Page 34 of Stolen By Dragons

“What… what does that mean?” she asked as she reached out and touched my arm. The contact sent a jolt through me. "What are you saying? Do we have a bond?”

“I have no clue, I just felt something. Considering how you’re human, it could all be skewed, work differently. But I think... I think you might be my mate."

The words hung in the air between us, heavy and suffocating as her eyes widened. Her hand dropped from my arm, and for a heart-stopping moment, I thought I'd made a terrible mistake. All my fears came rushing back – of rejection, of being alone again, of losing the one person who could be everything to me.

“You left, Chris, and that hurt,” she said softly, and my wolf howled pathetically inside me. I’d messed it all up.

“I know, and I’m so sorry, Aria. I… I really was scared. My pack rejected me, I fell for a woman who ended up cheating on me and leaving me - rejection and being abandoned is all I’veknown, so I panicked. I know I can’t let my past ruin a good thing, but… I’m stupid, I know,” I muttered, but held her gaze, “I want to fix it though.”

“You’re not the only one who has been hurt before, Chris,” she whispered, and my wolf snarled.

“Who hurt you?” I asked, my tone more demanding than questioning, and her brow dipped even more.

“My ex, he cheated on me and kicked me out of our shared apartment so he could move the new chick in,” she said as she averted her gaze, the pain still evident in her face. “That was just over six months ago, I moved to a new city after, got a new job, started fresh.”

How could anyone ever leave her? Hurt her like that? The thought had my wolf’s hackles raised, growling within me. Whoever that man had been, he’d not been worthy of her love.

“I’m sorry, Aria. I really am. You didn’t deserve that, nor me running away either. Please let me fix it,” I said softly, touching her arm and drawing her gaze back to mine.

“You really think it’s something like this?” she murmured.

“Yes, I think it’s a real thing, Aria. That what I feel for you can become something great.”

She stared hard at me, as if she was contemplating everything, if she could trust me again after my abandoning her. How I wished I could undo it and turn back time.

But then she smiled, a brilliant, beautiful thing that lit up her entire face. "Chris, I... I felt something too, still do. Something I can't explain."

Relief washed over me, followed quickly by a surge of joy. I pulled her close, capturing her lips with mine without a second thought. The kiss was different from our first – deeper, more urgent, but just as earth-shattering. I poured everything I felt into it, all my hope and fear and longing.

As we kissed, I felt something shift inside me. My wolf, always restless, always searching, seemed to settle. It was as if a missing piece had finally clicked into place. This was right. This was where I belonged. With Aria.

Her hands fisted in my shirt, drawing a deep rumble from my chest as I drank her up, unable to get enough of her. My wolf was ready, nudging me to test out just how true this connection was, but in order to do that…

"Guys! There's a commotion with the vampires!" Zephyr voice was accompanied by a sharp knock at the door.

We broke apart, breathing heavily, as we stared at one another. Aria’s eyes were dilated, her desire evident in the air around us as my wolf whined, my cock straining.

I blinked as her brow furrowed, Zephyr’s words registering. Before I could say anything, Aria was on her feet and to the door, and I had to focus and will my erection down as she yanked it open.

Zephyr stood there, looking agitated. "The vampires are arguing with some Dracarians. They're demanding sustenance – apparently, they're not happy with the lack of blood options. It’s getting heated.”

I frowned, frustration bubbling up inside me. We'd barely had a moment to process our feelings for each other, and now this. My wolf was pacing, focused entirely on Aria now, not wanting to fret about the damn bloodsuckers. "That's not our problem. Let the Dracarians handle it."

Although as I said it, my keen hearing could hear the outbursts from the communal area, and from what I could make out, it sounded like a vampire had lunged for a Dracarian.

That wouldn’t go over well.

Aria shook her head, her expression serious. "If they go into a bloodlust, it will be our problem. We have to hope the Dracarians can come up with something for them."

Zephyr stepped aside, and I growled softly as I rose and followed after Aria, who was already out in the hall. Zephyr arched a brow at me, a knowing look crossing his face as I drew closer.

“Was I interrupting something?” he asked, his lip quirking. Fae couldn’t scent things as well as shifters, but this close, he knew what had been transpiring.

“Damn vampires,” I muttered, knowing Zephyr was not to blame, although he seemed rather amused as I moved past him.

As we hurried towards the source of the commotion, I couldn't help to worry about the potential danger if the vampires lost control, especially with Aria here. A human wouldn’t stand a chance against frenzied vampires, even us shifters would be tested.

I reached out, taking her hand in mine as we hurried down the hall. She squeezed back, but her focus was on up ahead, where the shouts were becoming more prominent.

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