Page 65 of The Arrival of the Dragons

He found himself closing his mouth. Valerius thought he belonged to the highest echelon of Shifters and, in time, the reason why would be revealed. He ignored the fact that Iolaire wasn’t like the other Spirits either. He also ignored the fact that Iolaire stated it had been watching him for some time. Because this--what he was thinking right there and then--made so much more sense than him being fated to become the ninth Dragon Shifter.

But I am. So now I better be really careful. I can’t just trust my own instincts. Because they were not what led me here.

“Earth to Caden,” Valerius laughed softly.

Caden gave him a pained smile that he tried to make normal. “Sorry. Just hungry. Like you said. I shouldn’t make any decisions on an empty stomach.”

Valerius studied his face, searching for what he was really thinking about. But Caden didn’t dare tell him. He wasn’t giving up this closeness to Valerius. Though he realized it would become obvious in time that he wasn’t really one of them and Valerius would turn away.

Though he can’t keep Raziel and Iolaire apart! They need to be together.

Fire and ice were filtering towards one another as the two Spirits snored as they slept.

“All right, if you’re certain that is all?” Valerius made that sound like a question.

Caden’s heart squeezed in his chest as he looked at that beautiful, difficult, but amazing man. He suddenly wrapped his arms around Valerius’ neck so tightly that a normal person would have begged to be allowed to breathe. But Valerius just let out an “oomph” and then hugged him back.

“Thank you,” Caden said, his voice muffled as he had his face pressed against Valerius’ right shoulder.

“I do not know what you are thanking me for,” Valerius chuckled uncertainly.

“For… for everything. For giving this a shot. For protecting me. For trying so hard to let me do something selfish and stupid,” Caden got out.

Now that he knew he wasn’t fated by the Spirits or whatever, he was evenmoreterrified of being in the limelight. He would have to be so careful to even be thought of as one of the Shifters, let alone a Dragon Shifter.

“As I said, this was not selfish or stupid, and I am uncertain if it is wise to have you reveal yourself because of Mei,” Valerius answered, his voice darkening slightly at the other Dragon Shifter’s name.

But Caden now definitely couldn’t allow Valerius to be in Mei’s debt because of him. He was not worth it. Not at all.

“If it isn’t Mei, it’ll be someone else. You knew I couldn’t go home again. I just didn’t want to believe that,” Caden said.

He drew in deep breaths of the Black Dragon King’s scent. He wanted to remember his smell, remember the hard feeling of his body against Caden’s, remember everything about him. The amount of times he’d be allowed to do this were numbered. He just knew it.

“Well, I--ah! The meat is burning!” Valerius cried.

Caden only reluctantly released him as the Black Dragon King leaned forward to tend to their meal. The fat from the beef and chicken sizzled as Valerius turned them from one side to the other. The knob onions and other vegetables were already caramelizing. He had those on a lower part of the fire so that they wouldn’t cook too quickly or burn before softening.

“Do you have those sauces we had the other night? This meat is so good that it doesn’t really need them, but they were tasty,” Caden said, again feeling the need to repeat and have as many experiences with Valerius as he could.

“Refrigerator. I always have some made up fresh and stored there.” Valerius tilted his head to the refrigerator that was disguised as a piece of furniture.

Caden got up and opened the door. He leaned down and heard Valerius let out a choked laugh. The cold air on his bare ass told him what the Black Dragon King was seeing.

“I think I take it back that you are allowed to have clothes here. I enjoy looking at you in mine,” Valerius told him as he turned onions.

Caden’s heart was still heavy in his chest, but Valerius was so happy that he couldn’t help but feel some of it himself even as he felt like an imposter at the same time. But he waggled his butt to get another burst of rare laughter from the Black Dragon King. He stuck his nose into the collar of the shirt and rubbed it against his cheek.

“I admit I like them because they smell like you and silk against skin…” He made an exaggerated shiver of pleasure.

Valerius was silent for a minute then snorted. “You do realize with that comment we are now well into ridiculous Werewolf Shifter mate territory?”

Caden had filled his arms with bowls of sauce--piquant mustard, sweet, umami tomato and creamy, spicy horseradish--when Valerius said this. It had him almost dropping the bowls on the floor, but Shifter reflexes were damned handy and he managed to catch them before they fell without even getting any of the sauce on his shirt!

“Wha-what do you know about Werewolf Shifter mate stuff?” Caden asked as he carefully brought the bowls over to the fireplace.

Valerius actually colored. “Nothing! I mean beyond what one hears generally.”

Caden’s left foot brushed by a pile of books and his eyes narrowed. “Do you read those romance novels with them--”

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