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I didn’t move—the gentleness in his voice turned my legs to mush. Neither of us looked away as we gazed into each other’s eyes, but the longer neither of us spoke, the calmer I became. His smile widened, revealing a dimple on his left cheek, and I couldn’t stop the blush that crept up my neck.
I hadn't noticed it last night, but there was a faint scar on the left side of his bottom lip. It drew my attention to his somewhat lopsided smirk-like smile.
I looked away before he mistook my gaze for something else.
His skin was flawless, as was to be expected of a god, and his eyes were wide-set and dreamy. His hair wasn’t as perfectly combed as it had been last night, so the brown strands were curly, with a few brushing against his forehead.
He was a beautiful man, his eyes warm and inviting, yet filled with longing.
“I don’t know what to do about this," I told him, gesturing from him to me. “It doesn’t make sense. You’re a god.”
“Only half,” he replied.
“But the other half is a dragon. That’s even worse.”
“But either way, I’m your mate. There is nothing to wonder about. It just is.” He took my hand. “Listen, I don’t want you to feel pressured by this. There is no rush. I’ll give you space—as much as you need. I’ll get to know you, slowly but thoroughly, even if it takes years.” The warmth in his eyes flooded with yearning. “I’m just glad I found you.”
No, Rumir wasn’t like Lucian at all. Lucian had barely given me a glimpse of his emotions, while Rumir was telling me bluntly how he felt. His words were music to my ears, and while I knew he was talking about how he and I would get to know each other, we also needed to speak about Lucian being my mate.
"I understand why you backed away from me at the ball," he continued, a little angrily. "You were in shock at finding out you have two mates. But you don't need to worry. Once my mother wakes, she can remove your bond to Lucian. Then you and I will have all the time we need to get to know each other."
A chill ran up my spine. "Undo my bond with Lucian?" I repeated. His face dropped as if he’d realized that he’d said something he shouldn’t have. "I don’t want that. I have no plans to reject either of you.”
Rumir took a step back, his jaws clenching. "I have no interest in sharing you, Natalie."
"Excuse me? I’m a living being, not a toothbrush. The choice has been made for us by the Goddess. There’s nothing we can do about it."
“Tell that to Lucian,” he argued.
I frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean? Okay, listen . . . how would you feel if he said I should ask the Goddess to undo my bond with you? Rumir, I've known Lucian longer. It might not be very long, but our bond has already started to grow. I—I’m sorry, I don’t want to lose him or you."
He turned away, and neither of us spoke for a few minutes. I'd wanted us to talk, but instead, we were arguing. This wasn't a great start, but it should have been expected. This situation was far from normal.
Suddenly, he swung around and faced me once more, his eyes glowing. "I've waited for you for a very long time. It’s not in my nature to share.”
"This is about me, too. I didn’t ask for this. You both see a she-wolf who should belong to you, while I’m caught between two men I feel drawn to! I'm being pulled in two directions, and I have to deal with that.”
“I don’t want to possess you.” He spoke low with a heavy sigh and ran his hand through his hair with frustration. "You're not a thing to be owned, and I apologize if I’ve made it seem that way. But look at it this way: you may be drawn to us, but we aren’t drawn to each other. We both want you—and only you—and see the other as a threat. You can’t blame us for fighting.”
“I know.” I turned away, my words barely audible.
"Do you?" His tone became darker, and I turned to face him. “Dragons are just as territorial as wolves—more territorial, actually. We’re powerful, and our species has been known to be aggressive on occasion. We ruthlessly defend what’s ours—our treasure, our territory and”—he gestured to me—“those we care about. This is the reason I’m as protective as I am.”
“The truth is, I don’t know anything about dragons,” I told him. “But I do have a lot of questions. I want to understand you—as a dragon and a person. So tell me”—I smiled—“everything.”
For a second, he looked surprised, and then relieved. “Dragons can be either highly benevolent or a keenly destructive force that shouldn’t be tested.” Rumir spoke with pride and I found myself being pulled in by him. “We might be the largest of the supernatural species, but our strength doesn’t just come from our size.”
He smiled, obviously happy I was interested. “Not all dragons breathe fire—that’s a misconception. Some can control water and others the weather. But like all species, dragons vary in size and color, and our blood is powerful. On Earth, before the dragons there isolated themselves from other species, their blood was highly sought after.”
“Are there still dragons on Earth?” I asked.
He nodded. “There are, but they’ve turned their backs on everyone—supernaturals and humans. They reside in a place that’s not easily accessible to others.”
“But why?”
“Dragon’s blood is powerful. They were being hunted down for it, even though they aren’t easy to kill. There aren’t many dragons around, so even one death is too many. Dragons aren’t born often, and eggs can take years to hatch.”
“I had no idea,” I mumbled. “Wait, you hatched from an egg?”
