Page 86 of Daman

“Where are we going?”

He glanced down at me, then looked away, stone-faced.

“Are we finally going to sword fight, Mr. Best Swordsmen in His Clan?”

His cold demeanor slipped as he pressed his lips together, eyes crinkling at the edges.

“Tell me.” I bumped against his side.

“Patience is a virtue.”

“Virtue? I’m one of the fucking seven deadly sins. Virtue isn’t in my repertoire of personality traits.”

A smile finally broke across Warrin’s face. And damn if it wasn’t beautiful.

Both of our childhoods had been spent preparing for war, and our adult lives were then dedicated to fighting in those wars. Taking lives, sacrificing so much. There hadn’t been room for easy smiles, laughter, and falling in love.

Love.

Did I love Warrin? Or was it just the fated mate thing making me feel so intensely about him? Was there even a difference between the two?

He led me to a meadow away from the soldiers. A frozen lake stretched to the left of us, and a mountain rose behind it. A ray of sunlight broke through the clouds, shining on the snow.

“It looks like a field of diamonds,” I said in awe. “Do you plan to murder me out here? Hide my body in the lake?”

Warrin laughed. “Your imagination fascinates me. How interesting it must be in your head.”

“Yeah, if you call morbid shit interesting. There’s also a vast collection of monster porn.”

“Monster porn?”

I grinned. “Some involves dragons.”

A low growl vibrated in his chest as he pulled me closer. “What are you doing to me,kotya?”

“Probably the same thing you’re doing to me.” I pressed my face against his neck, my stomach fluttering as I breathed in his woodsy scent of spruce and snow. Each day with him had shifted my perspective more and more. I was still the same bitter asshole as always—thanks, Envy—but I smiled more. Felt free.

Warrin’s arms were a safe haven, and each kiss loosened the chains around me, showing me a type of freedom I’d only ever dreamed of. He was everything I never knew I needed but now something I could never live without.

“So.” I looked up at him. “If you’re not gonna murder me and throw my mangled body in the lake, whatarewe doing?”

“I want to show you something.” His pale cheeks darkened a shade. My blushing gentle giant. He was too fucking precious. That blush deepened when he unbuttoned his coat and took it off.

My thoughts plummeted to the gutter when he then removed his shirt, and I got a delicious eyeful of his tight abs and chiseled pecs. I had licked up those abs and touched every inch of his large body, yet my blood heated, wanting to taste and touch him again. Pretty sure I’d be crushing on him forever.

“How am I supposed to focus when you’re fucking me with your eyes?” Warrin put his hands on his hips.

“You can’t strip in front of me and expect menotto.”

“Well, if I don’t undress first, my clothes will be shredded.”

“Huh? Why would they—oh.” I wet my throat, as it’d suddenly gone dry. “You’re going to transform into a full-sized dragon.”

Warrin, now standing in only his boxers, dropped his gaze to the snow. “I want you to see me. All of me.”

My heart squeezed in my chest. “Show me.”

And then, he did.