Autumn lifted a hand to tuck a blowing strand of hair behind her ear as she stood beside Kirall watching his parents, in their Dragon form, prepare to land in Kruba's courtyard. But her thoughts were still on what had happened back in the Hoard.

She'd only looked away for a moment, but that was all it took for Kur to disappear. And while disappointed, she didn't think it would be the last they'd see of the Dragoon God. At least she hoped not. But that worry was for another time. Right now she needed to deal with in-laws that didn't like her.

She watched as Kiran's larger, black Dragon used his wings to protect his nearly identical but smaller mate from the air currents that swirled around Kruba so she could land easier. It reminded her of how her father would pull her mother close to block an unusually strong wind. It showed her that he truly loved and cared for Niccele.

"Mother. Father." Kirall stepped forward once they'd shifted into their Other form, fully clothed for which Autumn was grateful. "Welcome to our Lair."

"Kirall!" His mother launched herself into his arms as soon as she was close enough. "Why did you keep this from us?" After a moment she pulled back so her gaze could travel over him, taking in his red/black hair that was hanging free and the silver that now rimmed his eyes. "How could I not have noticed this?"

"Because all you cared about was getting him to fuck that bitch Maaike." Autumn bit out knowing it was an inappropriate thing to say and that her mother was frowning down at her from heaven. But this was her Lair, damn it, and she wasn't going to allow anyone to treat her as she had been before, not even Kirall's mother.

"Autumn!" Kirall spun around to look at her in shock.

"What?” she demanded. “She can be rude to me, but I can't be rude to her?"

"You dare to speak to my mate that way?!!" Kiran growled, but Niccele's firm grip on his arm stopped him from moving toward Autumn.

Niccele looked at her mate. "Kiran, she has the right to be upset with me. She is our son's mate, and I didn't properly welcome her into our Lair."

“You didn’t welcome me at all,” Autumn reminded her.

“This is true.”

"You didn't know," Kiran defended his mate.

"That doesn't matter, Kiran. If your mother had done such a thing when you presented me as your mate, I would have turned her into ash.”

Kiran looked down at his mate, the edges of his mouth curling slightly, easing his tension. “You were a firebrand, my love.”

“I still am and don’t you forget it." She returned his smile, but it faded when she looked back to Autumn. “But that doesn't excuse my actions. I must be honest with you, Autumn. I prayed to Kur many times in the hope that he would bless Kirall with a mate much sooner than he blessed me with my Kiran.” She glanced up at Kiran for a moment before returning her focus to Autumn and the love in her eyes was easy to see. “And yes, it was my greatest hope that Maaike would be that mate. But for the purely selfish reason of knowing that if she was, then I would never truly lose Kirall… never be replaced.”

“Niccele…”

“Mother…”

Kiran and Kirall spoke as one, neither able to hide their shock.

“I know,” Niccele gave them both a sad look. “It’s wrong. A mother should only ever want the very best for her offspring, but you are my first, Kirall… a gift I never thought I would receive especially as the years passed and I didn't find my mate. Because of that, you’ve always held a special place in my heart.” She reached up to cup one of Kirall's cheeks then teased. “But if you ever tell any of your siblings I said that I will vehemently deny it.”

That got her a slight smile from her son. Slowly she removed her hand and turned to face Autumn.

"I know that probably doesn't make sense to you, Autumn, but I have known Maaike all her life. While she is a Gold Prime and beautiful, she is also weak and selfish. I knew she could never completely take my son from me, mate or not. But you… you can… and have… because you are everything she isn't and not because you are a Supreme. I have barely spent any time with you and yet I already know you are a strong female. One who stands up for herself and loves my son absolutely and with no reservations. Which is exactly how he deserves to be loved. I also know that he feels exactly the same way about you.”

“But that doesn’t change the way he feels about you,” Autumn found herself saying because she more than heard the honesty in Niccele's words, she felt them. She also felt what it cost her to say them to her son and mate. Because of that, Autumn was able to view Niccele's actions and reactions differently, finding she sympathized with her because she knew she would never react well if she were replaced in Kirall's affections. "Or your place in his life."

"Thank you, my dear, but we both know that it does."

Autumn looked at the stoic acceptance in Niccele's eyes, to the pain in her own mate's, and knew there was something she could do to ease both. If she were strong enough… loved Kirall enough.

