by Rinelle Grey
She blushed a little at that, but still looked uncertain. “But… I mean… could we even… like, have kids?”
Damrian decided to take the fact that she was asking that question as a positive. Even if the thought of kids made him a little nervous. He hadn’t really considered becoming a father yet. But he could easily imagine wanting to in the future. With Zara.
More importantly, it meant she thought about having kids with him, right?
That he could reassure her about. “I’m half human, remember? My mum is a human, and my dad is a dragon. I think that’s pretty good proof that we can. If we ever wanted to.”
Zara bit her lip and nodded. Perhaps the idea of kids made her as nervous as it made him. Or maybe she wasn’t impressed that her reason for backing out wasn’t valid.
Before she could say anything, such as telling him she never wanted to have his children, he rushed into the gap. “Look, I know this has come as a bit of a shock, and you probably need time to think it over. This is way more of a commitment than you could possibly have expected a few days ago. And obviously it would have been ideal if you’d known before we slept together. I’m sorry. We can go back to being just friends, if you want, and I’ll never mention this again.”
“No,” Zara said quickly. Her face paled a little, but her eyes were determined. “That’s not what I want. I like you, Damien… ahh… Damrian…”
She looked uncertain, but his name on her lips, his real name this time, stirred his heart. He’d do anything he could to make this work, if that was what she wanted.
Zara continued. “A few days ago, you were just my best friend. Just. Isn’t that weird? But now it feels like so much more. And it’s awesome. And that sex… that was mind blowing.” She blushed.
Damrian felt his face heating too. Mind blowing was the perfect description.
“It’s just…” She waved her hand around helplessly. “How can we make this work? When it was just a normal relationship, I kind of figured I could go back and forth between here and the city, finish my degree, and… well… I was always a bit stuck on that bit. Where would we live? You won’t leave the island, and I’m not sure there’s enough for me here. I mean, I love working the tour, but it’s going to get boring after a while. I need something to challenge me, you know?”
She finally trailed off then, staring at him, waiting for him to say something.
He wasn’t quite sure what. She was right. His home was here on the island. His family. The thought of leaving had never felt right to him, or else maybe he would have left to go to uni with her. Who knew what would have happened if he had.
But now, now maybe things were different. His father was a few thousand kilometres away, meeting with his clan. This island was no longer the only place where he knew he could find dragons. Maybe leaving wouldn’t be so bad.
Of course it wouldn’t. If he was with Zara, how could it be bad?
His father and mother had set out together, come all this way from his father’s clan home, to create this place. If they could move that far together, then he could too.
He could do anything, so long as he was doing it with Zara. He took a deep breath. “If that’s the way you feel, then I’ll go wherever you need. I’ll come to the city. Anywhere.”
He held his breath, watching her. Would it be enough?
Zara looked a little bemused. A little overwhelmed. “You care about me that much? Even after just one night together?” Zara asked, her voice uncertain.
This one, at least, he could answer without any hesitation. “There’s no one else, Zara. It’s always been you. That’s the way it is for dragons. I’ve always known that when I mated, it would be for life. And the only person I’ve ever considered is you.”
There, he’d given it his best shot. This would either work, or it wouldn’t.
All he could do now was hope.
Chapter 20
Zara’s heart pounded in her chest, and tears filled her eyes. Damrian’s declaration had stunned her. She’d known he cared about her, but she hadn’t expected him to be ready to commit his life to her without hesitation. To be willing to leave the island, if necessary, to be with her.
She hadn’t expected that.
She’d always thought it was the one thing he’d never do.
He loved it here. His family were here. And given what she’d just learned, that meant even more than it did for a normal person. His family were the only people he could really share his secret with. It made sense that he didn’t want to leave them.
And yet, he was prepared to give that all up. For her.
She’d never expected to find that kind of devotion from anyone. But, she wasn’t surprised that when she did, it was from Damrian.
She was just beginning to see that the closeness they shared went far beyond friendship. Far beyond even a normal relationship.
This could be something amazing. A chance to be a part of something larger.
The idea excited her. Especially the idea of spending the rest of her life not far from Damrian. If she was honest with herself, that was something she’d always longed for. While she hadn’t had the same issues leaving the island that he did, what little she’d had had been because of him.
“It’s always been you for me too,” she said, sniffing a little. She would not cry. Most especially because that would make it hard for her to say the things she had to say. “Leaving here, leaving you, was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. I get now, why you had to stay, but I missed you so much. I don’t think I could do that again.”
The smile Damrian gave her made choking the words out worth it. But she wasn’t finished yet.
“I’m glad you finally shared your secret with me,” she said softly. “I can’t even begin to imagine how you kept it quiet all these years, but I do understand why. I’m glad I finally get to know, and I hope I get to see you in your dragon form someday.”
That would be magnificent. But not what she was focusing on now.
“That can definitely be arranged,” Damrian said, and the pupils in his eyes narrowed into slits, causing Zara’s breath to catch in her throat.
