Page 12 of The Dragon’s Stone Hearted Mate (Mori’s Mementos #1)
Morvan
I left a short note telling Cutter not to worry if he woke up and we weren’t back yet.
“You’re sweeter than you like to let on,” Rho said as I shut the door of Cabin Three behind me as quietly as I could.
“My friends used to call me a golden retriever,” I shrugged.
“Even the friendliest dog will bite to protect their people,” Rho shrugged back at me and reached out to take my hand. With our fingers entwined, our hands fit together perfectly.
I was once told that the Other World anticipated the needs of its guests, but results varied by who and where you were. I crossed my scales that wherever we ended up in the woods was exactly where we needed to be. Where did you take a gargoyle who spent years rock hard and pining for you?
“The Raven’s Perch and then maybe let the triplets throw you a mating feast,” my dragon chimed into my head sarcastically.
Back before Torvan died that would’ve been the plan but first came our matingmoon.
My thoughts turned to children again as we walked down a dirt path lined with trees so tall that their summits were eaten up by the night sky and blocked out the starlight.
Where would we even raise the kids? Here?
Some people lived in the Other World. Back in London?
Would I raise my kids in the same house where Torvan plotted my death?
“That would be the best revenge. Even better than him not carrying on the legacy,” Rho commented.
“I should be used to having people in my head by now,” I squeezed his hand. “Torvan and I did have a twin link. At least, I thought we did but maybe it was a lie too.”
“If we stumble upon his spirit in our wanderings, I will kick him in the nuts with a stone foot for all the headaches he will cause me.”
“I don’t think they let guys like Torvan wander free.”
“They let warrior ghosts attack Cutter. Whoever they are,” Rho shrugged.
The path stretched out in front of us seemingly endless.
We could’ve walked for a few minutes or a few hours, I wasn’t sure, but when I glanced back over my shoulder, not even my draconic eyes could find any sign of Camp Air.
When the path is empty both ways the only thing to do is to keep walking.
So that is exactly what we did until Rho stopped.
I sniffed the air, searching out whatever threat had stopped my mate in his tracks. He stepped in front of me and flashed me a soft smile before his mouth claimed mine for a soft kiss. Come to think of it, we had walked too long and let too much time pass since our last kiss.
Rho’s mouth opened against mine and I slipped my tongue inside.
His hands rested on my chest as I held him tight to me as if he might slip into the endless forest of night if I didn’t hold onto him tight enough.
All the good things in my life fell through my fingers like water.
It was a tradition as old as I was and I didn’t want to lose him too.
“I am not a thing to be lost,” he whispered but his voice still echoed through the night eaten forest. “I am a person, and I am here. I will be here. My stone survived the end of my planet. It will survive some pissy little dragons trying to kill me and dragons are the biggest thing on your home world that I know of. Even in this form my flesh doesn’t give unless I want to receive the blow. ”
I smiled because there were so many ways, I could’ve taken that and some of them were deviously intimate.
“But there is only one thing I want piercing me right now,” he said.
“Yeah?” I grinned, growing harder by the second. “What’s that?”
“Those sharp teeth of yours. We must complete the ritual. Every mineral inside me is calling out for your bite. There will always be a million things to consider before we begin our lives together, but that part is so simple. Claim me. Claim me here in the woods with only the trees and the critters of the night as witnesses. What does the Other World care where we consummate our reunion? They say the magic between true-mates was born here. Maybe it’s only fitting that it happens here in one of its wild, magical places. ”
“MORVAN!” Cutter’s voice rang out through the trees.
“Tell me I am hearing things,” I whispered to Rho, but my words bounced around the trees as if they played a game of telephone with them.
“I’m really here!” Cutter called out. “You have a visitor! This wolf is looking for you! Said his cousin wrote him about locking your brother in a freezer!”
“What?” Rho mouthed to me.
“Mate, I am as clueless as you are on this one. My brother is dead. He died right in front of me. CUTTER!” I said the last part louder, calling out for the lion lost in the dark.
“YOU DON’T HAVE TO SHOUT OUT HERE! I CAN HEAR YOU!” Cutter yelled back.
“WHY ARE YOU YELLING THEN?” I bellowed and Rho covered his ears.
“BECAUSE I WANTED TO GIVE YOU TIME TO PUT YOUR PECKERS AWAY! YOU’RE ALL THE WAY OUT HERE SO I ASSUME YOU’RE SHY!”
“BOTH OF YOU STOP YELLING!” Rho cut in. “YOU’RE GOING TO CRACK ME IN HALF!”
A second later, Cutter sauntered out of the trees and stepped in front of us on the path. He wore pajamas with lions on them and of course, the pack on his back.
“What’s going on?” Rho asked before I had a chance to speak.
“A wolf is here to see Morvan. I heard him speaking with Sherry.”
“A wolf?” I arched a brow. “And his cousin?”
“No,” Cutter shook his head. “His cousin isn’t here but his cousin is the one who put your brother in the freezer.”
“In the freezer?” I blinked. “Cutter, you’ve lost me somewhere along the way. Are you sure this isn’t just a dream you had?”
“I wasn’t asleep. I was up rekilling a ghost,” Cutter shrugged. “Sherry told him she didn’t know where you were. She’s still totally freaked out about you,” he glanced at Rho. “I think the wolf is making her a cup of tea now.”
“Was his name Eston? Like Teal’s carrier is here?”
“Maybe. I don’t know,” Cutter said. “Look. I’m going back to bed. I didn’t know camp was going to be so bad for my sleep. Between you and the ghosts I might disappear from sleep deprivation.”
He turned off the path and disappeared back into the woods.
“Do you think he’s crazy now?” I asked Rho.
“No. I’m not sure what he’s talking about, but I don’t think he’s crazy. You only have one brother, right?” Rho asked.
“Yes,” I reassured him. “He’s dead and taken care of.”
“Still I think we have to go back and check on the others,” Rho frowned.
“But you want my teeth in you,” I said, leaning in for another kiss but Rho stepped back. “Don’t do that.”
“Sherry is with this strange wolf. She is a rabbit. What if Cutter isn’t the crazy one but the wolf is?”
“What? Are you the guardian of all of the camp?” I asked.
“I am in my own way,” Rho nodded. “That’s where my spot is. That’s the spot I’ll return to if something happens to you. Besides, this is what you do. You save people.”
“I can save people later,” I said, going in for another kiss but Rho avoided that one too. “Fine.”
“I do not mean to disappoint you, my dragon. I did not consider how quickly the circumstances would change. Usually, Camp Air doesn’t see much excitement. Last time around the only exciting thing to happen was the cupboard got raided by a troop of fat raccoons who ate all the raisins.”
I rubbed the heel of my hand into my forehead. Of course, we had to go back and check on Sherry and the others. What was wrong with me?
“Sometimes you get to think with your dick too. It’s not illegal, you know?” my dragon chimed into my thoughts as Rho took my hand and started pulling me toward the camp. The thought of being without him hurt. So I followed him back down the treelined path to Camp Air.