“Tell me,” Kirall demanded of his father once they were back inside.

“I was contacted this sunrise by Elder Tove."

"Maaike's father?" Autumn asked.

"Yes. It seems Maaike was quite distraught last night and contacted him about Autumn's arrival."

"Contacted?" Autumn frowned at Kiran, suddenly realizing she'd never asked how Dragoons communicated. When they'd been on the Inferno, Kirall had sent a transmission to his father informing him of their arrival. She'd gone with him to a small room that reminded her of something you'd see on a ship. She hadn't seen anything like that in his parents’ Lair. She hadn't seen one in Kruba either. "How was she able to do that?"

"Communicate with her father?" Kiran asked.

"Yes, is there a room or something?"

Kiran frowned down at her in confusion. "All blood kin can communicate through that bond. Weren't you aware of that?"

"Why would I be?" Autumn asked stiffly, suddenly feeling like an outsider again. "I have no blood kin here. I don't have them anywhere."

"That's a lie. I'm your blood kin now." Kirall wrapped her up in his arms before lowering his forehead to hers and whispering, "I'm sorry, my love. I didn't realize this was something you didn't know. The bond occurs at birth. It's something we don't even think about."

Autumn sank into Kirall's embrace, the absolute truth in his words soothing her even while it made her realize in many ways she would always be an outsider on Mondu. Supreme or not.

"Autumn?" Kirall frowned down at her, feeling her pain but not understanding it.

"So Maaike told her father Kirall was mated. Not to her, but to some unknown female that she believed to be a Minor." She pulled out of Kirall's arms not wanting to talk about it right now.

Kiran looked at Kirall for a moment before he spoke. "Yes, and Tove then contacted Lando who in turn summoned Dacke. Dacke informed Lando that Autumn was a Supreme."

"Kur!" Kirall swore.

"Why would Dacke do that?" Autumn couldn't believe it. She and Dacke had met while traveling on the Inferno, and she'd thought they were friends.

"He wouldn't have had any choice, Autumn," Kirall told her. "Lando is the Elder of the White Minors and the most powerful of them. Dacke would have been forced to reveal what he knew or been crushed."

"You're not talking literally, right? He wouldn't have actually been crushed."

"He would have if Lando chose to."

"That is so wrong."

"Yes, there are those that abuse their power. Lando is one of them."

"Is Dacke okay?" she asked looking at Kiran.

"It is my understanding that he held out as long as he could, but in the end, he was brought to his knees before finally revealing what he knew about you. Lando immediately contacted Tove."

"Contacted? How? Tove is a Gold Prime so he can't be blood kin to a White Minor. Did he fly to tell Tove?"

"No, Tove was in his Lair. Lando communicated with him through a relay jewel."

"A relay jewel?"

Kiran reached inside his tunic and pulled out the long chain he wore around his neck until a large, black, teardrop jewel appeared. "This is my relay jewel. It is the jewel I chose to use to communicate across long distances with those not blood kin."

Autumn frowned at the jewel then looked to Kirall. "I've never seen you wear one."

"No you haven't, but that's because I left it in my Lair when I went to assist the Terceirians." Kur, that felt like a lifetime ago to him. "I haven't had the opportunity to retrieve it."

"Why didn't you just take it with you?"

"The relay only works when you are on Mondu or within its orbit."

"Unless the seasonal storms hit," Kiran interjected. "Then all transmissions from orbit are affected."

"Like Kirall's was."

"Yes."

"So what happens now that they know I'm a Supreme?"

"The Council of Elders is being convened tomorrow, and they are demanding your presence," Kiran told her.

"Demanding?" Autumn growled feeling her Dragon raise her head in displeasure. "What makes them think they can demand anything from me?"

"They are Elders," Kiran said as if that explained it.

"Well, I'm sorry, but that means absolutely nothing to me."

"Autumn, I explained to you that the Elders are the most powerful of their individual ranks," Kirall reminded her.

"Who seem to use their power to intimidate and harm those weaker than them."

"Not all Elders are like Lando and Tove," Niccele told her quietly.