But right now, the fact that he was a dragon was just the thing that had been keeping them apart. Well, and the thing that meant that if they slept together, they’d be bonded for life.
Her heartbeat quickened.
That was the real question here. Regardless of where they lived, and for the first time, she thought they might just find a way to figure that out, being magically bonded to someone was a huge commitment. Far bigger than anything she’d ever contemplated before.
But for some reason, it didn’t make her afraid.
This was Damrian. Her best friend. Spending the rest of her life with him, attracted to him, sounded just perfect.
“I think… I think being mated to you would be wonderful,” Zara said softly.
The smile Damrian gave her then was even wider than before. “Really?” he asked. “You do understand what it means, don’t you?”
Zara nodded. “It means being able to spend the rest of my life with my best friend.”
Damrian stood up and came around the coffee table, and sat down next to her, pulling her into his arms. Zara snuggled up against him, feeling like she’d just come home.
“So, did you sort it out?” Hayrian’s head stuck around the doorway. Had they been out there listening the whole time?
Zara blushed but didn’t care. “Yes, we sorted it out,” she said, tucking her hand into Damrian’s. “We’re going to get mated.”
She hoped that was how you said it, she wasn’t really well versed in dragon customs yet. But she would be. That would be a fascinating study in and of itself, even if it wasn’t marine related. Maybe it was time to switch disciplines…
“That’s wonderful, congratulations.” Hayrian gave his brother a grin and a wink.
“See, I told you it would all work out,” Rowan said, following his brother into the room. He gave Zara a
warm smile. “Welcome to the family. It’s a bit tricky, being a human surrounded by all these dragons, but if you ever need any pointers, I’m happy to help out.”
Zara was a little surprised that he seemed so casual about it. It must have been difficult, growing up with two younger brothers who were dragons. Surely he’d longed to be one himself? But if he had, there was no sign of it now.
“Thanks,” she said.
She’d miss this, when she and Damrian moved to the city. She felt a little sad at the thought, but reminded herself that they’d be back often. She was sure every holiday would be spent here.
But somehow, it wasn’t enough. There had to be a way to make this work that didn’t mean they had to leave Damrian’s family?
And there was. Why hadn’t it occurred to her before.
When she’d been planning on writing her thesis about mermaids, she’d known it would mean spending a fair bit of time here, doing research. Well, there was no reason she couldn’t find another topic that could be researched here.
Like reef conservation. She’d already started in a way. How could she help Dragon Island Hideaway resort be more reef friendly? That should be more than enough for a whole thesis. There was so much more she could do.
“I’ve got it,” she said.
When everyone stared at her, she realised her comment had been a little out of the blue.
“I’ve figured out how we can stay here, and I can still do my work,” she said excitedly to Damrian. “I can write my thesis on the reef, and how the changes we make here, at the resort, can affect it.”
Damrian gave a wide grin. “Sounds perfect.” He nudged her with his leg, sending thoughts completely unrelated to research projects through her body. “And maybe while you’re doing it, we might catch sight of a mermaid.”
Zara had to admit, the prospect still excited her. She knew that if she did, she’d have to keep it to herself, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t have a personal, secret research project.
Suddenly, staying here on the island sounded a lot more interesting than it had a few years ago.
“That does sound perfect,” she said softly, and she leaned in to kiss him.
Damrian returned her kiss, his lips stirring up a river of feeling, coursing through her body. Or maybe an ocean. Yeah, that would explain the waves of passion that rippled through her.
“Maybe we should leave them alone?” Hayrian’s voice was distant, and Zara ignored it.
A few moments later, the door to the room closed, and presumably they were alone.
Zara barely noticed. All her attention was captured by Damrian. Her best friend. Her dragon.
Her mate.
Epilogue
The bay stretched out, completely deserted. The thick, high cliffs behind them meant no one was coming in that way, and no ship could sneak into the bay unnoticed. They were on the opposite side of the island to the resort, which meant no one was likely to even be trying to come this way.
Damrian and Zara were completely alone.
He’d shifted here plenty of times before, but this time felt different.
This time, Zara’s eyes were on him, wide and excited.
His blood still thrummed in his veins from their mating that morning. Only one more time, and they’d be lifemates. His body urged him to do that now, to forget about shifting. Claiming her as his own was more important, more urgent.
But before they did that, he wanted her to really know who he was. To see him in his dragon form.
So he took a deep breath and shucked off his clothes.
The way Zara’s eyes roamed his body, lingering in some places, set his heart pounding. He’d better hurry and transform, or he’d forget what he was doing.
He closed his eyes, focusing on his body changing and shifting. He felt his claws slip out of the tips of his fingers, and his wings elongate and spread. It was like slipping off clothes that he hadn’t even realised were uncomfortable until that moment.
Damrian opened his eyes and stared down at Zara, wondering what she thought. Would she still want to be with him when she saw who he truly was?
