Chapter 12 Draven
TWELVE
DRAVEN
Draven’s heart pounded as he stood in Lila’s guest suite, her floral scent wrapping around him like a soothing balm.
She looked absolutely breathtaking in that yellow sundress—the color bringing out the golden flecks in her green eyes and making her skin glow like warm honey.
But it was the determined set of her shoulders that made his dragon stir with sudden terror.
Her words from moments before, “Draven, we need to talk,” were the words every man dreaded hearing from the woman they wanted to be with. His jaw clenched as he prepared for the bombshell that would shatter what little control he had left.
“Sit down,” she said gently, gesturing to the plush armchair near the windows.
“I’d rather stand.” His voice came out sharper than he’d intended, his alpha instincts already preparing him to bolt if she delivered the crushing blow he expected. Standing gave him the illusion of power, of being ready to escape before she could see how completely her rejection would destroy him.
Only Lila can truly anchor me. Without her, I’m lost.
But then she moved closer, her bare feet silent on the thick rug, and his breathing began to steady despite his fear.
She reached for his hands, her smaller fingers intertwining with his, and the simple touch sent warmth flooding through his entire body.
His dragon practically purred at the contact, settling down after the last hour of being restless.
This is a good sign. She wouldn’t touch me if she was about to leave.
“I’m willing to explore this fated mate thing,” she said quietly, her eyes searching his face. “See where it goes.”
Draven’s knees nearly buckled with relief. It wasn’t a complete yes, but it wasn’t the total rejection he’d been bracing for either. He squeezed her hands, unable to suppress the fierce smile that spread across his face.
“There’s something else I need to confess,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. “I don’t know how you’ll react, but you deserve the truth.”
Her eyebrows drew together in concern, but she didn’t pull away.
“The reason my fire madness has gotten so bad is because I hadn’t found my fated mate.
And the only true cure...” He took a shaky breath, knowing this revelation could send her running faster than anything else.
“The cure is for me to claim you completely. To have sex with you and mark you as mine. Once our bond is fully completed, the fire madness will disappear.” He paused for a moment and searched her face for any sign of disgust. “That’s exactly what happened with my father when he found my mother. ”
Lila’s hands slipped from his as if he’d burned her, and she sank into the chair behind her like her legs could no longer support her weight.
Shit. I’ve terrified her.
Draven immediately dropped to his knees in front of her. His hands hovered near her knees, desperate to touch but not wanting to crowd her when she was clearly overwhelmed.
“I’m not trying to pressure you into anything,” he said urgently, his alpha nature warring with his need to give her space. “That’s just the truth of my condition. I’m willing to try your therapy and see if that works. But the cure is right here if you’ll accept me.”
Lila stared at him with wide eyes, her breathing shallow. “So I’m not just your fated mate. I’m literally the cure to your mental health condition. But only if I sleep with you and let you mark me forever.”
The clinical way she said it made him wince, but he nodded. “I know it’s a lot to process.”
“A lot?” She let out a breathless laugh that held no humor.
“Draven, this morning I was a trauma psychologist from Earth trying to help a patient. Now I find out I’m his fated mate and the magical cure to his hereditary mental illness that requires me to essentially commit to him for life to activate. ”
Her words stung, but he could see the conflict in her beautiful face—fear warring with desire.
“Lila, I’m running out of time,” he admitted, hating how vulnerable he sounded. “My condition is getting worse by the day. You’ve seen it firsthand.”
Lila leaned forward, studying his face with those perceptive green eyes. “Draven, I want you,” she said softly, and his heart nearly stopped. “I want to explore this feeling I have when I’m with you. In my heart and body, this feels right. But my mind is struggling to process everything.”
Draven reached up and cupped her face, his thumbs stroking across her soft cheekbones. The simple touch sent electricity through his veins, and he could see her pupils dilate in response.
“I’ll do whatever it takes to make you feel comfortable,” he said fiercely. “Whatever you need from me to trust me, to want to stay with me. I’ve waited eighteen years for you, Lila. I can wait a little longer.”
Even if it killed him.
She leaned into his touch, her eyes fluttering closed for a moment before opening again with new determination.
“Okay,” she said, standing and smoothing her yellow dress.
“Why don’t we start with taking a nice walk in the castle gardens for our therapy session today?
We both could probably use the fresh air. ”
Draven rose to his feet, towering over her but somehow feeling like she held all the power in this moment.
“The gardens it is.”
Draven’s chest swelled with fierce satisfaction as he soon guided Lila through the ancient stone archway that led to the castle gardens.
The morning sunlight cast dancing shadows through the twisted branches of the volcanic ash trees, their silver leaves shimmering like scattered coins in the breeze.
His dragon hummed with contentment at having his mate beside him, even if she hadn’t fully accepted him yet.
She said she’s willing to explore this. That’s more than I dared hope for an hour ago.
“This is absolutely stunning,” Lila breathed, her green eyes wide as she took in the terraced gardens that cascaded down the volcanic slope.
Crystalline fountains bubbled with mineral-rich water that glowed faintly blue, and exotic flowers in shades of deep purple and molten orange bloomed despite the harsh terrain.
