All her life, she’d focused on the clan of Katagaria that had attacked her village and killed her mother. She still didn’t know why they’d done that.
A killing, animal rampage. That was all she’d ever been told. It was what Katagaria did. All they knew. They were wild animals that killed indiscriminately and without conscience.
They didn’t care who or what they destroyed. They were incapable of understanding.
But Maxis was right. He’d never shown that side to her.
Well, the rolling head a few minutes ago, notwithstanding. Yet she could excuse that. She’d have done worse had she been there to save her children.
For the first time, she looked at her mate and didn’t search for the human inside him.
She saw his animal heart for what it was. Beautiful.
And realized that was what she’d fallen in love with. That it was the animal inside him that she treasured above all else. It was what made him Maxis. What made him different from other men.
Frowning, he brushed his fingers against her cold cheeks. “Why are you crying?”
“Because I hurt you when I shouldn’t have. I listened to others when I should have kept counsel with you alone. And most of all because I know I don’t deserve the second chance I’m about to ask you for.”
Max sucked his breath in sharply at her words. He could sense that she meant them. But she’d “meant” them before and he’d lived to regret trusting her.
“I don’t know, Sera. So much has happened between us.”
“It has. I know I have no right to ask this of you.” She took his hand in hers and kissed his palm. “Can I share a memory with you?”
He hesitated before he nodded. “Just think of it and I’ll see it.”
She had so many memories she wanted to show him of their children. But there was one in particular he should see.
It was when their twins had first entered puberty. They’d been terrified of their emotions and magick.
Hadyn in particular had been skittish. In retrospect, she realized that he must have suspected that he was changing over from human to Katagari. As such, he’d been even more resistant to his newfound powers than Edena. It also hadn’t made it easier that Arcadians frowned on anyone who gave in to their animal nature and transformed.
Her people considered it weak to shapeshift. While other Arcadian patrias had their own laws and customs, hers were expected to maintain their human forms, no matter what.
But her children weren’t like the others and she knew that. Most of all, she wanted them to feel closer to the father they’d never met.
To help them come to terms with who and what they were, Seraphina had taken them to the cave that had belonged to Maxis. Her hopes had been to put them in touch with their noble father.
Hadyn had pulled up short as soon as they reached the entrance. “What’s that scent?”
“Your father. This was his lair while he lived with me.”
That had changed both their attitudes. They entered the cave and looked around as if seeking some kind of connection to the dragonswain they’d never met.
Edena had scowled at her. “Why did you bring us here?”
“So that you could change into a dragon and not fear what you are.”
Hadyn’s grimace made a mockery of his sister’s. “Ragna says that we should never unleash the beast inside us. Once it’s free, it’s hard to suppress.”
“And they are born Arcadians. You two aren’t. Your father was a fierce, proud dragonswain and you should never be ashamed of that part of yourselves. Because you’re mixed, I’m thinking you might have special abilities as a dragon that the others lack. You might even be able to hold that form longer. The very least, you should try it and see.”
Edena had screwed her face up. “I don’t know.”
“I’ll do it.” Hadyn had stepped deeper into the cave, making sure to put plenty of room between them. He flashed them a bright smile. “Watch this!” An instant later, he’d taken his dragon form.
Fear had stolen Sera’s breath, but she quickly hid it from her son.