Page 3 of The Dragon Shifters' Enemy
“It makes sense that you would share a territory! You’refated, I meanchosenmates!”Claire quickly amended at Valerius’ scowl at her.
Hischosenmate really could put the fear of God into people with a dark look.But if Caden thought that his rambling, painful explanation--not to mention Valerius’ scowl--would end questions about their romance, he was so very wrong.
So very, very wrong.
“What is love like between Dragons?”Claire asked as she scrolled through evidently a ton of questions about his and Valerius’ love life.
The other two reporters stared at her as Claire, once again, trounced whatever unspoken rule about who asks questions and in what order.But Claire ignored them.
“Love… like?”Caden tilted his head to the side as his voice squeaked.
Was she asking if they made love the same way humans did?Or God forbid, was she asking if they had sex in their Dragon forms? And this had him wondering if thatwasgoing to happen.Could they have sex in their Dragon forms?And, indeed, whatwouldthat be like?
It was definitely something that he and Valerius would be able to give each other as firsts.Valerius had never even touched another Dragon let alone made love to one.And he was certain that Raziel would rather burn other Dragons to a crisp then… thenmountthem?Oh, God, he really had to stop thinking of this! He could only imagine his face.
“Is the love just between you guys or are Raziel and Iolaire in love, too?”Claire continued on blithely unaware of his growing embarrassment, or maybe she waskeenlyaware of it.“Do Dragons make love?Can they have babies even if you guys can’t in your human forms?”
“Babies?”Valerius asked with an uplifted eyebrow.“No, no, babies.”
“Aw, but I bet your Dragon babies would be so cute!”Claire’s eyes twinkled.There were high spots of color on her cheeks.She was showing more Crest-white teeth than any commercial.
“No Dragon babies,” Valerius said firmly.“That is not possible.”
He clearly did not want speculation about Dragon babies to get out of hand.It was actually a sore spot for Shifters.They could not reproduce.That was the thing they gave up to become immortal and have their shared existences with their Spirits.
“Will there be a Dragon wedding though?Oh, I’m sure everyone would want a Dragon wedding!”Claire enthused.
Caden glanced over at his parents.They looked a bit bemused, if embarrassed to hear about Dragon babies.But Tilly appeared intrigued about a Dragon wedding...
“That’s uhm… we haven’t gotten that far yet?”Caden once more made his answer sound like a question and it was accompanied by a strangled sound.
“Again, with the cute shyness! But people really want to know all about you, King Caden!”Claire grinned.
“Yeah, I’m not really comfortable with people being interested in me.”Caden scrubbed a hand over the back of his head. That was really an understatement.
“But you’re a hero!Today--”
“I was scared earlier today, too.”When Claire’s eyebrows rose, he put up a hand to stave off the obvious questions.“Not for myself.Being a Dragon Shifter means I’m pretty much bomb-proof.”
The reporters actually laughed.He even thought he saw some smiles on the camera operators’ faces.That relaxed him some.
“What were you afraid of exactly?”It was Lisa, the reporter fromThe New York Timesthat followed up.
“I was afraid I wouldn’t be fast enough,” Caden said, recalling his frantic search for the greatest cluster of spirits and then how he couldn’t reach the bombs inside of the store in his and Iolaire’s Dragon form.Not to mention the difficulty freezing the bombers and not setting off the bombs.“That, even if I found the bombs, that I would be too late.That, even with all the power I’ve been given, it wouldn’t be enough.”He glanced up at Valerius.“Valerius and Raziel are much more powerful than me and Iolaire.But not even they can stop all the bad things from happening.We can just do our best.”
Claire bobbed her head as if that made complete sense.Lisa looked thoughtful as if he had given an answer that opened various questions.Carlos gave him a look that was all mock seriousness, but with a friendly edge.
“There was a time when youweren’tfast enough.The people in the Below?”Lisa pressed almost gently, but the question was like walking through razor wire.
Caden drew in a breath even as Valerius stiffened.Both of them felt so guilty about that.So terrible beyond words.Valerius blamed himself.
“Caden was not responsible for that,” Valerius said, his voice clipped.
“But he was part of what happened.Hespurredwhat happened.Or did you make a mistake, King Valerius?”Lisa asked.
“If love is a mistake,” Caden blurted out.
Valerius’ eyebrows rose.Lisa stared at him, her forehead furrowing.
