Page 30 of Heart of the High King
“Yeah, I have to get back to do my duties.”
“I hope it’s not another three weeks until I see you again.”
His voice was so earnest, Rafferty gulped the last of the cheddar in his mouth. There was such a feeling of ease and familiarity sitting on the deck with Aleksander at his exquisite estate that Rafferty could hardly believe it. In his entire life, he’d never found such a feeling of peace, and it had happened so subtly in the few minutes it took to cross from the driveway to the backyard. “I hope not either,” Rafferty confessed. “But I don’t get to decide that.”
“I’d point out that we’re mates and that no one can come between us, but that’s not a fair statement given that your family is unaware of our connection. So, I’ll just repeat that I’m damn glad you’re here.”
“I don’t know how to handle the whole ‘mates’ thing. I’ve been focusing on our friendship.”
“Let’s not even talk about the ‘mates’ thing. I shouldn’t have brought it up. You’re right. What’s important right now is this great friendship we’re building. I already feel like I’ve known you more than a couple of weeks.”
Since Aleksander was helping himself to the plate, Rafferty decided to grab the smallest slice of pumpernickel bread, and his eyes closed as he chewed. “You’re the first person I’ve felt like I could tell anything to,” Rafferty surprised himself by saying. When he evaluated the words, they were completely honest.
“Good bread, right? And I feel the same way.”
“Pumpernickel is my favorite.”
“You told me an old friend used to call you Rafe. Tell me about that.”
Baffled by the subject change, Rafferty stared into a stunning set of eyes that showcased the beauty of being a dragon. Like Rafferty’s, the tiny scales were black, but Aleksander’s were ghosted with highlights of navy blue, which almost appeared to shift. Around his pupils were those two metallic circles unique to the High King, and Rafferty wondered why he had failed to notice how gorgeous the face was that showcased that remarkable gaze. His train of thought long lost, he shook his head to clear the strange moment of noticing Aleksander for the handsome man he was. “Huh?”
One perfectly arched black brow rose, and his mouth twisted slightly. “Was it an intimate friend? Is that why you don’t want to tell me? If things are over between you two, then I don’t see what the issue is in telling me about…well, considering your stance on sexuality, I assume it was a woman.”
Rafferty scowled with worry over the bite in Aleksander’s tone. “No, she wasn’t an intimate…geez, I never thought about having sex with her. Molly was the woman I wished I could have for a mother. She was at the house until she found out she was pregnant with Kendrick. I loved her, but she didn’t want anything to do with me after that. I never knew why, but it doesn’t matter now because she’s gone. I don’t remember her calling me anything but Rafe.”
“I apologize, it’s small of me, but I was jealous thinking about you with anybody else. I’m sorry about Molly. We have a memorial garden—that’s the area near the fountain and the gazebo. It started there when we nearly lost Dra’Kaedan the first time. When we learned about Kendrick’s mom, Dravyn and Killian planted a tree they created that blooms year-round with flowers in the color of Molly’s dragon. It was our little way of honoring her memory.”
“That’s beautiful. Could you show it to me?”
“I’d love to.” Aleksander smiled and pushed the plate closer to Rafferty. “Finish your snack first.”
