Chapter 8 #2
The hurt flashed across her face, and I quickly backpedaled.
“But not in the way you likely think. There was a lot of pressure on me, and my family felt like I wouldn’t be able to live up to my full potential because there was one thing I wanted more than anything.
” I didn’t say the rest of the explanation, leaving her to suss out the meaning of my words.
She stayed quiet for a long time before she nodded.
“I can understand why your parents wanted you to focus. Look at what you’ve become.
Would you be the doctor you are today if you’d stuck around?
We shared one kiss, and to be honest, it rocked my world.
If you’d stayed, would we both have finished high school with honors?
” She chuckled. “Well, I assume you did. I did.”
I nodded. “Yeah. Valedictorian.”
“Hey! Me too!” She laughed, but it faded, and she still looked sad. “It really hurt me when you ghosted. I didn’t understand why you just cut off all communication. I still don’t understand, but I have a better idea.”
I tried to think of a reason. Nothing that came to mind really worked.
“I don’t have a reason,” I whispered. “Leaving hurt me, too. Significantly.” She met my eyes again as I spoke.
“Every time I thought of contacting you, it made me want to cry.” That was the truth without saying the rest. That I’d wanted to cry because I knew she was my true and destined mate and I couldn’t have her.
She went quiet again, and I focused on my food.
I wanted to stare at her and watch how the light coming in the window danced over her features, but that would’ve been a little awkward.
“I’ve decided not to hate you anymore,” she announced.
“It’s in the past and your parents did what they thought was best for their teenage son.
I can’t hold that against them.” She cocked her head and smiled.
“Or you. I’m ready to move on and for us to really be friends. ”
As my heart warmed, my tattoo started to burn sharply. Even with the pain, my dragon felt even more settled. It was like a wave washing over me. Could the whole clan feel it?
“I’m really glad to hear you say that,” I whispered. “I would like to move forward as well, and maybe make up for lost time.” A few seconds later, I got a text. “One sec, sorry.” The tone told me it was my mother and she never texted me during work hours.
Did something happen?
“Sorry,” I muttered as I typed out a quick reply. No, why? “My mom’s ears must’ve been burning.”
Skye waved me off as she took another big bite. I glanced at her puffed out cheeks and grinned at my phone as Mom’s reply came in. Several members of the clan felt something odd. Like a wave of happiness.
Sorry, that wave came from me. Tell everyone I’ll try to mask my emotions more.
I’d been warned about this. I’d have to do a better job of keeping my waves of happiness to myself.
But this even further assured me that my parents and ancestors had been wrong.
A dragon could have a human as a mate, and I was even more certain that Skye was truly mine.
After Skye proclaimed that she was no longer angry at me, the rest of the day went even better. She stopped in one of my exams and showed me how she charted during her exams.
I hated it and vowed never to do it. How did she split her attention so well, so that the patient didn’t feel ignored? If I tried that, all my patients would complain about my bedside manner. I continued catching up on my notes and ended my day a good half hour after my new friend.
And mate.
As soon as I finished, I left the nearly empty office and went straight home. “Dad, Mom,” I said by way of greeting as I walked in. They were at the kitchen table, waiting for me to have dinner.
“Sit,” Mom said. “I just laid it all out.”
I helped myself to an enormous plate of food.
Mom knew I didn’t eat much at the hospital.
She’d prepared a feast. “Thanks,” I said gratefully.
“I’m starved. But there’s news.” As I scooped more food onto my plate, I blurted out what had given me such a wave of happiness.
“I’m surer than ever that Skye is my mate.
The tattoo has burned all day, and every time I’m near her, it’s brighter and stronger. ”
Mom and Dad exchanged a look. “But that means exposing humans to shifters,” Dad said uncomfortably.
“At the very least, if you’re sure, you have got to tell the clan.
Nobody can be blindsided by something like this.
” He sucked in a deep breath and set his silverware down.
This had upset him, as I’d been afraid it would.
“I’m worried it’ll give the younger shifters ideas about mating with humans.
The bloodlines can’t be sullied by that much human blood.
If we start procreating with humans, if that’s even possible, our bloodlines could start to dwindle. ”
I couldn’t have given my parents an explanation, but as my dad rambled about mixed-breed babies, I knew it wouldn’t be a problem.
I had no science to back it up. I hadn’t been able to find anything in all my searches to indicate I was correct.
But I knew I’d be able to give Skye babies. And those babies would be shifters.
“Call a meeting,” I said. “For tonight. All who can come.”
My parents froze, my mom with a bite halfway to her mouth. “Now?” she asked.
I continued eating, as if at my ease. “Now. I want this out there. They need to hear the news and start getting used to it.”
Grabbing my plate, I refilled it quickly and left the room. I knew my mom would start the phone chain and get as many people as possible at the meeting, but I didn’t want to talk to them about it anymore.
The weather was perfect for flying as a clan.
My family and friends milled about while I waited for as many people as possible to arrive.
We’d been lucky that Sammy had been able to come to provide us with some cover or flying after I talked to everyone wouldn’t have been a possibility.
Finally, when it seemed like waiting any longer would be a stall, I held up my hands.
The clan, keyed into my mood, quieted and gathered around.
I stood on a stump. “Thank you all for coming with such short notice. It means a lot. I had confirmation today, that you all likely felt, that I’ve found my true mate, and I wanted to tell you as soon as possible. ”
Titters of emotion ran around the circle of people, but I continued before anyone could say anything.
“When I was sixteen, I kissed a human and my mating tattoo appeared. I knew then that she was my mate,” the circle erupted in protests and gasps, but I carried on after raising my voice, “but in an abundance of caution, my parents had me go away. I’ve done the research.
I’ve studied. And I can find nothing to say there’s anything bad that will happen by me taking a human mate.
It’s not like I have much of a choice anyway.
The magic has chosen her for me. My dragon is absolutely bent on mating her.
” Finally, I stopped and let them have their reaction.
“I don’t see it’ll be a problem,” Jace said loudly as everyone else looked horrified. The crowd stepped back and looked at my friend. I would’ve kissed him if I could’ve reached him.
“I agree.” To my shock, my mother stepped forward. “I think the decision we made all those years ago was the wrong one. Who are we to question what the magic has decided? Are we that arrogant? Do we believe we know better than fate? Than destiny?”
My father’s face grew darker and darker. I knew he didn’t agree, but as long as he didn’t give us a bunch of crap about it, it wouldn’t matter.
“And,” my mother continued, “I trust Anthony and his judgment.”
Tessa snarled at me, her sour expression catching my gaze. She’d had a thing for me for ages, and I knew it hadn’t lessened. But what was I supposed to do, ignore a fated mate for a somewhat hateful clan member? No.
“You’re a fool,” she hissed. “Forget that human. Be true to your clan.”
Several people agreed with her, but they were the fools.
Not me. “A fated mate is different from a chosen mate; I can’t force my heart to be somewhere it doesn’t belong.
I’m going to pursue Skye, and I won’t let anyone get in my way.
” I didn’t leave any room for arguments, layering my special alpha magic into my voice. “Now, let’s fly!”