Page 106 of The Dragon's Gambit

“I wasn’t about to leave her side. I promised to watch over her, remember? Now, what is going on?” Dex looked up at the face that was in turmoil in front of him.

“Reiya, we have a problem.”

Reiya walked out from Dex’s side and up to Xander. His face was torn, as if he had just come back from a tragic event. She reached her hands up and cupped his cheek.

“Hey, calm down.” She smiled up at him. “What’s wrong?”

His eyes flickered up to Dex and then he shook his head. “I can’t say …”

Reiya looked back at Dex and then returned her gaze to Xander. She knew it was about their secret. “Well, I think it’s okay if Dex knows the truth. Right? At least the general idea.”

“Knows what truth?” Dex asked, now fully intrigued by what was going on.

Reiya turned and looked at Dex. “Xander is not my mate.”

“Well, that cat just got let out of the bag.” Xander chuckled and shook his head.

“Wait … what?!” Dex couldn’t understand what was going on. Why would they lie about being mates? And who was the one who really marked the fairy princess? Who was Xander protecting?

“Xander, what’s the problem?” Reiya looked up at him and he sighed.

“My mate is here.” He smiled. “I found her, and I didn’t know what to do, so I hid down here and asked Reese to bring you to me.”

Reiya smiled. “That’s wonderful that you found your mate, Xander.”

“Not now it isn’t. Not yet. Now what are we supposed to do? I’m supposed to mark you today, remember?” Xander shook his head, flustered.

“Not at the risk of your mate getting hurt. I already explained this to you. When you found your mate, you couldn’t pretend to be mine anymore, remember?” Reiya sighed quietly. At leastXander wouldn’t have to slobber on her neck today. She just wasn’t sure what steps to take now.

“Reiya ...” Xander sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

“Xander. That’s it. The charade is over. You need to go and talk with your mate. Who is she?” Reiya asked curiously.

Xander's eyes flicked to Dex. “It’s Lila.”

Dex was standing there, quietly taking in everything he was hearing. “My baby sister is your mate. Your real one? So, what is this? What’s going on?” Dex motioned between Xander and Reiya. “Who marked you, Reiya?”

Reiya shook her head and frowned. “I, um …”

“Did someone force themselves on you?!” Dex suddenly yelled angrily.

“No, it’s nothing like that. It just has to be kept secret for now,” Reiya answered quietly.

“You were protecting her. You claimed her as your mate in order to protect her,” Dex sighed, nodding his head. No one would dare touch Reiya if they thought she was Xander's mate.

“There’s a lot to it. I’m sorry for lying to you. Reiya is precious to me, but she isn’t my mate. I just hope I can explain the mix-up to your sister without her getting upset.” Xander sighed again. Lila would have heard that Xander had a mate already. He hoped she would be understanding. When he saw her arrive, his body screamed at him to claim her, that she was his mate. Instead, he quickly ran away before she noticed him.

“Xander, who is Reiya’s mate?” Dex looked at him and waited. “I want an answer.”

“Dex, this has to be kept secret. But I think you knowing might be helpful. Honestly, the royals knowing would be helpful.” Xander frowned and looked at Reiya. This was her secret. It was up to her if she wanted to tell.

“I’m just worried. The more people who know …” Reiya trailed off quietly.

“Your secret is safe with me, princess. Don’t you trust me?” Dex smiled and tilted his head.

She smiled, then nodded slowly. They couldn’t keep the charade up forever. It would be easier if she had a few more powerful dragons who knew their secret.

“Okay, Dex.” Reiya nodded her head and looked at Xander. “I think you should also tell Lila the truth. I think she will be more understanding then. I don’t want her looking at me like I’m competition.” Reiya smiled and then took in a breath. “I am Leviathan’s mate.”