Page 23

Two days later, I woke up in Kaspian's arms on my own. This was momentous since he usually woke me. With his cock. Too far? Sorry, not sorry. I sighed and stretched, arching out of his embrace before rolling away. Although the bed was round, it was large enough to sleep five, so I didn't immediately roll off the edge. Thinking about the angel, I wondered if he was the reason Kas had such a big bed. Or maybe he used to host orgies in it. He was a king, after all, and a popular one, if the welcome he received was any sign.

Shaking my head at my stupid insecurities, I slid off the mattress and onto the floor. The bed reigned on a platform in the middle of the room, but it had steps. So, I didn't have far to jump. I hit the platform, climbed down the two steps, and staggered to the bathroom as I rubbed my eyes.

“Mate?” Kaspian called to me.

I froze in my tracks. “Shit, I thought it was over.”

“It is. I was just about to tell you that.”

I looked back at him and grinned. “Oh. Okay. Not that I didn't enjoy the constant sex. It was awesome. But I've been dying to see your world.”

Kas shot upright. “You are not dying! You will never die!”

“Whoa, easy now.” I held up my hands in surrender. “It's just a saying. I didn't mean that I was actually dying.”

“Ah. I see.” He moved to the edge of the bed and hung his legs over the side. “I'm still a bit . . . affected.”

“Ah. I see,” I mimicked him and chuckled, then went into the bathroom.

As I headed for the toilet room, Kas came in behind me. I didn't care. I wasn't shy. I didn't bother to close the door when I peed. That's all part of being in a relationship, right? You get comfortable.

Kas stretched, arching his back and putting that glorious chest on display. I was glad then that I hadn't closed the door. I watched him twist and turn, cracking his neck before turning on the shower. Finishing up, I flushed and went to join him. And don't get on me about not washing my hands. I only held my dick, and I was about to wash everything.

“Mmm, I love showering with you.” Kaspian drew me under the spray with him.

There was no door or curtain for the stall. It had tiled walls, one curving around the showerhead to partially form a circle before turning in the other direction like an S. The narrow entrance kept the water from spraying everywhere. I loved just walking into the shower. It felt luxurious. But then, everything did when you lived in a castle.

Closing my eyes, I lifted my face to the hot water. Thank God they had plumbing on Serai. I couldn't do without hot showers. And as much as I could be a man's man—literally—I didn't want to poop outside. No, thank you. And having to go outside would mean taking an elevator down several floors whenever you had to go. Ridiculous. And if they hadn't had elevators, I would have had to walk down several flights of stairs to go poop—even more ridiculous.

And Dragons were not ridiculous.

Kaspian's powerful hands massaged soap into my tight muscles, making me sigh. I slid my hands over his chest, absently playing with his nipples while he bathed me. This was one of his favorite things to do. So, who was I to deny him? I smiled to myself and hoped that this wasn't another result of the mating magic affecting him. I didn't want him to suddenly stop.

Kas angled me further into the spray, then eased me out. His mouth went to my neck and nibbled. His broad palm went to my chest and moved over it, sliding from pec to pec and brushing my nipples. Steam enveloped us, turning it into a dream. Hell, I didn't need steam for that. From the moment I had first seen Kaspian standing in that forest, I'd been living in a dream.

Please, God, don't let me wake up. I don't fucking care if I'm in the matrix. Just leave me plugged in and let me enjoy the fantasy. You can use me like a battery.

“I will take you into the city today.” Kaspian bit my earlobe. “But you must promise to not oppose me in public, Mate. I cannot have that.”

I blinked. There went the matrix. Not even a middle finger from Keanu. Just blammo—back to reality!

I pulled back to look at him. Kas was taking most of the spray on his back. It created a haze around him that made his stern expression seem deadly. I remembered my freak-out then—that hysterical scene I'd made when we found the angel in Kaspian's bed. It wasn't just his old lover that had upset me. It was all of it. The new planet. My new life. Leaving my world behind. Yes, it was fabulous and exciting, but it was also terrifying. And Kaspian knew exactly what I was going through. He should have been more sympathetic. More gentle.

Not that I needed a gentle lover. That's not what I mean. I needed a gentle guide into this new life. I had tried to be gentle with him on my world. I had paced things out. Tried not to go too quickly. Sure, we made some leaps, but I was there to help Kas through them. Yet when the roles were reversed, he snatched me up, flew me through a rift between worlds, and smacked me down in the middle of his world, expecting me to submit and obey.

What the actual fuck? He'd been aggressive with me before, but there hadn't been any of this obey nonsense. Had it been because I'd smacked that shit down before it had a chance to blossom? I did kinda force him to be nice to me.

