Zadok parted his lips to speak, but a rhythmic snicking on the wooden floor stopped him. I frowned, and seconds later a small creature came scurrying into the room, a flurry of green scales and… were those wings?

Before I could get a proper look, it leaped onto the end of the bed, chirruping happily, and my jaw almost hit my lap.

“Leaf, get down⁠—”

“A dragon?!” I gasped, but the little beast snorted as if unamused.

“She’s a wyvern,” the stranger said, and I swore the creature nodded smugly. I gave her another deliberate once-over, and realization dawned.

Shit, of course. She only had two legs.

“Forgive me.” I offered her a head dip, and after a studious side-eye, she seemed to relent. Tentatively, I extended my arm toward her, aiming to let her sniff my hand and hopefully earn a head scratch, but she swerved the touch, making her boundaries clear. She didn’t retreat from my space, though, so I wasn’t too disappointed. I’d just have to work harder to win her affections.

“This is Leaf,” Zadok introduced her with a sigh. “She’s very friendly, for the most part, but also a total madam. Don’t take her attitude personally.”

Leaf lifted her chin haughtily, and I snorted.

I couldn’t believe I was seeing a wyvern with my own two eyes. This was on the same scale—ha—as mermaids. Two fantasy creatures I’d had a particular interest in as a kid. It was even better learning that she had such an arrogant disposition. Watching a wyvernling judge the world around her would genuinely go down in history as one of my life’s greatest highlights.

Third only to being flirted with by a mermaid and bonding with Cair.

“Pleased to meet you, Leaf,” I said. “You are very pretty.”

She seemed pleased by the compliment, preening like a self-absorbed cat, and fluffing out her bat-like wings, before trotting farther down the bed. She paused to dead-eye Cair—which was fucking hilarious, considering my mate dead-eyed her straight back—before huffing and plonking herself at my feet.

I almost didn’t breathe in case I ruined her peace.

“I didn’t mean to disturb your reunions,” the ogre said. “But I wanted to apologize.” He turned his attention to Cair. “I was hostile. I saw the white hair and… Well, I didn’t want anything else to happen to Zadok because of you lot.”

“I understand,” my mate responded, and I felt his fingers twitch against mine. “You were protecting your home. Your family. I’d have done the same.”

The guy grunted, saying nothing more.

My gaze flipped back and forth between the two. “Um, who are you?”

“Felix Wyne.” He puffed his chest out slightly. “Flick, for preference. I’m your dad’s…” He looked to Zadok for confirmation.

The older Fae smiled softly in return. “He is my partner.”