Chapter 9
CHAPTER NINE
I woke to an empty bed but oddly peaceful. I could feel Landry was close by. I rolled over and stuffed my face into the pillow and inhaled his scent.
“Are you wondering why you’re not freaking out?”
I pulled the pillow from my face and marveled at the gorgeous man leaning against the doorjamb holding two steaming mugs.
“Sort of but not really. It’s bizarre I’ll admit. Not two days ago I was ready to get a restraining order against you and now—”
“You want me restraining you.” He winked and moved over to the bed.
“Pretty much.” I chuckled and sat up, grateful for the caffeine boost he handed me.
“There’re thoughts that might swivel through your head. For example, is this like being drugged and I can’t stay away because it’s not in my control.” He sat beside me in only a pair of boxers and it was hard to focus on what he was saying.
“I guess. But at the same time it doesn’t feel like I’m out of control. For the first time in my life I feel complete.”
“My father fell in love with a human, my mom if you didn’t guess. And he told me she was very much like you. Until she came to him one night a lot like you did. She, however, questioned her thoughts and feelings but soon understood she was born for him and he for her.”
As I sipped my coffee, that was made perfectly, a question struck. “I googled.”
Landry snorted into his own coffee. “Pardon?”
“Dinosaurs, mainly elaphrosaurus.”
“Interesting.” He turned to face me more. “And you have questions.”
“Many but one that I’m really curious about.”
“Hit me with it.”
“Dinosaurs, according to Google, are hatched and you just said your mom was human and now I don’t understand anything.”
He laughed so hard he had to put his coffee on the bedside table.
“Okay, this is going to sound…unreal. And honestly, you’re probably going to grimace. If my father fell in love with a female of his own breed she’d lay the egg, he’d fertilize it. In my case that didn’t happen…kind of.”
“Oh lord.” I braced myself.
“My mother became pregnant and gestated for nine months like a human does. Instead of pushing out a human baby, she birthed an egg…me. My father fertilized the egg after I was free of my mother’s womb, and yes, you’ll argue I was fertilized inside her and you’d also be correct. Then, I hatched.”
“I see…and were you hatched human or…?”
He gently rubbed over my cheek. “Jason, no, I was hatched an elaphrosaurus and shifted, as you say, at three weeks.”
“Wow there’s so much to unwrap.” And there was but this is how it’s been for millions of years.
“There is and it will take time.”
Another question bounced around my head. “How old are you?”
He hummed and narrowed his eyes. “If you googled you likely saw dinosaurs lived anywhere from ten years to one hundred years.”
“Yeah, but if scientists didn’t know you all were shifters then…”
“Full blooded dinosaurs, lived as Google said. Shifters, like myself, a lot longer.”
“Soooooooo?” I motioned with my hand.
“I am currently a little over three hundred years old.”
“Holy…okay and what is your lifespan?”
“About five hundred years but my father is almost that and showing no sign of slowing down.”
Shit…that’s a long time. I was almost afraid to ask but, “Your mom?”
He took my coffee and placed it beside his own. “This is the tricky part and I’ll need you to breathe for me.”
“That sounds ominous.”
“My mother is also still alive. She fell in love and bonded with my father three hundred years ago obviously. When she bonded, truly accepted him, she connected with his life force. When my father does pass, so will she. She is impervious to illness but could die other ways as could I. Gun shot, car accident, you get it.”
“And if she dies?”
“My father dies as well.”
Okay, I was breathing and hearing him which meant… “So I die when you die and vice versa?”
“Not yet.”
“But last night we…” I made hand gestures that were reminiscent of two people having sex.
“Yes and it began the process.” He laughed and tenderly stopped my hands. “But I’d never link you to my life force without your consent.”
“If we don’t finish, what happens?”
“We will feel as we feel now, like we can’t get enough of each other. But you’ll age at a human rate and I will watch you die.” He clutched my hands when I gasped. “I’d never leave you, Jason. I’d be with you until the end and be honored for every second you allowed me to be.”
The sudden pang in my heart was so strong it forced tears to pour down my cheeks. “I don’t want that.”
“Me to be with you?”
“For you to watch me die.”
His smile was soft, and dare I say there was love in his eyes. “I don’t like the idea myself but every moment with you I will cherish no matter your choice.”
“I must be crazy.”
He lifted my hands to his lips and kissed them gently. “Why’s that?”
“Because I want to stay with you until forever.”
“Jason, this is something you need to be sure about, it can’t be reversed.”
“I know, and like I said I must be crazy. How do we do it?”
“First, we have breakfast, and then you’re going to go talk to someone who has been where you are right now.”
I cocked my head. “Who?”
He beamed. “My mom.”
“Your…what?”
He just laughed as he got off the bed and left the bedroom.
“Landry!” I shouted, trying to untangle myself. He just kept cackling from deep within the apartment and by the time I finally made it to the kitchen he was wiping tears from his eyes.
“I can’t meet your parents.”
“Why, I met yours.” He shrugged and cracked some eggs into a bowl.
“Yes, but you were in stalker mode.”
He snorted. “Nice, Jason.”
“Now I am glad you stalked me but—”
“Please stop calling me a stalker.”
I chuckled. “Fine. Landry, I can’t meet your mom.”
He eyed me from head to toe. “Not like that no.”
“Landry,” I huffed.
“Go shower. When you get out, breakfast will be done and we’ll eat. I’ll tell you about my parents and then, we’ll go.”
“Shit!” I looked at the clock. “I have to go open the shop. It’s Monday!”
He sighed. “Normally, I would tell you to call in sick but I understand you have that gala. So, I will tell my parents to expect us for dinner. Fair?”
It gave me a lot of hours to think up an excuse. “Okay.”
“Now, shower, call Amber and tell her you’re running a little late. We will have breakfast and I’ll drive you to the shop.”
“I don’t have clothes, you tore mine up.”
I swore he just purred. “Yes, I remember. I might have something in my closet or we can stop at your house before the shop.”
“My house.”
“Okay, now shoo.” He waved me off and I rushed to the shower.
Today was going to be a day.