Page 87 of Dancing with My Elf
Lucas
My eyes blinked open, and I squinted at the sunlight peering in through my blinds. Zoe sat on a chair, typing on her phone. My dragon stirred with awareness.
“Zoe?” My tongue felt coated in sand. I licked my parched lips and tasted the tang of salt water.
She raised her gaze and covered her chest. “Oh, Lucas.” She rushed over and sat beside me on the bed.
Shadow purred near my feet. I didn’t even know he was there.
“I’m so glad you’re awake.” Zoe touched my bicep. “I was so worried.”
“What happened?” I asked her.
When Shadow crawled up on the other side of me and rubbed his furry head against my hand, I gave him a chin rub.
Zoe exhaled with a heavy sigh. “You don’t remember?”
Pictures rolled through my mind, images of being in flight and fighting creatures I’d never before seen—demons of various sizes. I’d hurled flames at many of them but hadn’t emerged unscathed. They’d inflicted many wounds with their sharp claws, which had burned with agonizing depth. I pulled the comforter off my body and scanned myself in human form. I had nothing on. The wounds had faded to pale pink marks, one of the perks of shifter magic.
We won. Zoe had beckoned me to her on the shore. My dragon and I were ecstatic. We’d made it. Our mate was safe and called us to her. Did that mean we had a chance?
But an explosion followed. Whatever that dark matter that had flared up had clipped my wings, slowly paralyzing me, until I could fly no longer. The last thing I recalled was tumbling toward the dark gray concrete of the sea.
“Yes, the demons, the battle. I remember up until something shot out of the portal and hit me—and then I fell.”
She raised a trembling hand to her lips. “I’d called you over to us before that happened. I’ve been tormenting myself as I led you into danger. When I saw you wounded, I tried to prevent the fall using all the magic in me. It slowed your descent but didn’t stop it, and I collapsed. I was out only for a day, but it’s been three for you.”
Three days? I pushed myself to sit upright. “Do you think I wouldn’t have flown to you either way?” I flashed her a lopsided smile. “You can’t get rid of this dragon that easily.”
“I hope not.” Her lips curled up and eyes sparkled with expectation.
“How is everyone? I asked.
The smile sank. “We lost a gargoyle and a witch.”
“I’m sorry.” I’d fought with gargoyles, something I’d never thought I’d do, and had seen one take a bad hit. When another demon attacked me, I lost sight of what happened to the gargoyle.
“Thank you,” Zoe said. “Lucas, I take back everything I said. I don’t care how different we are. That’s one of the reasons I admire you. One of the many ways. If I’m not too late, I’d like to give us a try.”
I cupped her cheek. “I’d fight demons every night and plunge into the ocean for that chance. You’ll never be too late, Zoe. Don’t you know?”
“Know what?”
I caressed her soft skin. “You’re the one, the only one. Like I told you, you’re my mate.”
“Yes.” Her eyes gleamed with happiness. She bent down to kiss me.
“Whoa, I have to warn you. I have some serious dragon breath going on.” I pushed myself up to climb out of bed. “Let me go brush my teeth first.”
She laughed. “I don’t care.” She gave me a quick peck on my cheek.
My dragon purred,Mine.
I countered.Ours.
He agreed, and we were finally on the same page. That fight had connected us more than ever as we had to work as one if we wanted a chance to survive. And now that we had our mate, I had the sense of feeling whole.
“I’ll be right back. Don’t go anywhere.” In the bathroom, I took a quick shower, lathering up to rinse away the days of sweat and any remnant of demon scent. I brushed my teeth with vigor and rinsed with minty mouthwash, grooming myself to be presentable to my mate.
