Chapter Thirty-One
Roman
“Oak?”
“Mm?”
“Are you asleep?”
“Nope.”
“I’m not sure I believe you.”
They chuckled. “I’m awake, dork.”
“Are you up for one more thing?”
“Mm. Depends on what it is.”
I couldn’t help but smile at that. They sounded so sleepy and felt so warm and wonderful in my arms that I almost didn’t say anything. But… I really wanted to share something with them while we were out this way. “We’d have to leave here…”
“Why does it sound like that wasn’t a whole sentence?”
I snorted. How could they read me so well already, and when they were half asleep? “I want to show you something, take you somewhere, but we’d have to, uh, fly there.”
Their head popped up to look at me, almost headbutting me. “Really? You wanna fly with me?”
I nodded and rubbed their back. “Yes. My dragon is dying to come out and… you know.”
They looked amused. “Play with my dragon?”
I grimaced. “Well… yes.”
“We just flew together the other day.”
I sent a glare their way. “Yes, but that was before you, before we talked. Before you knew about being viramores. Plus, we had passengers, so we couldn’t do anything too wild.”
They let out a small laugh. “I’m messing with you. Yes, I wanna fly with you. Can we take off from here?” They glanced around. “There’s enough room.”
“Yeah. We’re pretty close to the place I want to show you anyway.” Not that flying any distance would be difficult for either of us, but Oak was clearly tired, so I didn’t want to make them fly too far away.
“Cool.” They hopped off the car’s hood, not seeming to care that half their blankets fell on the ground, and whipped their shirt over their head before I could blink. “Race ya!”
Then they ran farther away from the car into the clearing, took off their pants, and I only had about point-five seconds to admire their ass before they were shifting into their beautiful golden dragon.
They were a gorgeous golden color that glinted in the moonlight, their shiny wings reflecting the light and making everything around them brighter.
They had sharp horns, a much darker shade than their belly, spikes going down their spine, a big adorable snout, bright green eyes, and sharp talons that looked ready to strike.
They also had this patch of scales on their hip that looked…
different than the rest of their scales, less shiny, less vibrant, almost like a scar.
That was something I’d have to ask about one day, but not now, not when they were having so much fun, not when we were on our first official date.
They were fierce, there was no doubt about that, but when I looked at their face, all I could see was the sweet, gentle, and sassy person underneath.
They looked over their shoulder at me, and I let out a loud laugh as I jumped off the hood, stripped, ran a few steps, and launched myself up, shifting midair.
My wings shot out quickly, catching me before I could hit the ground.
Luckily, I was old enough that my shift was nearly instantaneous, so I could leap like that without fear.
I flapped my large wings to catch some altitude, and then I raced after my young mate. They might’ve had a head start, but I was determined to catch up to them.
I let out a churring noise when I was close, and Oakley laughed, a small rumbly noise in this form. I loved it.
I was nearly at their tail when they looked back at me, yipped, and then somehow put on more speed. Here I was thinking I was going to catch up, and they weren’t even going their top speed.
Okay, maybe I was bigger than them, but they were definitely faster.
When they were fifty yards away, I roared, asking them to come back. To my surprise and delight, they didn’t hesitate to turn around and fly back toward me.
“Couldn’t keep up, could ya, old man?”
I froze so completely that I lost some altitude for a few seconds.
That had been Oakley’s voice in my head.
Only… only viramores who had a strong or growing bond could communicate like that.
“Oak? Can you hear me?”
They didn’t react, so I had to assume they didn’t, but I wasn’t ready to give up.
Since they were close, I flew right up to their face and carefully kept my wings back while I rubbed my cheek against theirs. They rumbled—it sounded like a very loud purr and was a happy and contented sound that made me rumble back.
“Can you hear me?” I practically shouted it in my head, hoping the proximity and loudness would help.
Oakley jerked back, looking surprised. “Woah. No need to shout, Rome.”
My dragon mouth opened up in a smile, and I lazily flapped my wings so I’d stay close to them and could watch their facial expressions—dragons weren’t as expressive as our bipedal forms, but there were subtle changes I could easily pick up on, and body language I understood since I was a dragon too. “You can hear me?”
