Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Breathe in.

Breathe—

Nope. Not working!

"KAEL!" Riley finally snapped because breathing was absolutely not fixing whatever cosmic disaster just landed on his hand. And judging by the way the golden lizard flinched, he clearly knew something was coming.

Just seconds ago they had shared an extremely lovely, life-altering moment. Thankfully, Riley was still wearing those rose-colored glasses that were now permanently bolted to his face, so he tried. Really, he tried.

He inhaled deeply.

Held up a finger like he was saying "wait."

Looked up at the ceiling like a saint asking for patience.

Then, without warning, he used both hands to grab Kael’s face and pulled him in for a big, exasperated, "I love you but I am about to lose it" smooch.

Mwah!

Kael blinked, confused but pliant, because apparently he would accept any affection thrown at him right now without question.

Good. Because Riley needed that kiss. He deserved that kiss. He was distressed, but he was engaged-distressed, so even if he wanted to throttle his work-in-progress husband, love came first.

Now that affection was properly delivered...

He could definitely come for his ass.

Riley pulled back just enough to stare into those golden eyes with righteous indignation.

"Kael! Holy cheeseballs?! Did you just use your clan’s family heirloom as an engagement ring?!"

His voice cracked in horror at the end. Understandable.

The golden dragon, to his credit, finally met his gaze. Calm. Unbothered. Shrugging like he had merely gifted Riley a wildflower instead of possibly the most important artifact of his lineage.

Riley felt like his blood pressure just shot up. But it especially reached a different height when Kael finally said, "Yes. Because why not?"

Why not?

WHY. NOT.

The newly engaged, yet partially naked immortal could think of several reasons why not.

"This," Riley pointed sharply at his finger, "as you said, is owned by the Dravaryn clan!"

"Shouldn’t this be passed down to someone like Orien?!"

He expected Kael to wince. Maybe panic. Maybe regret his decisions like a normal ancient dragon.

But his mate simply tilted his head to the side.

"It could have been. If I stuck to my original decision of not taking a mate, then it would have gone to the next possible heir. But since I clearly have a mate," he motioned for Riley, "then it stays with me."

Riley opened his mouth to argue. Because clearly it was meant to stay with Kael at the very least, and not given away. He didn’t think the golden dragon clan had the tradition of passing it on through marriage especially when he was clearly a black dragon from a totally different clan. Besides, dragons didn’t do rings! That was for humans!

He formed half a sentence internally about responsible cultural stewardship, respect for clan artifacts, traditional inheritance protocol—

But Kael continued casually.

"If you want to get rid of it badly, then sure, just pass it on to our child."

Riley froze.

Brain stalled. Thoughts derailed. Windows crashed. Spirit ascended.

"Sorry," he said slowly. "Our what?"

Kael blinked at him innocently.

"Our child."

"!!!"

Riley’s soul left his body.

Maybe for a good who-knows-how-long.

"Our child" hit him so hard it felt like his soul tripped over a rock and face planted. He wanted elaboration. Desperately. Immediately. Preferably with diagrams and a written disclaimer.

But when he looked at Kael, the words died in his throat.

Kael’s cheeks were puffed out. His brows were furrowed. His arms were crossed tightly across his chest in a very dignified display of offense.

And yet.

His ears were red.

Red all the way to the tips.

Riley swallowed everything he was about to say.

The questions. The panic. The sudden mental image of tiny dragons running around the estate. All of it got shoved into a box and buried because the golden dragon in front of him looked far too indignant and far too cute about the topic of children.

And Riley was, tragically, weak to that. Well, considering the current state of everything, he might just be weak to all of this.

"Hm... I see," The weak immortal said instead, voice suddenly much quieter. "Okay. Um... but do you really think it’s fine that I’m wearing this?"

He pointed at himself. Because he didn’t think it would be wise to walk outside only for Lady Cirila or Lord Karion to faint in distress.

But his golden dragon simply rolled his eyes like Riley had asked the most ridiculous question in the world.

