arysteon arched a brow and quirked his lips. Then it dawned on her. He was a beast—a dragon. Being in human form did not change that. “Oh.”
When he spoke again, his voice was gentle. “The stories are correct about that. The world is more dangerous with that comet in the sky, and many creatures will be more aggressive—but most will be concerned only with mating. We must keep traveling, and we must remain vigilant.”
Arystreon leaned closer and caught her chin. “But you must know you need not fear any beast, my heartsong. The most fearsome of them all is already at your side.”
Leyloni reached up and curled her fingers around his wrist. Her heart quickened at the ferocity and love in his eyes, and she knew without a single doubt that he would do whatever it took to keep her and Serek safe.
18
It was impossible for Leyloni to shake the feeling that she was being hunted as she, Serek, and Arysteon continued through the forest. The vague directions her father had given her—and the hope they inspired—seemed like phantoms, unsubstantial and intangible compared to the very real pain and suffering inflicted by the Bone Wraiths.
Arysteon had killed that hunting party, but not the threat they represented. How far were the Bone Wraiths willing to rove in their search for males?
Leyloni knew Arysteon harbored many of the same concerns as she. He was more focused, reserved, and alert than she’d ever seen, his eyes in constant motion and his tongue repeatedly tasting the air. Together, he and Leyloni did all they could to obscure their trail without overly delaying their journey.
Of course, the Bone Wraiths were not the only shadow looming over Leyloni and her family. Even when it wasn’t visible, the comet remained a dark, pervasive presence, silently exerting its influence on the forest. During the day, everything looked normal, but the woods were filled with incessant mating calls from all manner of beasts both familiar and unknown. Leyloni had never heard anything like it. And some of those calls—especially when they grew aggressive—were downright chilling.
The comet’s effects on Arysteon strengthened as days passed, and Leyloni had no doubt they were more and more the reason behind his demeanor. Whenever they stopped for Serek to nap—and when the baby was asleep at night—Arysteon mated her. Heat blazed off him during their joinings, fueling his fierce, desperate movements.
Each time they came together, it was a little more intense than the last, and only heightened his craving for her. Even when they spent what must have been hours mating beneath the blood