"Only if we let it." Stepping forward, Autumn reached out taking Niccele's hands in hers, and at that moment she knew this was the right thing to do. "Yes, Kirall loves me, and I will always be his top priority, as you are Kiran's," she gently reminded her. "But that doesn't mean he loves you any less. That's not how family works or at least not how it should. I know my sudden appearance caught you off guard, but it's my hope that once you get to know me, you will welcome me into your family instead of seeing me as an interloper that stole your son away. Because I know that we," she reached her hand out blindly and Kirall immediately clasped it, "already consider you a member of ours." Her gaze went to Kiran. "Both of you."

No one spoke, all eyes resting on Niccele waiting for her response. They didn't have to wait long. "I… I would like that very much."

Smiling, Autumn gestured toward the open doors behind them. "Then Lady Niccele, Elder Kiran, we would like to welcome you to our Lair. Won't you come inside?"

"That would be wonderful. Thank you," Niccele responded then slipping her arm through her mate's, they walked into Kruba.

When Autumn would have followed, Kirall pulled her into his arms and gave her a hard, deep kiss. "Thank you."

 

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

 

"You were prepared for us," Niccele commented entering the immaculately clean room with a roaring fire in its hearth. Trays of appetizers and goblets filled with wine sat on the low table between two couches.

"Actually," Autumn looked around the room she and Kirall had yet to explore. "We had nothing to do with it. It seems Kruba is pleased that you are here."

"You're saying your Lair did this?" Niccele gave them a perplexed look.

"Yes, doesn't your Lair see to your needs?"

"Well yes…" Niccele said, "but not like this."

"What do you mean?" She gazed at Niccele in confusion. "How is this different than what your Lair does?"

"You don't know?" Niccele asked.

"Mother, Autumn and I haven't had time to discuss this."

"Really? Why not? What could you have possibly been…"

"Niccele," Kiran cut his mate off. "I know you have not forgotten how we spent the first hours in our Lair. The first weeks actually."

Niccele sucked in a sharp breath, her face flaming with color. "Oh. Of course. And here we are…" Niccele shook her head in disbelief. "Oh, Autumn. I owe you the greatest of apologies. You are newly mated, and here we arrive uninvited…"

"That doesn't matter. Please, Lady Niccele, tell me what I don't know. Have I done something wrong?" Her eyes flew to Kirall.

"No!" Niccele quickly rose moving around the table to sit down next to Autumn. "No, child, you have done nothing wrong. Well except to address me as 'Lady Niccele,' but that is for another time. Right now we need to discuss how extraordinary your Lair is and it's all because of you."

"What do you mean?"

"While Lairs are a reflection of the Keepers that empower them, they don't provide for them like this." She gestured around them.

"They don't?"

"No, that is the responsibility of the Others. They take care of the Lair and the Dragoons that reside there and in return the power of the Lair and those Dragoons protect them."

"From what?" Autumn looked to Kirall. "That's something I've never understood. From what do the Others need to be protected from?"

Kiran looked to Kirall and waited for his slight nod before speaking.

"For many, many millennia, Dragoons and Others lived very separate lives. The Dragoons high on their mountains and in the skies while the Others lived below in close-knit communities tilling the ground."

"So what changed?"

"A Dragoon named Turik discovered an injured Other on his mountain. He took her back to his Lair where he discovered she was his mate. She was terrified."

"Why?"

"Because Others had only ever seen a Dragoon in our Dragon form. It was our preferred form then."

"He came at her as a Dragon? No wonder she was terrified." She looked to Kirall. "Your Beast was terrifying enough. I don't know how I would have reacted if the first time I ever saw you you'd been in your Dragon form."

"You might have been frightened, but you still would have stood up to me," Kirall smiled as he leaned over kissing her forehead. "Because you are brave and strong."

"Well it seems Turik's female was too," Kiran said.

"Ana," Niccele supplied.

"What?" Both Autumn and Kirall looked at her.

"Ana was the name of Turik's female. It is only because of her that we discovered Others could be the mates of Dragoons."

"Which some Dragoons didn't approve of," Kiran inserted. "Then or now."

"Kirall told me about how some see having an Other as a mate is a weakness because they can't shift and are therefore easier to kill."

