Chapter 95: Do it.
Gwen's POV
The first thing I noticed was the pain. A deep, dull ache in my bones, like I had been crushed under the weight of the entire cave.
My skin felt raw, burning from the inside out, and my head was pounding as if someone had driven a nail through my skull.
I forced my eyes open, my vision swimming in the dim light of the cave. The ceiling seemed farther away, the ground colder beneath me, as if the world itself had changed while I was unconscious.
And then I saw her.
Mother Earth sat beside me, her presence almost blending into the cave’s shadows, timeless and unreadable. Her dark green knowing eyes studied me with an unsettling calm.
I struggled to sit up, my limbs heavy, my breath coming out in uneven gasps.
“You might not have it,” she said simply. A warning. Stay still.
I blinked, still trying to pull myself fully into awareness. “What?” My voice came out hoarse, raw.
Mother Earth tilted her head slightly. “You should think carefully before taking another step.”
A deep frustration flared in my chest. I had already thought about this. I had already made my choice.
“I don’t have anything to do with Drogon,” I bit out, my hands pressing against the cool stone beneath me as I sat up.
My muscles ached, my body protesting the movement, but I ignored it. “I’m not Arabelle. I never was.” I forced the words out, sharper than I intended. “I’m just Gwen. And I am married to the woman I love.”
Mother Earth’s expression didn’t change. “If that is truly what your heart tells you.”
I clenched my jaw.
Silence stretched between us. My heart pounded in my ears, the heat in my body growing stronger, more unbearable by the second.
“It doesn’t matter what my heart tells me,” I said finally, my voice quieter. “I won’t betray Anastasia.” My throat tightened as I exhaled. “I just want to heal Ava. I just need to get rid of this… heat.”
Mother Earth’s gaze softened. And then, with a knowing shrug, she said, “You can always have them both.”
I froze. My stomach twisted as I stared at her, the understanding of her words settling over me like an avalanche.
“That’s...” I shook my head, swallowing hard. “That’s ridiculous.”
Mother Earth only offered a small smile, but before I could demand an explanation, her expression changed. The cave trembled, dust falling from the ceiling, the air growing heavier.
Her gaze darkened. “The beast is about to be unleashed.” Ice crawled up my spine despite the mate heat consuming me.
I had heard enough stories about the beast from Drogon to know what that meant.
Fear gripped me. “How do I stop it?”
Mother Earth didn’t answer right away. Instead, she studied me, as if deciding whether I was ready for what I was asking.
“You might not be able to.”
Dread curled in my stomach. “I have to try.”
She let out a slow breath, as if she had expected that answer. “I can send you to him,” she said, “but you must return quickly. Drogon’s body still needs to be returned to him. If you delay, the cave will collapse, and you will both be lost.”
I didn’t hesitate. “Send me.”
Mother Earth lifted her hand and then the world around me shattered. I landed in darkness.
The ground beneath me was soaked in blood, the air thick with the scent of death. Shadows creeped at the edge of my vision, writhing like living things. And in the center of it all, stood the king.
Or what was left of him.
His gray eyes looked wild, almost unhinged. Power crackled around him, raw and untamed. His breathing was ragged, his hands clenched into fists as dark tendrils of power coiled around his body.
He was slipping.
I stepped forward. “Your majesty.”
His head snapped toward me. The beast roared, pressing against his skin, pushing forward.
I swallowed, steadying myself. “Don’t give in,” I said firmly. “Ava wouldn’t want this.”
His breathing hitched and the shadows stilled.
For a long moment, he didn’t speak. But slowly, something in his eyes changed... clarity pushing past the madness.
And then the darkness receded. Relief flooded through me as the tension in the air lessened. I had no time to linger.
Mother Earth had warned me.
With a whispered spell, I tore myself from the space, the world around me dissolving once again.
I gasped as I landed back in the cave, but Mother Earth was gone. She had vanished without a trace.
I didn’t have time to dwell on it. My body was burning, the heat digging at my skin, demanding relief. I bit my lip hard, forcing myself to focus.
One last thing. I pressed my hands together, murmuring the incantation that would take me to Drogon with his body.
The spell pulled at me, magic swirling. And then I was standing before him. Drogon’s body lay just a few feet away, and for the first time in over a thousand years, his spirit and his physical form were in the same space.
His golden-red eyes locked onto mine, and in that instant, every emotion he had buried for a millennium surfaced, shock, disbelief, an overwhelming happiness so raw it was almost painful.
But beneath it all, I saw fear.
“Gwen,” he rasped. His gaze snaps to his body, then back to me, his expression darkening.
“Do you understand what you’ve done?” His voice was unsteady. “You killed their sacred python. You brought my body back to me. You have reversed the punishment of the gods.”
I met his gaze, my heart hammering. “I don’t care.” His breath caught.
I clenched my fists. “I don’t remember who your mate was.” My voice trembled. “But I am me. And I need your help to free my friend. So of course, I’ll free you.”
Drogon inhaled sharply, his hands trembling at his sides. I didn’t want to admit it.
I didn’t want to acknowledge the flashes of past memories slipping into my mind. The memories of another life, another love.
Because admitting it, would be betraying Anastasia.
The mate heat roared to life inside me again, merciless, all-consuming. A strangled sound tore from my throat, my body trembling as I dropped to my knees.
“Drogon...” I gasped, my vision blurring. “Please...”
His jaw tightened, a war raging behind his eyes. Then his expression darkened with resolve.
“Now that I have my body,” he murmured, stepping forward, “I can finally mark you.”
I shuddered at his words, heat licking up my abdomen and then my vagina.. settling there like prickling needles.
“It will ease the pain,” he continued. “But if I do, when the next heat comes, we’ll have to complete the bond.”
My breath caught. I knew what he meant. I knew what that meant.
But the burning sensation was unbearable. My skin felt like it was melting, my body tearing apart from the inside.
I had no choice.
“Do it,” I whispered.
I barely saw the way his eyes darkened, the way his hands trembled as they reached for me with a speed of lightning.
All I felt was his teeth, As they sank into my skin.
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