Fated Fortunes

by Angela Colsin

  Breakfast was always spent with Karina and Novak in his cabin, usually while discussing what she'd read in Morwin's tome the previous evening. Following it, she'd join Dalris on deck for another lesson in draconian—and the language was enjoyable to learn.

  There were a lot of harsh consonants and smooth vowel sounds, and though Dalris sometimes found her pronunciations amusing, he never teased her. He often remarked that she was a fast learner as well, a compliment Jada took to heart even if he was biased.

  But no matter how much she loved learning the language, she'd placed limits on their interactions, such as getting her lessons on deck where they wouldn't be alone. She also kept the length down to an hour, and not because she had other matters to attend.

  Instead, her dreams of Dalris weren't going away—they were getting worse.

  While Jada wasn't having them nightly, they'd become more vivid, not to mention racy. During the last, he'd sneaked into her bed and proceeded to rouse her by erotically fondling her body beneath the blankets.

  Needless to say, she was both breathless and disappointed when she actually came to.

  Initially, Jada wanted to believe the dreams were only being caused by attraction, but when they kept coming, she couldn't ignore the possibility that it was a sign of something more serious occurring.

  Bonding.

  Unlike some races who knew a mate simply by looking at them, elves experienced a bonding process that tied their life to their mate's, and recurring dreams was one of the ways in which this process manifested.

  So Jada didn't want to feed it by spending too much time in Dalris' presence, and not simply because she needed time to think. She was also coming to realize that the more she softened toward him, the less she liked the idea of putting him in a situation where he could be in danger.

  It simply wasn't fair—to either of them.

  Sadly, her worries of bonding with Dalris were just the tip of an iceberg. After a week had passed, they still hadn't rooted out any spies aboard The Cutlass, which made her wary of traveling to the ruin with anyone but Dalris, Karina, and Salt.

  Topping it off? She was starting to question what that ruin actually was.

  The one thing Jada never failed to do before bed was read her grandfather's tome, and the more she read, the more uncertain she became. Not far outside of Westmere now, she sat on her bunk with the book in her lap and a neglected cup of dawn berry tea on her nightstand, so focused on the passage she'd just read that not even a loud clap of thunder could distract her.

  Knock-knock.

  Still oblivious, Jada turned the page, reading on even when the knocking at her door repeated more loudly. It wasn't until the visitor stepped inside without invitation that she finally looked up, expecting to see Karina or Novak.

  But instead, Dalris entered—a surprising sight. This was his first visit to her quarters since they'd boarded The Cutlass.

  Still, she inquired, “Don't you knock?”

  “I did. Three times in fact.”

  “Oh,” she drew out, looking back down at the book. “Sorry. I guess I was distracted.”

  “So I see,” he returned plainly while shutting the door. “Novak sent me to let you know the winds are getting bad, but they're working in our favor, so we should make port in about an hour.”

  “Oh,” Jada replied in surprise, briefly glancing through the porthole to see that the skies were indeed dark—a testament to how deeply her grandfather's book had her enthralled. I didn't even know a storm was coming.

  Dalris must've noticed how distracted she was as well because he walked over with a look of concern on his face and crouched down next to her bunk, asking, “What's bothering you?”

  Sighing, Jada sat forward and admitted, “This. I just read it a few minutes ago.”

  Because he couldn't see the writing, she read the passage Morwin had written aloud.

  “We'll be leaving Keskin in a week, and I'm in no hurry. For as long as it will take to gather all fragments of the key, I'm not quite convinced of the door it unlocks. The ruins where I located the first fragment are surrounded by troll infested swamps, lessening the possibility that I'll find much underground aside from chambers rotted away with time.

  “However, and regardless of the existence of underground chambers, the site itself doesn't seem large enough to have once housed a Great Dragon's temple. Granted, Rinora's House is ancient, and I'm certain other draconians have grown their temples over time. Yet I question it.

  “Is the spot I've located truly Rinora's temple? Or just another piece of the puzzle?”

  Once she finished reading the passage, she looked up to qualify, “Papa's usually confident about his work, so if he's unsure, I have to wonder if the place we're going is actually the final destination, too.”

  Nodding, Dalris pointed out, “Either way, we're sure to find more of the answers we need once we're inside.”

  “True,” she concurred while storing Morwin's tome away. “But if it's not her temple, what could it be?”

  “It's hard to say. Perhaps it used to be a town, or a storage cache filled with treasure. It might even be a shrine. My own House has shrines for Dra'Kai all over Keskin, and some of them serve as rookeries for young wyverns and drakes.”

  All things considered, that did brighten Jada's mood. It was simply hard to imagine working for so long to finish Morwin's research only to be set back again, and she smiled.

  “Thanks, I needed to hear that.”

  In response, Dalris gave her a look she couldn't quite place, prompting the question, “What?”

  “You're just incredibly beautiful.”

  Hearing this, she sighed, realizing he wasn't trying to be charming—he simply was. So she turned to get up before it got any worse, replying, “Thanks, I think.”

  The draconian chuckled, grasping her hand before she could walk away. “Where are you going now?”

