Dragon Scorned

16. Knox

“Care to explain now, Miss Moonstone,” I asked the annoyed-looking dragon.

“I would if I even knew exactly what happened.” Her sweet, honey voice filled my ears, and my dragon hummed inside me.

He was calling to hers in ways I didn’t want to admit to myself. I knew she was my mate, but I wouldn’t allow myself to get close to her and initiate the mate bond. She was already dealing with so much, and I didn’t need to add to it.

I glanced over to Tate, slouching next to her, an amused look on his face. It would make having a relationship with him easier if he knew I was a part of River’s bond. Mated bonds often had relationships within the bond, along with our central bond.

My chest ached at the life we could have together, the life that was just out of reach because I would not be completing the bond with River. She was just learning how to be a dragon. She didn’t need my baggage added to hers.

So I decided I would teach her as much as I could, then walk away. If I had to leave Tate behind in the process then so be it, at least he would be happy.

“Try.” I gritted out through clenched teeth. Teaching this girl would be impossible if she didn’t open up to me.

“I was in my grounding spot in my mind. I only meant to open the window that blocks Kai out, and he just appeared there, out of nowhere.”

My eyes widened, as my eyebrows hit my hairline. She already had a completed bond? “Telecommunication between mates, once your bond completes you’ll be able to dive into one another”s mind, among other things.”

“What other things? You mean it gets worse?” She groaned, bringing her hand up to pull down her face before rubbing it against her cheek.

“Yes, Miss. Moonstone, I can go more into depth about it at our meeting this afternoon if you wish, but I’ll give you the cliff notes. A bonded mate can communicate telepathically, which you already know, that”s the start of the bond. They can also dive into one another”s mind. I’m assuming that”s what you experienced today. You will soon get extreme feelings and emotions from your mate, and eventually, you will be able to tell exactly where your mate is at all times. When you have a complete bond with all of your chosen mates, all your minds will link. You all will experience the effects of the bond with one another along with your central mate.” I glanced over at Tate as I said that last bit, his face twisting in an unknown expression.

“How do I know if I found all my bonds? I have three already. You would think the fates would stop there.”

“The fates have a funny way of pulling people together, now if you’ll excuse me I need to prepare for my next class. I will see you at one Miss Moonstone and we can talk more in depth about your mate bond.” I grabbed my laptop bag off the table and headed out the door, nodding at the students as I exited the room.

I took the long way to my office, going over everything I would discuss with River on my way there. I stopped in my tracks at the sight of Tate leaning against my door.

“Where’s Ryk…Ryder?” I asked him. Calling Ryker by Ryder was still a foreign thing to me, and I was still getting used to it.

“He”s with River, headed to our next class.” He told me, kicking off the wall he was leaning against and stopping in front of me.

I stepped around him, slipping my key into the door and unlocking it before pushing it open and gesturing him inside.

“What are you playing at Knox?” He asked as soon as my office door was closed.

I walked past him, setting my laptop bag down on my desk before turning to face him. I huffed out a breath, “What are you referring to, Tate?”

“With River. I saw the look in your eyes, don’t fuck with me. I know that look, it’s the same one you give me.”

I watched the gold swirl in his eyes, his dragon dangerously close to the surface. “Tate, you need to calm down. I was only trying to teach the girl.”

I sat down at my desk to go over my schedule for my next class, pulling my laptop out and opening it.

“Don’t fucking play with me, I know what that look means. Are you her mate?”

My eyes snapped back up to meet him. His face was riddled with so many emotions I couldn’t exactly put my finger on it.

“If I told you yes, what would you say?” I asked him in a flat tone, not giving any hint of emotion. I needed to know how he honestly thought about it, and I couldn’t let my feelings sway him.

He sat down on my couch and groaned, running his hand through his sandy brown hair, disheveling it like I love.

“She already has one bonded mate and two more that started the bond, then Ryker is a possibility of being her mate. She’s going to hate it. She”s not even happy about us three.”

“She’s coming around though, I can tell. In just a week she went from hating everyone to at least tolerating you lot.”

“I mean, she already fucked Nikolai, so that’s saying something.” He growled.

“Jealousy doesn”t look good on you,” I told him, a small smirk on my face. His eyes heated, filling completely with gold before he closed them and took a deep breath.

When he opened them again, they were once more my favorite shade of green.

“I’m not jealous. I’m just a little upset it happened so fast. I could have had her the other night, but I didn’t. I want her to be ready, unlike Nikolai.” He said, running his hand through his hair again.

I growled at the action, my hand twitched against my leg, the need to smack his hand away was strong. He knew what that did to me and yet he continued, I was respecting his wishes until he talked to River, but there”s only so much I could take before I snapped.

“Well, you don’t have to worry about it because I’m not a mate. Even if I was, I don”t intend on initiating the bond.” I told him, he didn’t need to know that I knew before even he did that River was my mate. I smelled it on her the very first day she walked onto campus. It’s part of the reason why I got a witch to mask my scent.

Not only was I teaching a wide variety of supernaturals that may not be comfortable with dragons, but I didn’t want her to smell the mate bond on me. I didn’t know how uneducated she was, and now I know she probably wouldn’t have recognized the mate scent even if she would have smelled it on me.

“Why would you do that? If she”s your mate, don’t you want to bond? Your dragon will go insane until you finally give in to the beast,” Tate told me, standing up and pacing the room.

“I do not need to add any more stress to the poor girl. She already has it bad enough dealing with the mates she currently has.” I told him, watching as he continued his trek through my office.

“You might be the dumbest person alive if you deny her. She is amazing and deserves more than you.” Tate shouted at me before storming out of my office.

I looked down at my laptop, seeing my schedule for the day, anger and anticipation swam in my gut as I looked at the meeting scheduled for one o’clock.

Tate is right, River does deserve more than me. That”s why I need to stay far away from her. I won”t let my dragon sway me into starting the mate bond with her. My mouse hovered over the delete button, my dragon roaring at me, not allowing me to cancel the meeting.

I slammed the computer closed, frustrated with my beast. I just won’t get close enough to touch her. I’ll stay behind my desk and have her sit on the couch.

I already had a feeling that this would be the most torture I will have to endure in my entire life.