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Emotions run through me like a rollercoaster when he says that. The longer I’m with him, the stronger my feelings that I want to spend the rest of my life with him.
I stand and allow the sheet to fall. In the soft moonlight, my erect nipples and freshly shaved pussy are clearly visible.
Aiden’s eyes fall where I want them to fall, and when they do, he crosses over to me.
I take him in my arms, and once more, we are one.
* * *
Aiden
As we close in on the end of Brooke’s first year at the estate, I reflect on the difference she’s made here.
Our family’s assets have grown by five percent since she arrived. That’s no mean feat when you consider how vast our resources are before she arrives.
She’s accomplished this through several different avenues. She’s streamlined many legal processes and saved us millions in labor hours as a result. She’s identified many inefficiencies in our business that have cost us a fortune over the years and corrected those. She’s also proven to be averyskilled negotiator. The incident with the EU is only one of several examples of her prowess at the table.
And of course, she’s made a great deal of a difference in my own personal life. There is no doubt anymore that she is my fated mate.
The problem is that I’m still no closer to figuring out exactly what my role as Chosen One is, if there even is such a thing.
I feel a touch of guilt thinking that. To suggest that one so aged as Valentia could be mistaken is disrespectful, but… heisaged.
Senility doesn’t affect dragons as powerfully as it affects people, but it does affect us. It’s not unheard of for dragons to experience many of the age-related mental problems that humans do. They can get confused. They can have trouble distinguishing fact from fiction. It’s possible that Valentia is finally reaching the end of his life and that as a result, his mind is not what it once was.
I feel horrible thinking that about one so wise as Valentia, but I’ve searched through a thousand years of dragon lore and found nothing that helps me understand the prophecy or if such a prophecy even exists.
So, I fly to the caves to see him again. I land, and when I do, I feel that the cave is cold.
That causes a bit of disquiet to run through me. Could Valentia have left the cave? He’s certainly free to do so. He can come and go as he pleases. It’s just that it’s been so long since he’s left that I assumed he would stay here unless he had a very good reason.
I can’t imagine what reason that might be at his age, and that leaves another, less encouraging possibility.
Generally, when dragons die, there is a great deal of warning. They don’t just drop dead suddenly. The process is slow, and even the very end takes weeks. Dragons have more than enough time to take care of their affairs and say goodbye.
But few dragons live as long as Valentia anymore. The truth is that we don’t know what happens when a dragon as old as Valentia passes.
I shift to human form and step deeper into the cave. I make it a few yards before a light comes on. It’s a single torch, not the wall of torches that Valentia lights the last time.
I tense slightly and prepare to shift again if needed. A thin, reedy voice calls out, “Your Highness? I believe that’s you, but my eyes are completely useless in this form.”
I relax. The voice is that of Valentia in human form. Why he is in human form now I don’t know. This is the first time in many years.
“Ancient One,” I call, “Is everything all right?”
“More or less,” he says, stepping closely enough that I can see him now. He smiles at me and says, “How are you, Your Highness? It’s been some months since I’ve seen you.”
His appearance is that of an elderly but still strong man. His back is straight and the hand holding the torch doesn’t tremble. His eyes, as expected, are filmy and sightless, but he is not at death’s door. Not yet.
“I am well, Ancient One. Do I find you well? Why have you met me in human form?”
“Well,” he says, “I suppose I was curious. It’s been a while, you know.” He shakes his head. “Howdidhumans evolve to run the world? They’re such frail creatures.”
“I wish I had an answer,” I reply with a smile. “I would much rather dragons ruled.”
“Well,” he says, flipping his hand, “I wouldn’t be quick to say that. Dragons have our own faults, Heaven knows. So,” he says, “Why have you come to see me?”
“I’ve come to ask if you can tell me anything more about this prophecy,” I say. “I can’t seem to find anything about it in the archives.”
