Chapter 12 - Lily

The pleasant tug between my thighs tugs my lips into a smile. The pure bliss my body feels seems to extend to every nerve-ending I possess,

It’s heavenly, the ecstasy rolling over me in waves. But as my palms lay flat on either side of me, a realization has me opening my eyes too soon.

Oh no! Was that just a dream?

The dreadful thought is the only thing racing through my mind as I quickly sit upright. Hugging my knees, sadness washes over me in that moment.

Had I dreamt about Draco’s sweet, passionate love the way I always dreamt about it? Was it all a figment of my imagination, the way my fantasies had been leading up to my kidnapping?

It can’t be…

Pressing my eyelids tightly, I try recalling what had happened last night. I remember the balcony, the ledge, and falling off.

That’s when my greatest fear had turned into my greatest strength. My savior. In the form of a golden dragon embellished with translucent burgundy gems. He’d held me in his arms, offering me comfort and protection so that I finally felt safe.

When I’d been in the safety net of the dragon’s presence, I’d opened up my eyes to the realization that he was also just a man. A man with dark, brooding features that had been the center of my every desire.

All those dreams underneath the sheets of my dorm room back in college… Finally, it was mine to do with as I pleased. And pleasure was what he’d given me between the sheets of his own bed.

Shaking my head, I squeeze my thighs together as the memory of that pleasure rushes through me like electric awareness. It was too real to be a dream. I’d felt everything.

I open my eyes to the reality of my whereabouts. I’m back in my own bedroom, where I’d been locked away for almost a week. Almost as if what happened last night didn’t happen at all.

Except it did. And it was meaningless to the dragon man.

As shame seems to fuel the tears bubbling behind my eyelids, I sniff to prevent them from flowing over. Keeping myself strong once again, I have to forget what happened last night.

I know it happened. I’m not crazy. But what I’m not is a crude woman who will accept being dumped back in my prison cell after giving up my virtue. Willingly, only because I was so sure that he felt the same way I did.

Even if I don’t know what I feel. I just know that Draco is the man who walked out of my dreams. And the dragon who held me in his protective embrace.

I caught only a glimpse of his warmth. Barely enough to cause a spark. And I’d offered myself in a moment of weakness.

Serves me right for being weak! I think despondently as I sigh with a heavy heart. Unfurling from the bed, I head over to the door, only to find it locked.

Grunting, I march to the bathroom, where my only consolidation is the fresh shower I can have. Lately, that’s been my only saving grace. And I’ve learned a long time ago to be grateful for the little things in life.

Still, I can’t bring myself to accept this humiliation. Once I’m dressed, I remove my only weapon from the mattress. One thing I refuse to do is be the dragon man’s sex slave.

Waiting behind the door, I know it’s only a matter of time before Kairo comes in. I’m officially done with pleasantries.

I need to find a way out.

When the keypad outside beeps, I take a deep breath. As soon as there’s a step over the threshold, I wield my weapon with all my might.

And all I receive in return is a chuckle.

“A butter knife?” comes Draco’s voice before he appears inside the room. He deftly kicks the door closed as he grabs my wrist with ferocious fingers.

His menacing presence forces me back into the room with a shrill squeak. My throat goes dry as I witness the flash of anger in his eyes.

As he nimbly removes the weapon from my fingers, I gulp and tense my shoulders. Instantly putting up defensive walls to protect myself from what comes next.

“Fruit for you,” he says calmly as he passes me a basket.

Frowning, I hesitantly take the basket of fruit he offers. Humility wasnt what Id been expecting. Especially while trying to escape.

“Th-Thanks…?” I murmur as he passes me, flipping the knife over like a plaything.

He chuckles sardonically as he turns around.

“Really? This?” His eyes flit to the shining utensil as he smirks sinisterly. “You know I could kill you if I really wanted to, right?”

Standing frozen, a trickle of fear courses down my spine. I shudder as it travels down, keeping cautious eyes on Draco as he saunters to the bed.

“Then why havent you killed me already?” I ask tersely when he takes a seat on the edge of the bed.

The smirk is wiped from his face as he lifts his eyes to mine. The seriousness in those depths causes me to gulp from fear.

Of course, he could kill me. But he didnt.

Instead, he tangled my virtue into a web of disgrace.

“Because…” he drawls, rolling his head on his shoulders. “You are here to serve a different purpose.”

Clutching the fruit basket tightly to my chest, I stare challengingly into his eyes. “Yeah? And whats that?”

“Im curious…” he smirks again. “What do you think it is?”

The words are caught on the tip of my tongue. Sex slave. But its an admission Im not ready to share. Or accept.

