Page 25

“These are pancakes!” I exclaimed.

Kaspian chuckled. “They are sweet flatbread. We eat them at all times of day, but especially the first meal. And yes, they are similar to your pancakes. That's why I ordered them for you. Look, we have pastries too. This one is filled with a thickened cream and jam.”

“Like a donut.” I grabbed the pastry, which was flaky, so not a donut. It was heavy with filling which I thought was promising. I took a bite. “Oh, my God,” I said with my mouth full. “This is wonderful. The jam tastes almost like strawberry but with a hint of pineapple.”

“It's a mixture of berries.” Kaspian cut into his steak and took a bite, but I noticed he had a pastry set to the side for himself.

I cut into my stack of pancakes and found a creamy, nutty filling between each one. Pistachio? Maybe cashew. I couldn't tell. It was probably neither—a nut of Serai. Whatever it was, it was amazing, and it made syrup unnecessary. I did need something savory though, so I was glad Kas had ordered a plate of sliced meat and stewed vegetables for us to share. I speared a slice of meat along with some dripping veggies, and tried it. Again, delicious.

“I'm glad you're enjoying your meal,” Kas said.

“Me too. Food is a big part of my life. I'm one of those live-to-eat guys. If your cuisine hadn't appealed to me, it would have been rough.”

“If that had happened, I would have searched Serai until I found food that pleased you.”

He said it so casually that I almost didn't catch how big a declaration that was. I sat back, chewing, and stared at the King of Aravult. He was mine. Kas was so mine that he would have literally gone to the ends of his world to make me happy. And he liked to kiss my hand. After getting over my residual straight-issues (probably inherited from my father), I admitted to myself that I liked it too. We were quickly becoming something more. But he didn't love me.

Not yet. Kas said it would happen. But love can't be predicted. Maybe when you have a bond like ours, it could. I wanted to believe that. Because I knew I was already halfway there. Even with his vanity and arrogance, Kas was hard not to fall in love with. Especially when he said things like that. He was powerful, magical, a great lay, handsome as all fuck, and he oozed masculinity. I wanted to lick him up, no syrup necessary with him either.

Did I still need to play games with Kaspian? I didn't think so. He knew by now that I wanted him, and I was over the personality clash. I wouldn't put it past him to have figured out that I was playing games earlier. Kas was brilliant on top of all that other stuff—really smart man who had worked hard to get where he was. Which reminded me . . .

“You said that you worked hard to become king.” I sipped my hot tea, then motioned at him with my fork. “What did you have to do? Was there an election?”

Kaspian lifted his brows. “An election? No, that's not how we do things. When I said I fought hard to gain the throne, I meant it literally.”

“Oh, it was a tourney!” I cut more wedges of sweet flatbread. “Like in the Middle Ages.” My mind filled with images of Kaspian on horseback, knocking another guy off his mount. That would explain the swords. Unless . . . “Did you fight as a man or a dragon?”

He leaned back, his brows lifting. “That's a very interesting question. Well done.”

“Thanks. Are you going to answer it?”

“We fought as men.”

“We? Only men get to enter?”

“Yes. Female Dragons aren't allowed to fight.”

“Ah, man.” I shook my head.

“What's your issue now?” He rolled his eyes.

“You guys are sexist? Is that why you only have male guards? Do you think a woman couldn't defend you as well as a man?”

Kaspian burst out laughing.

“What's so funny about that?”

“When you meet a female Dragon, you will understand.”

“Or you could just tell me.”

“They are even fiercer than us males. I have no doubt that a woman could defend me. And if we allowed it, there would be many Dragon Queens. The reason we don't is simple—they hold the power of life, and the birthrate of Dragons is low. Sometimes, women die in childbirth.”

“But you're immortal.”

“Yes, which is why it's even scarier. And why we view women as the stronger sex. They have to face death to give life, and yet, they do it eagerly. That is enough. We won't risk our women in any type of battle. They are too valuable.”

“I get it. And that's kind of awesome, by the way.”

Kaspian smirked. “Yes, Dragons are awesome.”

