Just as soon as the sentiment appeared, I shoved it away. I still didn’t know where things stood between us.
He was a dragon, and I was an Earth Elf. I had made a promise to the woods that I didn’t know how to keep.
And then there was the mate bond…
Xander nodded, interrupting my thoughts. “If you’ll have me.”
I stared at him, drawing in deep gulps of air as though it could help me get through what I wanted to say. “For most of my life, I didn’t have anyone. But now…”
My voice trailed off, and I wasn’t sure how to finish the sentence. I knew what I wanted to say. I wanted to say that I had Xander. He and I, together, could deal with everything.
That’s what I wanted.
But questions flitted through my mind, sowing seeds of doubt as they popped up, one after the other.
Could we even be together? There was no doubt in my mind that we would be hunted now that Remington was dead. Where did that leave us? Was there even anus?
The last time we had spoken about thisthingbetween us, Xander had left me in tears. Surely that meant he didn’t want me.
I was prepared to shove all my feelings down inside myself and lock them in a tiny box when I felt his hands on my arms.
He turned me around, so I was facing him on his lap. Xander’s face was surprisingly firm as he finished my sentence. “Now you have me. I promise you, Aileana,wewill get these off you.”
My breath caught in my throat. This male—this infuriating, frustrating, horribly irritating male—tilted his head, running his hand down my cheek in a tender gesture. His lips parted as his golden eyes darkened.
I sucked in a breath as I asked softly, “Xander, I… I need to know. Do you want me?”
“Yes,” he answered immediately. “Yes.” He pressed his lips against mine, the kiss soft and gentle and fleeting. “A thousand times, yes. I want you so badly, I have no idea what to do with myself.”
“Thank the gods,” I whispered.
He pulled back, his eyes filled with vulnerability as he asked, “Does that mean you want me?”
My heart pounded in my chest as I spoke the words that I knew to be true. “We haven’t known each other for a long time. And I know this is crazy.”
He raised a brow. “Is there a ‘but’ in there?”
I smiled. “But I want you too, Elyxander. I need you. You make mefeelmore deeply. You have shown me what it means to live.” I narrowed my eyes. “Even though you didn’t tell me you were a dragon.”
He chuckled. “I promise, I’ll never keep anything from you ever again.” Xander pressed his lips against my forehead, and I felt his growing desire for me as I sat on his lap. We were close. So close. My gaze dropped, and I stared at his lips. The scent of ash and smoke and pine trees filled my lungs as time itself seemed to slow.
“Xander,” I whispered, raising a hand and laying it on his chest. “What does this mean?”
My dragon blew out a deep breath. With tender hands, he tilted my head, so I was looking into his eyes. “It means that I am begging you. Please, Aileana, stay with me. Be with me. For all that entails. Bemine. Say that you’ll accept the mate bond. Claim your position by my side. As my partner. As myeverything.”
When he said that last word, a flash of green went through his eyes. A reminder of the beast who lived under his skin.
“I am yours,” I whispered. “And you are mine?”
“Yes,” he growled, the word rumbling through me. “Yours.”
I nodded, holding his gaze. “Okay.”
My mate’s eyes darkened as he studied me. His voice was gruff and his body was firm beneath me as he said huskily, “I want to kiss you.”
I didn’t speak. I didn’t think. There was only one thing on my mind. One being. He was here. And he wantedme. I wanted him. I already felt so close to him—I couldn’t imagine what it would feel like once our bond was solidified.
After the ceremony, I knew. There would be no going back.