Realm Of Flames (Reborn #3) - M. Sinclair Page 0,1

lived a fair amount of time on Earth without anything massive or of note occurring, yet these insane past few days had shaped Maya’s perception of normality instead of the calm, easy lifestyle we participated in usually. Everything felt as though it was moving a million miles an hour, and I didn’t know how to explain to her that life wouldn’t and shouldn’t always be like this.

My biggest fear? I was worried that Maya would grow exhausted of this pace, assuming this was how life would always be, if I didn’t explain. That wasn’t something I was willing to risk, especially if it meant her not finding life with us as appealing as I was trying to make it. Despite her words expressing that she not only planned to stay but that she loved me, I had the strong and unbending urge to prove to her that we were worthy of her attention and affection. That she should continue to choose us as mates every single day because we could make her happy. That our consistent goal was to always make her as happy as possible.

I wanted desperately to show her that life was more than the insanity that had come to our doorstep so far. It was more than her ‘father’ following her across the country in order to kidnap her back to Louisiana because their coven needed Maya for some fucked-up cult fixation. It was more than some piece of shit from high school stalking her because of his fixed obsession with our mate. It was more than some asshole dragon council members that seemed set on complicating our life. More than the national media hyper-focusing on Maya and her every action. More than all of this bullshit.

That wasn’t even including the fact that I now had to whisk her away to a brand-new realm she had never been to before because there was something so unique about Maya’s phoenix form that I couldn’t begin to comprehend what it would mean if Croy’s prediction was correct. My brow dipped as I considered the strand of worries that worked its way through my head.

I didn’t like not knowing Maya’s origins. Not because it would make a difference to me, but because I couldn’t predict any future problems without knowing. I didn’t like not knowing why she continued to spike fevers or why her health sometimes declined rapidly. I didn’t like that I couldn’t even predict when her mating heat would hit. That alone was a concern enough to keep me occupied.

I never wanted Maya to feel scared or uncomfortable, and I worried that if it hit too soon, that could easily happen. Animal instincts for shifters had the tendency to be overpowering, and if you grew up with that knowledge it was far easier to accept than if you only found out you were a shifter a little over a week ago. If her mating heat did hit and she was unprepared, I was left with the fear that she would react in a way she’d later regret or would feel was rushed. I didn’t trust that any of us had the willpower to stop a version of Maya that was asking for anything, let alone in the midst of a mating heat.

So while I knew going to the Dreki realm was essential, especially because I had managed to arrange a private meeting with the royal physician, my concern wasn’t abated. In fact, I had a feeling I would never feel fully relaxed until I had a complete grasp on everything that could or would hurt Maya or threaten her happiness. It was something that would no doubt dictate years of obsessive focus, and I couldn’t have asked for a more fulfilling purpose. If taking care of my perfect mate was all I did for the rest of my life, I would be fucking thrilled.

It was the other shit that made it more complicated and messy.

Once we had a grasp on all of this, I planned on making sure Maya experienced so much more than the reality that she had been presented with so far. I wanted her to have lazy Sunday mornings where she could sleep in and spend the day relaxing at one of the many vacation properties that we owned across the Earth realm. I wanted to see her face light up as we explored each place that she talked about wanting to travel to, watching that stunning sense of excitement and wonder fill her face.