I snorted. “So, you had to show your prowess against other contenders to become King?” I shoved the flatbread in my mouth and groaned.

“Every tourney is different. The one I took part in was larger than most. I had to kill twenty-eight Dragons to win the crown.”

I barely swallowed my bite. Then I just stared at him.

Kas calmly continued his meal, pausing with the meat consumption to take a bite of his pastry. He enjoyed that thoroughly. I continued to stare.

Finally, he noticed. “You look shocked.”

“I am shocked. You had to kill people? Your people?”

“Yes. The Dragon God forbid fighting to the death recently. So things will have to change all over Serai. But new kings are not crowned until the old one either gives up the throne or dies.”

“What happened to the last King of Aravult?”

“He ruled for two hundred years and grew weary of it. He stepped down.”

“Two hundred years.” I snorted. “Yeah, even being king might get old after that long.”

Kaspian shrugged. “Now that I have a mate, I want to keep the crown for more than just myself. It offers you status and protection.”

“Hey, don't keep a job just for me. If you want to step down, do it. I'll support your decision either way.”

He cocked his head. “You wouldn't mind giving up the castle and your title?”

“I mean, I've just gotten here, so I don't really know what it's like to live like you, but I've never cared much about status. Status is all about someone else's opinion. I do care what people think of me, I'm not going to front on that. I like to be treated nicely. Who doesn't? But, when it comes down to it, it's not a priority to me. I'm not that guy. People's opinions are their own problems. I can't let them affect me. Fuck that. And stuff is just stuff, even if it's really nice stuff. What's more important to me is the quality of my life. And if you're going to be a part of my life, then the quality of your life is important to me too. That means if you're not happy being King, I won't be happy either.”

Kaspian smiled softly at me. “Every moment with you proves to me that the magic was right.”

Again, it wasn't a declaration of love, but it was good enough. For now.

“I'm glad you think so. I'd hate to be stranded here with a man who's disappointed in me.”

Kas froze. Then his hand shot across the table to take mine. “You will never disappoint me, Met. And I hope you don't feel stranded here.”

Oh, fuck. I shouldn't have said that. I hurried to say, “It was a slip of the tongue. I'm good. Really.”

Kaspian smirked. “A slip of the tongue? Oh, I like the sound of that.”

I snorted. “You would.” Then I glanced out the window at the street.

Two of Kaspian's guards were in the restaurant with us while the other two stood in front of it. But they didn't block my view. I could still see the crowd that was forming.

“This must be what it's like to date a celebrity,” I murmured to myself.

“A celebrity?” Kaspian made a face at me. “I am far more important than that.”

“Oh, there you are. Hello, Mr. Confident. I was wondering when you'd show up.”

Kaspian shook his head. “There's a reason I was willing to risk my life to gain the throne. This is true power, Mate. I command a dread of Dragons and an army of mixed races. I make the laws here. Only me. There is no voting in my kingdom. I may listen to the advice of others, but I make the decisions alone. And if someone disagrees with what I do, they don't speak of it. Not ever.”

“What if they did?”

“You mean, like a rebel?”

“Sure. A rebel. What if a rebel spoke against you?”

“I would kill them.”

I gaped at him.

Kas winked at me.

I let out my held breath and laughed. “Shit, Kas! You had me going.”

He cocked his head at me. “It wasn't a joke.”

“Then why did you wink?!”

“I thought you'd find it adorable.”

“Sure, I'd find you winking at me adorable if you hadn't just said you'd murder anyone who spoke out against you.”

“It wouldn't be murder, Demetrius.” Kas hardened his stare. “That's what I'm trying to make you understand. This world is run by Dragons. We rule by divine right, magic, and power. If I let anyone speak out against me—not just disagree but openly oppose me—it would undermine my power. I will not allow that. But everyone knows this. So, no one would oppose me. Not without knowing the risk.”

I looked at the strange people outside my window, then back at Kaspian. “I guess there's a lot for me to learn.”

“Indeed. But I will help you, Mate.” He took my hand again. “I will keep you safe.”

I started laughing.

Kaspian glared at me. “Why is that humorous?”