“Yeah… I… I can.”
“You know this proves it, right? If you had any doubts that we’re viramores, this—”
“I didn’t doubt it.” They flapped their wings and turned in a small circle, likely giving themself a second to think. “My dragon already confirmed it.”
My smile only grew. “Yeah? Mine did as well.” I leaned in when they were facing me again and rubbed my snout against theirs. “Come on. Let me show you a place.”
“Lead the way, slowpoke.”
A rumbling laugh came out of me, and I turned around, making sure to smack their belly with my tail.
“Rude!”
They chased me, nipping at my tail and making me laugh, and then we started zigzagging, curling around each other, and flying belly to belly as we spun through the sky.
It was the most fun I’d had flying in a very long time, and from the look on Oak’s face, they were having a great time too.
When we finally landed outside a cave I’d claimed centuries ago, Oak seemed hesitant to go inside.
“What’s wrong?” I asked through our bond.
They huffed. “I… I’ve never been inside another dragon’s nest. I didn’t think… I didn’t think anyone else was allowed in? That’s what my mom always said, and the other elders agreed with her.”
My heart ached at the thought of their mother keeping them out of her own nest. What kind of parent did that to a child? Every dragon I knew let their entire family into their nest. In fact, sometimes they even made nests in the same space as other dragons they considered family or close friends.
“That’s not how your dad and I do it. We’ve both been in each other’s nests. We haven’t shared each other’s hoards, but our nests are free game.”
“Really?”
“Yep. Will you please come in? I want to show you, and I… well, even if I hadn’t shown anyone else, I’d want to share this with you.”
They stared at me for a few seconds. “Does that mean you’ll show me your hoard too?”
I snorted and rolled my eyes, then tucked my wings tight to my sides so I could walk through the cave’s entrance. “Obviously.” I hoped that one day we’d be able to combine our hoards, if I was being honest.
“You want to combine our hoards?” They practically screeched it in my head, and I flinched.
“You heard that?” Whoops. Guess I wasn’t used to this whole mind-speaking business.
“I’m not used to it either. And yes, I heard that, you nutty dragon. Why would we combine our hoards? That seems…” They trailed off, not finishing their sentence.
“I don’t mean now or anytime soon. I haven’t even convinced you to move in with me yet, so just… don’t even worry about it.”
“We’re literally on our first date right now. How are you trying to convince me to move in with you already?”
I did a small, irritated wing flap in response, unsure of how to respond to that.
Maybe we were on our first date, but it wasn’t like we were strangers.
I’d known Oakley for years, and now that they knew and acknowledged that we were viramores, I simply wanted to move full speed ahead.
I wanted to keep them with me all the time, I wanted to live together, I wanted to wake up every morning with them in my arms, I wanted to make love, I wanted to start a family together, I wanted… everything.
“Just so you know…” Oakley started, then let out a sound that was half amusement and half exasperation. “I could literally hear every single thing you want to do with me… you’re not very good at shielding your thoughts.”
Well, shit. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to… I don’t want to… I’m not trying to put any pressure on you, I swear. I’m okay with waiting as long as you need.”
“Uh-huh. Are we almost there yet? How long is this tunnel?”
I let them get away with the subject change. “Almost there.”
I walked the last few feet until the cave opened up into a large cavern that was big enough for me to stretch my wings and still not touch either wall.
I had literally made a nest out of straw and other things like that a long time ago, but over the years, I started adding blankets and other soft and comfortable things to make it even more inviting.
Along the ledges around the cavern, I’d placed a few little trinkets that I thought were nice but not special enough for my hoard. This place wasn’t guarded so anyone could come in, and I didn’t want to leave anything I’d be sad about being stolen.
“Wow,” Oakley said as they entered the cavern behind me. “This is really nice and a lot bigger than I expected.”
They used their snout to sniff around at all the little trinkets and at the edge of the nest itself before facing me for a few seconds. They looked like they wanted to say something but were nervous or something, so I waited as patiently as I could.
Finally, they made a small huffing noise to themself and said in my head, “I’ve never seen a dragon nest before.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean… I’ve never been inside one… I never… I’ve never made one or anything because I… didn’t know how.”
