Nodding, I looked around. “It does seem to be a theme, doesn’t it?” Gesturing to the pine needles dusting the floor, I shrugged. “Once you’ve seen one cavern, it feels like you’ve seen them all.”
A silence fell over us as our gazes met. My stomach twisted as I stared at those golden eyes. With every breath, the tension in the cavern grew exponentially.
A multitude of desires warred within me.
There wasn’t enough space between us. There was too much space between us. All I wanted to do was climb onto Xander’s lap and hold him. I wanted to scream at him. I wanted to kiss him. To feel his lips on mine. His hands on my skin. I wanted him to hold me until the memory of Remington’s icy touch was nothing more than a distant thought.
I wanted too many things, so I settled on what seemed like the most pressing issue.
“You are a dragon,” I said after a moment.
He nodded, his face grim. “I am.”
“A dragon,” I repeated.
“Yes, we have ascertained that to be the truth.”
I couldn’t seem to think of anything else to say. “You. Are. A. Dragon.”
Xander chuckled, reaching over and wrapping my hand in his. I sucked in a deep breath as sparks erupted from his touch. I felt like fire was running through my veins.
“Aileana,” he whispered, his voice hoarse. “I think we’ve established that I am a dragon shifter. Is there anything else you’d like to ask me?”
I blinked. It was so hard to think when he was holding my hand. When he was so close. “I… I don’t know,” I said truthfully. Biting my lip, I turned my head and studied him. “I have so many questions, it’s hard to keep them straight.”
“We have time to answer them all.”
I nodded as a wave of sadness welled up within me. My chest ached at the thought that we might not have had any time. That Remington might have killed Xander. I tried to keep the tears away, but one escaped down my cheek. I shuddered.
“Xander,” I whispered, “I was so scared.”
The dragon shifter raised a hand to my face, gently running it down my cheek. My mouth opened slightly from the tenderness in his touch. His hands cupped my face as his eyes swept over me.
Then, his jaw clenched as he traced a sore spot on my cheek. His nostrils flared as he stared at me and anger filled those golden eyes. He snarled, “Aileana, did hehityou?”
I sucked in a breath.
In all the chaos, I had forgotten about the bruises on my face. Apparently, they must still be visible, because Xander’s eyes flashed, promising violence.
“Tell me,” he growled, his voice tinged with echoes of the dragon that lived within him.
“Yes,” I whispered after a moment. “He hit me. But it’s not the worst I’ve ever dealt with, so—”
A growl, deep and animalistic, began in Xander’s chest. It rumbled through the cavern, a reminder of the fire-breathing beast living beneath his skin.
Xander’s voice was gruff as he snarled, “If that bastard wasn’t already dead, I would kill him again.”
“But he is dead,” I said. I reached up and placed my hand over Xander’s. At my touch, his anger seemed to soften. “You killed him. He’s dead. We both saw his body. He can’t hurt me anymore.”
Those last words were little more than a whisper, but as I gave them life, a weight lifted off me. Remington was dead. He could never marry me now.
I was free. Free to live. Free to remain with Xander. I would never be held captive again. Remington was dead, and I would kill his father if it was the last thing I did.
“He’s dead,” I repeated, more to myself than anything else. My voice grew in conviction as I looked over at Xander. He was watching me, his eyes filled with deep emotion that flooded me with warmth.
“Xander,” I murmured, rubbing my hand over the back of his. “I need to tell you a story.”
Stay With Me