Page 12 of Enchanter of Dragons
Fersen wrapped Jaega’s compliment around his heart. It healed a lot of hurts. “You really think so?”
Jaega guided Fersen onto his back to make eye contact. Somehow, when Jaega gently manhandled him, it was sexy. It had only inspired terror when Decius threw him around like a rag doll.
“Fersen, listen to me.” Jaega held his gaze. Fersen was powerless to look away. “You are as beautiful as you are kind. Nothing he did to you can ever take that from you.”
The unicorn shifter desperately wanted to believe in Jaega’s convictions. “I’m damaged goods and?—”
Jaega gently interrupted him. “You are no such thing.” He caressed the side of Fersen’s face. “You are the most stunning person I have ever seen, which is saying something when my mate was so gorgeous. But even she would agree with me you are beautiful, inside and out.”
Fersen’s stomach did flips at the sincerity in Jaega’s voice. “You really mean that.”
“I do.” Jaega caressed Fersen’s cheek once more, sending his butterflies into flight. “You are a treasure. No one should ever make you feel like anything less than the most glorious gift someone could hope to receive.”
Fersen stared at Jaega in awe. How could somebody so wonderful feel that way abouthim? “But?—”
Jaega put his finger over Fersen’s lip to silence his protests. “I will not listen to you disparage yourself. You deserve to be loved and treasured.”
“But someone like you would never be interested in me.”
It confused Fersen when his comment made Jaega smile at him fondly. “My mate told me the same thing. And yet, we had many centuries of happiness together despite that.” Jaega chuckled. “I believe in the rule of law, but I live my life according to my own wishes. I have never let society tell me how to live, and I am not about to start now.”
It felt like Jaega was on the verge of a confession, but that surely couldn’t be right. There was a big difference between assuring Fersen he was beautiful and wanting to be with him.
Grisden interrupted them by clearing his throat. “Breakfast is served.”
Fersen expected Jaega to startle and put distance between them, but he merely looked over his shoulder. “Thank you, Grisden.” He refocused his attention on Fersen. “If you do not believe in yourself, then trust in my conviction. I am not a man who is often wrong.”
It was reassuring in an unexpected way. But Fersen was too tongue-tied to speak. He could only stare up at Jaega with wide eyes. His breath hitched when Jaega once again caressed his face but this time added in a brush of his thumb against Fersen’s lower lip.
Jaega was out of bed before Fersen could process what happened. He could only blink in surprise as Jaega held his hand out to help Fersen stand.
Could Fersen have been wrong? Was it possible that Jaega was interested in him after all?
Chapter7
Jaega
Confusion swirled inside Jaega. Waking up curled around Fersen had been the greatest pleasure life had offered him since his beloved mate had been so cruelly taken away from him centuries ago. The enchanting smell of him, which fluctuated alongside his ever-shifting color spectrum of shifter markings, was intoxicating. Jaega’s dragon was more than ready to claim Fersen as theirs.
But Jaega had no right to mate Fersen. It was fortunate that Fersen hadn’t been upset or distressed by Jaega taking such liberties with his person in his sleep. When was the last time Jaega had slept so soundly and awoken with such a warm glow in his heart?
They were thoughts best left alone. Jaega acted normal during breakfast, before he led Fersen outside of the camp. Once they were in a wide enough space, Jaega transformed into his dragon form. He was mindful to stay small for Fersen to mount with ease. Once he was certain Fersen was secure, Jaega expanded into his bigger size and took flight into the sky.
He relished Fersen’s excitedwhoopof joy as they ascended high above the trees. Jaega rarely gave others the pleasure of riding him in his shifter form, so he savored each of Fersen’s awed reactions.
With his dragon in full control, there was no place for conscious thoughts. It was cowardly for Jaega to admit he was relieved that he didn’t have to dwell on what had happened that morning, but it didn’t make it any less true.
They flew for a few hours before Jaega’s dragon sensed Fersen’s hunger. He landed them near the mountains, close to Arenvale. Once Fersen had safely dismounted, Jaega shifted back to his normal form. “Did you enjoy the flight?”
“It wasamazing!” Fersen said in a rush of words. His excitement was palpable. “I thought running through the forest freely was the best joy life offered, but flying is the most incredible thing I’ve ever experienced.”
“I am glad you found it so exhilarating and not scary.”
“Why would I be afraid? Even if I fell, I know you’d catch me.” The certainty in Fersen’s voice made Jaega’s dragon purr in his cage. It pleased them that Fersen had such explicit trust in them as a protector. “There was nothing to fear.”
“Indeed.” Jaega’s dragon continued preening, but there were other things to focus on. He summoned a bag of food and two canteens Grisden had prepared for them earlier.
They both made themselves comfortable under the shade of a large tree. Jaega passed the bag to Fersen to let him have the first pick of what he wanted to eat and his own canteen.