That… that took me aback for a few seconds.
How… how was that possible? Their mother was such an asshole.
Not only did she keep Oakley out of her nest, she hadn’t taught them how to make their own.
Or I assumed she didn’t because why else wouldn’t they have made one when they’d been living here for years?
“You’ve really never made one?”
They shook their head. “Don’t know how.”
It should be a natural instinct, but it seemed like the cult kind of screwed Oakley up so much that they either ignored their instincts or were taught to hold them back. My poor viramore.
Without thought, I stepped up to them and rubbed my entire body against theirs, then nudged their head, nuzzling the top of my head into the bottom of their jaw for a few seconds.
Oak was a little stiff at first—I knew already that they hadn’t had any positive touch in their dragon form before Garrick and I came along—but they softened slowly and started nuzzling back, albeit a little shyly.
And my Oakley wasn’t shy, so I hated that they felt so unsure of themself right now.
I gave their shoulder a nudge toward my nest. “Go on.”
“Go on where? What are you…?” They trailed off, staring at my large nest before blinking those big green eyes at me.
“Go on up.”
“You… want me… to go inside your nest?”
“Yes.”
“But… but it’s yours.”
I rubbed my face against theirs. “You’re mine too, babydoll.”
They inhaled sharply. “Are you sure?”
“One of the first things I did when I realized you’re my viramore was to make my nest larger. My dragon insisted on it, and I didn’t stop him. I would really love to have you in my nest with me, Oak. It would be an honor.”
They blinked, then nudged me back. “Well, you don’t have to get all sappy on me, Rome. Dork.”
I snorted, smiling as I watched them climb into the nest, walk around in a circle, and curl up in a ball. Without hesitation, I climbed in after them and curled my body around theirs, reveling in the feel of their warm scales against mine.
They nuzzled against my chin as we both settled down. Part of me wanted to shift back and hold them skin to skin, but my dragon side was in pure heaven right now, and something deep inside of me settled. This was just as good. And honestly, Oakley needed it.
I did too.
I still didn’t know all the horrors that’d been done to them, but I knew they’d been tortured more than once in their dragon form.
Hopefully, cuddling with my dragon would help heal the part of them that’d been missing out on what it truly meant to be part of a dragon clan, what it meant to be part of a dragon family, a part of my and Garrick’s clan.
I snuffled their head as they closed their eyes, and I couldn’t help but let my tongue loll out and give the top of their head a lick.
Oakley’s eyes shot open, but they didn’t move. “I took a shower already this morning. I don’t need a bath.”
My chest rumbled, and I gave them one last lick, making them sigh, before I lay my face against theirs.
“I’m gonna fall asleep.” Even Oak’s voice in my head sounded tired.
“That’s okay. We can sleep here.”
“What about the car, blankets, and our clothes?”
“I’m sure they’ll be fine. We can check in the morning.”
“What if you get towed?”
I gave a dragon shrug with a little wing flap. “That’s Tomorrow-Roman’s problem. Today-Roman just wants to cuddle with his mate and sleep.”
“Roman needs to never speak in third person ever again.”
I snorted. “Yeah, okay. I can do that.”
“Good.” After a beat, they quietly said through our bond, “Thanks for bringing me here, Rome… it’s… it’s wonderful.”
That made my dragon half happier than I thought it’d ever been. “Thank you. You’re welcome here anytime. Anytime at all.”
“You sure?”
“Of course.”
“I might take you up on that.”
“I hope you do.”
They were quiet for a moment before they yawned. “Goodnight, Roman.”
“Goodnight, babydoll.”
They tucked themself closer to me, and I could tell the moment they fell asleep. It wasn’t long before I followed them, happy, content, warm, safe, and… loved.
We slept all night long curled up together in my nest, and it was the best thing ever. When we arrived back at the car, I was happy to see everything undisturbed.
We made it back to Anton’s house by breakfast, and I didn’t miss all the sly glances Ker and Jed were giving Oak. For Oak’s part, they just kept rolling their eyes, but every time they caught my gaze, they smiled.
It was lovely.
They were lovely.
And I was pretty sure I could call last night a successful date.