Chapter 16 - Lily

The remnants of the electric feeling in my wrist remain long after Draco has left. Standing on the balcony, I try to make sense of what I felt earlier.

At least the midnight hour is a beautiful sight to behold. The waxing crescent moon lights up the dark blue sky along with the stars. I gaze longingly at the picture it creates as my imagination runs wild. In each star, I see my loved ones.

A pang in my heart grips me to the point of tears. I never imagined that I’d be torn from them. Ripped from my home, immersed in the world of dragons that I know little about.

When I picture Violet’s face, I allow the weeping caught in my chest to spill over. A hole digs a path in my heart, and it’s only filled with pain. I can’t imagine their turmoil right now. And truthfully, I don’t want to.

Perhaps it’s that deep, inner knowing that I actually want to be here, away from the troubles of my world where I’d only been facing hardships. Here, I get to be as free as the bedroom allows, now with the privilege of the balcony where I can gaze at the stars.

Along with the man from my dreams who turned out to be completely different than I ever imagined. Far from perfect, he’s frightening. Still, I can’t see myself being anywhere but here.

Sighing, I say goodbye to the night, hoping the morning will be better.

***

Opening my eyes to the full capacity of the sun’s rays, I find myself smiling as the sun kisses my cheek.

I haven’t felt that warmth in two weeks. And it’s rather pleasant, even if I wake up in the bedroom that’s been my prison all this time.

Stretching my arms over my head, I yawn away the last bit of my sleeping phase as I open my eyes. As soon as I do, I find Draco standing beside the bed.

Scrambling to an upright seated position, I gulp hard. Fear lingers as I recall the electric shock that had run through me when he grabbed my wrist last night. But for some reason, the hole that had been in my heart when I cried on the balcony is gone.

I feel… Whole?

“Good morning, Lily,” Draco greets rather gently. Not habitual for the Alpha of the dragon clan.

“Good morning…” I whisper in reply. There’s an evident shift in the air around us. It’s no longer as tense as it was before. And I find myself feeling drawn to the ambiance as Draco offers me a smile.

“I brought you some breakfast,” he says as he lifts the basket he’s carrying.

“Thanks,” I acknowledge tersely as I cross my legs and pull the basket over. When he doesn’t immediately leave, I follow the hunger pang in my belly and open the basket lid.

I frown when I find two plates instead of just one. He must notice my reaction, because he steps forward and says, “I thought we’d have breakfast together for a change.”

“Er—” I look up, still frowning, when I notice his ears turning red. Almost as if he’s shy. “Okay.”

His timid behavior catches me by surprise as he takes a bashful seat on the edge of the bed and begins to unpack the contents of the basket. He fills both plates with equal helpings of bacon and scrambled eggs, topping the eggs with generous helpings of sliced avocado and baby tomatoes.

“Here you go,” he says as he offers me a plate.

I take it reticently and stare at the plate as I avidly avoid looking at him. I decided last night, before bed, that I would pull away this heavy attraction I feel toward him. After all, it’s a mere sexual attraction, I feel. I can’t accustom myself to his cold demeanor any longer. Like a trauma bond to my kidnapper, it just doesn’t feel right anymore.

We both end up eating in silence, and for the first time since I’ve been here, I actually enjoy my meal. I shake off the feeling that it’s because he’s joined me, ignoring how my heart skips when he removes the empty plate from my lap.

Draco packs the basket again and places it on the nightstand. When he stands up, I expect him to leave. But he hovers beside the bed, clearing his throat to draw my attention to him. When I look up, he’s holding a clear bottle the size of my palm.

“Uhm… Kairo prepared some essential oils for your bath,” he says hesitantly as he holds the bottle out. I’m about to reach for it, but Draco turns and walks toward the bathroom. “Come on.”

Blinking fervently, I have to do a double-take to ensure I’m hearing and seeing things right. All I can do is climb off the bed and follow him into the bathroom when he disappears inside.

It’s not like I believe I have a choice. Still, it’s slightly unsettling to see the dragon man bent over the bathtub, turning on the faucet and pouring out the essential oils into the tub as it fills with water.

The question as to why he’s doing any of this hangs on the tip of my tongue. But I remain silent, watching him run his hand through the water to test the temperature and mix in the oils.

