Page 5 of The Dragon's Stone Hearted Mate
“It was our motto before we knew Teal,”my dragon reminded me from inside his inner sanctum.
He wasn’t wrong but Teal Moonscale was the last person I wanted to think about right now. He’d never been able to mind his own business. I risked my life every time I went out to save someone. I’d been in the line of fire before but the one time Ineeded to take the hit Teal had prevented me from saving my brother.
My phone vibrated in my pocket, reminding me I should probably turn it off. Cell phone service was hit or miss in the Other World and largely depended on what the magic of wherever you were decided to do that second. It was another text from Teal because of course it fucking was as if I summoned him by merely thinking his name.
“We’re still on the group link,”my dragon reminded me, and I rolled my eyes as I read the text messages.
TEAL:If you really wanted to avoid me, I think you’d change your number or at least block mine. I thought you had blocked me but then it showed that you’d read my messages the other day.
TEAL:I just wanted to say happy birthday. I’m sorry that everything happened the way it did but knowing you’re alive for this birthday makes whatever price I’ve paid for it worth it.
Fuck! Somewhere along the way my brain had blocked out the date on the calendar. Today wasn’t just my birthday but Torvan’s too. Only I guess it was his first dead day or whatever the hell dead people celebrated. I sent a bird flipping emoji and turned my phone off. Fuck Teal Moonscale for being a reminder of everything horrible in my life! I could’ve gone all day without thinking about the date.
“Where is your destination?” A tall fiery-headed elf asked me.
I raked my eyes down his long, lean body and back up to the claiming mark on his shoulder. Dude was hot but obviously not single. Sex. Sex was one thing that made me forget Torvan. Sex with people at the clubs. Sex with people from the hookup app Pheromone Swap. Sex with whoever was consenting. It wassomething I’d been too embarrassed to tell Chole about, but it was a better coping mechanism than drinking my dragon into a stupor.
I handed tall, hot, and on fire the paper Chole had given me, and he stamped it with something that didn’t leave a visible mark and pointed toward a long line of people. Sighing, I took my place at the end of the queue and tried not to tap my foot with impatience. It wasn’t their fault they were unaware of how time, death, and existence was breathing down the back of my neck. Yet… How did they stand there all aware that one day they’d die and everyone they love would die too? How did anyone do it? How had I? Was there any point to any of it?
“Stop it,”my dragon snapped at me inside my own head.“I get it. I’ve always gotten it. It is pointless but it is what it is. That’s just how life works. It all goes in cycles. What comes in must go out. It’s simple. It’s always been that way. I’m not saying it’s fair, but life has never been fair. We just have to find a new reason to make it seem worth it. That’s what drives everyone on some subconscious level.”
If only I could put the utter absurdity of life and death out of my head. Where was Torvan now? Was he thinking about me? Did he still want me dead? Did he regret that? Was he sorry he didn’t just kill me sooner? Did he miss me or was he wishing he was born an only child?
“Line’s moving,” the lion omega behind me said, poking me in the shoulder.
I moved forward with a grunt, thinking about how I could wear his pelt as a cloak if I really wanted to. He was puny and fragile. So much softer than dragons. My inner beast rolled his eyes. He was not game for killing the lion for touching us. I wasn’t either. Not really. It was just another reminder of how we all walked around with swords hanging over our heads every day.
“Are you here for camp too?” the lion asked me.
“Which camp?” I shot the question back to him without looking back.
“The grief camp.”
“Yeah.”
“Your mate?” he asked, and I almost turned around to take his head. “My mate.” He said a second later when I didn’t answer him.
“My brother,” I grunted at him.
“War?” the lion shifter asked.
“His own stupidity.”
“Did he commit suicide?” the lion asked.
“Not in the way you mean,” I shook my head. “Yours?”
“Famine really,” he sighed. “Famine caused by the war.”
He wasn’t from Earthside. I understood his language, but it was accented as if he was just learning it.
“My condolences.”
I didn’t tell him that my brother tried to blow up two people because he was afraid a new program called Moonscale Meals would feed too many people and cost him money. How would I even be able to talk about Torvan around someone who lost their mate to famine? Torvan always did this shit to me. Put me in a fucked up and awkward situation by being the world’s largest ass.
I glanced over my shoulder at the blonde lion with the messy mop of hair. He was tall and lean with deep set eyes. He was clad in a pair of khakis and a blue t-shirt. The pack on his back was nearly as tall as he was. It was a Frost-damned miracle that he didn’t topple over.
“Uh… Do you need help?”
