Page 58 of Dragon Awakened

She shudders. "Great--that's super reassuring to hear."

"I'm sorry. But it can't exactly be a surprise."

Her story makes it clear--everywhere she's gone, the Shadow King's minions have been hot on her heels.

"I know. But still. Laying it all out like that makes it seem way, way worse."

Dropping her gaze to our joined hands, she brushes her thumb over my knuckles. It's exquisite torture, to be touched so gently when I still have so much to atone for. Like the asshole I am, I accept it, though, soaking it in.

The rest of her story doesn't take long to tell. She escaped the Citadel--barely, and rallied her mates to sneak into the Air Dragon Kingdom to look for me. Her fourth and final mate.

Her mouth twists downward. "For a minute there, I was worried my mate might be Fury."

Thunder echoes in my heart, my dragon's wings flaring within my chest. "What."

Shaking her head, she strokes her thumb against mine in a calming gesture. "It's not--he's not."

"Damn right." I can't keep the growl out of my tone.

"And I'm so grateful it's you." A suspicious shine lights her eyes. "But it...the idea of seeing you again... It scared me."

My stomach craters. "Ember..."

"I didn't know what to think or feel... After everything..."

Black bile floods the back of my throat, regret burning through my insides.

But she cuts me off before I can respond. "I didn't know how you'd feel, either. Or what you'd think. How you'd react to all this craziness." She waves a hand toward the door that separates us from her other mates. Anxiety prickling through our connection, her breath quickening, she darts a glance at me. "I mean-- None of this can be what you expected when we found out we were mates."

"No," I laugh despite the guilt that's eating me alive. "No, I can't say it was." Earnest feeling burns away any humor in my voice. "But I wouldn't change it."

"No?"

I shake my head, fervent.

Because the more I think about it, the more it rings true. Would I prefer to have her all to myself--to not have to share her with three others? Of course.

But...

"Those men out there," I tell her quietly. "They love you."

"I know."

"How could I begrudge them that when I..." I swallow hard, my throat suddenly dry. "When I love you, too?"

Her eyes widen, and our connection flares with the shock of her surprise. "Storm..."

Self-loathing threatens to creep back in on me, but this about her. My vulnerability and my fear of rejection don't matter. "I know it's too soon to say that. But it's true. No matter who you are or who you're with--no matter if it's your destiny to take over the fucking world or what. I love you. I always have, and I was just too chicken shit to say it back then."

She shakes her head. "We don't have to--"

Don't have to--what? Talk about it?

About us?

About what a traitorous piece of shit I was?

"We do," I say gravely, acid leaking into my throat. "I'm so fucking sorry, Ember."

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