“I—I dont know,” I shrug, feigning nonchalance in my grand act of bravery.

“Not even the slightest idea?” he asks with a raised brow.

It vexes me that hes so calm. He pretends that nothing happened between us. And I refuse to give him the privilege of knowing that it troubles me.

“None at all,” I admit, picking up an apple and biting into the crisp flesh. He seems to be watching me—curiously gauging the way I chew.

“Well, if you must know…” he begins. “... I brought you here to carry my children.”

His blunt admission has me startled. So perturbed I cannot move. Frozen to the spot, I do nothing as he rises to his feet and crosses the room toward me.

He begins walking around me slowly, stopping when hes behind. He leans in at my ear, whispering, “Did you hear what I just said?”

Shuddering, I can barely keep my composure as I become horrified about the events of last night.

Apart from that, Id been kidnapped to whatever this place is. A land of dragon men.

“Lily?”

“I—I heard you,” I croak as another shiver runs down my spine. I begin to shake my head slowly as a million thoughts enter my mind all at once. I can barely wrap my head around what hes telling me. And I dont even know if I can believe him at all.

As he walks off toward the door, I turn to stop him.

“Wait, Draco!” I call out after him. “I dont understand what any of this means.”

“It means…” he begins as he slowly turns around. “That you will be my mate and bear the dragonspirit off-spring.”

“Dr-dragon spirit?” I murmur. “So, you are a dragon?”

The color from Dracos face drains as his brows furrow. “Youve seen me in dragon form twice already. Do you not know by now?”

I gulp hard, shaking my head. I cant tell him about my dreams. All those fantasies leading up to his actual appearance.

If theres one thing I cant do, its to appear crazy. I cant point out that I cant make out between whats real and whats not. Sometimes, my imagination runs so wild, reality becomes a blur.

Lifting my chin defiantly, I glare into his eyes. “Of course I knew,” I lie. “But I dont understand why you need me to carry dragon babies for you.”

Draco shudders as if the truth is too daunting to be told. He takes a deep breath, and says, “Its the way of my people.”

“So you kidnap unsuspecting humans for the sake of breeding? Is that—” my voice falters, and I swallow the rest of my words.

“Is that what?” Draco straightens up and crosses bulging arms over his chest. As my eyes flit to the movement, a pang of awareness grips me. Recalling those arms wrapped around my naked form has my mind doing somersaults.

No! Dont be so crude!

Perhaps Draco notices because he smiles with self-satisfaction.

“Nothing,” I say quickly as I spin on my heels. Pointedly, taking my gaze off him. This whole thing is absurd, and Im a fool for entertaining this dissonant pull toward him. Despite my better judgment, it is as if a magnetic force keeps drawing me to him.

After all, hes a dragon man who kidnapped me from my parents home. From the comfort of my sleep, distorting my sense of reality.

And dumped me in the throes of a world I can barely comprehend.

Its not fair that my heart pounds in my chest, threatening to beat out of my ribcage. Its not fair that even now, after hearing why Im here, I still feel that pull tethering me to him.

As my heartbeat quickens, I can feel his presence nearing from behind. His hot breath at my ear again tingles my fingertips.

“I know what you want to ask me, Lily,” he drawls my name again, sending the fruit basket out of my trembling fingers. He chuckles just as it hits the ground. “You want to know if this has anything to do with what happened last night.”

His acknowledgment of last night sends a shiver down my spine. Loose fingers graze my arm, pebbling goosebumps to the surface.

“All you need to know…” he continues as his fingertips whisper over my flesh, “Is that it had absolutely nothing to do with why youre here.”

I gasp as the heat of him is lost. Mind an empty void of nothing but memories of him deep inside me, I turn around slowly.

Hes already at the door.

“What the hell are you?” I let out slowly as if hes just hypnotized me.

He stops, hand settled on the door handle. “I am a dragon shifter,” he declares proudly without turning back. Pride only fills his shoulders, his back ramrod straight as he stares ahead.

“The only trouble is that you are just a human… Weak and mortal… Youll never be able to carry dragonspirits.”

As if hes stuck a knife through my back, I gasp. With that, Draco leaves the room.

I have a million things I want to say in retaliation. All of which only escapes me as the tears fall from my eyes. Falling into a heap on the floor, I beg God for answers.

Even though Ive been given enough answers from the dragon man himself. Why does it hurt that he thinks Im not capable of carrying his babies?

Why does it even matter?

Perhaps my silent pleas are more to ease the pain. Rejection is brutal—especially from the man of my dreams.