He hesitated for a mere moment before nodding. “I trust you. Lead the way.“
Octavia did just that, the rhythmic tapping of her walking stick against the shale like the beat of a steady drum as they headed into the cave. The ceiling was maybe ten feet high, and from the front, it appeared no different from the hundreds of caves that dotted the eastern portion of the Rose Empire. Stone walls rose above them, dirt and debris were under their feet, and a few stray pine needles and leaves carpeted the ground.
“So, this is your cave,” Flynn remarked as Octavia led him around a corner.
She nodded. “Mhmm. One of them.”
His arm brushed hers, sending jolts of awareness running through her. “How many do you have?”
“A few,” Octavia said, her response non-committal. She would see how he reacted to this one before she told him about the others.
She had five, but some dragons had upwards of twenty hoards. It was a natural side effect of living for a long time and working as messengers. Dragons loved treasure, and they did whatever they could to keep it for themselves.
“That’s…” Whatever Flynn planned to say never came because they turned the last corner. He stopped in his tracks and breathed her name. “This is… wow.”
Although lacking in eloquence, Octavia thought that was a good way to describe this hoard. It was her favorite, and she was pleased to see that everything was untouched, just as she’d left it.
Mine, the dragon growled.
Glowing clusters of blue and green luminescent mushrooms were scattered through the inner portion of the cavern, casting their light on the treasure. Three piles of shimmering gold coins were clumped together. Jewels glimmered. In the furthest corner from the entrance, a crimson velvet couch sat next to a gilded trunk. Those had been Octavia’s most recent additions before her unexpected absence.
Giving Flynn time to appreciate the riches laid out before him, Octavia made her way over to the couch and perched on the armrest. She watched with dragon pride as the witch admired her glittering stash.
If they were to accept the mating bond, Flynn needed to know Octavia was a dragon through and through. Dragons cared for three things in life: family, flying, and riches. The Elders’ punishment had stripped Octavia of not one but two of these things. She would not allow either of those things to be taken from her again.
Several minutes passed before the witch raked a hand through his hair. His back was to her as he studied the pile of coins closest to him. “This is… you really are a lady, aren’t you?”
Octavia scoffed. “No, I’m not. Dragons don’t have lords and ladies. Ranks are not important to us.”
Except for the Elders. They were the dragons’ version of a government. The Emerald Empress ruled over the continent, and the dragons submitted to her laws because it would be too much work to rise against her, but for the most part, they remained on their own.
“Okay. You’re not a lady,” Flynn said.
Finally, he was getting it. She’d only been telling him that from the moment they met.
“No,” Octavia murmured. “Does that bother you?”
She hoped it didn’t. But if it did, it was better to get that out of the way now. She could already feel herself growing attached tothe witch. If he was going to leave her because she wasn’t a lady, she’d rather he do it now before she did something utterly stupid like give him her heart, only for him to turn around and break it. That would possibly be even worse than everything else she had already endured.
“Not at all.” Flynn’s voice was deep as it echoed through the cavern. He turned and strode towards her, his steps sire and his eyes gleaming. Truth rang from his every word. “You could be a scullery maid, and I wouldn’t care. I want you, Octavia.”
The look in his eyes was dark and filled with something she wasn’t quite ready to label.
Those three words echoed all around them.
I want you.
When was the last time someone had wanted her? She couldn’t remember hearing them, at least not recently.
Her heart pounded in her chest, her breath caught in her throat, and she rose from the couch. “Truly?”
She couldn’t stop the ember of hope that sparked in her core. It was one thing to have a mate. Those were predestined by the fates. It was another thing entirely to be wanted by someone. Octavia didn’t realize how much she desired it until he said those words.
Seconds stretched on.
Although she told herself it was foolish, she couldn’t stop the hope from growing brighter within her. Gods, she prayed he would not take those words back. Did he realize how much they meant to her?
“Yes.” Flynn reached out and took her hands in his.