"I think I'll do that. But first, I have to figure out how I'm going to tell her."
"As humans say, honesty is always the best policy."
"I've been so sure all this time that she wasn't my mate. I'm afraid that I've hurt her."
"Human women aren't as complicated as either human men or Dragonians have made them out to be. If you tell her the truth and you share your feelings, there is a ninety-nine-percent chance that she will understand."
"That is good to know," Raiden said.
"I am happy to be of service," Azure said.
"And please don't mention it to her before I have a chance to tell her myself."
"Your secret is safe with me."
Raiden left the basement and hurried upstairs, his head swimming and his heart pounding. It was the happiest day of his life. But he wasn't any less confused than he had been before. He had been so sure that Flora was not his mate that he hadn't even prepared himself for what he would do if she was.
He went outside and started walking swiftly down the garden path, trying to clear his head. Raiden made a loop all around the grounds. When he made his way back to the house, he found Flora standing on the back porch, drinking coffee, her hands wrapped around the warm mug as the steam billowed into the cool air.
"Good morning, Raiden," she said with a smile. "You're out and about early this morning."
"So are you," he said.
"I wanted to get a head start on the day. So much work to do. It never ends."
"I have something I need to tell you,” he said carefully.
"What is it?
"It's… it's…"
"Have there been more killings? Has it gotten worse?" she asked.
"It's not that."
"You're worrying me."
"I'm sorry" Raiden said. "I didn't mean to do that. I feel like I'm always messing things up."
"You aren’t messing anything up.”
He took a deep breath and let it out. "I'll just say it." He clenched his teeth and squeezed his eyes closed. "I ran a mating analysis for us a few days ago."
Her eyes widened with shock, and she blinked several times. She tried to keep a straight face, but her expression betrayed her concern. "Oh? And what was the result?"
"The result was positive," he said, his voice shaking.
"Positive, as in…"
"Positive as in, you are my mate."
"But I thought…"
"I don't know why my dragon couldn't feel it," he said, shaking his head. "I feel like such a fool. I'm sorry, Flora."
She walked up to him and took his hand, squeezing it gently. "You don't have to be sorry, Raiden. You were only doing what you thought was right. If your dragon didn't know, your dragon didn't know. I don't blame you for that. How could I?"
"But I feel like I've hurt you, and that's the last thing I want to do."
"I admit I've been confused," she said, "but I know you weren't trying to hurt me. You were trying to protect me."
He let out a deep sigh of relief. "Azure was right. She said I just had to be honest about my feelings, and you would understand."
"Don't ever be afraid of telling me how you feel. I understand why you didn't want to take things any further, and I really do appreciate it, no matter how hard and confusing it was. And I think you were right—we couldn't be together if I weren't your fated mate. It wouldn't be fair to either of us. But I am your fated mate. I think I knew it all along. I couldn't help fantasizing about you and wishing that we could be together. I don't have an inner dragon who is guiding my actions. All I have are my feelings, emotions, and intuition. All this time, they've been screaming that I belong with you. I am so happy to know I was right. Now we can be together. Now we can finish what we started the other day in the library." She laughed.
"I would like that very much," he said, taking her in his arms. "More than you know."
"Oh, but I do know," she said, chuckling. "Believe me, I know."
"Of course you do. You're my fated mate." He kissed her deep and strong on the lips, and she melted into his arms. It was the most beautiful, satisfying feeling, and even though his inner dragon remained quiet, the human inside him was blissfully happy.
"What do we do now?" she asked breathlessly as he pulled away.
"We can love each other and be together."
"That sounds wonderful."
"I'm glad you agree," he said before kissing her again. "Would you like to go out with me? We could get away from the mansion and all this stress and responsibility and just be us together for a little while."
"You have no idea how much I would love that."
"I do, because I would love it just as much," Raiden said. "How about tonight?"
"It's a date," she said.
"I'll pick you up at eight. We'll go out to dinner and do something fun, rest and relax and enjoy each other. And for a while, we can pretend that all the problems in the world don't rest on our shoulders. We can pretend that everything is the way it should be and our love is the only thing that matters."
"I can't wait," she said, kissing him one more time. "I need to get back to work until then. But I think this is going to be just what we need."
"I'll see you at eight," Raiden said.
Flora disappeared into the house, and he turned and went back to sprinting around the grounds. He was too excited and nervous to go inside and needed to blow off steam. When he was finished with his run and felt more relaxed, he went back inside and was greeted by Zephyr and Hanish. They immediately began slapping him on the back and congratulating him.
"What is this all about?" he said, brushing them off.
"Flora told us she really is your mate. All this time, you insisted she wasn't…" Hanish said, shaking his head.
"I do feel a bit foolish."
"There's nothing to feel foolish about. If your dragon wasn't letting you know she was your mate, then what could you possibly think?"
"I should have had more faith in my other instincts," Raiden said. "I've loved her all along. She's my best friend. And I never should have doubted the importance of that."
"You can't take back the past, but now you can focus on a future with your mate."
"That doesn't fix any of the problems in the world," Raiden said.
