by Julie Wetzel
Angela lifted her head and turned to look at him properly. “I have a choice in this?”
Kyle snickered. “Of course you do.” His scales shimmered as they receded and left him crouched on the stone in his human form. He raised his head and met her gaze again. “Why don’t you shift so we can talk about this without our dragons interfering?”
Cocking her head she turned his request over in her head. Shifting would leave her naked in his company, but she felt he was right in his request. Her dragon overwhelmed her senses and she knew it was influencing her feelings about Kyle. “All right.” She closed her eyes and concentrated on being human. The dragon pulled back and let her shrink into her other form. Opening her eyes, she stared down at the gray stone. The fact that something so huge fit inside her skin amazed her. She stared at her hands for a moment before looking up to find Kyle crouched in front of her.
“Are you better?” he asked, holding out his hand.
Angela shook her head and took his hand. “Not really.”
“Then let’s see what we can do about that.” Kyle pulled her to her feet and led the way over to the battlements along the top of the tower. Turning around, he dropped himself to the stone so his back was against the wall. He pulled Angela down to sit between his legs with her back resting against his chest. “Is this okay?”
Angela tensed at the sudden skin to skin contact. She hadn’t expected him to want to cuddle as they talked about their future. She could feel the fine hairs on his chest rub against her back and wanted to find another position to talk in. Her eyes raced around the top of the tower, but there weren’t any benches or chairs to sit on. She would have to sit on the stone, and the air was starting to cool down. She turned her head to look at Kyle out of the corner of her eyes. “Couldn’t we have just stayed as dragons for this?”
Kyle let out a sigh. “Yes, but dragons are creatures of emotion. They tend to react first and analyze things later. And, since we are discussing things both of our dragons feel strongly about, it’s best that they’re not in control while we talk.”
“I see.” She relaxed back against Kyle. “I guess this will do.” She moved around until she was comfortable against him and tried not to think about the feel of his flesh against hers.
Kyle snickered softly before picking up where they had left off. “So tell me what’s on your mind.”
The feeling of Kyle’s mind brushing against hers made Angela smile. She let the grin go and jumped straight to the heart of her worries. “How is this going to work?” She turned her head to peek at him out of the corner of her eye again. “We don’t know anything about each other. Are we going to be stuck together forever? What if this doesn’t work out?” She turned so her neck wasn’t craned as a new and scarier thought popped into her mind. “What if you leave me?” Panic pushed her pulse faster and sped her breath up. “I don’t know if I can do this on my own.”
“Shhh,” Kyle soothed and ran his hands down her arms. “There’s no reason to panic,” he said. “I’ve got you, and we will work through this together.”
Angela twisted once again and gave him a sharp look. “How?”
Kyle let out an amused snort as emotion lit his eyes. “Any way you want.”
The hysteria trying to take over felt cold, leaving Angela confused. She furrowed her brow and tried to figure out what Kyle meant. “How so?”
“What you’ve failed to realize is, a female dragon has all the power in their relationship.”
More confusion pushed the lines in Angela’s forehead deeper. “What do you mean?” How did she have all the power in their relationship?
“Let me explain,” he said, moving her so she was leaning against his chest again. “Over the last few centuries, the way humans view relationships has changed. Once upon a time, marriage wasn’t based on who you loved but finding the right partner to ensure your genes were passed to the next generation. Men sought out women that could give them healthy children while women chose husbands that could protect and provide for them and their children.”
Angela turned her head and considered this. “What about the stories of old perverts going after the most beautiful woman around?”
“I can’t argue with that,” Kyle confirmed, “because it did happen. It still happens today, but it isn’t as one-sided as the stories tell.”
That struck a chord with Angela. There had been several recent news reports of powerful men cheating with younger women. Angela held her comments and waited for Kyle to finish.
“While men were drawn to the vitality of youth and beauty, women were drawn to the security of wealth and power. It takes time and effort to secure wealth and power, so it was only natural that the most powerful men were more mature when they started looking for a lady to have a family with.”
That made sense to Angela, but it didn’t get her any closer to the answers she wanted. “That’s nice to know, but what does that have to do with a female dragon having the power in a relationship?”
“It all boils down to the instinct to procreate,” he explained. “While human society now values feeling over security, dragons are still driven by their instinctual needs. Females look for the strongest mate to provide for them, while males look for the vitality that will provide them healthy offspring. The only difference, females continue to look for the strongest mate for the rest of their lives while males are hardwired to protect their chosen mate and offspring until death.”
“Wow,” Angela said as she rolled this new information around in her head. Something in her memory didn’t jive with what Kyle was claiming. “But dragon couples don’t always work out.” The recent news had been filled with a celebrity dragon couple that was currently going through a messy divorce.
“This is true,” Kyle continued. “Just because we’re dragons doesn’t mean we aren’t also human. Not all relationships work out, and many young dragons chose not to bond with their significant others. It means they can walk away from a relationship without consequences.”
“There are consequences for breaking up a relationship?”
“If the pair is truly bonded, yes.”
Angela paused to wrap her head around things. “And we are bonded?”
