Chapter 27 Dirty Secret
There was an eerie quiet that swept over the place, once the sound of Xander's footsteps completely faded. She looked around the room. How long did they plan to keep her up here? She wasn’t going to lose her head over the situation.
It never did anyone any good to panic. Panicking made you unfocused and unable to think clearly.
This was the complete opposite of what was needed in a tough situation.
Okay, self. We’re going to go and take a nice hot shower—I’m hoping the water is actually hot—and try to logically think this situation through.
Reiya walked in the direction of the normal-sized doors. The first door she walked through opened into a large bedroom. The room was actually quite elegant. Strange for an oubliette.
The bed was a massive structure, its wooden frame intricately carved with fierce dragons that seemed to come to life in the soft glow of light.
Above it, a regal canopy of rich fabric cascaded down, adding an air of privacy and grandeur to the already impressive piece of furniture.
It loomed over the room like a throne fit for royalty.
The spacious room was flanked by two other doors, leading to different chambers.
One revealed a grand walk-in closet, filled with an array of masculine garments in various colors and styles.
The other door opened to a luxurious bathroom suite, complete with a marble vanity and gleaming fixtures.
The spacious bathroom boasted a luxurious stone shower, complete with multiple shower heads that were already cascading warm water in a gentle symphony.
Nearby, a deep walk-in tub beckoned with the promise of a relaxing soak.
The polished stone surfaces glistened under the soft light, creating an atmosphere of opulence and serenity.
She eyed the tub greedily. She might be locked up here, but it was with the most amazing tub she’d ever seen. She was going to enjoy herself with a luxurious soak.
She filled up the water and added soap so that there was a thick layer of bubbles over the top.
Discarding her clothes, she slipped into the heavenly warmth.
She wasn’t worried about herself. She was concerned about Chelsie and Brody, though.
What would they tell them? Would they lock them up, too?
Or would they simply just kick them out of the dragon kingdom?
Doing the latter would probably lead to war quicker, because they would come back with help.
No … if they planned to keep her up here, they would also have to lock Brody and Chelsie up.
Maybe she could scale the wall outside. How hard could that be?
It didn’t make sense at all. She didn’t feel like Xander and Lee were bad.
Maybe that was her problem. Even after being locked up, she was still having a hard time doubting them.
She leaned her head back onto the cool porcelain of the tub and closed her eyes.
There had to be a reason. This was her last thought as she drifted into a light slumber.
Reiya opened her eyes to the feeling of another presence in the room. She glanced to the side to see Lee standing there, staring down at her.
“It’s dangerous to fall asleep in the tub.” His voice was husky and low.
Reiya noticed his eyes trailing over her. The bubbles had vanished from the tub, and under the water, she was fully unveiled.
“How long have you been standing there?” she asked quietly as she slowly stood up and stepped out of the tub, a small smear of red on her cheeks as she openly walked out in front of him. She grabbed a large towel and wrapped herself in it.
“Long enough,” he said, his voice raspy and his eyes dilated, clearly affected by her.
Reiya turned and faced him. Her sapphire eyes captured his light blue ones. “How long am I supposed to be locked up here? Am I now some dirty little secret that needs to be hidden away?” She bit her bottom lip as she stared up at him. “What’s going on?” she all but whispered out.
“You aren’t a dirty secret, Reiya. I asked Xander to bring you up here for your safety until I could speak with you properly.”
“What is up here?”
“This is my private place, my own area, which is off limits to everyone except those who are invited.”
This was Lee’s place. The elegant bedroom and bathroom now made complete sense.
She could understand being led up here now.
She still wasn’t sure about the whole neck thing.
It was definitely the elephant in the room.
So, if he didn’t bring it up, she was going to have to.
She needed to know. Was she marked? And if she was … why?
Lee turned around and cleared his throat. “I have some shirts in the closet if you would like to put one on.”
Reiya nodded and walked past him into the large closet.
She found a long shirt and threw it on over her head.
The shirt came down past her bottom, making her look like a child in their daddy’s shirt.
Her footsteps echoed in the stillness of the room as she emerged from the closet, the sound resonating off the walls and filling the space.
She glanced over at Lee, who stood on the opposite side of the spacious chamber.
His eyes were fixed on the large ceiling-to-floor window, offering a breathtaking panoramic view of the kingdom below.
The light streamed through the glass and cast him in a soft glow that gave him an almost ethereal appearance.
“I’m sorry, Reiya,” she heard him say as he looked out the window.
“I didn’t mean to do it. I’m very sorry.
I’ve kept my distance from you because sometimes I have a hard time controlling myself.
My feral animal got the best of me this time and marked you.
” She heard him let out a breath and then he turned to look at her.
“I can’t apologize enough. I hope you can forgive me for this. ”
Reiya quietly looked down at the ground.
She reached up and delicately touched the mark on her neck.
She was, in fact, marked. Her chest stung and squeezed tightly.
She was marked, but the person who marked her did so by accident.
