Page 28 of The White Dragon's Dilemma

“You mean of yelling really loudly at Mei and Illarion?Or arguing with my parents?Or maybe hearing from a person like Jahara--who is clearly smart and sensible--that she thinks we are all better off leaving the world and humanity to its own devices?”Caden’s arms lifted heavensward with each question.He slumped back against the doors once more and ran his hands through his hair until he was sure it was sticking up on end.Iolaire was sitting in a cat-like “loaf” inside of him, wide awake and fully engaged, but with no wisdom to offer.“Iolaire’s all interested, at least.”

“I know things seem dire,” Valerius began.

“Seem?!”Caden cried.

“Seem,” Valerius confirmed.“But I hate to tell you this, things often seem dire when one is in charge, because what comes next sometimes hinges on the leader’s decisions.”

“You know if you had asked me a year ago--hell, maybe even only amonthago--I would have thought if I was in charge that I would have all these ideas and that I would just implement them no problem.”Caden made a sweeping gesture with his right arm.“I would have no doubts!None!Now, I have the chance to make real change and I am like hellno, don’t trust me!I have no idea what I’m doing!”

“Believe it or not, Chione would say that the latter showswisdom, and that because you do not think yourself worthy of ruling that you are more likely to actually do so than someone who does,” Valerius told him.

Caden scrubbed his face.“You know I really hoped that when all the Dragon Shifters got here that things would be better.Easier.Clearer.That all these great minds coming together would have answers.But the answers are--”

“Worse than the problems?Yes.I feel the same way.Which is why we need some time away from both problems and answers.”

Valerius curled an arm around his shoulders and led him over towards the staircase that ran along the curve of the wall.Caden had expected Valerius to take him to the couches by the fireplace, but they climbed the stairs until they reached the platform with the shower and tub.

“Are we getting ready for dinner already?I thought maybe we could hang by the fire and--”

“I’m going to make love to you.In the shower.”

Caden blinked.“Oh.”

“And then we will determine whether to go and meet the others downstairs, because after Jahara releases her bomb, I am not certain the meal will not turn into a food fight, since it can’t turn into a Dragon fight with you around.”

“But shouldn’t we be there to--to--”

“What?Stop the other Dragons from reacting just as we have done?They need to listen to her ideas and process them.”

Valerius slipped Caden’s shirt over his head and tossed it off of the platform.It spread its wings and soared downstairs out of sight.He then went to the fastening of Caden’s pants.The backs of a few fingers slid underneath his waistband.Caden sucked his stomach in as the touch tickled, but then he released that breath so he could feel Valerius’ skin against his own.

“What do you think about her idea?One territory for Shifters and another for humans?”Caden asked even as some parts of his brain short circuited as Valerius unbuttoned and unzipped his pants. Cool air circulated around his cock even though he was wearing underwear.The change in temperature had his cock hardening faster than before.He quickly toed out of his boots.“Do you think it's a good one?”

Valerius did not meet his eyes, but instead stared resolutely at Caden’s pants as if they were the only problem in the world.Finally, as he slid Caden’s underwear and pants off of his hips, he said, “Jahara is very smart.”

“So you think she’s right?That we ought to abandon the world and--”

“No, I did not say that,” Valerius calmly interjected as Caden’s pants fell to his ankles.

Valerius gestured for Caden to step out of them.Then Valerius kicked them and Caden’s shoes off of the platform.Caden hoped that none of them landed in the fire.He was quite fond of those clothes.

“Then what--”

Valerius ended his question with a kiss.It was a firm yet gentle yet somehow desperate kiss.When they broke apart, Valerius’ eyes were hooded but his expression was a little grim.

“Like you, I hoped the others would come to us with solutions.Jahara is the only one who has so far,” Valerius said quietly.“She has been thinking long and hard about this problem.I am certain that she did not come to this decision lightly.She must have considered all other options before deciding on the one she did and offering her territory as the birthplace for this new nation of Shifters.”

“Yeah, I think she has, too.That’s what scares me,” Caden admitted.

“It scares me as well.”

Caden blinked.“But you aren’t scared of anything!”

Valerius smiled gently.“I only wish that were true.”

Caden felt a wave of almost panic flood him as he thought of the world that Jahara offered.It would be one where his parents and sister would be separated from him.There could be no exceptions to the rule of human and Shifter separateness, he guessed, especially not with a Dragon Shifter.How could any of the “lower” Shifters be obliged to follow the rules if the “greater” ones would not?

He imagined that the Dragons would naturally divide up whatever territory they were given into smaller ones.And he couldn’t believe that Mei and Illarion wouldn’t plot and fight one another whether they had 100 cubic miles or 1 million.It was in their natures.And would the humans--whether Humans First or Faithful--really stop their war?No.They would still fight too as proxies even.

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