Page 21 of Entwined

I shove him. “So you can do it, but I can’t?”

“Do it?” Axel crushes the edge of the table, wood splintering with a crack. “You belong to me.”

I punch him in the stomach, wishing my swords weren’t dangling from a ceiling. Stabbing him would be far more satisfying. “Wrong. No one owns me.”

“I do,” Axel insists, totally unfazed by being punched. “You’re mine.” This growling thing he’s started doing really irritates me—because it’s making something deep inside me want to purr, and I will not do that. Ever. Especially over some domineering barbarian trying to claim me like a side of beef.

“No.” I shake my head. “And if you really do want to protect me like you say, you’ll try this with me. Only being apart can really keep the other person safe.” I look him right in his determined eyes. “If you want to save me, you have to release me.” It sounds a little corny to me, like an inspirational speaker, but the dragons don’t have those, right? He won’t think it’s cheesy.

His shoulders droop, and his brow furrows. Because he’s considering it.

I didn’t think he would, not really.

“What does human mating involve?” he asks. “Specifically.”

“What does dragon mating involve?” I counter.

“For the flame and strike blessed, we fly,” he says, “dancing as we do so. Once we reach a great enough height, we twist together, and then we fall in tandem, until we’re able to fly as one.”

I arch one eyebrow. “You make an egg by flying together?”

“Well, once we’re twined in such a way?—”

I hold up my arm. “That’s enough, actually.”

He closes his mouth with a click. But then he frowns. “What is human mating, exactly?”

Heat floods into my face. “It’s—well.” I swallow.

“Are you naked when you do it?” he asks. “Because when the cloth wrappings flew away from Gideon before, you both reacted.”

“You don’t technically have to be,” I say. “But usually two humans would be. The things humans do. . .our clothing gets in the way.”

Axel looks as disgusted as I feel.

“Listen, I think because of the bond, neither of us really wants this to happen, and neither of us feels great about it. But I also think it’s important.”

Axel reaches for my hand, his fingers softly brushing against mine. “Are you sure? Because earlier, I felt like we might grow closer through kissing—and the records say that growing closer is how the entwined can gain both control and space.”

“I suppose we’ll find out, won’t we?” I don’t grind my teeth, but it’s a near miss.

“If you insist.” He drops his hand and steps back. “I should inform Asteria.”

“And I should tell Gideon.” As if lightning has just struck my brain, I realize what I’m saying. I’m telling him that I should inform Gideon. . .that we’re supposed to sleep together. I doubt he’ll object. I mean, guys tend to. . . I clear my throat. “I’ll just head downstairs, then.”

Axel’s breathing picks up. “Right. I should check on Rufus. I’ll come.”

“You’re coming with me to go tell Gideon?”

“Your siblings are there this time, presumably.” Axel arches one eyebrow. “Is mating something humans do all together?”

I shake my head so hard it makes my brain hurt. “No. Absolutely not.”

Axel swallows. “Well then, I’ll just come down with you, and you can talk to Gideon about our plan. I’ll check in with Rufus. And then we can tell Asteria.”

Together?

He’s coming with me to tell Gideon about our plan. . .to both mate with someone else? This can’t be happening. And yet, somehow, it is. “We’re making plans for it today, but we’ll do it tomorrow?”