Page 127 of The Chosen One Universe: Volume One

Draco

Quiet Sawyer was never a good sign. Something had put him in one of his contemplative moods, and those always drove Draco to distraction. He wanted to hear Sawyer’s rambling banter, to have him tease and gripe and laugh. When Sawyer went into his head, Draco felt like the door to his own thoughts were closed as well.

Pearl leaned against Draco’s leg as they walked in the backyard of the house. She normally would have used her walk time to run and play, but she seemed to realize Sawyer needed both of them close.

The other guardians were inside, leaving them alone to walk through the mostly unfinished landscaping of the property. There were still ruts in the ground from the building equipment but grass had reclaimed the land behind the house and it wasn’t bad to walk through.

“You going to tell me what’s on your mind?” Draco asked once he couldn’t take the silence any more. They’d been outside for over twenty minutes without Sawyer saying a single word.

“I’m not sure what to say.”

“Since when don’t you know what to say to me?” Draco reached out and grabbed Sawyer’s hand, pulling him to a stop before turning to face him.

Sawyer sighed. “You know you mean the world to me, right? That I’d never do anything to hurt you?”

“Of course.”

Sawyer sighed again. “Man, this sucks.”

“Just spit it out, already. You’re gonna give me hives, and you know how cranky I get when I get hives.”

Sawyer huffed out a laugh then reached for Draco’s other hand. “So, I hope you don’t get mad at me, but I had a little moment this morning with Eduard.”

Draco leaned forward the smallest bit, eager to breathe in Sawyer’s familiar scent. “What kind of moment? Do I need to set him on fire?”

Sawyer smiled, but it seemed sad. He shook his head, then looked down at their clasped hands. “We almost kissed.”

Draco waited, but Sawyer continued to look down. He released one of Sawyer’s hands and lifted his chin. “Why is that making you sad? Did you not want to kiss him? Did he try to—”

“No! I mean, he didn’t force me. He actually… stopped me. I don’t know what happened. I mean, for years, it’s been you. Every thought and sexy time alone in my house, it’s always been you I imagined being with. And then boom! I meet some new guy and he turns my head? On the day I find out what’s probably been holding you back from me? And I don’t know what to do about either of those things. Because it’s always been me and you, and what if it isn’t anymore because of your duty or whatever? And why did I suddenly want to kiss someone else? Am I that flighty? One hot griffin comes along and I just—”

“Sawyer, breathe. Come on, breathe with me.” Draco waited for him to pull in a shaky breath. “Now out.”

Sawyer blew out his breath and looked up to meet Draco’s gaze. “I’m so sorry.”

“For what? For thinking Eduard is ridiculously sexy? I think he is too.”

“You do?”

“Yep. Have you seen those fingers of his? Man, hot as hell.”

Sawyer looked confused again, but slightly relieved as well. “So does that mean I’ve been…that I’m not… that we’re not…”

It suddenly dawned on Draco what the problem was. He pulled Sawyer close and cupped his cheek gently in his hand. “You’re everything to me. But that doesn’t mean that I’m not attracted to others. That doesn’t mean that the thought of Eduard bending you over the kitchen counter while I watch doesn’t make my dick hard. I’m not— dragons aren’t—this is hard to explain.”

“So you don’t do commitments? If we ever… you know… then it wouldn’t be just me and you? You’d always be looking for something else?”

“No! Not at all. It’s just, dragons don’t do that whole one man, one woman style of commitment. I have three dads and my mom. My sister has a wife and four husbands. I mean, they aren’t husband and wives like you might think of them. Mates. That’s what we call them. And you aren’t limited to one, although lately finding even one is considered a miracle by those outside of the dragon world.”

Sawyer blinked. Then blinked again. His cheeks turned red and his breathing picked up. They were so close to each other, closer than they’d ever been and his lips were right there. Just one breath away. “Sawyer,” Draco said on a moan.

“That’s… really hot,” Sawyer said. “I mean, I never really… well, I mean I thought about it. And I’ve watched some really good porn where… but I didn’t think that was something that… Holy shit, I’m going to come in my pants if I keep thinking about this. You. With, like, hands all over that chest of yours and me…”

Sawyer trembled. Draco pulled him close and pressed them together from thigh to chest. “You like that idea, huh? I wondered if you’d be open to the possibility. You’ve always been very possessive of me, and I like that. I like it a lot, but I worried it meant you wouldn’t be open to other mates.”

“Other mates? Does that mean I’m…”

Draco sighed and leaned his forehead against Sawyer’s. “I want you to be, but I can’t take a mate without the Chosen One’s permission. Dragons can’t be separated from their mates so I can’t make a commitment like that since I’m already committed. Please tell me you understand? I don’t want to lose you.”