Page 182 of Gift from the Nexus

After the dragons soar around the ring for the third time, I release a watery laugh. I quickly command my earth to seal the ring up tight and the clear covering solidifies the walls, embedding it all but allowing it to flow freely as I intended.

And once again, I break down in tears.

“Little wanderer, you about done in there?” Draken calls through the door and I quickly put his ring in the red box I made him.

“Yeah, I’m coming out now,” I say as calmly as I can.

Get your shit together. What is wrong with you?

Gathering up the blue, green, white, and red boxes, I stand, haphazardly wiping the tears from my face and running my fingers through my hair. Why I’m so nervous and worked up, Idon’t know but hopefully giving them these presents will calm whatever meltdown my bond seems to be having.

Barreling out the door like my ass is on fire, I stop mid-step when they all turn to look at me. Pressure builds in my eyes again and I clear my throat, blinking rapidly as I look down at my feet to clear them away.

“I-I made you all something,” I stutter.

“You made us presents?” Draken asks excitedly and it settles my erratic heart.

“Yeah,” I whisper shyly, moving to stand in front of Corentin first.

“Thank you, princess,” he says, tilting my chin up and laying a sweet kiss to my lips before opening his box.

When he sees the ring, his body flinches, then fills with tension. I grow more and more nervous, embarrassed, as he stays silent. I don’t know if he hates it, loves it, or what until his body begins to deflate and his eyes soften. He gently runs his finger over the mug tenderly, and I release the breath I’d been holding.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to wear it. I’ll understand,” I say softly. I was so consumed with my own obsessive need to do something, I didn’t even consider how particular he is about what he wears.

“I’ll wear it every day, princess. For the rest of my life,” he says sweetly, passing it over to me and holding his hand out for me to slide it on. Once it’s in place, he pulls me into him, gripping my hair at the base of my neck, and I fall into the embrace.

When he breaks free first, I instinctively chase for more, but he chuckles and turns me to where Tillman’s now crowding my back. During our kiss, they’ve all moved their positions to surround me.

“Little warrior,” he says as I place the green box that looks so small in his massive hand.

“You can have a piece of me wherever you go.”

Those shimmering emerald eyes nearly make my knees buckle when they meet mine. Pair that with the dazzling rare smile he’s wearing and I’m about to be a puddle at his feet. As he offers me his hand, I slide the ring on and instantly he wraps my neck in his hand, admiring the way it looks.

Tilting my head back, I give myself over to the sensation of safety that he bestows on me every time he touches me.

“What do you have for me, little Primary?” Cas says when Tillman turns me to him.

With shaky hands, I pass his box over and a wisp of his shadow wraps around my wrist, calming my tremors. He keeps his eyes on the ring and when a burst of my light shines through the shadows, a small smirk forms on his lips.

“I’ll follow your light, little Primary,” he says, crowding himself into me and leaning down.

“I’ll meet you in the dark, Cas,” I mumble the promise against his lips, then press mine fully against his. The chill of his skin soothes my heat, and I shiver as he deepens the kiss.

When he breaks from me with a smile against my lips, I turn to the last of my men, and I can barely contain the waterworks. Instead of calming down, I seem to only be getting worse. Draken’s sweet, warm smile is going to be my undoing.

“Last but not least, little wanderer,” he says softly, wiping away my stray tear.

“Never least, dragon. You feed my soul.”

Opening his box, his smile only grows and his laugh brings my heart so much happiness it feels like it’s going to burst open and spill out everywhere. He gently presses the ring to his lips before passing it to me like it’s the most precious thing he’s ever been given. When I slide it in place, he wraps his hand around mine and pulls me into him.

“Everything’s going to be okay, sweetness,” he whispers as he kisses away the streams of tears.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me, Draken.”

“Nothing’s wrong. Nothing at all,” he says so convincingly, I have a feeling he knows more than he’s leading on to.

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