Page 54 of Dragon Untamed

"When you spend your life being told that the Great Dragon only gives one mate and then find out that you can end up being bonded to every breed of dragon, yeah. It gets a bit weird. I don't even understand how it's possible. Is my magic different or something?"

"We don't know. It seems because of how rare Plasma dragons are; it is the best way to ensure that the species can survive. Look at it like this: your dragon hasn't been heard of in almost a millennium. Everyone thought that Plasma was extinct. Yet here you are. Plasma was in your bloodline, and now you emerged as one. I think it even said that being a Plasma takes longer to emerge because of their magic and such."

Kaida made a hand gesture to shoo his words away. "Sure. That is understandable. Plasma magic is different from others, so it takes longer to emerge. Whatever. But I have multiple mates just because I am a rare dragon species?"

"Seems so."

Kaida growled. "Well, I find that to be a bit annoying, especially since I was mated to the people who didn't seem to want me around."

She threw herself back onto the bed and rode out the waves from the water. She heard Esen suck in a breath at her words. She knew it was a low blow. However, she was tired of keeping her mouth shut. This was her life, and things were constantly changing for her. One moment, she thinks she is getting her life on track to something she can handle, but then it is ripped out from underneath her.

"I know," Esen whispered.

That wasn't at all what she expected him to say. The feeling of regret was laced inside his words. Kaida heard it clear as day. Esen was not proud of his actions against her.

"I am my own person, yet I acted under someone else's orders. When you've been friends with people since you were in diapers, it's hard to turn your back on them, especially when this person lands on your territory, you don't know you feel something for them because no bond shows up like it's supposed to, and you can't figure out why you feel something for someone. It's not an excuse, really. I'm not saying I should get a pass just because we are mates."

Kaida lifted her head to look at him. "What are you saying, then?"

Esen bowed his head and kicked at an invisible rock. "I was stupid, I guess. I want to make it up to you, however I can."

Kaida pushed herself to sit on the edge again. The bond still told her nothing. It bothered her that Beckett and Arlo's opened up easily once they discussed things. Esen's was still guarded.

Is he lying? Can't I smell if he is lying or something?

There was no response from her dragon, so she wasn't sure. Kaida was sure that Esen's bond was different from the other two. It made her hesitate to believe Esen's words.

"What would you do to earn my forgiveness?"

Esen looked at her for the first time since entering her room. There was a softness there that she didn't remember seeing before. His face sagged at her words, and Kaida realized that she may have hurt his feelings.

"Do you have something in mind that you want me to do?"

"Yeah, I want you not to bullshit me. I don't have time to play games."

"Kaida, I'm not trying to play games."

"Then how come the bond is still closed off?"

Esen's eyebrows furrowed as his lips turned down to frown at her. Kaida felt her heart ram against her chest as she waited for him to answer her. Did she cross the line? Did she jump to conclusions just because the bond was still finicky?

"I don't know. I've never experienced a bond with someone before, to even be able to answer that question. I don't really know much about bonds, just that they form between two people, usually, and they can feel each other's emotions, and it helps create a closeness that may not have existed without it. It links our souls together, making us feel whole. Kaida, I promise you, I want to feel whole. I didn't know something was missing in my life until your dragon emerged, and I felt that pull to you. I finally felt, for a brief second, what it was like to know my mate was in my presence. That my soul can feel whole when I always thought it was. I'm new to all of this, too. I can't express enough to you that if I had known you were my mate when you washedup on the island, I would not have gone as hard on you as I did on that beach. Blaze thought that if we went that hard on you and your dragon emerged, that would be awesome. If it didn't, and you died, it's not like we would miss much because we didn't know you."

Esen sighed and dropped to his knees. Kaida tilted her head in confusion and watched him to see what his next move was.

"I want to make you a promise. If you accept it, I will be eternally grateful."

Kaida lifted an eyebrow at him. "Go on."

Esen bowed his head for a moment, and when he lifted it again, she could see one of his dark blue eyes was normal, and the other was the slit that was the dragon inside of him.

"We promise to become everything and more of what is expected as a mate. We will do everything in our power to make things right for you. We will treat you like the Queen you are and beg your forgiveness every day and night if it means that you will accept us to be your mate. What we did was wrong. We can't change the past, but we can certainly change the present. You are our mate. The Great Dragon gifted us the one person who is the other half of our soul. We promise to be everything you need us to be and protect you with our lives. You are the treasure that we always wanted to find... and we will do anything to keep you."

Well damn...

Esen was proposing courtship and begging for her forgiveness. That's what this was. He asked Kaida to be his mate, as she had seen so many people do back on the mainland.

Holy shit. And he looks so vulnerable right now. What is happening?

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