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She didn’t have to tell me twice! I grabbed onto what bit of him I could and clung for dear life. As we rose in the air, I closed my eyes tightly. However high up we were going, I didn’t need to see it, right? I just had to trust he would get me over the magic veil in one piece.
We soared through the atmosphere, and there was a strange tingling against my skin. For a second, I opened my eyes and saw a shimmer in the sky—a shift in the very fabric of existence—one we passed through. Immediately, I noticed a difference in the air.
It was normal again. Warmer, too.
Damon glided through the sky for a few more miles before finding a place to land. Once I slid off his back, I stroked his scales in thanks, still weirded out by the dragon body, but not terrified anymore. A step in the right direction. My brother-in-law was a dragon. I didn’t have to be part of their world, but I did need to accept it if I had any hope of maintaining a relationship with Sarah.
He shifted back to human for a moment, and I averted my eyes to avoid looking at his nakedness. And if I was honest, he did nothing for me.
“From here will you be able to make your way home?” he asked.
“Yes, thank you,” I said.
“I’m going to take a moment to rest and make sure you get a ride back. Then I’ll be on my way.”
Such a gentleman. Lucian had been as well. Had I been too quick to judge him? Maybe. But he’d still left me and stayed away. That was the other thing—he hadn’t come back. He’d barely tried, and that spoke volumes to me.
I used my phone to call for a ride, glad I had that and my purse on me. It didn’t take long for a car to get there. By the time I got back to my house, I was absolutely exhausted.
Exhausted and heartbroken. I’d taken a leap of faith last night by letting Lucian charm me into his bed. Once again, it was a misplaced hope.
Our two worlds did not belong together.
Chapter 5.
LUCIAN
I stayed at the house in the woods for a couple of days. During that time, I did everything in my power to regain control over my emotions. I talked myself into returning to the castle to properly woo my mate, only to talk myself out of it again.
Since I was already there, I tried to sort through the lingering baggage from my father. Perhaps I should have turned around and returned within a few hours, but I felt like I owed it to Katerina to sort through the toxic emotions brewing inside me.
If I didn’t, how could I ever love her the way she deserved?
Two days, that’s how long it took, but I was proud of myself for coming back at all. Those dark places in my heart still tried to tell me I should stay away, that I wasn’t worthy.
Katerina should have cooled off a while ago, and her sisters must have told her everything about our world. Once she knew we were fated mates, she’d welcome me back with open arms. Or that was my hope, anyway.
I landed on the castle grounds, slightly unnerved by how quiet it was. The wedding festivities were over. Most of the mess was cleaned up. I walked into the castle, looking for evidence of my mate.
“Katerina?” I called out. My voice echoed through the halls. “Katerina, where are you?”
A soft clearing of the throat startled me. One of the servants was hiding by the doorframe. “She’s... returned to the human realm.”
“What!” My hands clenched into fists, and I stormed up the stairs. “That’s not possible! How did she get back there? She isn’t scheduled to leave for another week at least!”