I stepped further back. Then I turned around and left the shower.

“Mate!” Kas came after me.

I spun and held up a hand. “We've been so busy seeing to your needs that maybe you've lost sight of mine. So, I'm going to give you this one chance to rethink your approach. Go back under that hot water, let it work on your tension while you ruminate over my situation and what I might be feeling, then come out and talk to me.”

I thought I was being very reasonable.

Kaspian didn't agree.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” He narrowed his eyes at me. “Is this more of your Earth shit?”

“My Earth shit? Wow. What a time to properly use that word.” I grabbed a towel and headed out of the bathroom.

“Mate!”

“I swear to fucking God!” I snarled as I spun around again. “If you come after me when I'm in this mood, I don't care how badass you are, Kaspian, I will kick your fine, plump ass all over your ridiculously large bedroom.” I paused, glared at him, and added, “ Mate .”

Kaspian's shoulders dropped as his expression went baffled. “What is happening? Mate, what is this?”

“Figure it out!” I tossed the towel at his head and strode out of the bathroom dripping wet. Fuck it.

I went onto the balcony to air dry. The bracing wind helped revive me and clear my head. I took a deep breath and leaned against the stone railing to look down over Trellior—that was the name of the crown city of Aravult. That's right, I was learning shit even while getting my brains fucked out. Okay, fine, Kas told me stuff when we snuggled between sex sessions.

Kas only gave me general information. Like the name of the city and that, as a port city, it relied heavily on imports and exports for its growth. There were farms beyond the city walls, and the farmers brought their harvests to Trellior to sell to locals and traveling merchants. He also told me about the many races living in Trellior. Most had built communities so they could feel more at home. Just like in the major cities on Earth, where you might find a Chinatown or a Little Italy, Trellior featured neighborhoods where one race dominated and influenced the culture.

I couldn't wait to explore those neighborhoods. I wanted to meet all the races and dive into their cultures. New faces, new food, and new friends.

But I didn't want to explore while I walked a step behind my lover like some Chinese bride in the fucking middle ages. What was next—foot binding? Would he break my feet so I couldn't run away? Collar me? My stomach clenched at the thought. A little rough stuff in bed, some slap and tickle, yeah sure, it's all fun. But I wasn't into the sub-lifestyle, and I certainly didn't want to live it for real.

This had all happened so fast. Kas and I bonded almost immediately, and he wasn't the only one to feel the effects of that bond. Now, I realized it was probably the mating magic that made me feel like I knew Kaspian.

Because I didn't.

I couldn't tell myself that Kas would never imprison me or beat me to keep me submissive. I simply didn't know what he was capable of in a relationship. I wanted to believe that he was a good guy. Hell, even his ex had extolled his virtues as he was getting the boot. That had to a mark in Kaspian's favor. But I didn't know him. I knew his body. I knew how he liked his dick sucked. I knew I could make him shudder if I kissed his neck. But I didn't know him.

Kas was powerful. Especially on that world. In that kingdom. Fuck, he was King. A king who could transform into a massive mythical creature who wasn't mythical there. He had a group of guards loyal to him who could do the same thing. And none of those guards, no matter how nice they'd been to me when we met, would stand against Kas to defend me. They'd probably watch calmly as he beat the shit out of me. I looked down to find my hand trembling. I had never, not once, been afraid of a lover.

“Shit. Stop it. He's not going to hurt you,” I whispered to myself. “And you can handle yourself. Take a fucking breath, moron.”

But what would I do if Kaspian did hurt me? Where would I go? I was alone there. The only person I knew was him. And now I realized that I didn't really know him. So what would happen if my only friend turned into an enemy?

I shook my head, then slicked back my wet hair. Yeah, I was freaking out again. Let's call it preparing for the worst. Or maybe it was the return of reality. With Kaspian's mating urges fading, I was about to see the real him—the man who wasn't compelled by magic. And that scared the shit out of me. Especially after his fucked up decree in the shower.

I ran my hand over my face and steeled myself. I wasn't going to cry. Nope. Just because I was stranded on an alien planet with no way home, it didn't mean I had to despair. I'd figure things out. If I had to leave Kaspian, I would. And I'd be fine. I'd explore this new world on my own. Find work. You know, live.

“Met,” Kaspian's voice shivered over my back.

I lifted my chin and turned to face him. Here we go.

