“Dragons really are too good to be true,” I muttered under my breath, not believing what I was hearing. How was this all true, and how was it that none of us knew about this?
“What was that?” He smiled, knowingly
“Nothing,” I grinned sweetly. “So, the palace, the fancy clothes, cars… it’s all to impress us lowly humans?”
His smiled dropped as his eyes burned, searing into me. “You are anything but a lowly human, little mate. And if I wasn’t forbidden from touching you right now, I would show you just how much you mean to me.” He stepped closer, his breath tickling the nape of my neck, sending goosebumps down my arms.
“Besides, the cars, those are purely a selfish fascination.” The devastating smile on his face made my cheeks flush with warmth, tingles of awareness swirling throughout my body. “We enjoy anything that goes fast and the Italians and Germans have developed some wonderful machines that I am utterly fascinated with. I will have to take you out along the coast very soon so that I can show you my favorite spots.” His fingers grazed my cheek with the barest of touches.
I turned my face away from his, continuing our journey along the hall. He exhaled, frustrated that I pulled away from him.
“I know this all seems like a lot to you.” His agitation was evident as he ran his hands through his wavy black hair. “Tell me about your family. Do you have any siblings?”
Closing my eyes, I slowly counted to ten, trying to decide what I was going to tell him. I was playing a very dangerous, deadly game with a dragon prince. But he is your mate, something inside of me whispered, trying to make me understand and see reason.
“I have a sister, Sariah. She is five years younger than me.” I swallowed harshly before continuing. “She was born with a very rare genetic condition that weakens her immune system. Even the smallest cold virus can be devastating to her.” I felt the tears shimmer in my eyes; I hated talking about this with others.
Xander tilted his head at me, surrounding me in the warmth of his sapphire gaze. “You care about her very much.”
I just nodded. “She is everything to me. Our parents-“ I hesitated, clearing my throat. “-are not the most nurturing of people and if it wasn’t for me, she wouldn’t receive the care that she needs. I had to be the one to make sure that doctors’ appointments were scheduled and that she was taken to them, to pick up her medication, get her diet correct, comfort her and take care of her when she did become sick.”
Damn it, I needed to stop talking about this before I started sobbing. The subject of Sariah was the one thing that could bring me to tears this quickly. I didn’t know if they would stick to their word and take care of Sariah while I was here. It had only been a day, but I already missed my sister. I desperately needed to talk to her about what was happening with Xander.
“That burden should not have been placed on you.” His voice was barely more than a growl. “It is a parent’s duty to care for and love their children, not place them in harm's way.” The fierceness of his statement made me pause. His eyes glowed in the low light of the hall, his hands clenched into fists as he visibly struggled to contain his emotions.
“Yeah, my parents are not really the type for ‘duty’.” I laughed at the irony.
“I will be having words with them for putting my mate in such a position.” His voice was low and menacing, leaving no doubts in my mind that he would confront my parents.
“No!” I shouted, scared to death of something happening to Xander at my parents or my uncle’s hands. Stealing from him was one thing, but physical harm was another. Xander was much stronger and had his ability to shift on his side, but I knew that the Brotherhood had been developing poisons that prevented the Dragonkyn from shifting, thus making it much easier to overpower them if they had a group.
“No,” I said, much softer this time. “I can’t risk them doing anything to harm Sariah.”
His response was a grunt as we made our way through another corridor. His mouth was set in a grim line, brow furrowed as he contemplated my statement. This room was in vast contrast to the previous ones. Stark white walls, the same solid wood door, but this one with an electronic lock and keypad next to it. Xander approached and slid his thumb over the pad, which illuminated green, and the door opened with a click.
“Welcome to my lab, little sister,” Drake boomed, arms splayed open, a wide grin on his face.
Chapter 11
Xander
My little mate was hiding something about her family. Her story about her sister was sincere. Every word she uttered chipped away at my heart. Aleria was a fierce woman who protected her sister at her own personal cost, but why was it when I mentioned having a chat with her parents that she panicked? There was something there, and I would have to find out what.
Drake was showing Aleria around the lab, introducing her to his various scientific toys and gadgets, most of which I had no clue about.
“So, you haven’t had anything to eat yet this morning, correct?” Drake asked, his eyes leveled at me. He gave me a shake via our mental bond, to get my attention.
Aleria shook her head as I cursed. Some mate I was, not even feeding my woman.
“In this case it is a good thing. Aleria, if you would please have a seat here,” he indicated a chair next to his phlebotomy supplies and drew on nitrile gloves, “I will just have to get a few vials, shouldn’t be too much. Do you have any trouble with needles?”
She shook her head, watching as Drake opened the blood draw kit. “Good,” he commented, “I am also going to attach these to your temples to get a few readings of your brain waves. Nothing to be alarmed about, just standard stuff for us.” The way he smiled at her made me curl my lip. Drake placed two electrodes to her forehead, taking great care not to make direct contact with her skin.
