Page 54 of Castor
The sea glistened beneath the warm Aegean sun. It was a kaleidoscope of color, blue water with faint hues of yellow and pink where the light reflected off its surface. Lush green mountains rose around the island, the sun-kissed peaks so tall they touched the clouds.
I strolled along the sandy beach before hiking through a section of trees and thick foliage. Away from my brothers, their thoughts weren’t floating around in my head, and I didn’t have to worry about them prying into mine. Bellamy had pestered me enough at breakfast.
“What’s wrong with you and the dragon? You aren’t your lustful selves this morning.”
“Are you ignoring me?”
“Cas?”
Of course, I hadn’t been able to keep him in the dark for long. The moment I remembered my conversation with Kyo, all three of my brothers at the table had known. My hurt was just too strong, and they’d felt it.
I had gone on a walk to try and sort out the shit in my head. I was still trying to process what Kyo had told me.
Two days ago, I had realized he was my mate. My heart, my body, my fucking soul belonged to him. He moved, and I moved with him, like we were two magnets drawn together. I craved his touch, his laugh, his happiness. I had never felt anything quite as strong as the connection I felt with him. The closest thing would be the bond I had with my brothers.
Both were unbreakable.
Moving through the forest, I spotted a break of light through the trees. Once through it, I found myself in a pebbled cove nestled between trees and a cliff. The ocean stretched beyond it, going as far as the eye could see. A large rock hung over the water’s edge, and the entrance to a cave cut into the side of the cliff to the right.
I sat on the rock, took off my shoes, and let my feet dangle off into the water. Hell, it was warm enough I might even go for a swim. However, I felt so weighed down by sadness and anger I’d probably sink to the bottom.
Kyo was going to marry some other guy. Every part of me screamed in protest. My possessiveness shot through the roof, and I gritted my teeth. I wanted to scream. Fuck, I even felt like crying. Over two thousand years on this damn earth, and when I finally found my mate, he was meant to be with someone else.
I pulled my dagger from my belt and turned it in my hand. In a way, it brought me comfort. Even though my father had been a villain in the end, I missed him. Whenever I had struggled, he’d sat with me by the lake and talked me through what was bothering me. It was times like this when I wished I could talk to him again.
A rustle behind me made me snap my head toward the trees.
“Hey,” Kyo said, his smile weak. “I know you probably want to be alone, but I needed to talk to you.”
“What else is there to say?” I turned back to face the long stretch of ocean, holstering my dagger. “You made things crystal clear last night. You’re marrying some royal ice douche. End of story.”
“Royal ice douche?” Kyo came to sit beside me on the rock, taking his shoes off too. He kept a small space between our bodies, and although I knew how fucking stupid it was, I wanted to close that gap. I wanted to pull him to my chest and never let go. “I heard he’s a decent guy. Supposed to be some master swordsman in his clan or something.”
“I really don’t want to hear about him, Kyo.” My hand formed into a tight fist.
“Sorry.” He picked up a thin, flat rock before skipping it across the water. He watched it until it sunk below the surface, and then he breathed out a sigh. “This isn’t easy for me either, you know. When I think of my future, there’s only one person I picture by my side. You.”
“Is that supposed to make me feel better?” I peered over at him, the center of my chest cracking a little more at the way the sun set his orange eyes aflame. He was breathtaking.
Mine.
That possessive urge to claim him was overwhelming. It took all my strength to sit beside him and not sink my teeth into his neck, to mark him as mine and only mine. Because fuck knows I was only his.
“I guess not.” Kyo moved his feet through the water, his gaze distant. “Do you hate me?”
“No. I hate the situation. But not you.”
“I honestly didn’t think you cared about me enough to be this upset,” he said, brow creasing. “It was just supposed to be amazing sex between us. Nothing more. Before I knew it, emotions were involved.”
Telling him that he was my intended mate wouldn’t do anything but complicate things further. What would it do other than make him feel even worse? It wasn’t like he’d suddenly decide to rebel against his brother and refuse the marriage. Not when the safety of his clan was at stake.
“Can you blame me for being so attached? It’s not every day I meet a sexy-as-fuck water dragon.” I gently bumped his arm with mine. “You’re unique.”
“And you like unique things,” he added with a faint smile.
“Yep.” If only that were the only reason I wanted him.
“How long do you think we’ll stay here?” Kyo asked. “Before I came to find you, Alastair and Baxter told everyone not to disturb them and went inside a room. To bang or kill each other. Who knows?”
