Page 50 of No Ordinary Drakeling
“Absolutely, no harm will come to you.”
“I really would like to remove this cloak,” Tiri said. “I’ve worn it my entire life, but I confess I don’t like it.”
“You only have to take it off if you want to,” Zane replied, though he wanted desperately to know what Tiri looked like.
Tiri didn’t offer a verbal response. He lifted his arms and they stayed motionless in the air for some time; then he slowly lowered his hood. The sprite turned to Zane and offered him a smile. All Zane could do was stare at him. The small man was breathtaking, and he wasn’t wasting any time divesting himself of the cloak.
Long white hair liberally streaked with the teal of his clothing flowed behind him, and there were several braids decorated with beads and what appeared to be thick threads. About half of it was tied back with a cord away from his face. His eyes were the same brilliant shade of blue-green and rimmed with thick lashes. They were upturned slightly like an elf, and he did have pointed ears, but they were curled forward.
The tips appeared to be wrapped around translucent balls in what Zane was beginning to think of as Tiri’s signature color of teal. He wondered if he was born with the adornments or if they were added somehow later. On the lobe of his left ear was an earring that resembled a small coil through it, and along the lines of his jaw was teal scrollwork. Those were his mating marks, and Zane had acquired matching marks. Tiri’s grin was impish, and there were dimples on either side of his mouth.
“You’re beautiful,” Zane heard himself say.
Color filled his cheeks, and Tiri ducked his head. “I think the same of you.”
Zane cleared his throat and glanced around the room. The dragons were in the same state of shock he was, but the elf-drakeling hybrid was smiling warmly. When Zane’s gaze landed on Tiri again, he was peeking up at him from under his lashes. Zane’s cock jerked at the picture he made, and he knew he was in big trouble. There was no doubt in his mind Tiri was going to have him wrapped around his finger in no time flat. With a mental shrug he decided that if this was his fate, he’d go down without a fight. He might not have wanted a mate, but now that he had such an enticing one, it was his duty—and, he suspected, his delight—to dedicate himself completely to Tiri.