  Looking back, Jada returned as he stood up, “To prepare for port, of course. Why?”

  In the process, she pried his hand from her wrist, only to find him snagging the other with his answer. “Because I wanted to ask you something first.”

  “Okay, but you don't have to keep grabbing my hands.”

  With that said, she repeated her attempt at freeing herself only to find him countering the same way until she was snickering.

  With a handsome grin, he asked, “How else am I supposed to ensure you won't leave if I don't hold your hand?”

  “Don't tell me you're not resourceful enough to figure it out.”

  Their movements picked up speed as he returned, “I thought this was resourceful.”

  “Well it's not, now let go!” she demanded, trying desperately not to laugh until she got the chance to duck around him, and did so with a boastful, “Hah! Catch me now, scale farmer.”

  Dalris quickly turned to do just that, and she ducked low as he retorted, “Fine, but when I do, I'm not letting go, las'ira.”

  Now standing on the far side of the room from the door with Dalris blocking the way out, Jada gave him a curious look. “What's las'ira mean?”

  “Give up and I'll tell you.”

  “Tell me and I'll think about it,” she countered with a grin, then quickly feinted left to fool him before pivoting to the right at the last second.

  But Dalris must've realized that was the only move she had to make because he reached left to grab her—while lifting his opposing leg.

  As a result, Jada tripped, quickly pitching forward.

  “Shit!”

  Her exclamation came just as the draconian swiftly turned and caught her before she could hit the floor face first.

  Chuckling, he stood straight with her shoulder to his chest and his arms around her sides, asking, “Give up yet?”

  “Is that your question?”

  “No,” he returned, grinning. “And I've actually been considering this all week long.”

  Jada eyed him suspiciously, his comment making her think he was ques
tioning how much more time she needed to consider things between them before she came to a verdict on moving forward.

  But his answer to the question of, “What's that?” wasn't what she'd expected, and she had no intentions of offering a fully honest answer.

  Yet.

  Dalris got the feeling Jada wasn't going to give him a completely honest reply, but he was too eager to see what she'd say to let it stop him.

  Besides, they'd been dancing around each other for a week now, sharing suggestive comments and generally teasing without touching on the bigger issues—and she'd never spend long in his presence if there wasn't a group of people around.

  Of course, he hadn't complained, wanting to give her the time she'd requested to think. But now that they were about to make port, he needed to know more, and started with, “Over the past thirty years, I've thought of you. Granted, I was angry, but also extremely curious about who you truly were. So I'd wondered if the reverse was true. Did you ever think of me?”

  Jada held his gaze and quirked a slender brow, giving a response that sounded more like a deflection than an answer.

  “You had Papa's tome.”

  “So?”

  “So yes.”

  “Is that it?” he inquired knowingly. “You suspected we had a mate's connection, but you never wondered if I'd show up at random?”

  “Of course I did,” she remarked, adding flatly, “and it was always a cause for dread.”

  “You?” Dalris scoffed. “I don't buy it.”

  Her eyes widened in surprise at his retort. “Why not?”

  He smiled, having learned much about his mate over the past week just by watching her interact with the crew from a distance. Though Jada had been reserved on the island, aboard The Cutlass, she was witty with a fun loving, adventurous attitude, proving her conservative behavior regarding Dalris was borne of her uncertainty regarding their relationship.

  So his answer was given confidently. “Because you're too spirited. Had I shown up, you would've dealt with the matter efficiently, and I'm convinced that you thought about me, even if only a little.”

  Her eyes rolled. “Now you're just flattering yourself.”

  Dalris couldn't hide his grin, wasting no time mentioning, “I thought it was acceptable to flatter myself considering you do it every time you look at me that way.”

  “What way?”

  “With breathlessly parted lips and beautiful, wide eyes.”

  “I am not breathless, I'm just—”

  “You're attracted to me, Jada. Tell me I'm wrong.”

  He couldn't stop himself from pointing out what was so obvious, his eyes fixating on her lips with an aching desire to kiss them the way he had on the island—and that first kiss was yet another reason for his earlier question. It simply felt too much like she'd been waiting as long as he had for that moment not to wonder if she'd hadn't thought of him more over the past three decades than she was admitting.

  But if she had, she wasn't confessing now either, inquiring softly, “So what if I am?”

  Hearing this, Dalris leaned in closer, inches away from seizing her mouth with his in adding, “You want me, too.”

  Though Jada could easily end their conversation if he pushed too far, he made the suggestion anyway. Not only was he extremely curious after a week of restraining himself, he could also scent how aroused she was that very moment, and it was feeding his own libido—as if it needed to be fed.

  Initially, she was quiet, making him think she may be deciding what her best bet for escape was.

  But then her violet eyes drifted to his own mouth where they lingered—lustfully. That look combined with the strengthening scent of her arousal told him all he needed to know. She does want me.

  Thunder quaked in the sky above, echoing the way his heart pounded in his chest, making it difficult to focus when she whispered, “People want a lot of things they can't have, Dalris.”