Deep down, he didn’t doubt it, but he still needed to see it in her eyes.
*****
Zara stared at the dragon in front of her in wonder. He was huge. As large as a car, maybe larger. The deep blue of his scales exactly mirrored the colour of his eyes.
Eyes that stared down at her, whirling slowly. Watching for her reaction.
She stepped forwards, completely unafraid. He may be huge, but this was still Damrian, her friend. She trusted him with her life.
She laid a hand on his scales, surprised to find they were warm. She’d expected them to be cool, like a snake or lizard, not warm. But it made sense Damrian was half human, warm blooded. She could hear his heart beating through her hand on his chest, a little faster than normal.
He snaked his head around and rested it against her, as though embracing her.
“I love you, Zara,” he said into her mind.
Somehow, the words were even more intimate than if he’d said them out loud.
He’d told her that once they slept together for the third time, once they were mated, she would be able to use dragon speech back to him through their bond, and she couldn’t wait.
Right now, her normal voice would have to do. “I love you too, Damrian.”
He nudged her again, then stepped back.
Zara took a deep breath and watched as he launched himself into the air, extending his wings and flying up above the trees.
It was unbelievable. Amazing.
He looked beautiful as he soared over the top of the trees, then out over the waves.
Then, to her surprise, he dived under them, his wings cutting through the water almost as easily as they’d flown over the land.
Damrian had told her earlier that he was a water dragon, but she hadn’t stopped to think what that actually meant. His ease with swimming, and how long he could hold his breath under water suddenly made a whole lot more sense.
He didn’t stay under long this time though, surfacing only a few hundred meters from where he’d entered the water and swimming across the surface back to the beach. He emerged from the water and shook himself off.
“Do you want to come for a flight?” his voice said into her mind.
A moment of trepidation filled her mind. How would she stay on his back in the air? What if she fell off?
But the fears were gone as soon as they appeared. Damrian wouldn’t suggest this if he didn’t think it was safe, and she trusted him.
Besides, the temptation was too great. She’d been wondering how it must feel from the moment he’d taken off.
So she stepped forwards eagerly. “I thought you’d never ask.”
Damrian crooked one knee, and Zara put a hand on his shoulder and stepped on his leg. From there, she climbed up onto his back.
His powerful muscles bunched up under her thighs, then he leapt into the air.
Zara had a moment of fear that she’d fall, but he kept perfectly level, and though the height freaked her out a little, she soon forgot all about it.
Damrian soared over the trees, brushing the tops with his wingtips, then he circled around and flew out over the ocean.
Zara had flown over the ocean before, both in planes and helicopters, so this really shouldn’t have been that different. But it was.
Damrian did a high pass over the bay first, and Zara stared down at the reef laid out in the clear water. Then he came back around low, just skimming over the waves. Sea spray splattered Zara’s face. This was far more exhilarating than any flight she’d ever been on.
“Are you ready to go under?” Damrian’s voice said into her mind.
She wanted to. She really did. But how was she going to breathe? She couldn’t hold her breath as long as Damrian.
But he knew that. He wouldn’t be asking her if he was going to go under for too long. She trusted him.
So she threw
her arms around his neck and shouted out, “Yes!”
As they angled down towards the waves, she took a deep breath and braced herself.
But there was no shock as she hit the water. No cold. No feeling of water at all.
After a few seconds, she realised that they were swimming in an air bubble, as though some unseen force field held the water at bay.
Zara marvelled at the magic she couldn’t see for a moment and then was distracted by the scene around her. Fish darted away from them, coral blazed in full colour, with no glass or diving mask in the way. It was the clearest look at the ocean she’d ever had.
“Look to your left.” Damrian’s dragon speech sounded a little awed.
Zara glanced left, just catching the tip of a pink tail as it disappeared around the rocks. Her heart pounded in her chest as Damrian swept in that direction, the water parting in front of them.
But by the time they rounded the rocks, there was no sign of anything other than fish.
But Zara wasn’t disappointed. How could she be when she was riding on a dragon? A water dragon.
She didn’t need to find mermaids for her life to be complete, but she would certainly enjoy looking for them with Damrian.
She leaned forwards and put her arms around his neck again. “Let’s head back to the beach. I can think of a few other things I want to do.”
Damrian didn’t need to be urged twice. He broke the surface and swam lazily towards the shore.
Zara’s heart thumped in her chest. This was it. If this cove was private enough to swim around on a dragon’s back, then it was definitely private enough for some other activities she had planned.
And afterwards, if they went for another swim, she’d be able to talk back to her mate in dragon speech.
The End
I hope you enjoyed reading Dragon Tides. If you did, please consider leaving a review. Even a few sentences help.
The next book, Hayrian's story, Dragon Waves, will be available on the 4th of September.
In the meantime, if you haven't already, check out what the rest of the Rian clan are up to in the Return of the Dragons series, beginning with Loyal Dragon Shifter.