“Do we have a choice?” Kysha asked.
Pulling out the compass, I opened it again. The pine needle spun before pointing directly at the opening at the back of the cave. The directions were clear. If we wanted to get the Gilded Amulet, we needed to go through the tunnel.
“It doesn’t look like it,” was my response.
Daegal stood, clapping Xander on the back before walking over to us. He took Ryllae’s hand, moving her away as he asked, “How did you sleep?”
She murmured a reply that was too low for me to hear.
Putting the compass away, I moved over to my mate and bent, placing my hand on the small of his back. “Thelrena have mercy on me. It really is small, isn’t it?”
Up close, somehow, the opening looked even smaller.
Xander sighed. “It’ll be a tight squeeze, but I think I’ll fit.”
I frowned. That doesn’t sound very promising.”
My dragon shifter turned, capturing my hand in his. “It’s not like we have many other options, Aileana.” He kissed my knuckles, and the mating bond hummed. “The sooner we finish this quest, the better.”
“I’m not going through the mountain without you,” I said. “If you don’t fit, we will find another way.”
Xander snorted, cupping my jaw and kissing me. Sparks flew between us, and I warmed at his touch.As if I would let you go,he said through our mental connection.You’re mine.
The claiming words resonated through me, and the mating bond hummed on my arm.
I was his, and he was mine.
We were in a strange place, the two of us. A good one. Ever since I killed Edgar, Xander seemed to realize that I truly could take care of myself. As if my proficiency with weapons hadn’t already taught him that lesson. He was still an overprotective alpha male who had anger issues—more than likely because of the enormous green dragon living beneath his skin—but now, it truly felt like we were equals in this relationship. As if he understood I was fully capable of taking care of myself, and he was okay with that.
When he was overprotective, I saw his actions for what they truly meant. He acted that way because he loved me and wanted me to be safe, not because he was being an ass. Most of the time. Sometimes, he was still an ass. There were still moments where I wanted to stab him.
Repeatedly.
But for the most part, I just loved him. I hadn’t known love could be like this. I thought it was something static. Singular. I thought it was something that happened once, a special, unique, once-in-a-lifetime moment. You fell in love, and that was it.
Since leaving my tower, I learned that was not the case. Love was not static. Nor was it linear. Love was strong, but it was malleable. It grew and shifted, becoming more encompassing with each passing day. Love started small, but it changed until it was a part of one’s very being. Xander and I were so connected, our lives were knit together. We were one soul, but in two bodies.
I would never have believed that something like this existed. The warmth in my heart was wholly unlike anything else I’d ever had. Was this love—romantic love—the same as what parents felt for their children? I didn’t know.
Now that I realized how little I knew about love, I was coming to realize I could care deeply for more than one person. Family—both by blood, and those I chose like the elves in this cave—could be loved.
“Aileana?” Concern laced Xander’s tone as his hand landed on my shoulder.
I jumped, blinking rapidly. “Sorry, I got lost in my head.”
His lips tilted up. “I know.” He touched my chin, tilting up my head. “It’s time.”
The others had stepped back, giving us space to talk. I wrapped my arms around Xander, holding him tightly. “You’re going into the hole.”
He nodded, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. “Yes.”
“You’ll be careful?” I asked.
He chuckled. “I always am, Sunshine.”
Clasping him even tighter, I ignored that last statement.
“It’s time,” he whispered. “I’ll see you soon.”