"Yes, and because of that and the fact that it pleased his mate greatly, Turik extended his protection to her family and they moved onto his mountain. Some served within their Lair while others made their homes outside it. Also, since his mate wasn't able to shift, Turik remained in his Other form most of the time and his Lair slowly adapted to that form." Kiran gestured to the furniture around the room before shifting to the extremely high ceiling, and Autumn realized that if Kirall shifted into his Dragon, the furniture would be destroyed, but he would still fit. "Over time as more Dragoons found their mates with Others, they took their families under their protection, and their Lairs also changed."

"So you’re saying that the Others that work in and around your Lair are all related to you?"

"Distantly, yes. It has been Dragoon generations since one of Kirall's ancestors mated an Other."

"But…"

"But what, Autumn?" Kirall asked when her confused gaze turned to him.

"You said that the Supreme mates and offspring were attacked by Dragoons and Others alike out of jealousy and spite. But if the Others were related to the Supremes… Why would they plot against their own family?"

"Because a Dragoon's lifespan and that of their Other mate greatly exceeds that of any unmated Other," Kiran told her. "Some were content with that, but some… not so much."

"They became resentful because they weren't chosen as a Dragoon Mate."

"Yes."

"So then why are there Others approaching Kruba?" Autumn asked. "None of them are related to me."

"We didn't see any Others," Kiran said looking to Niccele who nodded her agreement.

"They were a great distance behind you, but they were definitely heading this way," Autumn told them.

"You can sense them?" Niccele asked. "That far outside your boundary?"

"Yes," Autumn said giving them a perplexed look. "I thought all Dragoons could sense those approaching their boundary."

"We can, but not at the distance you are able to."

"Kirall," Kiran looked to his son. "You said you were able to sense the location of everyone within my Lair."

"Yes. It’s how I knew Autumn had left." The look he gave her let her know he was still unhappy about that. It grew when she just shrugged.

"Can you sense the Others approaching?" Kiran asked drawing his son's attention back to him.

Kirall closed his eyes for a moment tapping into the power of Kruba and felt the ripple. "Yes, not as easily as Autumn at that distance, but if I concentrate I can."

"That's all great," Autumn said dismissively, "but why are those Others approaching and more importantly what do we do about it?"

"They heard the call," Niccele whispered.

"Heard what call?" Autumn and Kirall said together their gazes flashing to Niccele.

"It was a tale told by the Others who were forced to leave the mountains when their Supremes either died or left."

"Left?" Autumn asked. "What do you mean left? I thought Razeth was the last Supreme. That he was the only one that left."

"He was the only one that left an empowered Lair behind. The others just disappeared, one by one, some promising their Others that they would 'Hear the Call' when they returned.”

"So that means there are other Supremes out there," Autumn didn't try to hide her shock.

"Anything is possible, but after all this time it’s doubtful," Kiran said regretfully.

"Why?" Autumn questioned.

"Because a Dragoon needs a Hoard to survive and no Dragoon has ever been able to empower one except on Mondu," Kiran explained.

"Razeth empowered a Hoard on Earth," Autumn told them.

"What?!!" Three sets of shocked eyes stared at her.

"Autumn, you never told me that," Kirall said.

"I didn't know it was important."

"How can you possibly know?" Kiran demanded.

"Because Jaclyn told me."

"Jaclyn?" Niccele asked.

"Razeth's mate," Autumn informed her.

"How could you have possibly met her?" Kiran demanded.

"Dad, Autumn met both Razeth and Jaclyn when she was in the world between worlds."

"The world between worlds… oh, Autumn…" Autumn was shocked to find herself wrapped in Niccele's tight embrace, the honest dismay easily heard in her voice. "We nearly lost you before we ever knew you."

"I'm okay, Lady Niccele," Autumn forced out of a suddenly tight throat. "Kirall made sure of it."

"As a good mate should," Niccele said pulling back, her gaze traveling over Autumn as if checking for injuries. "And please call me Niccele. You are my son's mate, and while I know we didn't get off on the right foot, I hope that one day we can be friends."

"I would like that very much, Niccele."

"You said you nearly lost her," Kiran's gaze remained on the females as he spoke to his son.

"Yes, the Earth Curator poisoned her in the hopes of covering up his misdeeds."

"But poisons don't affect Dragoons," Kiran said.

"Well they affect me," Autumn told him.

"Really?" Kiran frowned at her for a moment. "I wonder why."

"Could it be her human side?" Niccele asked.

"It wasn't my human side that was affected," she told Niccele. "It was my Dragon."

"Was this before or after your first shift?" Kiran asked.

