22. Is That a Deal?
22
Is That a Deal?
“ H e hates me.” Eira helplessly slumped down on the bed once they were in the confines of her new room.
“Who?” Ryu asked, raising a brow. “My father?”
“Yes,” she breathed like it was obvious.
“No, he doesn’t.” He approached to comfort her, then placed his arm over her shoulders and let her know why his father had perhaps been the least welcoming. “He is disappointed in me for almost costing us the dynasty.”
“Well, you’re his son, so he’ll get over it.” She tossed his arm off her shoulder and got back to her feet, unable to keep from pacing. “Look at me, though. I’m simply … inadequate.”
“Eira, don’t say that about yoursel—”
“It’s true. Look at me.” She gestured at herself, trying to send her point home, but Ryu simply wasn’t having it.
“Enough.” This time, his tone came out rather harshly; he didn’t appreciate her manner of speaking about herself. “I don’t want to ever hear you talk about yourself that way again. Do you understand me?”
She didn’t know how or when he had gotten up and closed the distance between them, only that she now stood staring up at an enraged man who could change into a dragon at any second if it pleased him so.
“Do you understand?” he repeated when she had been too breathless to answer.
Managing a nod was the best she could do in this moment.
“Good,” Ryu said once he was certain she wouldn’t be making that mistake again. As he continued with his next critique, he let his voice soften. “Your choice in attire, however, leaves a lot to be desired.”
Even though he tried his best to say it in a joking manner, she knew the truth held behind it, making her feel completely defeated now. “You don’t like it?”
Seeing her hurt, he desperately tried to sound nicer but still had to be honest. “I’m not that fond of the color. I had something like that in mind for if you were mourning.”
“ Mourning ?” She was appalled at how horrible he was with his words in this moment. He was quite literally being the opposite of comforting when she had just literally flown across the ocean to live in his home.
Sensing that he was making things worse, he quickly explained his thinking. “As royalty, it’s best to wear them for such occasions.”
“Oh …” She licked her dry lips, remembering his mother’s fate. “I see.”
Ryu sighed. “Did you not like the things I bought?”
“What? Of course I did.” She was taken off guard and now felt guilty, understanding why he had brought it up in the first place. She could now see the hurt in his eyes when she reached for his hand. “They are all lovely. Every single thing is extraordinary, and I thank you for all the thought and care you clearly put in picking each piece.” She made sure he knew she was sincere because she was. Truthfully, she was. “But … I just don’t want all that attention, at first ,” Eira clarified before she could get his hopes up. “I need to get used to it, is all.”
The corner of his lip lifted in a slow smile. “I understand. You need time.”
“Thank you.” Relief flooded her that she could hold on to the security of wearing darker colors a bit longer. His comment, however, brought her to the next point she had wanted to ask during dinner. “Ryu … how old are you?”
Silence enveloped them for a few moments before he finally answered, “Old- er .” At once, he knew by her face that she was clearly not only unimpressed by his particular wording, but he answered with a shrug, “Honestly, at my age, you kind of lose count.”
“And you didn’t think to tell me?” Frustration was evident in her voice.
“Time moves differently for me, so I’m technically your age, give or take a few years. Besides, it doesn’t exactly change the fact I’m your fated mate, now does it?”
“No,” she grumbled in defeat after several cursed thoughts. “But it would have been nice to know.”
“I apologize for not telling you,” he said sincerely.
“Is there anything else you’d like to tell me?”
“Well …” It was obvious by his starting tone that there was. “You will age slower now, too.”
“I know that already,” Eira grumbled again, letting him know he was too late telling her that as well.
“Okay, well, good. That should be it, then,” Ryu confirmed, like a weight had been lifted … almost. “I think .”
Eira couldn’t help but laugh at him, knowing he wasn’t capable of being malicious toward her. He was right; even if Ryu had been alive since the dawn of time, nothing would matter with the pull they felt between each other.
Twisting his hand in hers, she was reminded of the longing that coursed through her body and the words his father had told her earlier.
The pain you are causing him, Eira, is cruel.
She noticed the flex in his jaw just by the simple action, which did let her know it was true.