"Maybe not your mate, Niccele, but as for the rest, I can only form my opinion by what I've seen, heard, and personally experienced since my arrival. And in all honesty, most of it hasn't been that good. After the Varana murdered my family, those you would consider Elders took control of my life and decided what was best for me. It took me years to recover from the harm they did. I will never allow that to happen again."

"They can do nothing to you, Autumn," Kirall reassured her.

"But what about you?" she demanded. "Because of my age?"

"Your age?" Niccele frowned, her gaze going from one to the other. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"You don't know?" Autumn looked from Niccele to Kirall. "I thought you were going to talk to your father about it."

"I did, but then you crossed his boundary, and I had to follow so we never got to discuss our options."

"Would someone please explain to me what you are talking about?" Niccele demanded.

"I'm twenty-two," Autumn told her bluntly.

"What? No!" Niccele reached out a frantic hand for Kiran. "That can't be true because if it is…"

"Kirall could be executed," Autumn finished for her. "Nixie told me."

"Nixie knows of this?" Niccele whispered.

"Yes, she also knows I'm a Supreme and that Kirall now is."

"That explains her attitude toward Maaike."

"Mother, Nixie has always had an attitude when it comes to Maaike," Kirall told her.

"Another reason why I like your sister.”

Kiran looked at Autumn for a moment then tipped his head back and laughed, easing the tension somewhat. "Kur, the Council won't know what hit it if you find a kindred soul in my oldest female."

"I'm going to take that as a compliment," Autumn told him.

"You should. You surely should because besides my mate, I know of no fiercer female than my daughter."

"She is that. She was going to attack me when she thought I had harmed her brother."

"They have always been extremely close," Niccele murmured. "But I'm not sure how that is going to save my son."

"Mother…"

"Don't you dare use that tone with me, young Dragoon," Niccele ordered, her voice deepening, her face starting to elongate. "You may be a Supreme, but you are still my offspring, and it will always be my job to worry about and protect you." Her gaze went to Autumn. "And that includes you too because my offspring loves you, and what affects you, affects him, which affects us."

At that moment, Autumn felt the power of Niccele's absolute love and support for her and Kirall's Mating. It flooded her with a warmth and a sense of belonging she hadn't felt since her parents were alive and made her feel like maybe she really was home.

"It all depends on whether the Council is willing to accept that Autumn and Kirall's Mating is valid," Kiran reminded them all.

"Aren't the changes in Kirall's appearance enough to prove that?" Autumn demanded.

"It should be, but as this is something never before encountered, they will fall back to what is known and what is written," Kiran told her. "Which says that only mature Dragoons are allowed to mate."

"And what makes them mature?" Autumn asked.

“A Dragoon isn't considered mature unless they have gone through their first Heat," Kiran said.

"And a Heat is basically fucking your brains out with any available female or male until you've had your fill?" Autumn asked.

"Umm," Niccele's eyes widened as she looked to her mate. "Basically, yes."

"So how long is it written it should last?"

"There is no actual amount of time written that a Heat should last. Only that it must satisfy the one in Heat,” Kiran spoke again.

Autumn looked to Kirall then with a slight smirk asked, "So… were you satisfied?"

Kirall's Dragon lifted his head, and smoke filtered out of his nostrils as he growled. "Completely. And in ways I'd never experienced before."

"It's not Kirall's Heat that will matter to the Council," Niccele choked out, her face filling with color even as she gave Autumn an inquiring look. "It is yours."

"Oh, trust me. I was completely satisfied too."

"But were you in Heat?" Kiran pressed.

Autumn gave him an uncertain look. "No. Humans don't go into Heat."

"They don't?" Kiran couldn't hide his shock. "But then how do you know when you've reached adulthood?"

"Well… legally a human is considered an adult when they reach eighteen. That's when you’re supposed to be able to take care of and fend for yourself."

"And that's the age you were when your Elders released you from their care?" Kiran asked.

"Yes."

"That should sway most of the Elders, but Tove is still going to want to enforce Dragoon law," Kiran said.

