Page 100 of The Dragon King

“She assumed that would scare me off and I would leave her alone,” he said. “She thought wrong.”

Now it all made sense, the way Talon was so patient with me, the way he saw past the violence and still saw me underneath. The way he was invested in my recovery, the way he wanted to heal me.

“It was a slow beginning, but from the moment I set eyes on her, there was nobody else. I took it at her pace, showed her there was no rush to do something she didn’t want to do, and over time, she started to trust me. I fell in love with her long before I had her, so I didn’t mind the wait. I never told her because I didn’t want her to think it was some line to get her into bed. I waited until she said it first.”

It was a little painful to listen to the tale of him falling in love with someone else, but I knew it was his story, his foundation, and it would always be a part of him and, therefore, a part of us. “What happened to him?”

“The uncle?” he asked. “I killed him.”

Exactly as I expected. “Is that why…you were interested in me?”

“I think it was a part of it, yes,” he said. “I knew what Vivian had suffered, and I didn’t want you to suffer. She told me I put her back together, and I guess I wanted to do the same for you.”

“Thank you for telling me that.”

He stared at the fire. “I was a different man the night we met. I’m sure you realize that. And I hope you realize how much I’ve changed…because of you.” He turned his head to look at me, his eyes soft once more. “I sailed the seas for decades looking for a solution to my problem, when all I needed to do was find you.”

My eyes got lost in his gaze, seeing the gold flecks visible in the light of the campfire. I’d met him on a dark night in the middle of the desert, and while he was as handsome then as he was now, he did look different.

He leaned in and slid his hand into my hair, grabbing it at the back as he kissed me, giving me a slow and purposeful kiss by the firelight. His fingers fisted my hair, and he made love to my mouth with his. Ashes sparked into the night, and Khazmuda slept on, unaware of the way our hearts tangled in a knot so tight it would never come free.

I woke up at dawn.

I’d slept hard and deep throughout the night, recovering from the loss of sleep during my separation from Talon. Even though I was about to raise my sword in battle when I’d barely been in a fight, I felt no unease about it. Maybe it was because I believed Talon and Khazmuda would protect me. Or maybe it was because I was so deliriously in love I couldn’t think straight.

Maybe it was both.

I silently dressed myself and let Talon sleep alone naked in the bedroll. I stepped outside to see the sky still slightly dark from the lingering night. The sun was approaching over the horizon, the mountains a dark silhouette from the approaching sun.

Khazmuda was still at the campsite where I’d last seen him, his chin resting on his sharp talons. He opened his eyes when he heard me.

I smiled and rubbed his snout.Good morning.

Morning. He released a quiet hum like he enjoyed my touch.

I looked around the campsite, seeing the elves still asleep in their tents, waiting for their queen to tell them to march. Dragons were in the field, most of them huddled together in a pile to keep warm throughout the night.

In the far distance, I saw Queen Eldinar approaching camp with Macabre beside her, her black armor brilliant even in the dull sunrise.

I wonder what Macabre decided.

He’s agreed to the fuse.

How do you know?I turned back to look at him.

I can feel it.

Talon exited the tent a second later, fully dressed like he’d woken up shortly after I left, even though I’d moved as silently as possible. His sword was even hooked across his back, and with the sleepy look in his eyes, he was even sexier than usual. He’d entered that tent as my lover but emerged as a king, his armor unbreakable with its dragon scales. His eyes immediately went to me with a hint of affection in the look, like I was his sunrise. He came forward and, without saying a word, gave me a kiss on the mouth.

My eyes closed as I kissed him back, swept away in the simple embrace that long-term lovers exchanged. It was a greeting, not an act of lust, domestic affection my parents exchanged whenever they entered the same room together.

I thought I would never have something like that.

He turned to Khazmuda next and rested his palm against his snout for a moment, their eyes locked, an exchange of love there, a man with his dragon. Then he turned back to me. “Queen Eldinar has fused with Macabre.”

“Looks like you were right.”

“A dragon loves more deeply than other creatures,” he said. “It’s their one weakness.”