"It may not save the world or solve everyone's problems,” Hanish said, “but the love that you share is what makes life worth living in the first place. We came here and seeded this planet not only to continue our race but also to share our love with the world. You have a love for Flora that only you can give, and with every true love match that exists, the world is a better place.”
"Since when did you become so philosophical?" Raiden asked.
"Maybe since I found my mate and she became pregnant with our child. It changes your perception. I understand things now I never would have understood before. I am a much better man because of my mate. Not only am I a better person, but I also feel more whole, more contented. And I want the same thing for you and for all of us. Hell, I want the same thing for the humans too. If they could feel the kind of love that fated mates feel for each other, I don't think there would be wars or crime. They would be too busy loving each other to bother with any of that."
"It's a nice thought,” Raiden said. “If our presence can influence humans, maybe our dedication to each other will rub off on them."
"That would be good, wouldn't it?" Hanish said. "And I hope that you're right. I hope that I get to see it in my lifetime."
"So do I, Captain," Raiden said. "So do I."
Chapter 13
Flora looked at herself in the mirror, assessing her hair and makeup. It had been a long time since she'd been out on a date. She’d borrowed one of Penelope's pre-pregnancy outfits, a simple black wrap dress with sparkly detail along the V-neck and belt. She spun, watching the skirt flair, and came back to face the mirror. With a sigh, she decided it would have to do. She looked nice—pretty, even.
Her friendship with Raiden h
ad been so confusing that she wasn't sure what was right or what impression she should give off on their first date. Now that they knew they were fated mates, their relationship was different. But since she wasn't a dragon, she didn't know what to expect.
Her sister peeked through the door with a sly smile then walked in, holding the baby. She gave Flora an assessing look. "You look gorgeous in that. I wish I still fit into it."
"You don't need to worry about your figure," Flora said, rolling her eyes. "You just had a baby, and your husband adores you."
"I know. But still, I miss wearing flirty dresses like that. Where is Raiden taking you tonight?"
"He said something about getting dinner reservations at a fancy French restaurant in the city," Flora said.
"Wow. That sounds exciting."
"I am not sure what to think.”
"About what?" Penelope asked, rocking Effie, who stirred in her sling.
"About me and Raiden."
"Well, now that you know you're fated mates, there's nothing holding you back."
"Do you think that he will want to claim me tonight?"
"If you're lucky," Penelope said with a snicker.
Flora rolled her eyes. "I don't know if I'm ready for that."
"Do you not want to mate with him?"
"It's not that. I don't know. It's just…"
"You're confused. You shouldn’t feel guilty about it."
"Do you think Raiden will understand?"
"If I had to guess, I would say that Raiden is feeling the same thing. He could never sense that you were his mate. It's probably really confusing for him too."
Flora let out a deep sigh, her shoulders relaxing. "I'm blowing this all out of proportion, aren’t I?"
"No, you're not. Your feelings are totally genuine.”
"I just don't want to screw things up," Flora said. "I want to be with him. But everything's so crazy right now with the vampires and the attacks and my work. Finding out I'm my best friend's mate after all this time is just a lot to process."
"I'm sure whatever it is that you feel, Raiden is going to be one hundred percent understanding. These dragons always are. That's what makes them so special and such good mates. Being with Cato was like a dream come true—he’s everything I ever wanted in my dating life all wrapped up in one person, without those little compromises and disappointments. He's strong and capable and takes care of me, but he also listens to me and understands me and is sensitive to my feelings. I've never experienced that before in a regular dating relationship. It's like I really do get to have it all. And I think if you give it time, you will have the same thing with Raiden."
"That does sound really nice," Flora said wistfully. She looked down at her watch and gasped. "It's time to go."
Penelope gave her a kiss on the cheek and a wink, and Flora scurried out of the bedroom. She found Raiden dressed in a suit at the bottom of the stairs. She had never seen him dressed like that, and it was a sight to behold. He was groomed and tailored in a dark-blue suit with a red tie and a pair of sneakers. His hair was coiffed perfectly with gel, and he smelled of expensive, alluring cologne.
"Wow, you look amazing," she said.
He took her hand and twirled her around, taking in her outfit. She wore her long brown hair in coiled curls over her shoulder and had done her makeup with dark eyeliner and shades of brown for a night of romance.
"Wow," he said when she came back to stand in front of him. "You should dress like this more often."
"You too," she teased.
"We should go out on a lot of dates. That'll give us the excuse to dress up for each other."
"That sounds lovely," Flora said, trying to forget that the world was falling apart around them, people were disappearing off the sidewalks, and the human race was becoming increasingly suspicious of the cause. She tried to not let her concern show on her face.
He took her hand and led her outside to the white Lamborghini parked in the front driveway. He opened the door, and she stepped inside. Raiden turned on the motor, and they zoomed off into the sunset, making the trek up to the city for a night of luxury.
