He shrugged. “I don’t really know. I’m assuming so. The violent reaction I had to you yesterday, as I touched you in the hallway when I was dragging my brother out, would suggest so. And it all makes sense,” he cleared his throat. “I went to bed last night with my full powers, and I woke up to them gone. My bonded dragon, Declan, the one we rode here on, told me to talk to my mother, and the moment I explained what had happened, she handed me the book.”
I blinked. “So you’re not sure if it’s true?”
He shook his head. “I…don’t know.”
“And how are we supposed to test this theory?” I asked in confusion.
“The book says that if we’re truly mated, then my powers will return in three days. The powers that you now have, you will keep and gain control over, and, we’ll both share the powers I’ve obtained from Declan,” he sighed. “You’ll be able to communicate telepathically with me, as well as Declan. And when we first,” he licked those full lips, “mate, then our life forces will become one and a matching tattoo will appear somewhere on both of our bodies.”
I’d read that.
I knew that.
But I still didn’t see how this was going to work.
“So, say I can hear the dragon…and that I have your ‘powers.’ Now, all we have to do is um…have sex and we’ll be mated,” I reiterated. “What happens if I don’t want to be mated to you?”
He grimaced. “I don’t think that we’ll have a choice, or at least that’s what I gathered from the book.”
“What do you mean?” I leaned forward slightly.
He took the book from me, and flipped to the halfway point, before handing it back over. “Second passage, page 81.”
I took the book from him and started to read once again.
The mated pair shall not be able to resist. This is the way of the dragon riders. A way to forward a thriving bloodline for the royal family. A way to ensure that dragonkind can have someone strong enough to fight if ever there shall be a need. The pull will start out small, but eventually, the pair will not be able to fight it any longer. The longer you wait, the stronger the mating will be.
I blinked.
“So we don’t have a choice,” I whispered.
He shook his head. “No. And it doesn’t say how long, either. Then again, this could all be just ramblings. This could be just one man’s experience. It may not happen to us.”
I could tell he didn’t believe the words he spoke.
Hell, I didn’t believe it.
I’d read the book.
And too many things had been spot-on to not be true.
“What now?” I asked quietly.
“Now, we get our answers,” he stood up and gestured to someone in the yard.
I looked over to see his mother drop one of the smaller dragons to the ground carefully before starting inside.
And I wasn’t sure that I wanted her answers.
I was pretty sure that I wasn’t going to like what she had to say.Chapter 7
Some people will only like you if you fit in their box. Don’t be afraid to shove that box up their ass.-T-shirtBlythe
Later that night, as I got into the bed I’d been given, I realized I was in deep shit.
Last night, in my own apartment, I’d gotten into bed thinking about the hot man that had touched me in the hall, and tonight, in this—his—castle, I was getting into bed on the verge of being mated to him.
He’d walked me to my door a little over a half hour ago, kissed me softly on the forehead, and walked a door down to his own room before disappearing inside.
I’d closed the door only after I’d heard his close and then walked stiffly into the room.
A room that was magnificent. The bed was massive, with huge sage green pillows, crisp white sheets, and about a hundred and fifty decorative pillows.
The walls were a rich shade of brown, making the room feel homey and soothing.
There was a huge wall of windows that overlooked the back yard, and I knew that as long as I lived, nothing would ever compare to the view of the dragons flying over the rolling hills of the estate.
Then there was the bathroom.
I’d never seen a bathroom so big—the large claw foot tub dominating the majority of the room.
After taking a quick shower, I dressed in a t-shirt that’d magically appeared on my bed after I’d gotten out, and climbed between the most decadent sheets I’d ever felt before in my life.
Sinking down until I practically melted into the mattress, I finally allowed my mind to wander to where it wanted to be.
The t-shirt smelled like him.
I assumed he dropped it off while I was in the shower.
I also didn’t think he’d had anybody else do it, since I’d witnessed it myself when he’d told the head of staff to give the remaining workers the weekend off.