He really didn’t want her. If she was marked, how was this going to affect her?
What did this mean as far as finding her mate in the future?
“I understand,” her voice squeaked out. How could a deity take her as his own?
It really did make sense. He got carried away and did something he shouldn’t have.
She could forgive him, even though it hurt her heart.
“What does this mean now?” Reiya rubbed her mark lightly and glanced up to meet his gaze.
He studied her for a moment. She looked almost defeated.
Her eyes seemed to be filled with disappointment and sadness.
He’d caused that. It was his fault. He should have asked her before it got to this point.
Instead, he went to the brink and lost control.
He felt like an insecure child, but he had to say it.
“Well, it means you’re my mate, Reiya. Do you not want to be mine? ”
Her body stiffened a bit, and her eyes widened.
The betraying flutter of her heart trumpeted loudly.
She was his mate? Did he want her to be his mate, or was it just because it was too late now?
Ugh, this was stupid. Why was she acting like this?
She needed to just open up and speak her mind.
Besides, was he really that daft? Did he not know how badly she wanted him?
She’d always blushed under his gaze and melted in his arms.
“I don’t understand any of this, Lee. I don’t get it.
I don’t understand your questions, and I don’t understand why Xander was claiming the mark on my neck as his own.
What is your game here? Am I a toy you plan to share?
You guys want to play around with my feelings?
Because you can obviously see how I feel about you. Is that it? It’s not right, Lee—”
“Hey! Reiya, stop. You’re the one not making sense right now.
Share? I don’t share. I never have and I never will.
The Xander thing … well, that’s another thing to talk about.
But first, how do you … feel about me? Because I don’t know.
It isn’t obvious to me.” Lee took a few steps toward her.
He wanted to know how she felt. He’d always wanted to know how she felt.
“I … I don’t know if you’re teasing me or being serious.
” Her eyes were almost pleading with him.
“It’s been obvious since the beginning, since the day I met you.
I …” Her cheeks heated up, but she pushed through the embarrassment.
She needed to get everything out in the open. Why not now? She was already marked.
“Geez, Lee. You already know this, but you’re going to make me say it anyway. Just poke more fun at the girl who’s been in love with you for years. And I don’t even—”
In a second, he was there, his lips crashing down on hers.
She was stunned but couldn’t help her natural reaction.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and met his heated lips with her own.
There was so much depth and passion poured into this kiss.
It was soft but lingering. She felt like her soul was being sucked out into him.
Her body tingled in the fire he was igniting.
He pulled his lips away from hers and held her tightly against him.
“I love you too, Reiya. Damn … do I love you.”
The words were like pure ecstasy to her, but they were also confusing. He loved her as well? Since when? So, he did mean to mark her?
“I don’t understand. You’re in love with me too?”
“Baby, from the day I met you, I knew you were my mate. I was shocked and I wasn’t sure what to do.
You were still so young. So I waited, hoping that you would also recognize me as your mate.
I’ve been waiting for your damn wolf to come forward all this time.
I’ve been trying to keep a distance and not force myself on you, but it was really difficult.
Your very scent drives me over the edge.
” His voice was low and raspy as he held her tightly against him.
“All these years, I’ve been hoping you loved me …
wishing you wanted me like I wanted you.
I had to wait, though. I had to wait because I couldn’t claim you.
What if your wolf didn’t claim me as your mate?
All my self-control came crashing down tonight.
You asked me to look at you as a woman, when that’s the only way I’ve ever looked at you.
Before I knew it, I had marked you as my own.
I just hope … I hope this all doesn’t backfire.
Reiya, I won’t be able to bear it if you don’t also see me as your mate. ”
Reiya shook her head into his chest. He had loved her all this time, too. So much time wasted. She didn’t care about the mate pull. She loved him. She chose him. “I don’t care, Lee. I don’t care who my mate is, because I want you. You are my mate, with or without my wolf telling me so.”
“Reiya, things might not be easy at first. There are a couple of things stacked against us, but it doesn’t matter to me, as long as we end up together.”
“Is it because you’re a dragon?”
“There’s that, and since I’m a deity, taking you as a mate is against the rules.
This is why Xander has been claiming you as his mate.
The dragons aren’t really an issue. Sure, they might complain about it, but there isn’t a thing they can do about it.
The truth is that I shouldn’t be around you like I have been.
I’m not supposed to be with you as much as I am, but more like how Seraphina is with your mother.
There are rules among the deities. They’ll need to be convinced that this is okay.
I’ve always played by the rules, and this is me breaking them for once.
Xander will have to keep pretending that you’re his mate in order to protect us.
They wouldn’t do anything to you, so it’s really just to protect me.
Don’t worry, though. It’ll all work out. ”
“Would they hurt you?”
“In the worst way possible. They would try to seal me away until you die.” Lee nuzzled his head into her neck.
Reiya’s chest tightened. That was what her premonition had shown her. Lee hadn’t died. He’d been sealed away.