“Because I'm supposed to be the hero. I'm a firefighter. I protect people. I don't need you to keep me safe. But that's sweet, thanks.”

Kaspian's knight, the one standing near the door and closest to us, swiveled to gape at me while I spoke. I ignored him. I had probably said something improper or improperly. Plus, I didn't like the way Kas was looking at me. That concerned me more than his knight.

“What?” I demanded. “Did I threaten your alphaness or something?”

“I don't require you to be weak so that I can feel strong. I am strong. That is a proven fact.” Kaspian waved that aside. “Met, this world has dangers you don't understand. We don't fight fire here. We embrace it.”

“Yeah, I know. You control the element. What I'm saying is that I can handle myself.”

“Not here, you can't,” he said gently, as if breaking bad news.

I sat back and lifted a brow. “I'm not just a human anymore. I feel it now. I'm stronger.”

Kas nodded. “That's true. You share my strength and my immortality. You may even have an immunity to fire. You are harder to kill and more powerful than you were. But you are still partly human, Mate. Any Dragon—and I mean, any of them, even our weakest—could best you. Many warriors of other races could as well, simply because you don't know our world or the people in it. Not enough to—what did you say?—handle yourself.”

“So, even with all the stuff you've given me, whatever that may be, you think I need protecting?”

“Yes. I'm sorry if that threatens your alpha-nonsense.”

I snorted a laugh despite my irritation. “Alphaness. But that works. And maybe it does threaten me because I'm really fucking pissed right now.”

The same knight who had been staring at me made a strangled sound.

“Is there something you wish to say, Sir Fenvo?” Kaspian slid his stare to the side but not entirely to the knight—as if he wasn't important enough for Kas to turn around and face him.

The knight cleared his throat. “My apologies, Your Majesty. I didn't mean to listen to your conversation.”

“My mate has retained some of his original way of speaking. It doesn't translate into our language well. Or maybe it does but it doesn't mean the same thing to us as it does to him. You will discount things he says that seem inappropriate.”

“Yes, Sire. Um . . .”

“Yes?”

“I'm sorry.” The knight stepped over to our table and bowed. “But I thought I heard you say that you fight fire, Duke Demetrius. Did I misunderstand?”

I wasn't sure what was going on, so I went with the truth. “Yeah, I said that, and no, you didn't misunderstand. I don't think so, at least. We don't have Dragons to put out fires on my planet. Only humans. We have to fight them or they can get out of control—burn down entire forests or even cities.”

“You only have humans on your planet?!”

The entire restaurant went quiet.

Kaspian cocked his head at his knight.

“My apologies,” Sir Fenvor stammered. “But . . . Sire, is it true? You saw this?”

“Yes, I did. A world populated by humans alone. And although they had no magic, they created a type of magic called science. I have to admit that they impressed me. They are no match for Dragons, but they have done surprisingly well without us.”

“Science,” Fenvor murmured. “It sounds like sorcery.”

“I cannot speak of it. I believe the Goddess wishes for me to leave the wonders of that world upon it.”

Fenvor bowed immediately. “Yes, Sire.” He hurried back to his post.

I cracked my neck. Even stronger than any other human, I was still weak compared to the other races of Serai. I had come to a world where humans were at the bottom of the totem pole. Sure, we were still above animals—at least, I hoped we were—but that was it. And it didn't sound as if that got us much respect. Immortality—that was what mattered here. Immortality and the strength to preserve it. Magic.

That's when I remembered the whole “if I die, he dies” thing. Love had nothing to do with it. It was a magical bond forged by a goddess. Kaspian's desire to protect me suddenly became clear. It was about him, not me. Nothing romantic to it. Simple self-preservation. It made sense, but it still stung.

“I don't just know how to fight fire—I know fire. How it moves, spreads, and what it thrives on. I may understand the element that fuels your magic better than you do.”

Sir Fenvor gasped.

“Sir Fenvor!” Kaspian snapped.

“I'm sorry, Your Majesty.”

“Trade positions with one of the men outside. Now!”

