Page 44 of The Dragon of her Dreams

The housekeeper smiled and fussed with the clothes I’d borrowed, and retrieved a gown and fresh towels for me.

I sat up a little as the water began to rise, steam filling the warm room. “Sharon, can I ask you something?”

“Of course,” the housekeeper answered.

“How has the family been with Jaegar? I mean, has it been difficult for them? For him?”

Sharon moved closer, her gaze sliding left then right furtively. “Why do you ask, Miss Vanya? Is it true that you are...connectedto Jaegar?”

I chuckled softly. The servants sure loved to gossip. “Who told you?” I asked.

Sharon smiled but didn’t reveal her source.

So, I told her the truth. “We are fated mates, actually. But I’m still unsure of what will happen next for us.”

Sharon’s eyes went wide, then a soft smile lifted her lips again. “Then it’s true. He is truly the king’s son.”

I frowned at her. “Of course, he is. Why would you question that?”

Sharon shook her head. “We were all unsure when Jaegar came to the castle. We were afraid of what it would mean for our kingdom, for the royal bloodlines.”

I nodded in understanding, though I couldn’t empathize truly. My father’s kingdom had always been wealthy and well run. This kingdom had many, many years of starvation and desolation. I couldn’t even imagine what the servants had gone through. “So, you believe in who he is now that you know he’s my fated mate?” I asked. “It is because of the royal link?”

Sharon nodded. “It makes more sense now, although, to tell you the truth...” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “I never doubted it, personally, though everyone else did. But it’s in his eyes, isn’t it? And in the way he holds himself. He seems to be what real kings are made of.”

I sighed, running my now warm hands over the surface of the water and watching as the ripples fanned out. “I see it too. He’s a royal dragon, through and through.”

“I’ll leave you to it, then, Miss Vanya,” Sharon said. “But are you hungry? Would you like me to bring some afternoon tea to your room for when you’re done?”

I nodded and smiled. “That would be wonderful. Thank you.”

Sharon bobbed a curtsey and left.

I stayed in the bath until the water cooled, then got out to dry myself by the fire.

Could I live here with Uncle Damon and Aunt Cass?

Surely, it wouldn’t be too difficult. I’d always been close to Veronica, and we could travel back and forth to my father’s kingdom whenever I felt the need to see my family again.

Jaegar and I can find a solution, I’m certain. Fate doesn’t make mistakes! And I know what I feel in my heart...

When my mate finally arrived after dinner was long past, he dragged me straight to bed. There he made love to me with a blazing passion that left me sweaty, exhausted, and breathless.

But when I awoke the next morning, he was already gone.

I’d convinced myself throughout the night that I could move up to the North to be with Jaegar, but that was only if hechoseto be my mate, my life partner in a proactive and real way. If he was going to up and leave me alone every waking moment, I wasn’t so sure that was the kind of relationship I could stand.

But what was the likelihood that I could stay away from the man that was my fated mate? Not high at all, I was certain. No one denied a fated mate bond. It was unheard of. Though if there was ever a dragon shifter tough enough to walk away and defy fate itself, it would be mine.

Chapter 17

Jaegar

BY THE TIME I HAULEDmyself up to the castle for a late supper, I was starving and aching from the physical work I’d put myself through all day. I missed Vanya terribly, but my mind was too dark to consider anything more. I knocked on the main door, surprised to find the king himself opening it for me. “King Damon,” I said, trying to sound neutral.

The king smiled and gestured for me to come in. “You’re just in time for dinner.”

“Oh?” I asked, surprised for the second time in as many moments. “I thought I’d missed it.” In fact, I’d deliberately waited until I knew it would be done. The housekeeper would keep a plate for me and let me eat in the kitchen.

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