Page 45 of Fallout

King Basilicus nods, his eyes glancing between the three of us before he looks fully at Mr. Thorne. “Maybe it would be best if your son and his mate explored the island while we take a look at what I found.”

I want to protest, but then I feel another wave of the dragon king’s power, and my words are cut short.

He’s trying to get rid of us, which makes my stomach tighten. I shift my weight, looking from the dragon king to Mr. Thorne. He has his eyebrows furrowed like he’s confused about why the dragon king wants to send us away. I finally look at Parker. He’s clenching his jaw and looks about ready to fight the dragon king so I can stay. Not wanting my mate to get into a fight with a dragon, I squeeze his hand gently.

“Parker, I’d love to go to the beach,” I tell him quietly. “I’ve never been to the beach before. The last time my dad tried, I had a seizure at the airport and I spent two weeks in the hospital.”

Parker unclenches his jaw and his face softens. “Of course. We can go to the beach.”

“Is this her?” A deep voice asks from behind King Basilicus.

The male I saw flirting with the blonde woman walks up behind King Basilicus. The woman stands at his side, a huge smile on her face. Her belly is largely swollen. She must be close to her due date.

“This is Henley Stone. Yes, she is the unknown supernatural I was telling you about.” King Basilicus turns to the couple, his face softening. “This is my son, Prince Stellan, and his wife, Princess Wisteria.” He grins. “As you can see, Wisteria is a hybrid elf, so it’s not completely unheard of for extinct supernaturals to come back to life.”

I do know a little about this. I heard some others in the pack talking about it. For a long time, many centuries, elves were believed to be extinct. When Wisteria was outed, the entire supernatural community was shocked. They were even more shocked when an entire community of elves revealed themselves.

The elf, Wisteria, rubs a hand over her stomach. “It’s twins. That’s why my stomach is so big.”

“It’s not big,” her husband, Prince Stellan, objects. He kisses her on the cheek.

It’s sweet, even if he’s lying. Her stomach is huge, not that I’d be rude enough to say it out loud.

Wisteria shakes her head at him and looks at me. “You’re young to have a soulmate, aren’t you? I thought supernaturals typically meet their mates when they’re in their twenties.”

“It’s an unusual situation, though not unheard of among wolves,” King Basilicus said. “Remember Alpha Devin? He was only eighteen when he and Princess Tori met.”

I do know who Alpha Devin is—Parker told me. He’s the alpha of all the alphas. Kind of like a king. He keeps all the packs in check. A couple of years ago, while still in high school, he married his soulmate. I think Parker told me the story because he and I have so much in common with them, not with just our age, but because Alpha Devin’s mate wasn’t a wolf shifter. I think she was a dark fae, though I’m not certain. There are so many kinds of supernaturals that it’s hard to keep up with them.

“Fae don’t marry until they’re twenty two,” Prince Stellan advises us.

Fae? But I thought she was an elf.

“She’s a hybrid fae and elf,” Parker explains in my ear.

Right.

Hybrids are rare, I think. But they’re a mix of more than one kind of supernatural. Kind of like Will—he’s a hybrid wolf and elemental.

Parker tugs me closer to his side. “We’re going to head to the beach.”

“Be safe,” Mr. Thorne advises in a tone that makes me wonder if we’re unsafe here. The dragons seem nice enough, but they’re also very powerful. It’s easy to feel so small next to them and not in size alone. Just their auras give me a headache.

Parker leads me back out of the maze of a house and to the back courtyard. There is a staircase that leads to the ocean. From here, I can see just how massive the cliffs are.

“This is beautiful.” My voice comes out softer than I intended.

Parker brings my hand up to his lips and he softly kisses my knuckles. “You are beautiful.”

My heart swells as I turn from the views and look into Parker’s blue eyes.

I lick my lips. “The first day I met you, the first thing I noticed about you was your eyes. They’re such a beautiful shade. It’s the same shade as the ocean is.”

Parker’s lips turn up in the corners. “You were adorable. I’ve never wanted somebody to be my mate so badly. Knowing that you’re mine is the best feeling in the world.”

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