Chapter 27
Trust
DELILAH
Iwoke to a gentle nudge on my shoulder. “Wake up,” Titus said softly.
I opened my eyes to see the glowing amber orbs I had become so fond of gazing back at me.
I sat up, but a sharp flash of pain shot up my chest. The discomfort made me wince.
That’s when I remembered the mate mark—but it was more like a mate burn.
I touched the tender, blistered skin gently with my fingertips.
Christ, that hurt. I must have been so high on pleasure that I didn’t realize how painful it really was. I tucked my chin down to see what it looked like. It… it looked like… a blob… a circular, blistered, red, angry blob. All that pain for just a blob?
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” he said pridefully. “Oh…yeah. What is it?” I asked.
He chuckled. “You won’t be able to tell until it’s healed, but it’s a circle with a single flame inside. The flame is self-explanatory, but the circle is the symbol for eternity. You are mine for eternity…Pickles,” he murmured against my skin.
“So, it will be like, a scar?” I asked.
“Like a brand,” he replied darkly. “Anyways,” he continued, “Aurelius will be here in a couple hours, so you should go sleep in your own tent. I think it would be best to keep the marking a secret until after we have the God Dragon, don’t you?”
Why did his words feel like a punch to the gut?
Of course, the last thing I wanted was for Aurelius to find out about the marking, because then I might have to start being his mate for one day a month.
So keeping the mark and the unveiling of our past lives a secret did seem like the right thing to do.
Still, I couldn’t help but feel disappointed.
“Uh… yeah, of course. Goodnight.”
He rolled over, facing away from me, and presumably fell back asleep.
I lifted the flap of canvas to exit, and a brisk chill pricked my skin.
I wasn’t wearing much—just the thin lingerie mini dress.
That’s when I noticed Titus’s shirt he had let me borrow earlier, still bunched up on the blanket by the fire.
I pulled it over my head; the soft fabric that had been keeping warm by the fire was instant relief.
I scurried back to my tent. Barefoot, I tried to avoid stepping on sharp sticks or rocks in the dark.
There was a cot in my tent too— smaller than his—but I was smaller, so it made sense.
I curled beneath the fur blankets and forced my eyes shut, but sleep would not come.
The loneliness only grew stronger after what we had just shared.
I knew I would have to carry on as if nothing had changed to protect our secret, but I had hoped that, just for tonight, we could belong to each other without fear.
I awoke to the sound of male voices, realizing I must have managed to fall asleep again. Hearing the familiar noises of a dragon I was especially fond of; I hurried out of my tent to find her.
“Zephyros!” I shouted, immediately noticing Titus and Aurelius standing by the remnants of our fire, facing me.
Aurelius’s face went pale, but the shock lasted only a heartbeat before something darker, something furious, claimed his features at the sight of me.
It dawned on me that I was wearing Titus’s shirt.
Thankfully, it concealed my mate mark, though it didn’t hide much else, and Aurelius clearly didn’t like it.
Feeling extremely awkward, I walked out of sight to greet my favorite dragon.
They could no longer see me, but I could see and hear everything.
Aurelius looked accusingly at the High Lord. Titus held his reaction and stood unbothered.
“She forgot pajamas,” he said to Aurelius coolly.
Aurelius stepped forward, but Titus didn’t move. “Then why are you covered in her scent, Titus?” Aurelius snarled.
Titus’s mouth twitched like he was enjoying the reaction, he tipped his head, slow, like a predator sizing up prey “That’s not all I’m covered in,” he replied pointedly with a smirk.
“You are disgusting,” Aurelius replied.
Titus stood with formidable posture—commanding but casual, hands in his pockets. He grinned arrogantly and nodded to his second. Titus raised his cadence to a more official tone for me to hear.
“Deliver all three crystals to their designated towns, and I’ll expect a report on the security efforts on my desk when I get back. You are dismissed, Dragon Master.”
Aurelius paused. After several moments of a stare-off between them, he finally gave Titus a short bow and walked away.
I turned my attention back to Zephyros, stroking her shiny scales while she purred. The crunching of grass sounded behind me as Aurelius approached. We stood side by side, petting Zephyros inconspicuously. Her warm scales vibrated under my palm, a steady purr that grounded me.
Aurelius’s fingers brushed the back of my hand once, soft, and careful, then stilled.
“Did he hurt you?” Aurelius asked in a quiet voice.
