17. Aries
Aries
P aige’s breathing quiets, and her body relaxes against my scales. I listen, counting her heartbeats to soothe my beast, who’s not exactly thrilled with his sleeping arrangements for the night. The confinement is getting to him.
Still, at least I’m able to shift down here.
Nearby, heat emanates from a large machine of some kind. It emits a soft buzzing that, even after days of being in this world, still sounds like a roar in my ears.
My heart aches for home.
For the soft breezes that move our grasses.
For the bubbling brooks that bring fresh water to our homes.
But mostly, it aches for the chance to take the woman I love somewhere safe and familiar. Somewhere nothing and no one can ever harm her.
This world is loud and dangerous.
Toxic.
I don’t belong in it—but Paige does.
Since the moment she told me of her vow to this place, I’ve thought of nothing else. And at the height of my desperation for her, our future became clear to me.
Her heart owns me whether she knows it or not.
There is no choice for me anymore.
I will stay with her, no matter what it costs me. To leave will kill me, but it’s not my life I care about anymore. All that matters is the safety of my mate, and to ensure that, I must remain by her side to protect her from any threats that rise against her.
In order to do that, I must give up my kingdom. Something I never thought I would do. But for a lifetime with Paige?
There is nothing I won’t do.