“Olivia, this is Axel. Axel, Olivia.”
Axel nodded at her. “Nice to meet you. Don’t worry, guys. I’m not staying. Just ran over for some food, since I haven’t made it to the store yet. Feel free to get freaky as soon as I’m gone.”
Olivia’s eyes widened more, if that was possible, her gaze staying on Axel until he’d left. “Axel, as in your brother?” she asked the moment he was gone.
“Yeah. He came back last night.” He quickly filled her in on their conversation. “I guess I understand why he did things the way he did them. I just wish it hadn’t had to happen like it did.”
“It’s a good thing that he’s home now though, isn’t it?
”
“Definitely. I’ve missed him,” he replied, not afraid to admit it.
“I can only imagine. I would have missed Fiona desperately if we were separated for thirteen years with no contact.”
He pulled her into his arms like he’d wanted before his brother interrupted. “Plus, that’s just one more person around to protect you and the others.”
This time, she gave him a full eye roll. “I already told you I’d talk to the others about it.”
“I want to burn it into that gorgeous head of yours, Liv.”
Hell, he wanted to ask her if she’d move in, no matter what the rest of the dragons wanted to do. But he knew her, and he knew that even if she wanted to, she’d hesitate to leave them with a new threat looming on the horizon.
He understood it, he really did, but he couldn’t say he liked it.
He thought back to the panic, the way he nearly lost control, when he thought something happened to her. He didn’t ever want to experience that again.
Freezing as the words she’d whispered to him suddenly became clear, he pulled back to search her eyes.
Had she really said what he thought she did?
Her brow furrowed as he stood frozen, searching her face. “What? What’s wrong?”
Swallowing hard, he forced the words out of his tight throat. “Did… did you call me your mate? When you were trying to get my gorilla to calm down. Am I remembering that right?”
She froze too, staring at him in silence, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t read her. Had she said it? Had he imagined it? Was she freaking out on him?
And then a tiny little smile curled her lips up. “I did. My dragon told me the day you and I talked about what you are and about our pasts. I don’t know why I didn’t tell you right away, but maybe I should have.”
These next words might be some of the hardest he’d ever say. “If you’re not ready to be my mate… it’s okay, Olivia. I’ll wait for you. I already told you that once, and I’ll say it as many times as you need until you believe it.”
Her lips parted, and then she shook her head quickly. “Oh, Cody, no. That’s not it. I’m so ready. I love that you’re my mate. I think I just hesitated because I know your animal doesn’t talk to you. I didn’t know when to tell you, since I thought it was more than likely that he hadn’t.”
Oxygen came easier to him as he heard the sincerity in her words. Taking her hands, he held them tightly as he gazed into her captivating moss green eyes. “Remember when I said I was startled because my gorilla talked to me?” He waited for her nod before he continued. “That’s when he told me. The only time he’s spoken in the past thirteen years was to tell me that you’re my mate.”
She sucked in a breath, her dragon eyes shining through. “You knew?” she whispered. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
His smile turned wry. “Because I didn’t know how you’d feel about it. Whether it would scare you or not. I didn’t want to rush you, or make you run. Hell, sweetheart. I didn’t want to lose you.”
Huffing a laugh, she shook her head. “We’re a pair, aren’t we? Both keeping our truths in because we worried what the other would think. We need to work on our communication.”
Nodding, he inhaled deeply. “I agree. And in the interest of that, there’s something else I need to tell you. I love you, Olivia. I think I have from the moment I met you. You’re everything to me, and I can’t imagine life without you. I don’t even want to try.”
Her eyes filled with tears, and she sniffed, trying to blink them back. “God, Cody, I love you, too. So damned much. I didn’t think a future like this was possible for me. I never thought I could ever trust enough to let it. But then you crashed into my life and suddenly, everything I thought was impossible was within my reach. As life without you would be the worst sort of hell.”
He swore his soul sighed with relief at her words. A tear slipped down her cheek, and he used his thumb to brush it away before kissing her, pouring everything he was feeling into the glide of his lips against hers.
She’d given him everything he never thought he’d have. A mate, someone who could calm his animal with a touch, the love of a lifetime… and he’d spend the rest of his life devoted to making her happy.