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“It is true.”
“My point is, I’ll be out there alone, the only human standing around on the ground while all of you do your…dragon business.”
“Dragon business?” He chuckled, a low sound that sent warmth radiating through me. “Mariah, you won't be alone. I'll be with you."
The certainty there was comforting, but the prospect of being around so many dragons still had me on edge.
"That's not all," he said, a playful twinkle in his eyes. "My dragon really wants to see you."
“Oh, he does?” I smiled. The idea of Evan's dragon wanting to see me, as strange as it sounded, was sweet. I’d only seen Evan in dragon form a handful of times, and only once had I been up close.
It was Evan, but also something else. Something other. This dragon, this essential part of Evan, but also something distinctly separate, wanted to invite me into a part of their world I hadn't experienced yet.
“He does,” Evan said. “It’s time you got to know each other a bit better.”
"I don't even know how to act around a clan of dragons,” I said, biting my lip, hardly able to believe I was considering this. Still, the last thing I wanted was to insult a dragon. “I hardly know anything of your customs or behaviors. I wouldn’t know the first thing about…”
Evan gently pressed a finger to my lips.
"Just be yourself," he advised. He then brushed his lips lightly over mine. “I’ll be right there with you, and everyone will love you as much as I do.”
I nodded, though my stomach was doing backflips. This was an opportunity to get to know a side of Evan I hadn't really interacted with yet, and his dragon was part of him, another piece of this intricate puzzle I desperately wanted to understand. This was what I wanted, so I shouldn’t let my own insecurities hold me back.
“Okay," I said, blowing out a breath. "I'll go."
The pure delight on Evan's face was worth it all. "I promise, it'll be an experience you won't forget."
* * *
I was going to a gathering of dragons. That wasn't something many humans could claim, was it? Maybe tonight wouldn't be as terrifying as I'd initially thought. After all, I was going with Evan, and his dragon was looking forward to seeing me. That had to count for something.
There was no way Evan would put me in any danger, either. It wasn’t so much that I was afraid of getting hurt, I supposed. Maybe it was fear of the unknown. I had no idea what to expect.
As twilight set in and we waited for the full moon to rise, I went to get ready, not sure what I was supposed to wear to something like this. We were out in the wilderness, so I had to take that into account. Ultimately, I settled on a pair of dark jeans, a white tank, and a leather jacket in case it was cold. Abi also let me borrow a pair of rugged but stylish boots.
As I braided my hair back, Evan came into the bathroom and smiled, taking in my outfit. “I like it.”
Just his presence helped with my anxiety, and now I felt pure anticipation.
Tonight, I was stepping into a world most people only dreamed about—a world of dragons and shifters and magic. Tonight, I got to be part of their world.
I smiled back at him. “Is it time?”
“It is. Abi has Sofia. She said she’d put her to bed.” He held his hand out, and I laced my fingers with his. “You ready?”
“As I’ll ever be.”
He led me out of the house and toward the trees, following a path I’d never been on before.
The moon slowly rose, casting a silvery glow over the Carey clan lands as Evan seemed to make his way on instinct. I didn’t know how long we’d been walking when I felt it: a buzzing sensation, as if the air itself were electrified. It reminded me of walking near a power line, but we were out in the middle of nowhere.
I swallowed, gripping Evan’s hand. “Do you feel that?”
He glanced at me, smirking. “The byproduct of the regenerative power of the moon.”
“It feels like magic.” That was the only way I could explain it.
Evan shrugged. “I guess you could look at it that way.”
