“In many cultures, the spoken word before witnesses means more than any paper document and any other kind of ritual. The witnesses here today are charged with the declaration of this union and justifying it before man, both human and dragon alike, as well as before God. By being here today, you agree to this marriage, and wish nothing but the best for these two people. Is this something you can do?” Her uncle faced her parents and Tyson.
“Yes,” Tyson said. “I will, always.”
Both of her parents nodded.
Uncle Nathan grabbed both Dani's hand and Ethan's, joining them together. Ethan's hands were hot and sweaty, but she didn't mind. Hers were probably the same anyway. It relaxed her to know he was just as scared as she was.
“You will both repeat the words I say,” her uncle said. “I declare under God, and before all of His creation, that I will honor, love, and respect this union. My spouse is my companion and one true love. Together we will overcome all things.”
Both Dani and Ethan repeated the vows in unison, gazing into the other’s eyes. Never before had she ever felt so connected to him, vulnerable yet strong all at once.
Her uncle nodded. “Do you have rings?”
“I…” Dani gasped. She hadn't even thought of that in her rush to get the whole thing together. “Not at the moment, but we will soon…?” She glanced at Ethan, and he reassured her with a smile.
“Yes, we can get them soon.”
“Your rings are your symbol. They are for you to always remember your commitment to one another, and for everyone else to see that you are claimed. Normally, I would bless the rings, but I'm pretty sure they will be blessed without my fingers touching them. This union is declared before God, so you will receive every blessing He has to offer,” Uncle Nathan said. “Now if you want to kiss you can, or do something else. Whatever you feel comfortable with.”
Ethan didn't waste any time. Before Dani had a chance to say anything, he moved in and kissed her passionately. His mouth opened to hers, and he pulled her face toward his with gentleness, even though his hunger for her was evident in his kiss. She closed her eyes and wrapped her fingers in his dark hair.
Dani heard her mother sigh. “I've got something to celebrate with at the house.”
“We'll be right up,” Dani assured her once her lips parted from Ethan's. She took his hand in her own, and tugged him along down the beach. The two needed a moment to be alone together and absorb the whole thing before diving into whatever last-minute party her mother had decided to throw them.
Her father arched an eyebrow and shrugged. “Just don't be too long.”
“We won't.” She laughed, and she and her new husband walked away from the group. “They probably think we're going to do something frisky.”
Ethan's cheeks flushed a little. “I'm sure we could, but not quite what I imagined for our first time.”
“No, definitely not,” she agreed.
“We did it.”
“We did.”
“This is… nuts,” he said with a nervous-sounding laugh.
She nodded. “Yeah, it is. I don't know about you, but I'm happy.”
“No, I am too.” He gave her hand a squeeze.
“So you did tell your parents, huh? I'm guessing it didn't go over well?” She glanced at him, knowing it probably wasn't what he wanted to be talking about just then, but they needed to. He couldn't keep holding it in, or it would cause him to burst.
He shook his head. “Not really. And Maya freaked out too, and who knows what she's doing now.”
“Maya freaked out?”
“Yeah, she's apparently in love with me too. Go figure. I didn't know I was such a catch.”
“You are in my eyes,” Dani said with a soft smile. But it didn't last long when she thought of how Maya had been making moves on both of the two important men in her life. “What do you mean, you don't know what she's doing now?”
He sighed. “She walked away. I don't know if she's going to turn us in, go home, or what.”
“And what about Tyson? I mean, I thought they…?”
“She never felt anything for him. Doesn't want anything to do with him actually. So I guess you could say this is the first thing to go right for me since we started this,” he explained in a quiet voice.
Dani kissed his hand, wanting more than anything to make the pain he was experiencing go away. “Your parents will come around, and Maya will too. This is the hardest part. It can only go up from here.”
He leaned in and kissed her. “I'm never going to get tired of doing that.”
She beamed. “I'm okay with it so long as you are.”
Chapter Thirty-One
Maya sat at the bar of a local Shanrea pub called The Lucky Frog. She wasn't old enough to drink any alcohol, but she wasn't quite sure where else to go for the time being. Ordering a soda instead, she sat on a stool and did her best to not cry. Drawing attention to herself was not something she wanted to do. Unfortunately, she didn't seem to be doing a good job of it because from the corner of her eye, she noticed one man watching her. The next thing she knew, he walked toward her.
“Forgive me for being so forward, but I can't stand to see a beautiful lady cry,” he said, and she couldn't help but notice how deep and blue his eyes were. The next thing she saw was the trimmed black claws for nails. He was a dragon, a young, handsome one at that. He couldn't have been any older than her. In fact, he might have been younger. He had a strange mix of Oceina and Inero genetics much like her. She knew this because he had the tan skin and dark hair of the Inero, but the blue eyes were trademarked as Oceina.
She took a long drink from her glass and forced a smile on her face. “Your forwardness is forgiven, but you need not worry about seeing a beautiful lady cry, because I don't think I qualify.”
“You're either modest, or you don't know your own worth. Such a shame. I know how special you are,” he said and leaned into her, lowering his voice. “You don't smell like a normal human girl.”
