Page 95 of Catastrophe

“You were smoldering and Zaide thought you were going to change, which you did, so it was for the best.” I remained silent, unable to argue— but seriously, who thinks throwing a person into a lake will prevent a change— and she narrowed her eyes. “Don’t sulk.”

Dralie interrupted, “My mate, we have no hoard to offer you. I cannot complete our bond if you cannot accept our hoard.”

“We were discussing what we can do to fix this,” I added.

“You are going to build me a hoard? That’s sweet.” She smiled, her cheeks rosy with happiness. “What are you going to hoard?”

“Perhaps you can tell us what you’d like and then we can fly away, collect many and present them to you.”

“I don’t think—” I started.

Clawdia interrupted with a thoughtful pout. “There’s nothing I like enough to want lots of it.”

“You’d have been better off keeping Zaide for your hoard.” I told Dralie. “He’d probably enjoy being presented as a present to Clawdia, too.” He’s a suck-up like that.

“Why do you need to show me a hoard? What’s the purpose?” Clawdia asked with her head tilted.

Dralie rattled off, “To show you we can provide. For you to accept what we offer. For our bond to be created.”

“And where would you keep this hoard?” Clawdia asked.

“That is an excellent question. My mate is clever. Charlie, where would we hoard?”

“My house?” It was a question because I didn’t know about hoards, or if a house was suitable, but it was the only place I owned and already had all my other stuff.

“Excellent.”

“Did you hoard something with your last drakorian?” I asked.

“We didn’t. He ignored me.” Dralie whispered, and I grimaced to hear him so downhearted. Whoever was his last soul person had clearly hurt him.

“And what did you want to hoard?” Clawdia asked.

“I liked gold,” he said hesitantly. “We are golden, so hiding in our hoard would protect us all.”

I sighed, unable to deny him when he sounded so sad. “You’re going to cost me a fortune.”

“Gold sounds … lovely,” Clawdia began, “but you and Charlie are a team, correct? What Charlie can offer is also what you offer?”

“Of course.”

“Well, I’m not a dragon. I don’t need lots of gold or diamonds or things for you to prove you can provide for me. What I need is different.”

“Whatever it is, we are prepared to give it to you.”

“You are ruining my street cred, Dralie,” I mumbled. Such a soppy dragon.

“You didn’t have any to begin with,” Clawdia told me. “But what I mean, Dralie, is that Charlie gave me a lot already. Charlie was the first man to be my friend. He didn’t hurt me even when he was really cross. He let me into his house and reluctantly into his heart. He protects me, rescues me, and makes me laugh. All of that is what I needed to be provided with. I don’t need material things.”

I’m not ashamed to admit that I got a little choked up. She was giving me a little fluffy buddy, but I was giving her more than I realized, too. I coughed and cleared the emotion from my voice before replying, “I’d have more material things to give if a devil cat would have stopped destroying my things.”

“Charlie, I’ve loved you a very long time. Everything you had was already mine, which is why I destroyed it.” She rolled her eyes as though this should have already been obvious. “It was the only way you’d get something new that I could help pick out.”

“The sofa?”

She smirked. “The magazine didn’t flip itself open to that page.”

I had to laugh. I’ve been led around my dick by this girl since the beginning. No wonder Baelen was so concerned about punishment.

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