“Yes, Sire.” Fenvor, looking like a chastised dog, left the restaurant, head low.

“You didn't have to do that,” I said.

In between the changeover, Kas leaned in and hissed, “ You didn't have to do that! You knew we were being overheard and you still said that.”

“Whoa. Said what? What's got your panties in a twist?”

“You never tell a Dragon that you know his magic better than he does.”

“You said that I'm a Dragon now too!”

“You are but you aren't.”

“Uh-huh. Then I am but I'm not your mate.”

The look that came over Kaspian's face was one of such horror and betrayal that I instantly felt terrible.

“Hey, I'm sorry. That just came out. I . . . fuck. Are you all right? I didn't mean that. We're together. I know we're together. I'm your mate. I know.”

Kaspian drew in a breath slowly and when he let it out, his torso trembled with it. “You are not of my world. Not of my culture. I am trying to remember that.”

I sighed. “What happens if this doesn't work out, Kas?”

“What?!” he roared.

Again, the restaurant went silent. The new guard even put his hand on the hilt of his sword before he realized that there wasn't a threat to his king.

I glanced at the other diners and grinned. “He just found out that I'm not paying for breakfast.”

A few of them laughed, but most just continued to stare at us.

“Tough crowd,” I muttered.

“Finish your meal,” Kaspian shoved the words past clenched teeth.

I looked down at my plate, then up at him. I didn't want to argue again. But I was back to being scared. I didn't understand everything that was happening. Not around me or to me. I got that the mating thing was a big deal. He said it was eternal. But that couldn't be right. Nothing lasts forever. Not even Dragons. Kas said they could be killed. Not by the likes of me evidently, but someone could kill them. He had killed several Dragons to become King. They weren't gods.

That meant this could end. It meant that there had to be a way out of a mating bond. Didn't it? I didn't know. That's the problem. I didn't know shit about this. And I couldn't blame him for my ignorance. Kas had been more forthcoming about his world and our relationship than I had been when the situation was reversed. We simply hadn't been together long enough for him to go over everything. Or maybe he had, and I just didn't grasp it. It was a lot to take in.

So, I tried to work it out in my mind as I ate. And I tried to remember that I needed him. I had yelled at Kas for being an asshole to me when he needed me, and yet, I had gone and said something offensive to him when I needed him in the exact same manner. Multiple offenses things. I didn't know I was being offensive the first time, and he hadn't thought he was being offensive to me on Earth either. It was a cultural thing. A planetary thing.

“We're literally worlds apart,” I muttered.

“What did you say?” Kaspian looked up from his meal, his stare sharp.

“I said that we're worlds apart, Kas. We don't understand each other because we're from different worlds. I don't think you would have done well on Earth, and I'm worried—no, I'm fucking terrified that I'm not going to do well here.”

“This is why I told you that I would help you,” his tone went tender. “It's why I said I would protect you. I know you're feeling vulnerable, Mate. I can feel it. But you rejected my offer because, well, fuck!” He lifted his hands in a universal expression of WTF? “I don't know why you rejected it. You're right. I don't understand you. But I want to. I'm looking forward to learning about you, Met. Don't you want to learn about me? Don't you think that will be a great adventure for us?”

“Yeah, babe. That's called falling in love. And it's usually done before you make a lifelong commitment. We're doing things in reverse, and it's got me unsettled.”

“But our bond should be a relief. It gives me great comfort. I can be myself around you and not worry that it will drive you away. And you have the same freedom.” He cupped my cheek. “Demetrius, I may get angry or frustrated with you, but I will never reject you. I have already accepted you. Even the parts I don't yet understand.” He leaned across the table and kissed me, just a press of his lips against mine, then stayed close to whisper, “Even the parts I don't yet know. We belong to each other.”

I grinned, warmth spreading through my chest. “So we get to experience all of the excitement of a new relationship without any of the anxiety.”

“Yes, precisely.” Kas slowly let go of me and relaxed back in his seat.

Before his hand drifted too far, I clasped it. “I like that.”

He squeezed my hand, and I could feel his relief through it. “Then let's begin. Right here, right now.”