“Because I'm not,” she whispered. “It's kind of complicated.”
“I'd love to hear about it. Especially since I think you are the one I've been looking for my whole life,” he said, and reached out to touch her hair. A bold move on his part, but Maya didn't mind it so much. It felt nice, being desired by a man for a change instead of rejected by one.
She bit her lip. “I'm not sure this is a good place to talk about it.”
“Then let's go elsewhere, because I certainly wouldn't mind going somewhere more private,” he offered.
“Okay, but don't get the wrong idea. I'm not that kind of a girl.” She got off of her stool, reaching into her purse so she could pay for the soda she had drunk. The young man beat her to it, pulling out more than enough money and leaving it on the counter.
He offered his hand. “I wouldn't have even imagined it.” He paused. “Okay, I confess maybe I did imagine and hope. Like I said, you are beautiful. I also know that you're a lady, a classy one too, and I wouldn't dare try to take advantage of you.”
“You assume a lot,” she said quietly, “and you didn't have to pay.”
“I didn't, but I wanted to. As for assuming, I guess you could say I have a good read on people. Now, can I have a name? Or should I make one up?” He glanced down at her, and his blue eyes sparkled in the low lighting.
Maya looked at his hand, which he still held out to her as he waited to see if she would take his invitation or not. She grabbed hold of it, but carefully, still unsure of what to think of this guy. “My name is Maya. And I won't complain about your assumptions anymore, because they seem to be pretty spot on. You must have a natural gift or something. Do you have a name? Or am I going to have to make one up?” she shot back.
He laughed and walked her out of the bar into the cool night air. “Cute and witty, what a perfect combo. Anyway, you can call me Wray. Unless, of course, you have a more preferred name for me.”
“Wray is fine,” she said.
“So pleas
e, explain these complications. You smell awfully dragony to me. I can be blunt now, right? It is alone enough for that?” he asked with a slight smirk.
She nodded. “It is. And I smell that way because my parents have dragon blood in them. My father is a Guardian. My mom was wed to a dragon before him. I'm not sure what it makes me.”
“Special.”
“I don't think so,” she mumbled. I definitely do not feel anything near special at the moment. But the compliment did make her smile some all the same.
Wray stopped walking for a moment so he could look at her. “I do. Very much so, in fact. From what I understand, Guardians only have sons just like the dragons.”
She laughed. “You heard wrong then, because I have two sisters who live like the humans and have normal, wonderful lives.”
“But they aren't like you. Fine, let me rephrase: they only have sons when it comes to children who have magic inside of them. And yet, here you are, filled with magic and…” He looked her body up and down, licking his lips. “I'll just say you're definitely female.”
Maya felt her cheeks go hot. “And that makes me special?”
“Yes. You see, I was told the female dragon was here on this island, and I have come searching for her.”
“Oh,” she muttered. “I'm not her.” Another fan for Dani. Why am I not surprised? She has everyone falling for her.
He frowned. “Why so sad? You are her. Whatever other girl you're thinking of, she's not the right one. She's not a real miracle. Who's the one who's stayed alive despite all odds against her? Survived when no other has? You. You're the one I've been searching for.”
“Yeah?” She gazed up into his eyes, and she got lost in his beautiful smile. His jawline was strong and his shoulders broad. He could protect her and make her feel right again if she let him. Everything she'd lost in Ethan, she gained with this man, and then some.
“Another bold move on my part, but I would much like to kiss you,” he said, and he didn't give her another warning or wait for permission. Wray leaned in and kissed her with a passion she didn't know was possible. It made her feel even more alive than ever, to the point where her entire body tingled. When she had kissed Ethan, there'd been a jolt. With Tyson there had been a tender caring. Neither came close to Wray.
Their lips parted and she had to catch her breath. “Wow.”
He nodded. “See how we connect? This is destiny. I'm sorry, I know this is probably crazy talk to you, but you have to understand that I've been told about you my whole life. You're the reason I exist.”
“No pressure,” she whispered. Wray came on strong. He had a lot of confidence, but her logic told her to be wary of him. Since when has logic been good to me? Logic had my parents keep me cooped up in a castle for most of my life. It had me fall in love with someone who broke my heart, and it had another guy fall for me who only wanted me as second place. So why should I listen to it anymore? It's time to take a leap of faith here. She took in his scent and sighed dreamily. He even smells like a man. Maybe this is destiny, and the whole reason I went through all of this pain was so I could meet him.
“No, never any pressure. I couldn't help but get excited, but I will wait for you. Besides, there is someone I want you to meet. And I owe you the chance to know what this destiny is about. You deserve to know why you're so special, not just to me but to the whole world,” Wray said.
“Yes,” she said. I need to know, so badly.
He traced the outline of her face with his index finger. “Have you ever been told about the Great Dragon?”
“No, I wasn't raised on dragon religion.”
His smile widened. “That's a shame, but a good thing. So many have been taught a false doctrine. The Great Dragon is going to be a pure dragon from Inero blood, born in the city by the sea. You have Inero blood in you and Oceina blood. One of the prophets in the Holy Book mentions how the birth of the Great Dragon will be an impossible creation. I don't know about you, but a miracle woman would definitely count as part of the equation of an impossible creation, right?”
