Nori looks appalled at that. “Were there other dragons to help you?”
I give her a sad smile. “No. I was the only dragon enrolled at the time. I had to take many classes by myself too. It was quite isolating at times. Besides, dragons are very rare. Different families have different types of dragons connected to different elements. My family line, the Beck line, is descended from white water dragons, and our relationship is with the ocean mainly, though we can control other types of water too. In our language, Beck means white. Hence my coloring. All the males of my line have white hair and light features as a sign of our lineage, but not all get chosen by a dragon.”
Nori bumps me lightly with her shoulder. “You’re special.”
At Nori’s words, my dragon spins in a circle, optimism flowing through him and spilling into scales along my torso and legs.
“I don’t always feel special,” I sigh out, causing some of the scales to disappear again.
“To me, you’ll always be.”
“And you to me.” I rest my head against Nori’s while I gather my strength to finish the story, knowing she needs the whole truth if she truly wants to understand why I am this way.
“So does your father go by Beck too?” Nori gently prods.
I lift my head and stare off at the glittering golden water, letting Nori and the ocean calm me with their combined presence. “It’s also his family name, but not his first name. I started going by Beck when I moved to the boarding school. I didn’t want to be Shinsu there. It was too hard to remember my old life.”
Tilting her head to the side, Nori asks, “So, if Beck means ‘white,’ does Shinsu also have a special meaning?”
I nod. “It does. ‘Shin’ means god. And ‘Su’ means water.”
“So your name literally means ‘god of water’? That’s so fitting. I’ve seen the way you love the ocean, and your connection with it. To me, Shinsu seems much more suitable for you than a name related to your coloring.”
My dragon agrees and gives me an “I told you so” look, undulating pearlescent scales along my limbs, much to Nori’s liking as her eyes eagerly track their movement.
I give her a quick kiss then square my shoulders, bracing myself for telling Nori about the ugliest stage of my life. “After I graduated, I tried to go back home, but my parents told me they couldn’t risk having me around in their human neighborhood. They bought me a boat and said it would be best to find a job where I could be useful considering my water magic and my dragon form.”
Nori brings a hand up to cover her mouth. “Shinsu. That’s horrible.”
I swallow around the lump in my throat. “I thought I was alone before, but then I truly knew what it felt like to be completely abandoned.”
“I can’t fathom how hard that must’ve been. Did you move to Starry Hill then?”
Closing my eyes, I explain, “I spent two years working for an awful man as his personal protector. Sometimes he would ask me to shift for his delight. It made me resent my dragon for the longest time. It also didn’t help that my dragon was the reason I was taken away from you and life as I knew it.”
When I open my eyes again, I see Nori’s are filled with angry tears, and I realize they’re on my behalf. “How did you get away?”
“Arran.”
“Vampire Arran?” Nori asks. “The shy recluse who’s also founder of Starry Hill?”
“Yeah. He doesn’t talk much about it, but he finds creatures in need around the world and offers them a safe place to live and work here in Starry Hill. He sent someone to find me too, and I packed my bags right then and there.”
“That’s incredible,” Nori says. “I never knew that about him.”
Finally, my mouth quirks into a smile as I get to a happier part again. “I’ve been living in Starry Hill for the last fourteen years, and my dragon and I have slowly started understanding each other and healing our relationship.”
Nori reaches up and brushes some strands off my forehead. “It means so much to me that you’ve shared all of this with me. Thank you, Shinsu. It’s a gift to know your whole past and I promise to do everything I can to keep your heart safe and make you feel as loved as you are. I’ll never abandon you.”
I lean into her touch. “You’ve helped me be proud of who I am. The way you’ve accepted my scales and my other dragon… attributes. Thank you. Thank you that I can be just as I am with you.”
Nori climbs into my lap and straddles me, lightly tracing the scales on my chest as she looks up at me with her pure honey eyes. “You’re so easy to love, Shinsu. I’m glad you’ve embraced who you are.”
Feeling encouraged and bold, I ask, “Do you want to meet my dragon?”
Nori’s head bobs up and down. “Yes, please. I’ve been wanting to meet him for months.”
I lift her carefully off me and stand up to start undressing. Nori watches me with rapt attention, her heart racing excitedly as I unbuckle my pants. She takes over undoing my buttons, her cheeks glowing red when I stand naked in front of her.
In my chest, my dragon struts up and down, very conscious of Nori’s gaze on us. He sends scales rippling over me as he gets ready to take over my body.
I press a quick kiss to Nori’s lips, then I jump, shifting midair as I dive into the welcoming water.