“You can get in now,” he announces as he stands up, and pride seemingly fills his chest.

I walk up to the bathtub, inhaling the amalgamation of eucalyptus and lavender that fills the air. It’s heavenly and inviting, but I can’t just climb in while he hangs around.

“Here…” Draco turns and suddenly places his hand on my shoulder. “Let me help you.”

I’m highly aware of the charged feeling that rushes through me when he hitches a finger beneath the silk strap of my nightgown. I mean, I could shrug away. I could refuse his help. But I find myself permitting him to remove the dress as it slips to the floor in a pool around my ankles.

I’m standing there stark naked, bare in my own skin, and aware that his eyes roam the length of my body. Somehow, it feels natural for him to oggle, as if he owns every curve and dip I possess. Gone is the need to shy away or fight the feeling that is so innate.

And when he offers out a hand, I accept it. He helps me step into the bathtub and guides me as I sink into the water.

“Ah…” I sigh as my body is immersed in the water, and the essential oils calm my nervous system. Inhaling and exhaling huge breaths when I close my eyes, I’m surprised when Draco still hasn’t left.

“Why are you being so nice to me?” I finally ask when I find him seated on the edge of the large oval tub.

He takes a deep breath, exhaling and relaxing his shoulders down. “Being a monster is gonna get us nowhere.”

Mentally, I chuckle at the thought that he is already a monster by my standards. A dragon man, who I should be afraid of. Instead, I’m drawn to the rest of his statement, asking, “Where do you want us to be, then?”

“Friends,” he replies as his lips lift in a feeble smile. “We should at least be friends.”

“Friends don’t kidnap each other,” I challenge.

Draco sighs as a flash of remorse glosses over his eyes. “You must understand that there was no other way.”

“Are you sure about that?” I scoff.

He snickers as he looks away, staring at the tiled wall in front of the bathtub. “Would you have agreed to come here if I told you everything?”

His question gives me some food for thought. I even began to wonder if I would have followed him if I had known that he was a dragon man. A part of me would have flung myself at him just because he was the man from my dreams. But the truth of his identity still remains an agonizing factor.

“Maybe.” I shrug.

“Don’t fool yourself, Lily,” he chuckles as he glances back at me. “You would have never agreed to any of it.”

“So why force me?”

A long moment of silence stretches around us, curling its heavy talons over the lightheartedness of what this morning brought. His eyes turn soft as he stares into mine, and it’s almost as if I can see right through him.

Again.

Only this time, they haven’t turned a few shades lighter. They’re still hazel—his natural color. And once again, I’m drawn to drop my defenses.

“I agree, it wasn’t exactly ideal,” he says remorsefully. “But I have people I have to answer to.”

“But you’re the Alpha. The leader, aren’t you?” I contend with a frown.

Draco nods with pursed lips. “I might be the leader of this clan, but we have a Dragon Council with an ex-Alpha from every other clan that makes the rules.”

“There’s more like you?” I inquire, my interest genuinely piqued.

He nods again. “Four other clans, to be exact. One on each corner of the Earth.”

“Wow… Kai didn’t mention any of that.”

Draco raises a brow. “How much has my sister told you?”

I begin telling Draco everything that Kairo has told me so far. It’s not much—just pieces of the puzzle that make up my reason for being here. He listens intently, nodding as I explain everything I know so far.

“So she hasn’t told you about the Cube of Knowledge?” he asks when I’m done explaining.

I shake my head. “Cube of knowledge? What is that?”

Draco chuckles nervously. “It’s a form of dragon tech,” he explains. “It’s much more advanced than any technology in the human world. It allows us to pick human mates based on their DNA.”

“That’s how I was picked?”

“Yes,” he relents with a sigh. “By using my DNA, yours was a match with mine.”

The knowledge sends a shiver of awareness down my spine. The pieces of this puzzle seem to be tying together, and my dreams of Draco suddenly make sense. Not entirely, since I don’t know the full extent of what the Cube of high-tech is capable of.

Perhaps it can interfere with my dreams.

But it’s not something I’m ready to question Draco about. Doing so would lead me to admit that I’d dreamt about him for weeks before he arrived in my life.