“My ancestors have taken great pride in these gardens for over a thousand years,” Draven said, unable to keep his own pride from his voice. “They believed the volcanic soil held ancient healing energy. The gardens were designed to harness that power.”
Lila paused beside a fountain carved from black obsidian, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. “I can feel it. There’s something here that makes me feel lighter and more energized.”
Of course she can feel it. The mate bond is already strengthening her connection to this place.
Without thinking, Draven reached for her hand, his fingers intertwining with hers. The contact sent warmth shooting up his arm and straight to his heart. When she didn’t pull away, his dragon rumbled with approval deep in his chest.
They strolled hand in hand along the winding stone path, past beds of fire blossoms that only grew in Nova Aurora’s unique soil. The silence between them was comfortable now, charged with possibility rather than tension.
“So,” Lila said, slipping into her professional mode with an ease that both impressed and amused him, “yesterday I asked you to journal about your fears. You mentioned you wrote some things down.”
Draven’s jaw tightened slightly. Even in this peaceful setting, discussing his deepest fears made his alpha instincts want to deflect and protect. But if he wanted her trust, he had to give her honesty.
“I wrote down three main fears,” he said quietly.
Lila squeezed his hand encouragingly, and the simple gesture gave him the courage to continue.
“Fear number one: That the fire madness will consume me and I’ll lose control completely, becoming the monster everyone expects.
” The words tasted bitter on his tongue, but once they started flowing, he couldn’t stop them.
“Fear number two: That the Dominion will crumble under a broken king if I don’t get better.
Fear number three...” He paused, swallowing hard.
“That I’ll never be worthy of the crown my father died protecting. ”
Lila stopped walking and turned to face him fully, her therapist’s instincts clearly kicking in. “Those are completely valid fears, especially for someone suffering from your condition and feeling hopeless. But Draven, they’re fears about things that will never happen if you get better.”
She believes I can get better.
“Now that I’ve told you about our mate bond and that you’re the cure for my condition,” he admitted, his thumb stroking across her knuckles, “I feel less afraid about the present and future.”
The words hung, heavy with implication. He was still worried about what would happen if she didn’t accept him fully, but he was trying not to let that stress consume him.
“Why don’t you just try to enjoy this moment with me right now?” Lila suggested, her voice soft but firm. “Stop thinking so much about making everything perfect or solving every problem. Sometimes just letting things happen naturally is even better than if it’s all planned out.”
Her words hit him like a revelation. For eighteen years, he’d been trying to control everything—his kingdom, his condition, his destiny. But maybe what he needed was to simply trust in this moment, in her, in the bond that connected them.
Taking her advice to heart, Draven stopped and turned to face her completely. The morning light caught the golden highlights in her dark hair, and her green eyes sparkled with warmth.
Without a word, he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her.
This kiss was different from the one they’d shared at the cliff overlook.
There was no wine clouding their judgment, no romantic dinner setting the mood.
This was pure, honest desire sparked by genuine connection.
Her lips were soft and warm against his, and when she melted into him with a soft sigh, his dragon roared with triumph.
She kissed him back with equal passion, her hands fisting in the fabric of his shirt as if she couldn’t get close enough.
They got lost in each other for what felt like hours but was probably only minutes, the rest of the world fading away until there was nothing but the taste of her lips and the feeling of rightness that flooded through him.
When they finally broke their kiss, both breathing hard, Draven felt more alive and free than he had in years.
“I have an idea about being truly spontaneous,” he said, his voice husky with desire and excitement. “There’s a hidden cove by the cliffs where the view is magical. I want to take you there now.”
Lila’s face lit up with genuine enthusiasm. “That sounds like a perfect idea.”
“Would you want to fly on my dragon’s back to get there faster?” The question slipped out before he could second-guess himself. Most humans were terrified of dragon flight, but something told him Lila might be different.
Her eyes widened, but with excitement rather than fear. “That sounds really exciting.”
My brave, beautiful mate.
Draven led her to a clearing in the gardens where ancient trees formed a natural circle. The space had been used for dragon transformations for generations, the ground worn smooth by countless shifts.
“Stand back for a minute,” he instructed, his pulse quickening with anticipation.
Lila stepped back obediently, her eyes never leaving his face as he began to call on his dragon.
The transformation was always intense, but with his mate watching, every sensation felt heightened.
Heat raced through his veins as his bones stretched and reformed, his skin giving way to obsidian scales that gleamed like polished black glass.
His massive wings unfurled, casting shadows across the clearing as his powerful dragon form settled where the man had stood moments before.
“Oh my God,” Lila whispered, her voice filled with wonder rather than fear. “You’re so majestic and powerful.”
In his dragon form, Draven couldn’t speak, but he could feel her excitement and awe through their strengthening mate bond. The pure acceptance in her voice made his dragon’s chest swell with pride. He lowered his great head, offering his back to her.
To his amazement and delight, she climbed on eagerly, settling herself between his shoulder blades with natural grace. Her small hands gripped the ridge scales along his neck, and when she was secure, he launched himself into the sky with powerful beats of his wings.
She was meant to be here, flying with me like this, he thought as they soared above the volcanic landscape.
This is everything.