"Both," Autumn told Kiran.

"But, Autumn, you had yet to accept your Dragon," Kirall reminded her. "Maybe that's why."

"Maybe, but back to the more immediate question. Why are there Others approaching Kruba and what are we going to do about it?"

"First," Kiran said, "they are approaching because the Dragoon blood in them remains strong. It calls them home."

"But I don't know them. They don't know me."

"That doesn't matter. They will want to serve their Dragoon. Will want to be protected again."

Kirall turned her to face him then asked. "Why is that bothering you so much, Autumn?"

"Because if past Others were willing to betray the Keepers they knew, what's to stop these Others from doing it to us? I know we just arrived here, and it’s selfish of me, but for the first time since my family died I feel safe, and I don't want it to end."

"Then it won't."

"But those approaching…"

"Don't matter. You and your needs will always come first, Autumn."

"If you would like," Niccele quietly said, "we could inform them to return to the lowlands when we leave."

"Leave? What do you mean? Why would you leave?" Autumn’s questions were rapidly fired. "You just got here."

"Oh, my dear, you have no idea what it means to me that you would want us to stay after the way I greeted you. But you are newly mated and just discovering your Lair. You need time alone."

Autumn looked to Kirall. Yes, she wanted to be alone with him, but there was also still so much she didn't know. Yes, Kur had helped her as had Kruba, but still, there were things only another woman… female could tell her. One familiar with the ways of the Dragoon.

Kirall gazed into his mate's eyes and saw so much. She wanted to be alone with him, wanted the rest of the world to go away, if only for a time. But she also wanted to spend time with his parents. Wished to learn from them even after the way they initially greeted her as his mother acknowledged. He would love it if his parents left. Then he could get his mate naked and begin the attempt of making love to her in every room in their Lair. But he'd just gotten done saying that her needs would always come first and right now she needed his parents.

"Mother. Father. Please stay," he implored. "We need you, and you haven't even tasted your wine. Actually, neither have we, but I can't believe Kruba would ever serve anything you didn't like."

Niccele looked to Kiran who picked up a goblet and held it out to her. "It is up to you, my love, but it seems we are needed here, and I know how much you like to be needed."

"I do," she said rising to move back toward her mate. "But what about the approaching Others?"

"Let me attempt something," Kirall said and closing his eyes sent out an order for the Others to return to their homes. He didn't know if it would work. Didn't know why he believed he could do this but was determined to try and was surprised when he felt the Others start to turn away. Opening his eyes, he smiled. "They are returning to their homes."

"That is amazing," Niccele began taking the goblet her mate held out to her, only to let out a little shriek when he pulled her into his lap.

"Not as amazing as I am," Kiran growled.

"Do you now understand why I wanted my own Lair as soon as possible?" Kirall whispered shaking his head as his parents began to kiss. Leaning forward, he picked up their two goblets.

Autumn smirked at Kirall's discomfort as his parents lost themselves in each other. Impressed that his mother hadn't spilled a drop of her wine. "I think it's cute. And comforting."

"Comforting?" he asked, handing her a goblet before leaning back to put an arm around her shoulders and pull her close.

"Yes." She snuggled into his embrace not surprised to find she liked the wine she was sipping. "Because one day, that will be us, making our offspring uncomfortable."

Kirall felt his heart begin to pound and fire burned his throat at the future she envisioned for them because he could see it, he wanted it, and so did his Beast and Dragon.

"Yes!" he growled as his lips captured hers in a scorching kiss.

"Offspring?!!" Niccele shrieked.

"What?" Autumn jerked her mouth from Kirall's at Niccele's shrieking exclamation. It was the only thing that could have penetrated the lust that had filled her at her mate's growling domination.

"You are with offspring?" Niccele questioned, her eyes full of hope.

"No! I mean of course not. I can't be." She looked to Kirall uncertainty filling her eyes. "Could I? I mean I would know. Wouldn't I?"

"Mother?" Kirall gave her a desperately hopeful look.

At Kirall's desperation and Autumn’s uncertainty, Niccele realized what she had just done. "Oh, Autumn, again I owe you the greatest of apologies. I should have realized you wouldn't know."

"Know what?" Her hand that was not holding the goblet went to cover her flat stomach.

"That your Dragon will always tell you when you are with offspring. She will sense it almost immediately and wrap herself around it, protecting it."

