Page 33 of Ancient Promises
She slid into her sandals and got up, grabbing her phone and trudging out of the bedroom. The family room was empty; Arely had gone back to bed after Diem promised she was fine.
She left the apartment and walked down the outside stairs, stopping at the landing and closing her eyes. Searching her feelings for that part of her that felt connected to Eivross even though they weren’t fully mated yet, she crossed the street, passed the bar, and went into the woods.
The darkness closed around her once she walked a few feet into the woods. She looked over her shoulder and saw the streetlights, but they didn’t offer any illumination where she was. And that was okay, because she could see fairly well in the darkness with the moon offering some light. But more than that was that she could actually feel where Eivross was, like they were mystically tethered together.
Then she heard an anguished groan and knew it was him.
Hurrying forward, she dodged trees and jumped over a rock, then slowed as she saw him. He was hunched over and leaning against a tree.
Instantly she felt compassion for him.
She’d been so pissed. So very, very pissed at everything that had happened since he’d come into town. But this was a male at war with himself, and he was suffering.
How would she feel if she had a crazy relative who’d come calling and intended to try to steal him from her? She’d probably go buckass crazy and go on the warpath to take him out. And she might—might—decide that it would have been better for him if she’d never met him.
But that’s not what happened. Their roles weren’t reversed, and she wasn’t the only one hurting right now.
She lowered to her knees in front of him and cupped his face.
His face was slick with sweat, his eyes the yellow gold of his dragon, and a sheen of scales glittered on his cheek.
A trill sounded, soft and sad, and her heart cracked.
“I’m so pissed at you.”
He chuckled and then winced, resting his head on the tree. “I’m sorry. I…shouldn’t have said such a shitty thing.”
“So you’renotsorry we met?”
“No. How could I be? You’re the most important female on the planet. I should have done so many things differently.”
“Like what?” she asked. She moved her hands to his shoulders, aware that his wings trembled when she touched him.
“You want a list?”
“Yep, in the form of an apology.”
He groaned and closed his eyes for a moment, then said, “I should have mated you the moment I came to town. I should have romanced you and let you know how important you are to me. If I’d done that, then when those females showed up, you would have been mated properly, marked with my claws, both of us scenting of each other and the bond between us. But I didn’t. I fucked up.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“I was worried about Zihndyr. He’s dangerous.”
“Aren’t you?”
“What?”
“I mean, you’re a dragon. You’re his older brother. Aren’t you also dangerous?”
“I thought about taking him out over the years, but I was never able to really get close enough to do anything. He has too many males loyal to him, too many who would take me out to save him.” He leveled a long look at her. “How could I keep you safe if I couldn’t even keep my father safe?”
“Can’t we keep each other safe?”
“You’re not a dragon, Diem. What good is your shift against a dragon?”
“I don’t know, I’m pretty feisty.”
“And beautiful. And…forgiving?” he asked hopefully.