Caelan pulled him in tight again and claimed his mouth. Drayce moaned, but the sound was lost down Caelan’s throat. Their tongues tangled and teeth clacked together, but it was nothing when compared to the exquisite feel of Caelan holding him, touching him as if he were the most important thing in all the world. The kiss was hungry and desperate and maybe even a bit frightened. Even after he’d made the decision to renounce his clan, he’d not been sure he’d ever have the chance to hold Caelan like this.
The kiss slowly grew gentler and softer. Caelan lifted his lips from Drayce’s. Blinking, Drayce surfaced and stared into expectant, slightly worried pale-blue eyes. What was Caelan worried about? He— Oh, shit! This guy likes to hear the words too!
“You know I love you too,” Drayce murmured.
Caelan rolled his eyes. “There is not an ounce of romance in you,” he muttered. Caelan released him and then batted his hands away when Drayce tried to pull him close. He laughed and Caelan smiled, but it didn’t completely chase the worry away.
“Come on, Cael. How am I supposed to top declarations of ‘I’ll love you until the day I die’? You would have kicked me if I just said ‘ditto.’ ”
His oldest friend narrowed his eyes on him. “Injured or not, I would have kicked you in the balls.”
“Dude! Not nice!”
Caelan’s expression sobered and his eyes swept over him. “Are you sure you’re feeling okay? You can probably use more rest.”
Drayce’s good mood started to fizzle at the reminder that he was still in recovery. He didn’t want to think about the reason his back ached and that there was a hollow feeling deep in his soul. He was a wingless dragon. No, an oversized, fire-breathing lizard. He wasn’t a dragon anymore.
He dropped onto the edge of the bed and sighed. “Don’t. I’m okay. I know you’re worried, but it makes me feel insecure. Like I can’t take care of myself.” His head popped up and he stared at Caelan hard. “Like I can’t protect you. I might not be a dragon anymore, but I can keep you safe.”
Caelan sat next to him on the bed, picked up his left hand, and wrapped it in both of his. “You did a damn good job of keeping me safe in Stormbreak. In Zastrad. Crossing the fucking Ordas,” Caelan listed. “That was all as a human. You don’t need to be a dragon to protect me. But you are a dragon. Wings won’t change that fact. My grandfather said you’re the bravest dragon he has ever known.”
Something warm and fuzzy spread in Drayce’s chest for a second while his brain caught up with the rest of that statement. “Grandfather?” he almost shouted. “Who?”
A sly smile spread across Caelan’s lips and he leaned in, pressing his forehead to Drayce’s. “Clan leader Omari Nori is my grandfather.”
“Oh, shit!” Drayce gasped. Caelan met his paternal side of the family. “Oh, shit!” he repeated when he thought about the fact that Caelan knew he was half dragon. “Oh, shit!” Caelan was very close to a dragon who’d renounced his clan and lost his wings.
“You keep saying that. What are you thinking?” Caelan asked.
“Oh, shit!” Caelan gave him a look and Drayce winced. “Sorry, but it’s a lot to take in all of a sudden. “Exactly what does Grandpa Omari know?” His eyes widened. “What do you know?”
Caelan released Drayce’s hands and punched his shoulder. “I know that you probably knew all along that my father was a dragon and you didn’t fucking tell me!” He shoved to his feet and paced away only to turn back, his arms folded over his chest.
Drayce cringed a little out of guilt. “Yeah, well, it wasn’t my place to tell you. Plus, if Hagen wasn’t going to tell you, I wasn’t going to spoil that secret and have him rip my head off.”
“That’s why you freaked out in Zastrad when Rayne almost put his hand in the fire. You knew I didn’t burn because of my dragon heritage, but he would.” Drayce nodded, but Caelan’s scowl remained. “Then why did you freak in the Ordas when I stepped into the fire? You knew I was half dragon.”
“Because not all half-breeds are the same. Some get more fire protection than others, and I didn’t know where you fell on the spectrum. And honestly, most of the time I forget who your daddy is. You’re just Cael and you smell like happiness.”
Caelan’s glare dissolved slowly. “Nice save,” he grudgingly admitted.
“What does Grandpa know about me? Bodyguard? Old friend?”
“I told him that I love you and that you are mine. There is no Caelan without Drayce.”
Drayce threw his head back and laughed. “Never one to mince words. You gave the head of Clan Omari an ultimatum, essentially.”