Dragon Blood

Fifteen: Two Sides of a Coin

Skylar followed Orion's broad back as they walked down the trail of the herd of sheep meandering ahead of them. The sun was still hidden behind the mountains on the eastern side of the valley and Skylar yawned widely, her eyes still heavy with sleep. Orion had roused her while it was still dark out, and the rest of the house was still asleep.

She was amazed Orion didn't want to sleep longer. He'd stayed up far later that she did last night, conversing with his family and friends. Upon returning to the Big House, Skylar had been bombarded with new faces who were curious about her, but also wanted to welcome Orion home. Among those were Percy, his parents and younger sister, and the woman he was courting, a lovely brunette who had immediately greeted Skylar with a huge smile and gentle, caramel colored eyes. The young woman who'd been with Orion's brother Olly was also there, and she stuck close to Laura while Olly spoke with Leo and Orion.

Victoria was nowhere in sight, so she was likely getting dinner ready, so Skylar was all alone, standing close to Orion since she had nowhere else to be. Luckily, Percy's romantic interest had approached Skylar with a friendly grin.

"Hello," she said, getting Skylar's attention. "I'm Laura."

Skylar smiled at the pretty woman. While not classically beautiful, Laura radiated charm and kindness, drawing people to her. "I'm Skylar. It's a pleasure."

"Indeed," Laura agreed. "Percy has already told me quite a bit about you, what he's observed anyway."

Skylar wasn't sure what to make of that. "He has?"

"Oh, yes. Don't worry, I was very impressed by it all," she laughed reassuringly. "Not many people can stand up to Orion the way I heard you did. That's quite a feat, putting him in his place. The man is as stubborn as they come." 

Skylar already liked her.

"Oh, and this is my sister, Fiona," Laura motioned to the lavender eyed- female next to her, and Skylar saw the similarities right away. With their dark hair and caramel skin, which matched Laura's eyes almost perfectly, the girls were an attractive pair.

"We sort of met earlier," Skylar smiled at the girl, "but we didn't get a chance to officially meet. Orion was a bit antsy to get moving."

"That sounds about right," Laura laughed. "The man can't be idle."

"Olly's the same way," Fiona added in a soft, husky. "I think it runs in the family."

"But we love them anyway," Laura sent a lingering look over to Percy, who immediately sensed her and winked. That was how Skylar had figured out they were together.

"Are you two...?" she asked.

Laura shook her head, her dark hair swinging methodically. "Not officially, but I think he's going to ask me soon. Oh, I hope he does."

Fiona nudged her sister. "After what happened right before he left, I'm surprised he hasn't already staked his claim," she teased.

Fiona turned to Skylar. "Another male in the clan made a huge deal out of letting Laura know he was interested. Percy was not happy."

"But Percy is the only one for me, I'm sure of that."

"Even though he's not your True Mate?" Fiona teased, as if it were a joke.

That caught Skylar's attention, mostly because it was a term she was unfamiliar with. She hoped one of them would elaborate, but they either assumed she already knew the meaning of the word, or it didn't matter because they were kidding. Either way, they moved on from the topic quickly, with Laura rolling her eyes and looking over at Percy again. What Skylar saw in her eyes, in the way she looked at Percy, was what Skylar had always wanted. What she saw her parents have. She wanted to love her future husband that much, so much that the room melted away when you looked at each other, the way it so obviously was with Percy and Laura.