Page 60 of A Witch and Her Dragon
Raelan
SOMEHOW, I FIND MYSELF IN Alina’s dormitory, seated on one of the couches as the fire sends heat curling through the room. The others haven’t returned yet, so for now, Alina and I are alone.
Apart from Yuki, that is. And I imagine Maeve’s snake is around here somewhere.
Yuki hops up onto the couch opposite mine, his dark eyes watching me closely. He makes a small sound, like a mixture between a whimper and a whine, and Alina glances over and gives him a quick smile, making me wonder what it is he said to her.
Alina fetches one of her schoolbooks and flips through it, then seems to find what she’s looking for. Setting the book down on one of the desks pressed against the wall, she begins to gather her ingredients, though I’ve no idea what they are. Different smells float through the room asshe pours and sprinkles and stirs. The whole time, I watch her face.
Her lips are puckered in concentration, her brow furrowed. She’s not yet combed her hair, and seeing how messy it is reminds me of how it felt to tangle my fingers in those soft strands. I had to try so hard not to hurt her, not to thrust myself down her throat. And when she looked up at me, a trail of my cum tracing its way down the corner of her mouth, I felt I would burst free of my chain and carry her away right then and there.
As if to remind me what a fucking idiot I am, the burns on my neck send heat and pain screaming through me. I wince and curl my fingers into tight fists, tearing my gaze away from Alina.
Now that the mead has been burned off and my dick finally had a release, I’m left feeling like I made a huge mistake.
Kissing Alina was one thing, and that alone would’ve been enough to get me in trouble with the king. But now I’ve put a finger inside her, have felt her lips on my dick, have done things a knight should never do to the princess he’s sworn to protect.
And I’m afraid of what might happen next. I’m afraid I don’t have nearly as much self-control as I thought I did.
“Here we go,” Alina says, coming to join me in the sitting area. She pulls a plush purple footstool over and takes a seat in front of me, scooting close and settling herself between my legs. She abandoned her heeled boots at the door when we first stepped into the dorm, letting out a sigh as theydropped to the floor, and now she’s barefoot, her toenails painted a deep shade of blue.
It’s become increasingly clear to me that she doesn’t realize how much is at stake here, least of all her own safety. Thus far, the charmed chain hasn’t failed me, but I don’t know how much longer it’ll be able to withstand the beatings I’m putting it through. The witch who created it for the king told us that there may come a time when I need a new one, with fresh magic, and I fear that time may be drawing near.
But mostly, I fear what might happen if I allow myself to keep pushing it to the brink, to the point where it shatters and frees my dragon. That can’t ever happen around Alina. I won’t let it.
Alina settles her mixing bowl in her lap, then reaches up to tie her hair into a knot at the base of her neck. Her eyes meet mine. “May I see?” she asks, gesturing to my throat.
I swallow hard, hands still clenched on my knees. Then I nod once. “Just be careful not to take it off,” I warn her.
The smile she gives me is small and soft. “I’ll be careful. I promise.”
Tipping my head back slightly, I give her access to my throat. She dips a few fingers into the salve she made, using her other hand to lift the chain delicately, moving it away from the fresh burns it left on my skin.
When she sees them, she winces.
“Raelan, these...” There’s a moment of hesitation. Her brow furrows, a frown tugging on her lips. “These look bad.They must hurt terribly.”
I make a small sound in my throat. Yes, they hurt, but it’s nothing compared to the pain of keeping myself from her, the pain of resisting my instincts and the bond that draws me to her time and time again.
But I don’t say this.
Alina gets to work, gently applying the salve to my burns. At first, the concoction stings, making me grind my teeth, but after the initial discomfort, it starts to give off a cooling effect, and I feel the bunching of my shoulders start to relax.
While Alina is focused on tending to me, I allow my eyes to flick down to her, and I wonder what she might do if I finally came clean about my secret.
She already learned one, but how would she feel about the other? Would she feel repulsed by the idea that my beast wants to claim her? Would she tell her grandfather at the first opportunity, thereby having me thrown from the guard?
Somehow, I think that last idea implausible. Still, I can’t help but to wonder how she’d react to the truth.
I almost want to tell her. It wouldn’t take much. All I’d have to do is open my mouth and say it. It would only take four words.
You’re my fated mate.
As the idea crosses my mind, my dragon stirs. I hate denying it like this, denying the truth of my being and my blood. Yet I can’t bring myself to do it. And as Alina sits back and settles the chain gently into place over the already-drying salve, I feel yet again what a fool I am.
I can’t do this, can’t allow this to go any further.
But I also know that I am weak to resist her. My attempts at keeping my distance from her—both physically and emotionally—have all been futile.