For the first time, Eira was the one to initiate intimacy between them. Kissing him passionately, she pushed at his chest until he backed up to the bed. When she gave him a harder shove, he took the hint and fell back down on top of it.
With him now eye level with her, her fingertips slowly went to the buttons of her top.
Ryu was so captured by her beauty that it wasn’t until she had released three of the small gold buttons and got an eyeful of the tops of her breasts that he noticed she was undressing. If he let her undo just one more button, he was certain they would splay free, and then he’d no longer be certain that he could stop her.
He grabbed her hands to cease her from going further, and his voice came out hoarse, making it sound much harsher than he had intended. “What are you doing?”
“What do you think I’m doing?” she asked, shooing his hands away in an attempt to continue.
“As much as I’d love to,” Ryu grumbled painfully, capturing her hands in a loving but tighter grip, “I know you’re not ready yet.”
“I am.” She tried her best to convince him, and when she wasn’t sure it had worked, she swept his mouth up in a fervent kiss, hoping it would make him forget.
He kissed her back for only a moment before Ryu’s wits returned. Rising back to his feet, he put distance between them. “What’s going on, Eira?”
“I-I-I thought this is what you wanted?” she asked, confused.
“It is, but not if you’re not ready,” he assured her gruffly before his tone turned sweet. “My only desire is to have you willing and wanting it as much as me.”
Eira slumped down again, defeated. “Sorry.”
“You do not need to apologize.” He grabbed her face, rubbing his thumb over the burns on her cheek. “I just don’t understand where this came from all of a sudden.” He was just as confused.
“I-I just thought it was something I was supposed to do, is all.” She decided to keep the reason why to herself.
“I would never ask you to do anything you do not want to do, Eira. I apologize if I made you think otherwise. I know moving here and changing your whole life are things I might have expected from you, but you do have free will, and I will no longer make you feel otherwise.”
She knew he meant every word. The relief that flooded her brought her to tears. It hadn’t even been a full day, and she hated it here, wanting nothing more than to go back home. And now, she didn’t have to hide it.
“I don’t think I belong here, Ryu,” she whispered truthfully.
“Oh, Eira,” he crooned, wiping up the fallen tear. Then, when she continued to sob uncontrollably, he held her close to his chest. “You would not be my fated mate if you didn’t.”
She tried to get her words out through the harsh sobs, but it took a moment, afraid he wouldn’t actually let her. “Can … I … go … back … home?”
“You can.” He nodded. “But could you give me just one more day? And then, if you still want to leave, I’ll fly you back home tomorrow night … Is that a deal?”
Eira sniffled, already feeling lighter. “Deal.” Flying in the clutches of his dragon form again didn’t sound like fun, but she’d gladly do it to get back home.
Just one more day. She smiled before letting out a big yawn. Today had been long, and it was starting to catch up with her.
“I almost forgot.” Ryu reached into his pocket for the small vial that was supposed to help her dreams. “One drop.”
“P-Please, can I-I go?” she pleaded, fearing what her future might hold from this moment forward.
Lucca stared down at her, bringing his hand up close to her face. “I don’t think you understand.”
Chloe’s breath caught in her throat. She desperately wanted to close her eyes, but his wouldn’t let her, forcing her to remain looking up at him.
“There is no leaving,” he continued, careful not to touch her, though he twirled a strand of her silky black hair around his finger. “You’re mine now, Chloe.”…
Eira suddenly awoke, grateful to not have woken up Ryu with her night terrors. She didn’t know how he would have felt about her not taking her potion when she’d told him she had. Truthfully, she had no idea why she hadn’t just taken it. All she had was a feeling that she was dreaming these dreams for a reason. But after that one, she no longer cared to find out the reasoning. The man named Lucca was simply too menacing.
Quickly adjusting her eyes to the darkness, she quietly took the vial sitting on the bedside table that was supposed to keep her dreams at bay and dropped a single drop to the tip of her finger before placing it on her tongue. Taking a deep breath, she put it back and got comfortable again, watching a peacefully sleeping Ryu with a content smile on her face.
Eira was able to go back to sleep with the thought she was certain that Ryu was nothing— nothing —like the man who had been haunting her dreams.