The room itself had a wall of computer monitors mounted above a massive desk on the far wall. Bookshelves surrounded us, climbing to the ceiling on either side of us.
On the opposite wall, through the doorway, was a massive bed about twice the size of a normal sized king, and I idly wondered why he had such a large bed. I had vaguely noticed it when I was in there earlier, but now, all I could see was the bed.
Both rooms were black.
Black walls. Black computers. Black curtains. Black sheets.
The only thing not black were the wood floors, and those were such a dark brown that they could’ve passed for black.
“What the fuck?” I asked. “What’s with all the black?”
He let my hand go and walked to the bank of computer monitors, picking up a leather bound book from about fifteen books that were lined against the back of the desk, and turned to me.
“Sit down,” he gestured towards his bed.
My brows rose, but I followed directions and walked to his bed, raising a knee once I reached the huge thing, and slid along the slick sheets until I was safely ensconced in the very middle.
When I finally looked at him expectantly, it was to see Nikolai’s eyes dilated, and his breathing picked up.
I hid my smile as I held out my hands.
“Gimme,” I ordered.
He handed me the book so fast it looked like he’d been cattle prodded.
I took it from him, and watched as he walked to the other room. I could see him at the computer monitors, where he took a seat, then immersed himself in the World Wide Web.
Or whatever it was.
I wasn’t sure.
The computer had one of those black screens on it that didn’t allow anyone but him to see what he was doing.
And I wondered idly why he had that.
Was he that private that he had to hide what was on his computer screen?
After I studied his profile for long moments, I finally cracked open the book that he’d given me.
MATING.
All dragon riders have a predestined mate.
Some riders will never find that mate and will forever stay single, never to marry or fall in love.
Others, though, will find their mate. And their mate will become immortal, matching in life spans with their rider.
My heart started to pound, and I looked up at Nikolai, studying him avidly.
“We’re mated?” I squeaked.
He turned only his head to survey me, and narrowed his eyes. “I told you to read it all; once you’re done I’ll answer your questions.”
Duly chastised, I looked down at the book and continued reading.
With the first touch of mates, skin to skin, the process begins. It takes up to three full days for the process to be complete, and the two mates will be forever bound. Unconditionally and irrevocably.
My mind started to whirl.
Had he been the one to save me? To rescue me from my uncle’s harming hands?
Page after page I read, and the more I read, the more I started to understand.
Was I afraid?
No.
Not even a little bit.
The female is fed by the male’s connection to the dragon. The two mates will forever have to be within the vicinity of the other, or they start to grow weak, and eventually die if the separation goes on too long. Never stay apart for more than twenty-four hours. Trust me, it doesn’t go away. I know.
Was I now immortal? Was that what he was trying to tell me?
The last words on the page were a dedication of sorts.
And I looked up with a burning question on the tip of my tongue.
“Who wrote this?” I whispered, finally looking up from the book.
He was facing me…and had been for a while.
Studying my face as I read, gauging my reaction to the words on the page.
“My father.”
I blinked.
“Your father’s dead?” I gulped.
He nodded.
“He died hours after writing that.” He indicated the book.
My eyes started to well with hot tears.
“He really loved you,” I whispered. “You will forever live on in my heart,” I quoted from the last page.
He smiled sadly. “I think that was for my mother; although, she’s never read it to this day.”
“Your mother’s still alive?” I asked worriedly. “But there was a page in there talking about the mate losing the ability to talk once…”
He nodded.
“My father breathed his last breath down my mother’s throat, just like the book says,” he admitted. “She hasn’t said a word since the day my father died.”
A ball of sadness formed in the pit of my belly.
“That sounds so awful that I want to cry, and I don’t even know them,” I whispered.
Nikolai shrugged.
“So, do you have any more questions?” he asked softly, placing both of his elbows on his knees and leaning forward.
“Were you the one to save me? Were you the one who brought me here?” I whispered.
Nikolai nodded.