“Yes,” Kyle answered. “Having come from a single heart, our dragons are strongly bound. We will always be tied together, but if you and your dragon decided they’ve had enough of me and mine, that bond can be closed, leaving you free to move on.”
She looked over her shoulder again. “What about you?”
Kyle met her eyes and held them for a long moment. There was a sadness there that worried Angela. “My human half would likely be okay, but my dragon would pine at the loss of its mate.”
“Pine?”
Kyle nodded. “Male dragons tend to languish when they lose their mates. It’s even worse when the mate chooses to leave.”
Angela swallowed to ease the dryness in her mouth. “Do they get better?”
“If they’re lucky, their human half has the willpower to pull them through, although they are never the same.”
“And if they are not?”
Kyle shrugged. “Then they waste away, leaving their human half a mere shell of what they once were until they cease to be.”
Angela turned sideways in his lap to face him better. Shock overrode her other thoughts and feelings. “Are you saying you could die if I left?”
Kyle nodded slowly. “It is possible. But it isn’t something you should worry about.”
“Isn’t something I should worry about!” Angela squeaked in a voice much higher than normal.
“It’s not your problem,” Kyle reassured her calmly.
Anger raced up Angela’s spine raising goosebumps along her arms. “What do you mean it’s not my problem?” she yelled. She used her hands to physically move her thoughts around in front of her as she ranted. “How can I even consider leaving if I know doing so could kill you? We worked so hard to save you. I don’t want you dead.”
; Reaching out, Kyle caught her cheek in his hand and turned her face to meet his gaze. “Then I will have to work extra hard to make sure you have no reason to even consider it.”
She hung there in his hold considering his words. “But how?” she asked forlornly. “We know nothing about each other.” There was no way they could make this work.
Kyle smiled at her. “Now, that’s not true,” he said releasing her face. He took her hand and turned her to face him fully. “I understand you’re a student at Dunham University studying governmental law.”
“I was, but I doubt I’ll be able to finish that now. I’ve missed the finals.” Angela’s brow furrowed more. “But how did you know.”
“Patrick mentioned it,” he admitted. “And I wouldn’t worry about missing the finals. My brother owns most of the college. He’ll talk with the dean and have the professors re-administer the tests when things have settled down.”
“Wait,” Angela stopped him from going on. “You’re brother owns the college?”
“Well,” Kyle backpedaled. “Technically he owns the land the college sits on, but that gives him some sway with the administration board.”
Angela stared at him with an open mouth.
Amusement lit Kyle’s face. “Patrick is the original lord of Dunham castle and owns most of the city of Dunham.”
Unable to wrap her mind around that, the first thought that popped into her head slipped out her mouth. “How does he keep it all?”
“He runs several land and retail management companies that deal with the majority of the properties,” Kyle explained. “In the olden days, he’d get a tithing for giving the area his protection. Now he collects rent and taxes for the upkeep of the building and infrastructure, but that’s neither here nor there.
“What’s really important is you already know a lot about me. Your law classes should have had something about my professional history and you know what kind of person I am. The rest is just details. And I’m willing to give us both the time we need to figure those out.”
Angela took a deep breath and considered his words. Having been inside his head gave her a new perspective on the problem. She could easily envision them being happy together, but the fact that life had limited her options made her want to balk at even attempting. She chewed on her lip, trying to let herself move forward. She met Kyle’s eyes and could feel the wheels turning in his head. He’s trying to figure this out, too. A spark of hope bloomed in her heart. It was touching that he was working so hard to ease her fears. “All right,” she agreed, putting her apprehension aside. If he was willing to try, so would she. “But I’m going to need time before we…” she waved her hand back and forth between them. Dating Kyle was something she could consider at the moment, she was still not sure about jumping into bed with him.
Kyle smiled and took her hand. “Of course,” he said as he cradled it to his chest. “Our dragons may have bonded, but I’m not going to force you into something you’re not ready for.”
Angela raised an eyebrow and shot him an unconvinced look. Life had already forced her into more than she was ready for.
Kyle let out a chuckle. “Into anything else.”
“Thanks,” Angela said, she looked down at their joined hands. “Everything is just so…” She didn’t have the words to explain her feelings.
“Overwhelming?” Kyle supplied.
“Yeah,” she said softly. Overwhelmed was a great word for how she was feeling. “I just don’t know where to go from here.” She rubbed her thumb over Kyle’s knuckle studying it while she thought.
“Well,” Kyle said, drawing her attention away from her issues. “How about we start with dinner?”
Angela wrinkled her brow, trying to follow the turn the conversation had taken. “What?”
“It’s starting to get late,” Kyle explained. “Would you honor me with your presence for dinner?” He paused for a moment before tempting her more. “I’ll cook.”
Surprised by the offer, Angela stared at him for a moment before turning to look at the skyline. The sun had sunk below the horizon and the sky had started to darken to deep purple. Her stomach let out an echoing rumble making its choice obvious to both of them. Embarrassment flushed her cheeks. She dropped her hands over her stomach and turned back to stare at Kyle.
A cheeky grin turned the corner of his mouth.