Moving onto the blood draw, he secured a blue rubber strap to her upper arm, then swiped at the crook of her elbow with an alcohol wipe before setting the butterfly needle in place. A slight wince was the only reaction from Aleria. The vials filled quickly, for which I was thankful because seeing my mate so close to my brother was making me feel very possessive. The sight of her blood didn’t help any either.
“All set,” Drake smiled and winked as he wrapped a bandage around her arm after he pulled the needle from her skin. “I would probably suggest some food before we do the physical. The doctor is also taking her sweet time to get here this morning, so it gives you the opportunity.” He pinched and removed the wires and sensors from her head as well.
“Monika?” I responded, curious when he said ‘she.’
“Yes. I knew that it would be a very bad idea for me to perform the physical myself as I am sure your mating instincts are going off the charts right now with me even being this close to her.”
Aleria snorted, rolling her emerald eyes at me. “What, Xander, are you jealous of your brother or something?”
Drake sobered, pinning her with a withering stare. “Aleria, this isn’t a laughing matter. Dragons in the first stage of mating are extremely possessive beings. Having his mate be touched by another male during this time has led to more than one bloody fight. I have no desire to fight with my brother today. He is on edge enough with us just being in the same room together.”
She blinked at him, before sliding her glance to me. “They really don’t cover this in the TV shows.”
My eyes collided with Drake’s, our eyebrows arching before deep rolling laughter poured out of us. “Little mate, you really are a delight.” I said, tears pooling in my eyes from the force of my humor. “The shows, which I produce and direct by the way, are never going to show that intensity of it. They show some possessiveness, which ladies like, but we do not want negative publicity out there for our people.”
Everything had to be about image for us. As I had explained to Aleria earlier about our home, it was a status symbol, something that was expected of us as the Dragonkyn royalty. We had to keep up appearance to the humans. There were already a number
of radicalists that called themselves the Brotherhood for a Pure Society who were causing problems for our kind. They had been responsible for various terrorist attacks against Dragonkyn, one of them even resulting in the loss of a male and his mate. The thought of their deaths made me furious, wanting the fiercest revenge that I could enact against them.
“You produce the shows?” She sounded surprised.
“Yes. We don’t just sit in our ivory tower, watching Netflix all day. Drake is a brilliant scientist and in charge of all of our medical research, which includes working with your government to synthesize vaccines to diseases that Dragonkyn have long been immune to.” Drake smirked at the praise, his ego not needing anymore inflation, but I had to show Aleria the good that we were doing for her world.
“I studied sociology, organizational, and regular psychology in addition to communications. I have been the CEO of the TV network for that past three years.” While my work might not be as important as Drake’s in the physical sense, I am responsible for the image of my people and how they were viewed by human society. It was vital to our survival to fit in and be well received by the humans, who, while technologically inferior in every way, could defeat us with their sheer numbers.
Aleria stared at us both with wide eyes, “Wow. Just wow.” She rubbed at her face and turned towards the door. “I am seriously starving, Xander, can we please get some food before I pass out?” She whispered, desperation underlying in her voice. She was obviously deflecting, and I would indulge her in this instance.
Turning to Drake, who just shook his head and waved me off, I rolled my eyes in response and approached my mate. She was starving, overwhelmed and tired. I was doing a horrible job of caring for her. It was my duty as her mate to see to her every need. I caught the growl that threatened to leave my throat and held a hand out lead her out of the lab.
“Aleria, I am sorry that I have not been a proper mate to you yet. I haven’t even seen to your basic needs.” I bit out through clenched teeth as we approached the kitchen. Her body language remained closed off, her arms wrapped around her middle, head tilted down and eyes downcast while she stared at the floor.
She shook her head at my words as I held open the swinging door that led to the heart of the kitchens. It was late morning, the kitchen was done with preparing breakfast and not yet set to prepare lunch, so it was deserted. Instructing her to sit in one of the stools, I pulled out several containers from the fridge, thankful that there were usually leftovers hanging out that Hilde kept because either Drake, I or the staff would gobble them up.
“It looks like there is quiche, French toast, bacon, sausage and pancakes left. Any of that sound good?” Her emerald eyes caught mine, blinking at me in confusion as if she hadn’t heard a word that I had said.
“What?” She asked absently, lost in her own thoughts.
“Aleria.” I said, drawing her attention back to me. “You need to eat. What sounds good?” I held my arm out, indicating the different options that she had to choose from.
“Oh. Uh,” she licked her lips, swallowing heavily while putting a hand over her belly. “French toast with bacon and sausage?” She said, her voice rose in a question. She still was too hesitant with me.
Nodding in acknowledgement, I pulled two plates out of the cabinet and piled the food up for each of us. A few minutes later, Aleria was digging into her butter-and-syrup-covered French Toast, the moan of approval leaving her throat had my cock hardening in my pants once again. Damn, this woman could set me on fire with just a sound.
“Thank you, Xander,” she whispered, wiping her mouth with a napkin as she finished her plate of food. I inclined my head, picking up her plate along with mine and placing them both in the sink.
My hands firmly planted on the counter before the sink, I stood and hung my head low, eyes closed as I debated what to do next. I had been so used to my life going the way I had intended it to. On a planned path, one that I controlled. In one night, a small sprite of a woman came rushing in and threw everything off track.
