She had a thoughtful look on her face, and was eyeing him back.

“What?” he couldn’t help but ask her.

“Just what’s on this list of yours? Is it something… wicked? Something to do with your chest? And me licking it? Is it a nipply list?”

“I like nipples,” Gary the head said sadly. “I sure miss mine.”

“I believe that is our cue to leave, as well,” Ysolde said, sliding her hand in Baltic’s. “I’ll repeat what Aisling said and welcome you to the weyr. It would be nice to see the red dragons rebound from the terrible tragedy that befell them. If you need Baltic’s sword arm, or my magic, do let us know.”

Baltic looked interested for the first time as he followed her out of the cabin. “Do you think we should stay? I haven’t gotten my hands dirty in a good battle in far too long, not even a heated practice session. Pavel is too busy mooning about his latest inamorato, and even Kostya is polite these days. That mate of his has ruined him for sport.”

“I heard that!” Kostya yelled, and stormed out of the door after them. “I’ll show you who’s ruined!”

Aoife gave Rowan and Sophea a wry smile. “So nice to meet you, Sophea. Rowan, welcome to the dragonkin. I’m glad to see you well. Let me know about the group wedding. I think one might be kind of fun. Kostya! Don’t you dare get yourself hurt again! If you keep breaking that collarbone, it’ll stay broken…” She was gone in a flurry of scattered threats toward her dragon.

“Bee,” Rowan said.

She fluttered a hand at him and tucked the other one into the crook of Constantine’s arm. “I know, you want some private time with Sophea. And, I assume, to come to grips with what’s happened. I have to admit I’m not quite clear on the latter, but since you’ve evidently not suffered any ill effects—that I can see—I’m going to assume you’re hale and hearty and can continue on with the job of getting the ring from that thief.”

“That thief is a very nice old lady, and he is not going to steal anything from her,” Sophea said, bristling.

Bee looked taken aback for a few seconds. “He’d better, or there won’t be much of a world left.”

“No stealing!” Sophea took a step forward, yanking her sword from her back as she did so.

Rowan caught her arm and pulled it down, pinning her to his side while Bee sputtered indignantly at them. “It’s all right, love. You don’t have to go Xena all over my sister’s ass. I’m not going to steal anything.”

“I knew it!” Constantine said, frowning fiercely at Rowan. “The Dragon Breaker has betrayed us. I told you that we couldn’t trust him.”

“My dear,” Rowan said politely to Sophea, “would you mind if I borrowed your sword? I have to beat a man about the head and shoulders with it.”

She handed it to him with a smile.

“I’d like to see you try,” Constantine said, starting forward.

“For heaven’s sake, Rowan!” Bee snapped, pulling her dragon back to the doorway. “Don’t you know any better than to antagonize dragons? Especially wyverns. They’re very quick to take offense.”

“He started it,” Sophea said, taking back the sword and sheathing it when Rowan reluctantly handed it back.

Bee rolled her eyes and pushed Constantine out of the room, saying as she left, “I don’t care how you get that ring… just get it. The world is lost without it.”

“And then there were two,” Rowan said, looking at Gabriel and May.

“We have a cabin on the ship,” Gabriel reminded him, obviously amused by the proceedings. His expression turned serious when he added, “To be a wyvern is an onerous task on its own. To be created not only a dragon but a wyvern must have consequences. If you have questions or need assistance, know that May and I are at your service. She has unique insight into what it is to become a dragon, and I have been a wyvern for many decades.”

“Thank you,” Rowan said, deciding that he would tolerate Gabriel and May being on the same ship as Sophea so long as they kept their distance.

“We’re on the deck below this one if you need us,” May said, then the pair of them left, closing the door quietly behind them.

“At last, we are alone,” Rowan said, striking a dramatic pose.

“Mmm.” Sophea seemed to be distracted by a thought.

He tipped her chin up. “Penny for your thoughts?”

“I’m wondering why Mrs. P didn’t come down to see what was up. That golden light thing was… phew. Intense.”

“She’s not a dragon. She wouldn’t have felt it.” He cast a glance toward his bed and wondered if Sophea would object to him simply shredding the clothes off her before working through the many and varied demands that filled his mind. He decided that given the sparse state of her wardrobe she would mind, and simply picked her up and carried her over to the bed, depositing her on it and kneeling to untie her sandals.

“Just what do you think you are doing?” she asked as he freed first one foot, then another.

“I believe the term is ‘claiming my mate.’ At least that’s what the others seemed to feel I need to do.”

Sophea sighed, a sound that turned to a moan when he bent down and kissed the inside of her leg. “Oooh! I suppose I could stay for a bit, although I would like to check that Mrs. P and her priestly entourage are okay.”

“Why wouldn’t they be? There’s a vast herd of bodies crammed into her room, so any attacker would stand little chance of getting through to her. And in addition to that, you told me she locked her door, and you locked the cabin door.” He rubbed his cheeks on the tender flesh of her inner thighs. He loved the scent of Sophea’s skin. It was as if she’d bathed in wildflowers, a slightly spicy, vaguely floral smell that reminded him of sunlit meadows in the flush of summer, flowers moving gently in the breeze.

“Well… I guess that’s true. And I’m really not against staying here with you for a bit… although I do think we need to discuss that whole mate thing. If you recall, I was married to another dragon, and that makes me his mate. Maybe I can’t be yours because I was Jian’s mate. Although that wouldn’t be very fair.”

Rowan looked down at her where she lay before him, his to claim, the woman who was put on this earth for him, and couldn’t help but feel that he was stepping into her late husband’s shoes. “Sophea… this is going to sound awkward, but I don’t know how else to say it. Are you comfortable with this? With me?”