  “True,” he started, “but is that the conclusion you've reached about us? Or do you need more time?”

  With her eyes sliding shut as he lowered his mouth to hers, Jada drew out an uncertain, “I don't know … ,” just as their lips met.

  Ironically, lightning flashed in the distance, but Dalris didn't notice it, nor did he hear the howling winds against the ship's hull. Jada had just wrapped her arms around his sides and dug her fingers into his long hair, flicking her tongue against his lips so sweetly that he was lost in no time.

  He wanted to continue their kiss just as badly as he wanted to tell her that her scent was driving him mad. Whenever he inhaled it, all he could think about was satisfying whatever desires she had—not to mention slaking his own.

  In turn, the sensation of their bodies pressing and shifting together was too good to describe, and when she moaned into his mouth?

  Heaven.

  “Las'ira,” he groaned between kisses, dizzy with euphoria, or … was that the motion of the rocking ship as it picked up speed in the storm? Gods, I hope not.

  Just as he had the thought, Jada parted her lips from his and rasped breathlessly, “Damn it, you're making me forget everything I wanted to tell you!”

  She sounded sweetly flustered, and under normal circumstances, Dalris would've smiled.

  But now, he had a bigger problem.

  “Hold that thought,” he groaned low, quickly turning away with no lack of irritation.

  After all, the last thing any draconian wanted to do after a passionate kiss with his mate was throw open a porthole to heave through.

  CHAPTER 20

  Of all the reactions Jada expected Dalris to give their kiss, yakking out of her porthole wasn't one of them.

  But after his trouble with seasickness, and the storm outside propelling The Cutlass across turbulent waters more quickly than usual, his sudden illness wasn't surprising. In fact, if their kiss had made him as dizzy as she now felt, it'd probably just worsened his condition. So it's almost … flattering.

  She tried not to snicker at the thought, fearing Dalris might take it wrong—she doubted this was the way he wanted to react, either. But at least his current malaise would soon pass, and she'd discovered something during their kiss that would probably make him feel better.

  So, as the draconian leaned out with a loud groan, Jada placed a hand on his back, asking, “Are you okay?”

  “I will be,” he muttered, sounding so dismayed that she smiled while turning to her nightstand for the cup of tea she'd ignored after becoming so engrossed in Morwin's tome.

  Thankfully, the beverage was still lukewarm, and by the time she'd faced Dalris again, he was backing away from the porthole with a groan.

  “Come on,” she started, taking his hand to direct him to the bunk. “We'll be at port soon, so just lay down and drink the rest of this.”

  He didn't resist, allowing her to prop up a few pillows to recline against, and then took the cup while issuing a request.

  “Will you stay with me?”

  Jada eyed him, trying not to smile over the way he'd asked. The fierce draconian didn't need her there to recover, but he sounded so cutely vulnerable, as if nothing less than her company would do.

  It was almost painfully sweet, and prompted her to take things a step further than merely sitting with him.

  So, as Dalris drank from the cup, Jada climbed onto the bunk and stretched out beside him, then rested her head against his shoulder, looking up to see a surprised expression on his face.

  But he also seemed pleased, tightening an arm around her back while she grinned.

  “Bet you didn't think I'd get this comfortable.”

  His handsome smile had her heart fluttering. “No, and it's making me feel much better.”

  “Good, because I need to tell you something.”

  As she spoke, Dalris finished off her tea, then settled the cup aside and asked, “What's that?”

  With her cheek against his shoulder, she admitted, “You were asking if I needed more time to think about us, and
the answer was yes.”

  “Was?”

  She nodded. “But after our kiss, I realized I can name pros and cons all day long, and still not get any closer to a conclusion because I need more to go by.”

  His gaze narrowed curiously, so she explained further, “I need an example of what I'm considering. So I … I think we should test the waters, because if I can see what's between us, it would make things much clearer. Does that make sense?”

  She peered up at him, worried he wouldn't fully comprehend her meaning, or assume she wanted more than she was actually requesting.

  Yet, while holding her gaze, Dalris suggested, “You're not looking for commitment, you just need to know what you'd be getting if you agreed to one.”

  “Yes!” she exclaimed, the sense of relief she felt in response to his understanding prompting her to lean up and kiss his cheek. “Exactly!”

  Half of Dalris' mouth lifted in a self-confident smile. “So, kissing me told you that you want to explore further, hmm?”

  His arrogant tone had her lips pursing. “You're not about to get smug are you? Because I've been confused about this all week, and I only realized I need to see things for myself before I could make a decision.”

  She thought he might tease her some more, but instead, Dalris remarked seriously, “I've noticed that about you.”

  “What?”

  “You work as if seeing is believing,” he explained. “For example, it would be easy to take Morwin's research as the truth without further inspection, but you'd rather obtain solid proof.”

  Jada didn't have to consider it to realize he was right. Not only was his example evidence of this behavior, she'd also attempted to bond with other elves just to make certain the shaman's prediction of her future mate was accurate.

  But living in a convent where the clergy passed on information without bothering to do any research had influenced her perception, particularly after seeing the way Morwin handled his affairs.