“And what exactly is the Great Dragon?”
“The bringer of peace and prosperity for all, of course. The ultimate of all dragons.” He looked down at her hand and inspected each of her fingers with his own. Gently, he picked one up, held it, ran his fingers along it, and touched it with such gentleness. “When I was young, my parents said that it was my job to find the girl who would bring the greatest leader to ever live into this world. They said she'd be a miracle, smell like a dragon, but be a woman, unwed, and pure.”
“And what were you told to do when you found her?” she asked, swallowing. It all sounded too unreal to be true. How could he possibly be talking about her? But the more he elaborated, the more the signs all pointed toward her—not Dani. Maya was the special one for a change, and the happiness she felt lowered her guard further.
“Bring you to my boss, and we'll both be greatly rewarded and blessed,” he said. “I'm not expecting it to be easy. We just met, you probably think I'm absolutely nuts.”
Maya shook her head, laughing. “I don't, actually. Shocked, yes, I definitely am that, but what you're saying answers a question of my own.”
“And that is?”
“Why I was allowed to live.”
He cupped her chin gently with his hand. “You must have lived such a sad life. It's a shame. Together we'll make up for all of these things you've missed out on. And I won't let you feel sad anymore. Understand? It's not allowed.”
“Okay, I'll do my best,” she said, and gazed into his eyes again, completely captivated by him. She'd do anything for him, almost like he had some kind of magical spell over her. Even if it were true, he wanted her, and she him. What could possibly be a problem?
“So are you going to tell me what happened? Your big complicated mess?”
“There's a guy I've loved for a long time. He'd rather be with someone else instead of me, so I ran away. That's the short version of it,” she said, and let out a long breath.
Wray smirked. “Lucky me. And it's complicated because?”
“The girl I told you about, you know, how you said you believed I was the female dragon? I said it wasn't me, that's because I know her. And she was who he chose over me. It's more complicated because the guy she was supposed to be with thinks I want to be with him. I guess you could say I'm his consolation prize, and I probably led him on a little by accident. But up until now, I only had eyes for Ethan and…” She stopped talking. She hadn't meant to share any names. The politics of the situation were so delicate. Ethan was the son of a Great Dragon Lord, and he probably wouldn't appreciate her gossiping. But she was finding she might be able to trust Wray after all.
A laugh escaped his lips, and Maya wasn't sure what was so funny, but she humored him and joined in. He took her hand in his once more and began to walk with her down the street. “My boss is going to love this. He's heard a lot about the Inero girl, and the Terran boy, and all of the drama behind their union.”
“So you know about all of it?” she asked, surprised.
“It's part of my job.”
“And that is?”
“Like I already said—to find you.”
For a moment she watched him and tried to read his face. It was a mixture of what appeared to be absolute glee and something sinister, because he still smirked. His eyes lit up in the moonlight and were large with excitement, yet something about the smirk made her nervous. As if he could sense this, he wagged a finger in front of her. Then he kissed her, long and deep, and she no longer had a care in the world. In fact, her mind went completely blank.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Dani took in another deep breath, to calm her nerves. The night was coming to a close, and it was just about time to leave her home permanently. Being on her own sounded scary. But I have Ethan, and he'll keep me safe, right? There were other things to be nervous about as well, though. The retaliation of Lord Bolton was one of them, and even more so wa
s the thought of making love to Ethan. Of course she wanted to do it, to be close with him, to be one. But the idea was still a little scary. She'd heard a lot of stories. What would it be like? Would it be magical? Hurt? What if her being a female dragon changed things? How would her magic react to his? So many factors for her to weigh.
If I'm not ready, we won't have to, she decided. He'll understand. We'll figure it out together. Dani glanced over at him from across the dinner table. They'd just finished eating with her family one last time before heading out. Where they were going, she didn't know, but Ethan had mentioned having it taken care of. She trusted him.
“You ready?” he asked, putting a hand on hers. There was still some apprehension there, almost as if he were still trying to get used to the idea of touching her in such an intimate way. It was new for her too.
She nodded, smiling up at him, and then glanced at her parents. Her mother was crying, and her dad, per usual, was a bit hard to read. He wore a smile, but his body was tense from his head down to his toes. Something had to be bothering him, and that alone made her nervous.
Dani walked over to her parents and hugged them. “Thank you,” she whispered.
“Call us?” her mother asked.
“As soon as we get there,” she said, not knowing where 'there' was.
Her father stroked her hair. “Be careful.”
“I will, promise.” She leaned up and kissed his cheek.
Then she went to Tyson, who collected plates from the small celebration. Dinner had been quick and simple. Her mother had baked chicken, made a lot of scalloped potatoes smothered in cheese, and salad. For dessert there had been some store-bought cookies. Not something most would consider a grand wedding feast, but for Dani it was more than enough. Neither her nor Ethan were familiar with the tradition to begin with, so she didn't feel as if she'd missed out on anything. In fact, even having a ceremony was more than enough for her.
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