"Yes. Because as my mate, you are part of the clan," Kael said flatly. "You are my family."

Riley’s breath hitched.

That sentence landed straight in his chest and detonated.

Ten ways to Sunday.

Then came the sudden, horrifying realization that he would absolutely bury a body for this man if he suddenly arrived with an inconspicuous trash bag. Not that a dragon wouldn’t just incinerate the offending body, but still. He had that sentiment.

Ugh.

Where did Kael even learn to say things like that?

But of course, his dragon wasn’t done.

"Besides," Kael continued, clearly confused by Riley’s hesitation, "there’s no better ring in the whole of Eryndra. There’s only that. So what else would you wear? And why would you wear anything other than that?"

He genuinely looked baffled.

Like Riley had suggested wearing a rock he picked up off the ground instead of the finest artifact in existence.

Riley rubbed his face.

Bless this man’s heart.

Who could even say anything negative after that explanation.

So instead of arguing, the still shaken immortal with a giant stone on his finger that could very realistically be used as a deadly weapon wrapped his arms around Kael’s head.

Partly because he wanted to show affection.

Mostly because he needed comfort after learning he was now wearing the best ring in Eryndra.

Kael stiffened for half a second before his arms came around Riley’s waist, holding him securely.

Riley, meanwhile, sighed into that golden hair and just appreciated the fact that the guy just wanted the best for him.

"Sorry," he said quietly. "I overreacted. I was just really surprised. I really appreciate it. And the thought you put into giving me something this good."

He paused, then added honestly, "But really, I kind of panicked because my bones practically shook when it reached into my core. I thought something was going to happen again. Sorry about that."

Only this time, the golden dragon actually pulled back.

Just a little.

"...What do you mean," he asked slowly, "by ’reached into your core’?"

He shifted so he could see Riley’s face.

"Huh?"

"...You know," Riley said, frowning. "When I put it on, it felt like a tide swept through my body. From my finger straight to my core. Then my whole being rattled."

"Huh," Kael murmured.

Riley stiffened.

"...What?" he asked carefully. "Are you saying it’s not supposed to do that?"

Panic began to creep in. When a literal ancient stared back at him with an expression just as confused, and there was no mention of technology or mechanisms anywhere in sight, wasn’t that exactly the moment panic became the correct response?

He immediately tried to remove the ring. Not because he didn’t want to be engaged but if Kael himself had no idea about what he just experienced, then he needed to sort out that glaring problem.

However, much to his utter horror, it didn’t move.

At all.

"Uhh..."

Riley stared at his hand.

Pulled again.

Still nothing.

He looked up with wide eyes just as Kael tried as well.

The ring remained perfectly in place.

"..."

"..."

The golden dragon stared at it thoughtfully while Riley’s heart just thumped like a drum.

"Well," Kael said finally, completely calm, "I suppose I made the right decision. It clearly likes you better."

Riley blinked.

"Say what now? What do you mean ’it’?" he demanded. "And what do you mean by ’it likes me better’?! Since when do rings make choices?!"

"Well," Kael replied easily, "it’s the best ring in Eryndra for a reason."

The engaged immortal with an immovable ring pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I can see it’s special, but what would make it so special that even you can’t remove it?!" he asked, panic clearly mounting.

To his surprise, Kael answered without hesitation. The guy actually had an explanation for it?

"Simple. That ring is made from the ashes of the Primordial Dragon."

"So no matter how rare others think their gems are, nothing would really compare to that memorial gem," he said calmly.

Too calmly for someone who had just detonated another person’s brain.

"!"

"!!!"

"SAY WHAT NOW?!"

Lord.

Lord Almighty.

Riley stared at his hand in horror as he gripped his heart fearing a perfectly reasonable heart attack.

Holy hell.

Green eyes shut tight, only to open again with a lot of hope. But no.

The thing was still on his finger.

He was still wearing it.

The ashes of the Primordial Dragon.

The Primordial fucking Dragon.

And it was refusing to be taken off.

"!!!!!!"