Kas was dressed in a vaguely medieval outfit comprised of black cotton pants and a heavily embroidered, blue, cotton tunic. A wide belt and boots completed the look. In his hand was a towel. Kas held it out to me. “I want to understand why you're upset. But I need your help with that. And before you tell me to figure it out, I've tried. I . . . we think differently, Met. Help me understand the way you think.”

I took the towel with a sigh. “Yeah, fair enough.” As I brushed at the remaining wet spots, I went past him, into the bedroom. “Can I borrow some clothes?”

“I had some made for you. They're on the bed.”

I glanced at him in surprise. “When did you have time to order me clothes?”

“During one of our breaks. You were in the bathroom.”

“I . . . thank you.” I tossed the towel on the bed and picked up a pair of thin, cotton shorts. “Underwear?”

“Yes.”

“These are nice.” I rubbed the fabric between my fingers.

“Mate, I need you to get dressed or we'll never leave this room.”

I snorted a laugh, my dark thoughts bubbling away with it. “Okay. I got you.” I pulled on the underwear, then the pants. Everything felt silky against my skin, and I could tell they were handmade. But I didn't take the time to admire the clothing. Just a few thoughts over how they fit perfectly and what that meant as far as Kaspian went. When I was dressed, I turned to find Kas sitting on a couch before the fireplace.

When I sat beside him, he flicked out a finger. The logs in the fireplace caught and flames leapt up.

I flinched.

“I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you.”

“No, it's fine. But it is funny that you start fires and I fight them.”

“I also put them out, if you recall.” Kas took my hand.

“Do I have magic now?”

“What?”

“That woman on Earth said that my DNA has changed. You altered it. She thought I might have some of your magic now.”

“What is DNA?”

“It's, uh, the basic molecules that, uh . . . shit. How do I explain DNA? Okay, blood and bones and flesh—all of that have these things in them called DNA. They're like instructions for the building of our bodies. They tell our skin what color to be, that sort of thing.”

“DNA determines your race?”

“Yeah, you could say that.”

“And humans know how to . . . find DNA?”

“Yes. We have tests that can analyze someone's DNA and tell us what genetic markers they have—what makes them who they are. And mine have changed. I'm not human anymore, Kas. Not entirely, at least. She said I was similar to you, but not like you either. Something in between. A hybrid.”

“Fascinating,” he whispered. “Dragons have always known that any non-Dragon mate they take will be changed by the mating, especially humans.”

“Because we don't have magic.”

“Because you're the only mortals on Serai. But that changes after you mate a Dragon.”

“Right. I'm immortal now.” I swayed.

“Mate!” Kaspian picked me up and sat me on the bed. Kneeling before me, he asked, “Are you unwell?”

“It's just a lot, Kas. Why don't you understand that? You went through what I'm going through. Not the DNA stuff. But you were alone on another world.”

“I was not alone. I had you. I had you from the moment of my arrival.” He cupped my cheek. “And you have me, Demetrius. You will have me forever. I'm sorry if I thought that would be enough reassurance for you. I didn't anticipate your anxiety over my world. But you are not alone.” He bent to press his forehead to mine. “I will help you, Mate.” Leaning back, he smiled. “There's so much I want to show you.”

My heart lightened. But then I remembered what he'd said. “Sure. As long as I don't oppose you in public.”

Kaspian frowned. “I said that because of our argument. I'm the King. I can't be seen arguing with my mate. I must show a strong face to the populace. Any weakness, especially now, will be held against me.”

“Why especially now?”

“Because my dread will come for your presentation.”

“My what?”

“I told you they must accept you. The process includes a presentation. I will introduce you to the dread and present you to them formally. They will declare for you or against you.”

“You said it was a done deal.”

“A done deal?”

“Inevitable. A foregone conclusion. You said they would accept me because of the Goddess.”

“Ah. Yes, it is a done deal. Mostly. But I don't want to risk things with a public scene.”

“Because a Dragon's mate is subservient?”

Kaspian barked out a laugh.

I scowled at him. “Kas, you all but told me to obey you. No, actually, I think you said that, straight-up.”

“Because you don't know this world and you've been reacting poorly. I need you to accept my guidance until you learn to navigate on your own. And no, Dragon mates are not subservient. Well, some are, but that is by choice. However, Dragon kings are expected to rule. Even when it comes to their mates. I must be seen as in control. Rant and rage at me all you want in here, Met. But out there, please, show me respect.”

“Well, fuck, Kas. You should have said that from the beginning. Of course, I get that. No problem. I got you. I just didn't want to be a puppy dog following you around.”

“Never, Mate.” With a kiss, Kaspian relieved my fears and made me believe in him. Maybe I could trust him after all.