“Yeah,” she agreed. “Umm… I think dinner might be a good idea.” She started to climb out of Kyle’s lap but stopped as she moved out of the sphere of their mingled warmth. The cool air of the night reminded her of why they were sitting together. She raised her arms up across her chest as embarrassment colored more of her exposed skin. “Maybe we should get clothing first.”
A cocky grin curled the side of Kyle’s mouth as he pushed her to her feet and stood next to her. “That’s probably a good idea.”
Angela held her arms over her chest as her eyes raced down over Kyle’s bare body. She closed her eyes before they could fall below his waist. The thought of him so close with nothing between them sent heat racing through her that had nothing to do with embarrassment. She cracked her eyes and peeked at him again. He showed no signs of shame at all. How can he be so comfortable naked? She let out a sigh as he moved closer and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, drawing her into the warmth of his side.
“Let’s see what we can find,” he said, moving them across the cold stone of the tower.
Opening her eyes fully, she glanced around the empty battlements. “Where are we going to find clothing around here?” No one would have left clothing in an old abandoned castle.
“There’s a small gift shop inside the front store room,” he explained. “It’s not much, but they should have shirts.” He stopped at a section of wood set in the floor.
Angela’s jaw dropped open and she stared at him. “You want to steal from the gift shop?” Did he think being the king of dragons gave him the right to take what he wanted?
“Of course not,” he said, kneeling next to the wooden hatch in the stone. “My brother owns this castle and uses the gift shop to help with the upkeep. I’m sure he won’t begrudge me a few shirts.” Jerking hard, Kyle pulled the door up. “Besides,” he said as he stared into the dark hole the hatch revealed, “I sent Patrick to claim this castle in the first place and I can’t remember when he last paid this tithing. He owes me.”
Angela looked down into the inky blackness filling the tower. “You guys still tithe?” she asked, surprised that such an archaic form of taxation was still in use.
Kyle chuckled softly. “Believe it or not, some of the older dragons do still pay their tithings, although I haven’t enforced that law since the ministries formed and started collecting taxes of their own.”
She stared at him, not sure how to process this information.
“My monarchy was outside of the new form of government and I didn’t feel it was right double taxing people just because they were dragons,” Kyle explained.
A warm smile curled the corners of Angela’s mouth. She’d spent enough time in his head to get a good idea of his character, but finding out her assumption was correct warmed her heart. “You truly are a good man.”
Kyle turned his face away from her as a hint of red colored his cheek. “Sometimes,” he said, dismissing her praise. He cleared his throat and turned the conversation back to the matter at hand, “So, are you ready to do this?”
Angela looked back into the hole. The thin light of the evening didn’t reach the floor beyond. “Are you sure it’s safe?” The idea of roaming around a decrepit castle wasn’t very appealing. “Maybe we should just shift and fly back.” She looked up to the purpling sky. The stars were starting to show through the dimming light.
“We could,” Kyle said as he turned to look out over the landscape. “But I’m tired and it would be much easier to call Patrick to come get us.” He turned back to the hole and held his hand out towards the darkness. Speaking a word of power, he sent fairy lights dancing o
ut, pushing the darkness back. “Besides, gold dragons are very rare and we’ve created enough of a spectacle today. I don’t want to risk any more possible sightings being reported to my sister.” He motioned for Angela to come closer.
Angela’s brow furrowed in confusion. “But wouldn’t that be a good thing?” she asked as she came closer.
“Not really,” he explained. “I don’t want her knowing I’m alive.” He laid on the stone and held his hands out towards Angela. “Take a hold of my wrists and I’ll swing you down.”
Angela sat on the edge of the stone and looked down, the drop wasn’t very far. She took a hold of Kyle’s hands and slipped off the edge, letting him lower her to the stone floor below. Once she was down, she released his hands and stepped back. “Why not?” she called up to him. “I’m sure she’s devastated right now thinking you’re dead.”
Kyle jumped down and landed in a deep crouch. He let out a forlorn sigh as he stood up. “I know she is,” he admitted. “And it hurts me greatly to leave her in that condition, but I can’t tell her I’m alive yet.” The look in his eyes was very serious. “I’ve thought long and hard about this and see no way around it.”
Angela cocked her head in question.
“There’s a force at work that’s threatening my people,” Kyle explained. “I have to do whatever I can to stop it, and if that includes letting my sister believe I’m dead, so be it.”
Angela’s eyes narrowed as she tried to understand him. “And hiding your survival will help?” How could that change anything?
“If no one knows I’m alive, I’m free to do things I normally couldn’t.”
“Like?”
“Like watching from a distance,” Kyle explained. He took her arm, moved her to his side, and led the way across the small room towards the stairs leading to the lower levels of the castle.
Angela fell into step with him, but couldn’t figure him out. Keeping his survival from his sister seemed like a cruel thing to do. That didn’t fit into what she knew of him.
Kyle glanced her way. Her confusion must have shown on her face because he went on to explain. “I’m pretty sure that whoever tried to kill me is after the power of the first dragon. With me dead, the only obstacle between them and their goal is Carissa.”