“Xander.”
The hesitation and question in her voice had me gripping the counter so hard I felt the stone crack beneath my fingers. Forcing the calm into my voice, I addressed her without turning, not trusting myself to face her yet. My emotions bubbled just beneath the surface, with my dragon so close that my features would be heavily distorted. “Yes, little one?”
“Do you know where my phone is? My sister is probably worried that I haven’t checked in with her yet and since I was gone all night…”
The smile spread across my face before I could stop it, thinking of the beauty of our mating last night. “It is probably upstairs in my room. I had your belongings gathered and put there. Let’s make sure that Sariah is not concerned about your wellbeing before the doctor arrives.”
Aleria hesitated, confusion flashing across her face as I turned to stand before her. “Xander, is all of this necessary?” She gasped. “I mean, I am human, how are you even sure I’m your mate?” The self-doubt in her words made me growl.
My palms cupped her cheeks, tilting her head up towards me. “Aleria, you are, without a shred of doubt, my one true mate. Human or not, it does not matter, you are it for me. If you don’t feel the same, you can walk away. It may kill me, but I would let you go it that is what you truly want.”
I didn’t want to say the words but felt in my heart that Aleria needed me to say them in this moment. I could only imagine how she was feeling. Trapped, scared and alone, feeling things that she possibly and hopefully had never felt before. Her swift intake of breath as the last sentence left my mouth, followed by her rapid heartbeat made my heart break. Was this going to be the moment she was going to run away from me?
No, my stubborn little mate had other plans. She rose to the tips of her toes and laid a soft kiss against my lips, careful not to press too hard. “Xander, I can’t deny that I am terrified of what is happening or how this is going to play out, but I also can’t deny that what I am feeling is real. The thought of leaving you makes my heart ache and air leave the room.” She shook her head. “So, no, I won’t be leaving just yet. I appreciate the offer, though.”
She dropped back down to the flats of her feet, staring up at me with her intense emerald gaze. “Can we go get my phone now so I can check in with Sariah? I need to make sure she received her medication this morning.”
“Of course.” I nodded and led her out of the kitchen with a firm hand at the small of her back.
She never saw the small smile of triumph that lingered on my face.
Chapter 12
Aleria
Xander’s words, offering me a way out, lingered in my mind as we made our way back upstairs to retrieve my phone. Would he actually let me go if I were to just walk away now? No, that wasn’t even an option. I had to retrieve the stupid artifact that my uncle needed so that Sariah would stay safe. I had no other choice in the matter. My heart shuttered at the thoughts and I quickly shut down the line of questioning.
His hand was firm and warm at my back, obviously ignoring Drake’s warning of refraining from touching me. It was comforting, his touch soothing me in ways that I couldn’t yet fathom. “Tell me about your family. I know about your brother, and a little about your father, but what about your mother?” I knew it was a deeply personal question, one that he probably didn’t want to talk much about considering his mother died when he was an early teen, but I needed to know more about this male that was my mate.
I felt his fingers clench as his eyes took on a faraway look. “She was one of the most beautiful dragons ever born. From a blue dragon family that lived high up in the mountains of our home world. She used to tell me stories of how cold the winters were, the snow building up taller than their homes. My father came through on an outreach expedition, shortly after he took over the throne when my grandfather died.”
The smile on his face was enchanting as I hung on his every word. “He said the second he saw her, he leapt from hi
s horse, took her into his arms, shifted into his dragon form and flew away with her. They were secluded for weeks as they sealed their mating. It was a grand tale back home, an inspiring story after the tragedy of my grandfather’s death.”
“Of course, my mother had a bit of a different version.” Xander chuckled. “She said that Father was a brute, picked her up without saying one word to her, and dragged her away. They loved to tease each other as they would tell the story over and over again.” He paused, pain clouding his features as he briefly closed his eyes.
“Drake and I hated the story, we would groan and complain every time they brought it up, but now, we would both do anything to hear them tell it together just one more time.”
Tears filled my eyes as I laid my hand against his cheek, my head leaning down to his strong chest as he gathered me into his arms. “What did she look like?” I asked, softly, curious about the woman who he spoke of so lovingly.
“She had hair so blonde it was almost white, and piercing ice blue eyes. One look at her and you could mistake her for being soft and frail, but one wrong move or misstep and she would put you back in place so fiercely your head would spin. She was a fierce dragon, loyal and protective of her family and clan. I swear she had eyes in the back of her head too.” He shook his head, laughing quietly. “She had to, Drake and I were not the best of children.”
I chuckled. “Somehow, I can imagine that. You two had to be a serious handful.” Another devastating grin had me biting my lip.
His expression turned grim as his continued. “When the disasters started happening, she insisted on staying through the worst of it. Always said it was her duty as queen to help her people. She became ill shortly after a volcanic eruption, her lungs were singed from the hot air and ash she breathed in. Even her dragon healing could not aid her. It was already too far gone. We couldn’t believe it, a dragon being burned by fire.”
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