Page 73 of The Dragon King's Assassin

“But not implicitly?”

“Can you ever trust a lover implicitly?”

“Dragons can.”

“You're talking about mates, aren't you?” I shook my head. “I don't profess to know all the cultural details about your people, but I do know that taking a mate isn't just about sex for you. It's like a marriage.”

“A marriage is nothing compared to a Dragon mating.”

“Right. Because there's a magical bond that forms between the two mated Dragons. Magic changes things.”

“So, you would trust a lover if they were magically bound to you?”

“I wouldn't have a reason to. But that isn't an option for us lowly mortals.”

“Humans have magic practitioners.”

“Sure, and maybe one of them could cast a love spell for me, but now we're talking about magical force. I would never do that to anyone, especially not someone I cared about. Besides, I heard that shit wears off. So what's the point?”

“True. A Dragon mating bond is eternal.”

“And, again, it's not an option for me.”

“It is if you mate a Dragon.”

“What did you say?” I whispered.

“A Dragon can take a mate from any race.”

“But why would they choose a human when a human will eventually die?”

“If a Dragon's mate is mortal, the bond will share his or her immortality with their mate.”

“Holy fuck! Are you saying that Dragons can make humans immortal?”

“If they take one as their mate, yes.”

“Whoa.”

“But the human would have to accept the Dragon as their eternal lover, and humans are infamously fickle when it comes to love.”

“Some of us can be. But others want to find one person who they can spend their life with, all of their life, no matter how short or long it is.”

“And which are you?”

“Let's just say that I expect fickleness from my lovers but hope for more.”

“And could you handle eternity—living forever?”

“I . . . what are you asking me, Taroc?” Holy fuck balls! Was this what he'd been talking about with Racmar? Did he want to take me as his mate?

“I'm just curious. Could you handle eternity, Lock? Or does the thought of living forever scare you?”

“To be completely honest, I don't know what I can handle until I'm handling it. But forever doesn't scare me; it excites me.”

“What a shame you don't trust me.” He smirked.

I made a choking, annoyed sound, then shouted, “You asshole! You had me thinking that you were about to offer to mate me. What the fuck, Taroc? Do you get off on giving people hope only to dash it away?”

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