"But why?" Autumn asked. "It would mean the death of your son. The one his daughter wants to mate.”

“That won’t matter to Tove,” Kiran told her angrily. “He has too much to lose.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Autumn,” Kiran moved to stand in front of her. “Tove is the most powerful advocate for keeping the Dragoon bloodlines pure.”

“I know. Kirall told me that he’s against Dragoons and Others mating. But I’m not an Other.”

“No, you’re not. Which for him makes you something much, much worse. You come from a newly discovered planet, from what many would consider an inferior species, and yet you still managed to change a Black Prime into something else. For Tove, that makes you dangerous.”

“But I’m a Supreme.”

“You won’t be to Tove. Especially if you don’t go into Heat as all ‘true’ Dragoons do. It is his most powerful argument against taking Other mates. If the Other doesn’t experience the Heat of mating, how can that mating be true? And if it’s not, then the Dragoon’s true mate, his Dragoon mate, will perish because they will never be together.”

“But they change,” Autumn argued back. “The lives of Other mates are extended. They bear Dragoon offspring.”

“But they are never able to shift. Are never able to protect themselves from another Dragoon.”

“But I can!”

“Tove won’t care.”

“Autumn.” Kirall put his hands on her shoulders turning her to face him. “There is also another reason Tove will not allow it. Can’t.”

“And what’s that?”

“His ancestors claimed peaks that used to be Razeth’s. Claiming it was only possible because of the purity of their bloodline. It’s what he’s based all his beliefs on and why many follow him.”

"So you’re saying that because of my return, because of us re-empowering Razeth’s hoard, and Kruba’s reclaiming its territory, not only will Tove lose his Lair, he will lose all the power and support he had by having it!”

“Yes.”

She dropped her head against Kirall’s chest as the weight of everything that had occurred that day suddenly hit her. “What the hell are we going to do?”

"Tonight? Nothing," Kirall told her catching her muffled words. "Except go to bed and get some rest. Tomorrow we will decide how to deal with the Elders."

"Son…" Kiran started.

"No, Father," Kirall cut him off. "There's nothing we can do right now, and my mate is exhausted. We will meet at morning meal and decide what to do." With that, Kirall swept Autumn up in his arms and carried her away.

 

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

 

"We can't just leave your parents like that," Autumn protested even as she relaxed into Kirall's arms.

"Yes, we can."

"We didn't even show them where they could sleep."

"If they can't find it themselves then Kruba will show them."

"But…"

"They will be fine, Autumn. You, on the other hand, are not. Do you really think I didn't feel how overwhelmed you suddenly were?"

"I would have been fine. I just needed a moment."

"You need more than that." He shouldered open the door to their room. "You need to rest. You experienced your first shift less than a day ago."

"It wasn't my first shift," she argued.

"It was the first time you meant to call your Dragon, the first time you held that form for an extended period of time, and the first time you ever flew."

"So?"

"Those are all milestones for a Dragoon, Autumn, and never all done on the same day. And never does anyone travel as far as you did for their first flight. It's just more proof of how strong you are."

"I don't feel strong right now," she whispered.

"That's because, besides all that, you have also re-empowered a massive Lair and had to deal with my less than welcoming parents. Thank you, by the way. You didn't need to be that generous or gracious." Carefully he lowered her down onto the bed.

"They are your parents…"

"Which doesn't mean you had to welcome them. If a real female Dragoon had been welcomed by her mate’s parents in such a way, it would be centuries before she would welcome them into their Lair. If she ever did."

"A real female Dragoon?" She sat up sharply after just starting to relax into the bed.

"What?"

"You said a real female Dragoon! Do you actually feel like Tove? That Dragoons should only mate with pure-blooded Dragoons?"

"No! Of course not!"

"Then why did you say that?"

"I didn't mean it the way it sounded, Autumn. I should have said any Dragoon female."

"But you didn't say it that way." She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stood.

Kirall stepped in front of his mate, stopping her from moving away from him by grabbing her hands and placing them over his heart. "Autumn… you know I'm telling you the truth. You can feel it."