“What if the human you’ve chosen doesn’t want to be your mate?” I ask instead.

Draco shrugs. “The dragon-shifter race doesn’t need to ask the humans permission for anything. After all, we were created for the sole purpose of protecting you.”

“Protect us?” I frown. “I don’t see how any human would agree to this.”

Draco raises a brow, looking at me expectantly. “What if you were offered immortality in exchange?”

I realize he meant this with his parting remark the other night. Trust me, when you’re not a weak, pathetic mortal anymore, you’ll know why.

“What if I don’t want that?” I argue as the thought of becoming immortal frightens me.

“It’s your loss, then.”

“That’s only because you don’t know what it means to be human,” I retort with a scoff.

Draco folds his arms across his chest, tilting his chin up with pride. “And you don’t know what it means to be immortal.”

“Let’s just agree to disagree then,” I offer with a diffident shrug.

“Fine,” he huffs nonchalantly as he turns his face away. Not a detestful action, but one that appears bashful. I can tell by the way his ears turn a blushed shade of pink. “I’ve decided to take you out of this bedroom.”

I’m about to reach for the soap when I pause. Frowning, I ask, “You mean this prison cell?”

“Yes,” he admits with a sly nod. “It’s time you met the others.”

“You were hellbent on keeping me here. Why now?”

Draco takes a deep breath as if strengthening his resolve before turning back to me. Staring into my eyes, he says, “If you’re going to be my mate, you’ll have to meet my family.”

“I haven’t decided yet,” I reply blankly as I stretch my arm to pick up the soap bar. Lathering it on my shoulder, I ignore the fact that I’m seated in a bathtub entirely naked, washing myself in his presence.

“Of course,” he relents with a sigh. “Though neither of us has a choice.”

I continue washing myself, pointedly avoiding looking at him. “I would like to believe that I have one.”

“So do I…” Draco murmurs. I hear the hopelessness in his voice, and it fills me with regret.

After all, he doesn’t have a choice. Not since their kind has suffered in numbers and are faced with extinction if they cannot reproduce. Still, it shouldn’t be my responsibility to carry.

After bathing, I pull out the stopper and prepare to stand up. Draco offers me a hand, which I take despite everything I’ve learned.

And as soon as I slip my hand into his, the electric current I felt last night reappears. Though faint, it’s enough to keep me stunned as he hands me a towel.

The simple gesture is enough to touch my heart. Warming it like an embrace, I realize I cannot be angry with the dragon man. He faces a dilemma of his own. And even if it has nothing to do with me, I find myself caring enough to recognize that he’s not all that bad.

Even as a dragon, Draco possesses the traits of a human, which allow him to show humility and care. The small things—like having breakfast with me this morning and running a bath for me—mean more to me than his Alpha status in the dragon clan.

And as he helps me pick out a dress for the day, I watch him intently and see him in a new light. He’s trying to do things differently, even if he has ulterior motives for it.

When I’m done dressing, I see Draco walk out onto the balcony. I follow him there, the warmth of the outside welcoming me.

“Wow…” I marvel as I step onto the balcony. The blue sky is inviting in its clarity and warmth provided by the sun. Only when I step all the way to the balcony rails do I notice the island in front of us.

Vivid colors like burgundies and blues paint the meadows bright and green. The blades of grass are so green, it’s as if the life force that flows through them causes them to sway in tune with their heartbeat. It comes as no surprise that the vast array of trees that make up the forestry seem to give off the cleanliest oxygen—not the kind distorted by pollution in the real world.

Correction… This feels more real than anything I could imagine. Unlike the world I know, this one is brighter. As if all I have to do is reach out—

“Draco…” I suddenly breathe when I realize that he’s staring at me. I’ve been so caught up gazing at the island for the first time in the light of day, that I’d forgotten he’d been there.

Perhaps because it had been so natural for him to be there. A feeling of… Home?

That feeling has me closing my eyes, eyelids fluttering like the soft wings of a butterfly. My lips part as my breath escapes me, anticipating what his lingering stare has conjured up.

My heartbeat quickens as I feel his presence when he steps closer. But then, nothing happens. All I feel is a gust of wind passing through the air before me. And when I open my eyes, Draco is gone.

Leaving me wondering if his actions meant anything at all.