Chapter 4 #2
They soon walked through the corridors of his castle, her presence beside him both soothing and maddening. The click of her heels against the stone floors created a rhythm that seemed to match his heartbeat, and he fought the urge to slow his pace just to keep her near him longer.
“Your castle is magnificent,” Lila said, her voice carrying genuine appreciation as they passed tapestries depicting dragon history. “The architecture feels both ancient and futuristic.”
“Nova Aurora’s builders understood that strength and beauty aren’t mutually exclusive.” The pride in his voice surprised him.
When had he last cared what anyone thought of his home?
They found Gerri precisely where he expected—emerging from the direction of his mother’s private chambers with that satisfied expression she wore when her schemes were proceeding according to plan.
“Ah, there you are!” Gerri’s eyes sparkled with mischief as she approached them. “How did your first session go?”
Draven caught Lila glancing at him, those perceptive green eyes searching his face for cues. The weight of her attention made his chest tighten in ways that had nothing to do with anxiety.
“Better than I expected,” he admitted, and it wasn’t entirely a lie. The session had revealed his fated mate, stabilized his dragon, and introduced the most dangerous temptation he’d ever faced. Better didn’t begin to cover the complexity of what had just occurred.
“Wonderful!” Gerri clapped her hands together with obvious delight. “I had a feeling Lila would be able to work her magic. She has such a gift for healing troubled souls.” She paused and met Draven’s gaze with a knowing look. “I really must be getting back to Earth now. My job is never done.”
Draven turned and walked Gerri toward the main entrance, Lila trailing behind them. He could feel her presence like warmth against his back, every step she took sending awareness racing down his spine.
Once at the door, Gerri turned to Lila and whispered something in her ear that made Lila smile. “Trust your intuition,” he caught the tail end of Gerri’s words. “And don’t overthink so much.”
Then Gerri was gone, leaving him alone with his fated mate in the sudden silence of the castle’s grand foyer.
Two weeks with Lila living under my roof.
The thought both thrilled and terrified him. His dragon wanted to claim her immediately and end the torment of restraint. But his human mind rebelled against the impossibility of the situation.
“I should show you to your guest suite,” he said abruptly, needing distance before he did something monumentally stupid like pulling her against him and claiming her mouth.
Put space between you two before you ruin everything.
He led her through the castle’s residential wing, hyperaware of her every movement beside him. The guest suite was strategically located several corridors away from his private chambers—a precaution that now seemed laughably inadequate.
“Here we are.” He opened the door to reveal a spacious room with panoramic windows overlooking the cliffside landscape. “Make yourself at home. If you need anything—clothes, food, technology—anything at all, just ask.”
“This is perfect, thank you.” She moved to the windows, and the afternoon light caught in her dark hair like fire. “Could I possibly get a phone to call my friend and brother back on Earth? I promised I’d check in.”
“I’ll have a communicator brought to you by this evening.” The request was reasonable. So why did the thought of her talking to other people make his teeth clench?
“Thank you for your generosity,” she said, turning to face him. “And for letting me stay here while I help you with your condition.”
Condition. The clinical term should have stung, but coming from her lips it sounded almost... compassionate.
“I should be thanking you for taking time out of your life to come here and help me.” The admission scraped against his pride, but her presence demanded honesty.
“I couldn’t think of a better way to get a little sightseeing in while working.” Her smile was teasing, and it transformed her face from beautiful to absolutely luminous.
I’d love to show you every inch of Nova Aurora, he thought desperately.
“I’ll see you tomorrow then for our next session,” he managed, his voice strained with the effort of maintaining control.
He turned and walked away before his restraint snapped completely, his strides eating up the distance between her suite and his private chambers with desperation.
The moment his door closed behind him, Draven collapsed into his favorite leather chair and buried his face in his hands. The scent of wildflowers and rain still clung to his clothes, driving his dragon to distraction.
A knock interrupted his internal struggle.
“Enter.”
Jarek stepped into the room, taking one look at Draven’s disheveled state before settling into the chair across from him.
“That good, huh?” Jarek’s green eyes sparkled with knowing amusement.
“She’s my fated mate, Jarek.”
Jarek whistled low. “Well, that’s some heavy stuff, brother. You’re definitely going to struggle with that.”
“I can’t compromise her role here. My mental stability depends on her professional help, but how am I supposed to maintain boundaries when everything screams at me to claim her?”
“Keep that knowledge private for now,” Jarek advised, his expression growing serious. “Maintain those professional boundaries. But...” A grin tugged at his lips. “Maybe you could flirt a little. Test the waters without jeopardizing her mission.”
Draven’s communicator buzzed, interrupting his response. Veyra’s face appeared on the small screen, her blonde hair perfectly styled and her pale blue eyes sharp with concern.
“Draven, darling, I’m calling to check on you after yesterday’s episode. How are you feeling today?”
Something in her tone set his teeth on edge. “I’m managing,” he replied curtly.
“You seem... different. Did something happen today?”
My fated mate arrived and turned my world upside down.
“Dr. Reyes from Earth arrived to begin therapy sessions at my mother’s request.”
Veyra’s expression darkened almost imperceptibly. “A human therapist? From Earth? That seems excessive and unnecessary.”
The dismissive tone sparked protective anger in Draven’s chest. “Dr. Reyes will be staying for two weeks to provide intensive treatment. My mental stability is the priority right now.”
“Of course.” Veyra’s smile looked strained. “I wish you luck with... that.”
She ended the call abruptly, leaving Draven staring at the blank screen with growing unease.
“That was odd,” Jarek observed.
Before Draven could respond, his communicator buzzed again. This time, Corin Vale’s familiar face appeared—the human rogue who’d proven useful in territorial negotiations.
“Your Majesty.” Corin’s gray eyes held an intensity that immediately put Draven on alert. “I hope you don’t mind the intrusion, but I’ve come across some information that might interest you.”
“What kind of information?”
“About your... condition. I’ve heard rumors of a cure that actually works without a fated mate.” Corin leaned closer to his screen. “The fire madness can be permanently cured through a mate bond with another dragon shifter using this antidote.”
Draven’s blood chilled. “And you’re telling me this because?”
“Councilor Veyra has been researching this extensively. She believes she could provide the stabilization you need.” Corin’s smile was carefully neutral. “Just something to consider for immediate relief, Your Majesty.”
The call ended, and Draven stared at the dark screen with his mind reeling.
“The timing of all this is convenient,” Jarek said quietly.
Draven nodded, his thoughts churning with confusion and suspicion.
What game are they playing?
But beneath the political calculations, his dragon remained utterly certain. Lila was his fated mate. The mate bond was real and undeniable. Whatever Veyra and Corin were scheming, it couldn’t change that fundamental truth.
The question was whether he could resist the temptation of their immediate cure long enough to see if Lila would ever choose him. Or if time would run out before then and the fire madness consumed him entirely.