Page 31 of Stolen By Dragons

Lydia nodded towards an empty corner of the arena. "We've got time. Talk to me."

As we moved away from the others, I tried to organize my thoughts. How could I explain the turmoil inside me? The hope and the fear warring for dominance? The memories of rejection and isolation that still haunted me?

"When I kissed Aria," I began, keeping my voice low, "I felt something. Something I've never felt before."

Lydia's eyes widened. "You kissed her? When the hell did that happen?”

“A few days ago now, I’d been feeling drawn to her, and wanted to be around her, and one thing led to another…” I gritted my teeth as I glanced back in Aria’s direction.

“Wait, do you mean…”

I nodded. "I think... I think she might be my mate."

A smile broke across Lydia's face. "Chris, that's wonderful! Why aren't you shouting it from the rooftops?"

"Because I'm terrified," I admitted. The words came out in a rush, as if a dam had broken. "What if I'm wrong? What if she doesn't feel the same way? And even if she does, with everything that's happening – this new world, our training – is it fair to burden her with this?"

I didn't add the other fears swirling in my mind. The memory of my pack turning their backs on me, of the loneliness that had been my constant companion for years until I met Samantha, who then broke me. What if I opened my heart to Aria, only to have it broken again?

Lydia placed a comforting hand on my arm. "Chris, listen to me. Everything has changed. Nothing is certain anymore. But that doesn't mean we should push away the good things that come our way."

"But what if?—"

"No 'what ifs'," Lydia interrupted gently. "Life's too short for that, especially now. If Aria is your mate, that's a precious gift. Don't let fear rob you of it."

I mulled over her words, watching as Aria laughed at something Zephyr said. The sound made my heart skip a beat.

“I thought I found love before. Met a coyote shifter. She even moved in with me. I know these soulmate things can happen, but they’re not common. Sometimes you just go for the best option. Thankfully, I never marked her as mine, as she didn’t want me to, saying that our love didn’t need a claim.”

“Right,” Lydia scoffed, as if she knew where this was going. “How did that turn out?”

“Found out she was cheating on me when he marked her, another coyote shifter. She came by to end things and told me she’d found someone she wanted to be claimed by. Guess I was just her meal ticket while she hunted around for someone she felt a proper connection with,” I muttered darkly.

“Coyotes, one of the worst bunch,” Lydia hissed. “I’m sorry she used you like that, no one deserves that.”

“It is what it is, but I closed myself off after that, told myself I wouldn’t try to find a companion in any way, shape, or form.”

“And now?”

“Now, I feel something I’ve never felt. But she’s human. I know the bond can happen across species, but I didn’t realize humans were included. Can she even feel it in return?” I frowned, confused by this whole thing.

“She clearly feels something. I imagine it might not be as strong, since she has no shifter side that feels things super strongly, but I’m sure it’s there. Even after you two stopped talking, she still looks at you. She even asked me after dinner last night if I had any idea what had gotten into you.”

“She did? What’d you say?”

“The truth. That I had no idea.”

“I really didn’t handle it right. I panicked and left, and haven’t been able to talk to her since,” I muttered as I ran a hand through my hair.

“Yeah, great work there, dumbass. She likely thinks you regret the kiss or don’t like her in that way,” Lydia said pointedly.

“I need to fix it, don’t I?”

“Uh, yeah,” she said with exaggeration. “Tell her the truth.”

"How will I know for sure though? What if it’s something else I feel?” I asked quietly, still torn by the whole thing.

Lydia's eyes took on a distant look, a small smile playing on her lips. "When I met my husband, I felt a spark right away. But it wasn't until we... well, until we were intimate that I knew for certain, and we marked one another. The mate bond solidified then, and it was like everything in the world suddenly made sense."

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