"Oh… she hasn't said anything." Autumn couldn't hide her disappointment.

"Don't worry, dear, it will happen. I'm just an old Dragoon that's impatient for her offspring to have offspring I can spoil. You are newly mated, so enjoy this time when it is just the two of you because once Kur blesses you with offspring…" Niccele just shook her head. "Well, you can never just be… spontaneous with your mate again."

"It never stopped you and Father," Kirall grumbled.

"You would be surprised." This time it was Kiran who grumbled. "Or how many times you get interrupted."

"Oh shush." Niccele slapped her mate's arm playfully.

"And you never spoiled us," Kirall said but looked at his father and suddenly understood why he acted the way he did with his mother because Kirall knew he would always act this way with Autumn.

Kiran met his son's gaze and a deeper understanding passed between them that only a father and son could share as mated males.

"Of course not," Niccele said unaware of the silent exchange between the men in her life. "There were too many of you for me to do that. But your offspring… I can't wait to wrap my claws around them and take them flying."

"You…" Autumn looked from Kirall to Niccele in growing horror. "You actually do that with your children… offspring?"

"Of course," Niccele told her frowning slightly. "How else are we to take them places before they are able to fly on their own?"

"I… I just assumed you used a transport like the one Kirall and I arrived on."

"Well, we did once we had more offspring than the two of us could carry."

"It really is quite safe, Autumn," Kirall reassured her. "But in all honesty, it didn't happen as often as Mother is implying."

"It didn't?"

"No, we rarely passed through our boundary. It is just a way for young Dragoons to learn how to navigate on the powerful air currents around the Lair before their first solo flight."

"So it’s a little like a parent holding their child's hands as they learn to walk, before letting go so they can do it on their own."

"Yes."

 

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

 

It was later that evening, after exploring more of Kruba and consuming a delicious meal, that the two couples retreated to a small balcony on the backside of the Lair. It was protected from the mountain's swirling air currents so they could watch as the fading embers of Mondu's sun licked their way across the vast expanse that ran from the base of Kruba's mountain range to a barely visible range in the distance.

"So there are Dragoons living on that range?" Autumn asked leaning back into her mate's arms.

"Yes, Minors have Lairs on every peak," Kirall told her.

"Only Minors?"

"Yes, no Prime would ever claim such a low peak.”

"So besides a Dragoon’s color and that of their laminae, the level of one's Lair also reflects your social status?"

"Yes, because while a higher Lair is easier to protect, it is also harder to empower."

"It’s hard to believe that there are enough peaks on Mondu for every Dragoon to have a Lair."

"Umm, Autumn…"

"Yes?" She looked to Kirall.

"While Mondu is extremely mountainous compared to Earth, there aren't nearly enough peaks for every Dragoon to have their own."

"Then where do they live?"

"Most Dragoons, especially Minors, share a mountain with the most powerful one claiming the peak. The rest claim smaller Lairs below."

"But we've claimed this entire mountain!"

"Yes, but originally Razeth claimed the entire range," Kiran told her. “With your return, the Primes that have claimed some of those peaks will be forced to relinquish them.”

"Seriously?!! How is that fair? Those Dragoons have made their homes there, raised their offspring there. I’ve just arrived, and we don’t need an entire mountain range.” She looked to Kirall, expecting to see he agreed with her. Instead, he gave her a regretful look.

“Autumn, when it comes to the extent of a Dragoon’s territory, there is little that is fair. It's all connected to the power of his Hoard. Now that we’ve re-empowered Kruba’s, it will expand, claiming all the territory it deems necessary to protect its Keeper.”

“And there’s no way we can stop it?”

“No, and even if there was, I wouldn’t. You are my mate and your protection is all that matters to me.”

“But those Dragoons have lived there for generations.”

“And now they will live somewhere else as they did when Razeth was here.”

“I still don’t think it’s right.”

“That’s because you have a kind heart,” Kirall murmured against her lips.

“You do, Autumn,” Niccele told her pulling Autumn’s gaze. “That is why you need to let Kirall and Kruba protect you. You are going to need it.”

“Need it?” Autumn asked. “What are you talking about?”

“Niccele…” Kiran growled.

“She is our son’s mate. She has the right to know.”

“Know?” Kirall growled this time. “Know what?!!”

Kiran sighed heavily, looking at the darkened landscape then gestured to the doors behind them. “Perhaps we should go inside. There are things you need to know.”