However, as much as she liked feeling more accepted and to see the different clans getting along, as each minute passed, her gaze kept looking to Rhydian.
Her mate.
She watched him chat with Kai from Stonefire. No doubt Rhydian was still talking about the results of the operation from two days before, and what had been found. He was a clan leader to his core.
But she loved him for it. And considering they'd be together and alone for the next week or two, she could at least let him handle the last few details before turning over the leadership temporarily to Wren and Carys.
Holly, who was standing nearby, whispered, "If I were you, I'd go to him and say you're a little tired."
She sighed. "Apart from my smile muscles, I'm the farthest thing from tired."
In truth, she kept imagining Rhydian kissing her and how the frenzy would go. Not out of fear, but rather in anticipation. It was high time for her to finally kiss her bloody husband.
Holly replied, "Still, telling him that should be enough of a hint about wanting to leave. You deserve some time alone with your dragonman, and no one here would deny that fact."
Lily Owens, who was also nearby, added, "Go, love. There are plenty of us who will watch over the clan during the frenzy. Both you and Rhydian deserve some time together. And not just because it'll give me another baby to spoil, either."
Even though Lily was only distantly related to Rhydian through her mate, she'd decided they were all her family, too. And on Kai and his sister Delia's advice, Delaney had decided to just go with it.
Delaney bobbed her head. "Okay." She looked at each of the women in turn. "Thank you, especially to you, Lily, for watching Rian whilst we're occupied."
Lily merely smiled. "No worries. Maybe you should say goodbye to the boy before telling Rhydian you're tired, though."
"Good point." She grinned. "I'm sure we'll have more to talk about in a week or two."
Holly raised her brows. "You'd better call me soon after and tell me how it went."
"Of course, and not just because you promised Rhydian to help keep an eye on me during my pregnancy, either."
Holly's expression softened. "You'll be fine, lass. Just make sure to start your dragon's blood shots as soon as you finish the frenzy, and I'm confident you'll do just fine."
Delaney hoped so. And given how confident Holly was, it was hard to doub
t her.
She hugged first Holly and then Lily. "I'll talk to you both soon."
Lily snorted. "But not too soon, I hope."
Willing her pale cheeks not to flush, she turned and headed toward the corner of the room being used mostly as a children's play area.
Rian was off to one side, building something out of plastic bricks with his friend Osian.
Even just the sight of Rian with his friend warmed her heart. She hated being apart from Rian for so long, but between Lily, Osian, and the others who'd vowed to look after him, he'd be well taken care of.
Not to mention she and Rhydian had talked about the mating the day before, and Rian had been enthusiastic about the idea.
She approached and Rian looked up, flashing a grin. "Look, Auntie Laney, it's the main entrance mountain to Snowridge!"
Delaney did her best to look past the bright-colored bricks and to imagine the mountain. It looked more like a giant solid cube with a haphazard-looking point on the top, but then he took off the uppermost section, and she gasped.
Inside was the great hall, little tables made out of bricks, smaller ones representing food, and then lots of little people positioned all over it. He pointed toward a couple at the front, on a raised stage. "See, this is you and Rhydian. They didn't have any people in dragon-shifter clothes, but I still think it looks a little like you."
She crouched down to get a better look. The woman had dark hair and a red dress. "That's amazing, Rian."
"Osian helped. We want to make more parts of Snowridge, as a surprise for when you and Rhydian come back."
Osian was the quieter boy out of the pair, but he finally spoke up. "It was supposed to be a surprise, Rian."