I kept my eyes on Zephyros’s neck, stroking the same spot as if it could smooth the awkwardness.
“What?” I asked suspiciously.
His jaw flexed. He didn’t look at me. He looked at Titus’s tent, then back to my hands like he could read the truth there.
“Did he force himself on you?” he asked with clenched teeth, both concerned and enraged.
Zephyros let out a low rumble, sensing the shift. I slid my hand higher on her shoulder as if to calm her… or myself.
“Of course not. Nothing happened, Aurelius,” I snapped back quietly.
Aurelius exhaled through his nose, sharp and controlled. He stepped away and yanked the pack that held the crystals tight on Zephyros’s side until the leather creaked. Then he mounted the saddle.
“You shouldn’t lie, Delilah. You’re terrible at it,” he replied, and commanded Zephyros into the sky.
The wind from her wings kicked grit into my face. I blinked it away, watching him lift off without looking back.
I changed into the same leather outfit I wore yesterday. I was relieved it was dry from the quick rinse I gave it in the lake last night.
I met Titus near Draxxinar; the camp was already packed. He cinched a strap on the supply bundle without glancing up, like everything was business again.
“Well, that was weird,” I commented.
He slid the last buckle into place with a hard click. “Good morning to you too,” he replied.
“Does he know you marked me?” I asked. My fingers automatically rose toward my chest—then stopped, catching myself.
“No. Don’t worry about him… instead… worry about him,” he said, gesturing to Draxxinar.
Draxxinar shifted, scales grinding like stone, and a thin curl of steam drifted from his nostrils.
Looking confused, I asked, “Who, Drax?”
The High Lord nodded. “It’s a short flight to Coralis Falls, and today you are flying us there.”
He finally looked at me, expression unreadable, like he was waiting to see how I'd respond.
“Me? Fly Draxxinar, the biggest dragon in the Realm?”
It’s one thing to interact with the beast and not get scorched or eaten. It’s another thing entirely to command and fly him. When I stole Zephyros, I was terrified—adrenaline was the only reason I somehow managed to do it.
“Don’t you think we should talk first?” I asked. He didn’t stop packing to look at me.
“Talk about what?” he replied, unbothered.
“Oh. I don’t know. Maybe how last night I discovered you are the reincarnation of my ex-fiancé? I have a bazillion questions, and you— you’re so calm. How can you possibly be calm?!” I said, throwing my hands in the air with exasperation.
He stopped loading the bags and looked at me, arms crossed.
“Might I remind you that I am a High Lord and I have responsibilities? I’ve agreed to this little detour of yours because I care about you and want to make you happy, but we have to get going. I cannot be delayed any further,” he said in an authoritative tone.
“Danny, I—” I started, before he cut me off.
“My name is not Danny! Maybe it used to be, but not anymore. I am Titus, High Lord of the Kingdom of Flame.” He stepped in closer, dropped his shoulders, and sighed.
“How much do you remember?” I prodded carefully.
“Not as much as you’d like. I’ve been here for so long that it’s all hazy, like recalling a dream I had ages ago.
I know it happened, but the specifics are missing.
For some reason, I can only recall memories involving you.
I’m not familiar with how veil magic works, it might depend on the person—but I have no recollections of my childhood, or really anyone else.
All I remember is my name, you, our memories together, and the feelings I had for you—nothing beyond that,” he explained calmly.
“That doesn’t make any sense. You—Danny—died only ten years ago. How can you be here and full grown?” I asked.
He exhaled and widened his eyes like he was trying to figure out how he was going to explain what he said next.
“Time affects each realm differently. Ten years there could be ten thousand here. Additionally, the realms don’t follow linear timelines, this moment could be taking place in the past,
present, or future from your mortal realm timeline. That's why the longer you are in the Fae Realm, the memories of any past lives are slowly eaten away by magic.”
It made sense—surprisingly. I understood because I was experiencing all of it firsthand: how distant I felt from Jared, how my memories of my life on earth had been difficult to recall, and I had only been here a short time.
I could only imagine what it would be like to be born and raised here, to have years’ worth of memories here.
I comprehended everything now. I didn’t have my Danny back. I had a crumb of him back—but it was enough. It had to be.
“I’m grateful to have another chance with you. Any version of you,” I added.
I smiled and slipped my hand into his. He gave my hand a gentle squeeze, then raised it to his mouth and kissed it.
“Are you ready to get going?” he asked calmly this time. I nodded.