When the waiter seated them at the restaurant, Flora took in the candlelit tables, the vases with white roses and pink peonies, the crystal chandeliers with golden light from above, and the tinkling of conversation and classical music. The waiter brought them a basket of bread and butter and uncorked their bottle of red wine. Flora took a long sip of wine, enjoying the delicate flavors of the fine vintage and looking into Raiden's eyes as they sparkled in the firelight on the other side of the table. He was so handsome and sweet and such a good friend. He always made her feel at home. And even though a French restaurant was not the typical night out for a genetic biology student, she wouldn't want to be there with anyone else.
After they ordered their fancy French foods that neither of them could pronounce, they laughed at themselves and tried to talk about anything but the vampire attacks and work. The conversation soon shifted to their mutual favorite pastime, and they began to banter and argue about the best methods for capturing an opposing faction stronghold in one of their favorite games.
"I'm telling you, a rear attack coupled with an aerial strike is the best way to overpower the opposition."
"But that lacks any subtlety," Raiden countered. "What you want to do is send in a rogue in stealth first and then, once he is in the flag room, surround the position and wait until the flag is captured before the support units strike."
"But in doing that, you leave your flag completely exposed and vulnerable."
"But it's only for a few moments. If the rogue is worth taking, then he should be able to do the job."
"That's putting way too much responsibility on one team member," Flora said.
"Would you like dessert?" the waiter asked, interrupting their discussion.
"We would," Raiden said, glancing over at the dessert cart. "We'll take one of everything."
Flora gasped and giggled as the waiter raised an eyebrow.
"Very well," he said.
A moment later, they had a table covered in every dessert the restaurant had. Chocolates, soufflés, pastries, cream-and-berry sauce, rich and flavorful cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom—all the flavors of the sweet, moist cakes and pastries passed her lips.
"I think I am having a sweet attack. These flavors are so rich—I might just be able to die now."
"I know how you feel," Raiden said with his mouth full of chocolate cake. "It’s too good to live."
They finished off the bottle of wine and as much of their dessert as they could before walking out into the crisp fall night air. It had rained while they were in the restaurant, and the ground was slick, the lights of the city reflecting on the pavement.
"I think we need to walk that off," Raiden said.
Flora hooked her arm into his, and they began to stroll down the street, their faces happy and their eyes twinkling when they looked at each other. Flora's heart was bursting with the joy she felt. She glanced up into the night sky, able to make out the blanket of stars even through the lights of the city.
As they stood on the sidewalk, waiting for the stoplight to change, Raiden pulled her into his arms and kissed her on the lips. His hot mouth warmed the chill in her, and she groaned as she tasted the sweet flavor on his lips. He pulled her closer and cupped the back of her head, kissing her more deeply.
The crosswalk light dinged, and pedestrians brushed past. Someone whispered, "Get a room."
Raiden and Flora released each other and laughed.
"Maybe we should." She chuckled.
"I was hoping you'd say that.” He held up a keycard for the luxury hotel right across the street.
"You didn't." Her mouth dropped open.
"I did. I even had some clothes packed for us. But I didn't want to presume."
"Let's go," she said, taking his hand as they scurried across the street to make the light.
They giggled as they tumbled into the hotel and too
k the elevator upstairs. Everything was a blur. She barely noticed the high ceilings in the lobby and the intricately tiled floor. When they made it to their room, she kicked off her heels and twirled around, taking in the space.
"I had a bottle of champagne brought up," he said, uncorking the bottle and pouring them each a glass.
"You thought of everything, didn't you?"
"Just about," he said, handing her a champagne flute.
There were chocolate-covered strawberries in a dish, and even though Flora didn't think she could eat any more sweets, she popped one in her mouth anyway and moaned.
"I think this is the best date I've ever had," she said, looking out the window at the city below. The lights of Seattle sparkled in the waters of Puget Sound.
Raiden put his arm around her and kissed her neck. She took a deep breath and let it out. He lifted his champagne flute and clinked it to hers. "To the best date we’ve ever had."
Chapter 14
Raiden turned to Flora and took her in his arms, enveloping her in his strong embrace. She melted into him, feeling the flood of passion ignite in her core. Their lips touched, and her heart raced. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. He kissed her, his lips brushing tenderly over her forehead, cheeks, and lips.
She felt so adored by him in that moment as the stars twinkled over the bay and the lights of the city glowed in the crisp night air. She ran her hands over his hard, muscled chest and felt his heart pounding under her palm. The smell of him and the taste of his mouth filled her with longing. Desire, wet and warm, coiled at the base of her spine as her heartbeat sped up and raced beyond her control.
She slid off his coat as his hands explored her hips and waist and back. She explored his body too, wrapping her arms tightly around him to pull him against her. She could feel his erection rising, hard and stiff, making the gushing desire in her core burst with a hot flood of need.
He pulled the curtain closed and tugged the tie at her waist, opening the wrap dress to reveal her black lace bra and panties and the garter belt that held up her stockings. His eyes grazed over her body, sparkling with intensity. Growling, he devoured her with kisses across her neck and chest. He palmed her breasts as he grabbed the globe of her ass and pulled her against him. She tilted her head back, gasping as his consuming touch overtook her. The flame of her desire burnt her up inside.
Raiden: House of Storms: Dragon Guardians Book 7 Page 7