Page 65 of Stolen By Dragons

He nodded at me, and I wondered what it meant, if he wanted to talk, or something else, but then he was slipping into his hall with his dragon at his heel.

I needed to talk to him, but I also didn’t want to run off on Chris.

“It’s okay, go speak with Traymor, I’m sure it’s exciting to chat with him,” I said with a forced smile.

“I will, after,” Chris said, his brow furrowing softly. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah,” I lied as I turned for my hall, and he followed after me as my heart hammered.

What was I going to say or do? I’d just wait for him to say his goodbye, wait a while, then go see Ossian and figure all of this out.

Yes, that seemed like the best idea.

My dragon nuzzled my cheek, as if it sensed my unease.

We reached my door, and I turned to bid Chris goodnight, my stomach churning. But before I could speak, he leaned in and kissed me. It was passionate, urgent, filled with an intensity that took my breath away. For a moment, I lost myself in the kiss, the warmth of his body against mine a comfort after the frustrations of the day.

When we broke apart, his eyes were dark with emotion. "Aria," he said, his voice husky. "I want you. I know we’ve had a lot going on, but I need you again, I want to feel you. I won’t mark you until you’re ready… but…”

I stepped back, the sickness hitting me full force once more as the unease swam in my stomach.

“Um, it’s awkward with the dragons, I think,” I mumbled quickly, suddenly realizing my own dragon had witnessed what had happened with Ossian. Could the dragons communicate with one another? Crap, would Traymor know? Would mine or Ossian’s dragon have said anything?

No, no one had said they were communicating amongst one another.

“Right, well Traymor said he can chill in the bathroom, he’ll take yours with him,” Chris assured me as he ran his hand down my arm. I couldn’t help the way I shied from his touch, and his hand paused.

“Don’t you feel it?” His expression dropped, his eyes searching mine desperately.

"I... I did feel something," I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. "But Chris, I can’t… Not now."

Confusion and hurt warred in his eyes, but he kept his voice low and steady. "Why not? I won’t mark you, Aria. If it’s just unease, then okay… but you’ve been off all day…”

He had sensed it. Of course he had.

The guilt that had been simmering since my encounter with Ossian boiled over. I couldn't keep lying to him. He deserved the truth, even if it hurt us both.

"I... something happened. With Ossian."

“Oh.” He frowned, and then understanding dawned on his face, followed quickly by pain and anger. “Oh.”

Without a word, he turned and walked away, leaving me standing alone in the hallway as Traymor hurried after him, casting me an odd glance over his shoulder before they disappeared around the corner.

I stumbled into my room, tears already falling as my chest tightened. My dragon chirped in distress, flying to land beside me as I collapsed onto the bed.

"I messed up," I sobbed, burying my face in my pillow. "I messed everything up."

My dragon nudged my hand, its scales cool against my skin. I turned to look at it, seeing concern in those purple eyes. Even now, when it couldn't or wouldn't communicate with me, I felt a connection to this small creature.

"What am I supposed to do now?" I asked, not really expecting an answer. "None of this makes sense. I didn't come here looking for romance. Hell, I didn’t get a say in any of this…”

I trailed off, the enormity of the situation crashing down on me. I was in a magical realm, bonded to a dragon that wouldn't or couldn't communicate with me, caught between two men who stirred feelings in me I didn't fully understand.

"I can't deny that I feel something for Ossian," I admitted to my silent dragon. "But I shouldn't have let things go that far. And Chris... he's been nothing but kind and supportive. He wants me and made that clear, he thinks we’re destined or something. That we have a bond. He doesn't deserve this."

My dragon chirped softly, curling up against my side. Its presence was comforting, even if it couldn't offer any solutions to my dilemma.

As I lay there, tears drying on my cheeks, my mind ran wild. The dragons were growing and changing rapidly, developing abilities we could barely comprehend. The Void loomed on the horizon, a threat we still didn't fully understand.

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