And she could, but still, he'd said the words.

"This is as new to me as it is to you, Autumn. I never expected to find my mate so soon, let alone…"

"Let alone?" she asked, and while she leaned back, she didn't pull away as she looked up at her mate. It was then she realized she hadn't taken into consideration everything he had to be going through. After all, he was the one that had immediately understood everything they were going to be up against. Her age. The Elders. The possible consequences for him. And he'd kept that all to himself… so she wouldn't worry. He'd also expected an entirely different reaction from his parents.

"Let alone find one so beautiful that it makes my heart stutter." He gave her a rueful smile. "You are so amazing. How can you not realize that? You make me want to be a better Dragoon. You are understanding and forgiving when you don't need to be. Like when I penetrated your barrier without realizing it."

"You thought I was Kristy."

"My not realizing you were my mate," he continued ignoring her words.

"Kirall… stop. There's nothing to forgive."

"See, that's what I mean."

"I'm far from perfect, Kirall. I'm stubborn, short-tempered, impulsive, and opinionated."

"All of which I love."

"Really? You loved me getting pissed and taking off for Kruba without you?"

"No! Of course not. But your instincts, Autumn. Yours and your Dragon's were exactly right. Kruba was where you needed to be. Where you would have been if I had only listened to you. If I had, you would have had the time to learn and adjust to what you needed to before the Elders found out about you."

"What about what you needed?"

'I…"

"No," she cut him off. "Your needs are as important as mine, Kirall. Maybe I haven't acted like I realize that, but I do. I know I'm not the mate you expected. Stop!" Her fingers kept his lips from moving. "I'm not. You were a Black Prime. The most powerful and feared of your kind. It’s why you were the one they sent to help the Terceirians battle the Varana. No one would have dared challenge or question you, especially not on who your mate was. Now because of me, they are questioning and challenging everything."

"That's not your fault."

"If not mine then whose? I am your mate. I'm the one they have a problem with."

"Because they are small-minded Dragoons who are scared of what they don't know, understand, or can control,” responded Kirall. “And you, my mate, are all those things. They don't know that you aren't a dominating, power-hungry Supreme that wants to reshape our world the way the Original Dragoons did."

"What do you mean?"

"The story my father told you of how Dragoons only lived on the mountain and Others only lived in the lowlands isn't entirely accurate. I have read the ancient scrolls, and in them, I discovered that Others once populated all of Mondu."

"I… I don't understand. How can that be possible if Dragoons and Others are both indigenous to Mondu?"

"Because Dragoons aren't… indigenous, that is. The scrolls tell of how after a long journey, Dragoons arrived on Mondu. They forced the Others out of the mountains by any means necessary. We are who the Others needed protection from."

"What? But if that's true, where did Dragoons originally come from?"

"No one knows. All the Originals wrote was that they barely had time to leave what they called the Homeland before an asteroid decimated the planet."

"I'm sorry, Kirall."

"For what?"

"Getting so upset. You're right. I'm not a real Dragoon. Not a real Supreme either. I'm something different, something more. And I'm proud of that. Tove would have everyone believe that the bloodline has to remain pure for Dragoons to be strong, but he's wrong. It's the differences in our bloodlines, in our ability to adapt, overcome, and accept that make us strong. If the Original Dragoons that came to Mondu had only been able to breed with each other, they never would have survived. Kur knew that. Which is why he made sure the Others here were compatible."

"Why do you believe that?"

"Because that is what my instincts and my Dragon are telling me. And while I'm new to all this, I trust her. The only one I trust more is you."

"Even after what I said?"

"Even after that because you were honest with me and I want that. I'll always want that whether I like what I hear or not." Stepping back she sat down, reclining back on the bed until she rested on her elbows. "But remember this, mate, the next time your life is at risk, and you don't tell me…" A thin trail of smoke curled along the side of her nose. "You are going to have one very pissed off Supreme on your hands. Now." Lifting a hand, she motioned him toward her with a finger. "Come here."