Prologue #4
A realm where you were considered an adult long before you actually were ready, a place where you were trained to understand that your purpose was fighting first. There wasn’t a lot of room for emotional vulnerability or softness in such a militaristic culture, and we had, of course, been raised no different.
It was just one more reason why I was so uncomfortable with the notion of returning there. I didn’t want the hard, cold nature of the people there to affect Maya or her opinion of us.
I wasn’t liked. I was feared. No one in my family would ever be liked, and that made it difficult to soften our reputation for our mate that was walking into a brand-new realm without fully understanding how drastically different the culture was to the Earth realm.
It was something she would have to experience, and while I planned on warning her, I had no doubt that there would be people who encouraged her to not be our mate.
Not that she really had an option anymore, if we were being honest. She was not only marked by three of us, but now showcased our flight’s mark on her arm.
The rumble my dragon produced echoed through the room as I gently eased her arm out from under the blanket to examine it, her lashes fluttering as her lips pressed together and she fell back asleep, ignoring the disturbance.
The brand was gorgeous against her skin, and I found myself wanting even more reminders of our flight’s claim on her.
I craved to hear it from her own lips, hear her admitting that she was ours and that she loved me.
Pressing my lips against the pulse in her wrist, I inhaled the scent of her blood, the faint and intoxicating scent of sea salt, ashes, and rose drifting over my senses as her entire frame seemed to shimmer with an ethereal light.
The woman was a vibrant flame, like the sun trapped inside the shape of the woman I was so clearly obsessed with.
It was one of the reasons I had such a hard time blaming others for their obsession with her.
I mean, I had never understood humans’ fascination with those they considered ‘rich and famous,’ but Maya was admittedly and undeniably captivating.
The woman was like a sun beam in every single image and piece of video that was taken of her, and tonight at the event had been no different.
It was like she was glowing from within, and I couldn’t help but want copies of the pictures of her looking up at me as we walked into the venue.
It was a notion that had me laughing because I had never felt sentimental about shit my entire life, but now I wanted nothing more than to have pictures of her on my desk at work.
Not just there, either. I wanted pictures of her decorating every wall of our home.
I feared she would probably realize how certifiable I was at that point.
Unfortunately, while my obsession was at least justified with her being my mate, I was starting to believe that there was some solid evidence to support this notion about people fixating on phoenixes in general.
Not just humans either, although they did seem to make up most of the cult fixation through history.
Even the news channels run by the supernatural community seemed hyper-focused on her.
I could at least be happy that it was all in a positive light, but I did worry what type of attention this would yield.
I knew there were people out there that would do anything to get their hands on someone like Maya, and that wasn’t even including the supernatural influence of her aura.
When we came back from the Dreki realm, we would need to increase security, especially around the house.
I think we had been assuming that there was some level of rationale here at play, but I had a feeling that once she disappeared again for a few days, especially with time passing faster on Earth than on Dreki, the humans would become only that much more captivated and interested in her story.
My jaw clenched, knowing that if it was bad here, it would be absolutely nothing compared to how this shit would play out in the Dreki realm.
Were we ready for that? I suppose we had to be. We didn’t have much of an option.
“Marco?” Maya’s soft voice brought my eyes back down to the woman looking up at me with a pair of sleepy golden eyes.
There was something different about them than normal, though.
Ever since shifting, it was like I could feel her creature underneath her skin.
My dragon let out a rumble, responding to the energy as I smoothed my fingers over her face gently, loving the way she seemed to lean into my touch.
“Do you want to move to the bedroom?” I asked, keeping my voice soft and relaxed despite feeling very much the opposite.
Maya rolled on her back, reaching her fingers up to brush my jaw. “No.”
“No?” I mused quietly.
“You will end up just coming back out here and staying awake by yourself,” she pointed out softly, and I chuckled. She wasn’t wrong.
“I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep tonight,” I admitted. “I’m…”
“Worried about tomorrow?” she filled in after I hesitated, that flash of wisdom and innate knowledge going through her golden gaze. She made it ten times easier for me to admit my insecurity.
“Yes,” I breathed out. “I am a bit worried.”
Maya let out a soft hum from her throat as she nodded. “Then I will sleep out here. I don’t want you to be alone.”
“Okay.” I couldn’t argue with her.
Her words were muffled by a yawn as she murmured, “Remember, whatever it is, Marco, we can handle it together.”
I couldn’t help but smile, my chest tightening with so much emotion that it was overwhelming, as she closed her eyes again, curling the blanket in her hands as she pulled her feet up.
I watched with fascination as she easily fell back into a state of peace.
Good. I had absolutely no idea how she managed it, but I was fucking thrilled that she was able to.
I knew I could give Maya almost everything, but this?
The ability for her to feel safe and loved enough to fall asleep?
That meant more to me than anything. I just hoped that I could continue to make her feel this way, even with everything to come.