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Smoky let out a long sigh and pulled a chair over to my side. “Camille . . . are you all right?”
I shrugged, still not trusting myself to speak.
“I’m sorry you had to find out this way. I meant to tell you at some point, but with everything that’s gone on, there never seemed to be the right time.” His voice was silken, caressing me even as a strand of his hair slowly reached up to gently stroke my face. I thought about brushing it away, but decided to wait.
“So . . . you’re engaged? How long have you been seeing her?” I swallowed my pride. Might as well get the truth out and know where I stand.
He shook his head. “It isn’t like that. It’s an arranged marriage that I never agreed to. Among my kind, our parents arrange the match. It’s more political and financial than anything else. I’ve been engaged since birth, but I didn’t think . . . I didn’t think that this would be an issue for a long time to come. I’ve never dated her, in human terms, never even touched her beyond a simple handshake.” His eyes flashed but—as deceitful as dragons can be—I had the gut feeling he was telling me the truth.
“So, what happens next? Why did your father come? And why is she here?” The thought that he hadn’t been the one to propose, that the marriage was arranged and he had no say about it made me feel better. The question was: What were we going to do about it? Or rather, was there anything we could do about it?
“My father found out I’m married, that I performed the Soul Symbiont ritual with someone who isn’t a dragon. I warn you, he’s not happy. We’ve never gotten along. I’m the ninth son of a ninth son and I’m expected to carry on tradition and have nine sons of my own. I can’t tell you why, at least right now, but the fact that I came Earthside from the Northlands and stayed had everything to do with my father.” He frowned, staring at the floor.
Morio stood, moving his hand to rest on my shoulder. “So your father came to force you to do your duty and marry the woman?”
“That’s essentially the picture.” Smoky shoved himself out of his chair and paced over to the counter. By the look on his face, I wouldn’t want to be his bride-to-be—at least not one being foisted on him. “I’m not ready to return to my kin. Not enough time has passed for me to forgive—” He paused, staring blankly at the wall.
“Forgive what?” There was something he’d left unsaid, something that had driven him from his home. I could see it, could feel it from our connection and Morio could, too.
Smoky blanched, turning a whiter shade of pale. “I can’t talk about it. Not now. Not here. Leave it that I have choices to make and I have to make them now, sooner than I thought I would. Either I return home and marry her, or I return home and relinquish my birthright. I can’t see any other option.”
A wave of dread swept over me. I clutched at the table. “If you leave . . .”
He stared at me, his eyes meeting mine squarely. “Then the bond will be stretched too far, and tear at both of us. All three of us.”
“And if you stay . . .”
“I turn my back on my heritage and chance being excommunicated from the realm of dragons.” He shook his head. “If you could only come with me. If you could live with me there. My only duty to her is in name only, and to father her children. She would have claim as my lawful wife, but she wouldn’t be able to object to you. It’s common in dragon society to take paramours and second wives or husbands.”
I didn’t like the sound of being second place, but no matter—the thought was out of the question. “I can’t come with you. You know that. My duty is here, my obligation is to my family and the war we’re fighting.” And then, because I couldn’t help myself, I added, “You said you loved me.”
In two strides, Smoky was back at my side. He pulled me out of my chair and held me by the shoulders, staring straight into my eyes. “I do love you. I love you more than you think possible. My Witchling, you are my wife.”
“But I won’t live as long as you. How can I ask you to give up thousands of years with your own kind just to spend perhaps a thousand . . . with me?” I burst into tears, more out of frustration than anything else. “Can’t you marry her and then go back to her after I . . . after I’m . . .”
“Sshh . . . hush, my love.” Smoky pulled me into his arms and kissed me gently. “This is not your concern. Please don’t worry yourself. I’ll take care of matters. I’m not leaving you. I’ll figure out some way to smooth things over.”
I blinked hard at the tears, angry that I’d broken down in front of him. “If you need to stay there, maybe you can come back every month for a few days when the link weakens . . . just to keep us all from going nuts.” I didn’t want to sound hysterical. His fiancée probably never got hysterical. In fact, being a dragon, she was probably in the living room listening in, laughing at me.
Smoky shook his head again. “Camille. Stop crying. I’m not going to let anything happen to our connection. You are my wife and that’s just the way things are.”
“My wife, too,” Morio spoke up, his eyes twinkling.
Smoky gave him a guarded look, then let out a low growl. “Yes, well, there’s no helping that. But I think it’s best that you stay in here while I introduce Camille to my father. The less confusion, the better. I’m lenient with mortals but my father isn’t . . . so friendly. As for . . . her . . . I have no idea and I’m not that interested.”
Morio shrugged. “I’m a demon. I doubt either one of them can do me too much damage if I shift, but you’re right. Things are skewed enough as it is. I’ll wait here. But I warn you—if either of them hurts Camille—”
“Enough,” Smoky said, glowering dangerously. “If either of them even attempts to hurt her, I’ll put a stop to it. No matter what the cost.” He wrapped his arm around my shoulder. “Wash your face, now, and then I suppose you’d better meet your fatherin-law.”
Since I couldn’t get upstairs without passing by Smoky’s father and fiancée, I slipped into the laundry room and found a skirt and bustier that were nearly dry. I hurried into Iris’s room and quickly used her shower, then touched up my makeup and made sure my eyes didn’t look puffy. Both Delilah and Iris stared at me, waiting, but I just shrugged as I slipped into the clean clothes.
“I’ll tell you everything later. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I can tell you this: Next time one of us gets married, be sure you ask if they have some fiancée or girlfriend hidden out somewhere.”
Delilah colored, blushing like a bruised peach. “Yeah, I found that out the hard way, too. But at least I wasn’t married to Chase.”
I grimaced. “Smoky says he’s never even touched this . . . dragon . . . before. It’s an arranged marriage. I don’t know whether to believe him or not, but with the Soul Symbiont ritual, it’s hard for him to lie to me. Or me to him. Same thing with Morio. Anyway, do I look ready to meet my fatherin-law?”
Iris gave me a strong smile. “Cheer up. How can anybody resist you?” She leaned up on tiptoe to kiss me on the cheek.
