Page 58 of Bride of the Black Dragon
His breath puffs gently over my legs and his golden eyes are half-lidded. His ears flick as if waiting for something.
I step forward and wrap my arms around his massive snout—what little of it I can reach. My fingers slide over the smooth warmth of his scales as I press my cheek to his huge head.
“Thank you,” I whisper. “That was amazing.”
He lets out a soft snort, and I feel the ripple of emotion through our connection.
Love.
It’s simple and overwhelming. I blink back sudden tears and press a gentle kiss to the smooth ridge of his nose.
“Thank you. I love you too.”
And then he begins to Shift.
I step back instinctively, giving him room. The air shimmers again, the way heat rises from sun-baked stone, and his form begins to shrink—to fold inward on itself. Wings furl and then contract, being reabsorbed into his back. Scales darken and fall away like leaves. His muzzle shortens, his claws retract, and within moments, Xaren is kneeling before me, entirely human once more—naked, golden-eyed, and slightly breathless.
But it’s not the nudity that draws my gaze—it’s the expression on his face. It’s something raw and open…something vulnerable and full of wonder.
“I felt everything you felt,” he says softly, his voice low and rough with emotion. “Every heartbeat. Every breath. And I felt your love along with my Drake.”
My own heart twists and I bite my lower lip.
What is happening between us?
I don’t know what it is yet…only that it’s real…and growing stronger every time we touch.
29
ELAINA
As soon as Xaren is fully human again, I go to him.
There’s no hesitation this time—no uncertainty. I just walk straight into his arms and wrap mine around his waist, pressing my cheek to the warm, bare skin of his chest. He’s still flushed from the Shift, his body hot and radiating strength. His heartbeat thuds steadily against my ear.
He folds me into his embrace without a word, those powerful arms wrapping around me like I’m something precious…something fragile and irreplaceable.
“Now you know how I feel,” he murmurs into my hair, his voice low and rough. “The same way my Drake feels. We’re not so different, he and I.”
I don’t know what to say to that. My heart is still racing from the flight—from the emotional storm I’m still reeling in. I don’t have words for the depth of what I felt when I touched his dragon, or how connected I suddenly feel to the beast and the man. It’s overwhelming…terrifying.
Beautiful.
So instead, I tilt my face up and kiss him.
It’s soft…gentle. My lips barely brush his at first. But he meets me eagerly, deepening the kiss with a tender kind of hunger. Not devouring…not demanding. Just there—fully present, his hand stroking the back of my head as though I’m the most precious thing he’s ever held.
The warmth of his touch seeps through my scalp, soothing me. His palm cups the base of my skull, his thumb brushing behind my ear. I melt into him, my arms tightening, my eyes fluttering closed.
For a moment, there’s nothing else. No castle…no Queen…no fear.
Just this.
Just us.
But the moment passes, and with a soft sigh, he pulls back and presses a kiss to my forehead.
“Well, little dove,” he rumbles, “We’d better go down now. Doubtless there will be consequences for scaring the Nobles.”
