Chapter 29 - Draco

“What?!” Lily exclaims, springing out of bed and almost tripping over her feet. “Woah!”

I chuckle at the way she manages to catch herself before falling over. Swiveling around, her rear lands back on the edge of the bed. She blows out a breath through puckered lips, sending a few stray brown locks flitting through the air before framing her face.

I can’t stifle my amusement at how cute she is.

“What?” she protests with a pout.

“Nothing,” I titter, pulling my t-shirt off and feeling smug when I notice her eyes raking my abs. “You were saying…?”

Lily gulps as she drags her eyes back to my face. I know where her mind has drifted off to, but we have somewhere to be.

Or else I would have ravished her right now.

“I was saying…?” It takes a moment for her to regain her thought train, and when she does, the frown subsides. “Oh, yeah! I can’t believe that Doctor Amell is Skarlett’s mother.”

“And I can’t believe that Skarlett was ever born,” I remark coldly.

“Hey!” Lily leers. “Don’t be so mean!”

“And don’t be so gullible,” I contend as I drop my shorts down my hips. As Lily ogles the apex of my thighs, I smirk when I ask, “Are you joining me?”

***

A little playtime with Lily in the shower ends up making us late as we enter the dining room. However, I can’t imagine that my family would care when they’ve been eagerly anticipating officially meeting Lily for the first time. I feel her hand trembling in mine and offer her a gentle squeeze of reassurance while I lean toward her ear.

“You’ll be fine, I promise,” I whisper just as we’re bombarded by my siblings.

Somehow, the group dragged Lily away, leaving me to watch their fascination over her just as Father enters the room.

“She’s really beautiful, Son,” he praises with grandeur in his deep, baritone voice as he gently pats my shoulder. “Your Lady Dragon, though she is human.”

I snicker at Father’s dry attempt at lighthearted jest. “Not quite human anymore, Father. She is immortal now.”

Father crosses his arms over his chest, tilting his head to one side as he regards her. Though he hasn’t aged a day past thirty-five, his mannerisms are as old as time itself.

“There was something you were saying that day in the hall before Skarlett interrupted our meeting…” he reminds me. “... What were you about to say?”

“Oh, nothing,” I shrug nonchalantly, even if my racing heart says otherwise. It’s the most important part of this whole conundrum of Lily and me and our unwavering attraction toward each other. “Just that Lily is my fated mate.”

“Still doubt the Cube of Knowledge?” Father retorts with a chuckle.

“No,” I admit. “Think it will tell me if it’s a boy or a girl?”

Father pats my back playfully. “Now that’s a rule we won’t be bending.”

As Father joins the others to be acquainted with my mate, all I can do is stand back and watch her glorify her spotlight. She doesn’t carry an ounce of anxiety now that she’s there among my family members.

My Lady Dragon. The Lady to my Alpha. A dignified position that she effortlessly flows into. Seeing her mingling with my family as if she’s known them her whole life is a magnificent sight to behold.

My chest swells with pride as my mother enters the room and meets my Lady for the first time. Their interaction is so fluid, but there’s a flicker of sadness in Lily’s eyes when she flashes a glance in my direction.

She doesn’t have to say a word for me to understand why that sadness is there. Over the past few days since I announced that she was my mate, she’d asked me all kinds of questions about my mother.

Now I understand why.

When the fuss over Lily settles down, it’s time for dinner to be served. We take our seats, with my brothers shifting down the table to open a seat for Lily beside me.

“So, Lily…” Felix begins when he passes her the bowl of roasted potatoes. “... What was life like in Seattle?”

“Oh, you’re from Seattle?!” Aragon perks up. “I visited Seattle in my travels. Met a witch there, actually.”

Lily giggles. “So witches exist too?”

The room erupts with laughter.

“Well. Lily, you’re sitting in a room full of dragons,” Kairo giggles. “What did you expect?”

Lily titters nervously. “I expect the unexpected now, I suppose.”

Even though she speaks freely, I notice how her sadness is confined to the depths of her eyes. She misses home as she speaks about it. She probably misses college, her family, her writing.

When Mother serves dessert—homemade apple pie, which happens to be Lily’s favorite—I notice Lily yawning with a cupped hand over her mouth.

“Tired?” I ask her through the mind link.

She leans closer and whispers into my ear. “You know, I can’t do that yet.”

“Do what?”

“Keep it private,” she admits as she points from her chest to mine.

“You mean the mind link?”

Lily nods. I lean back in my chair, my eyes scanning the room as I remain completely unbothered. Giving away nothing when I speak into her mind. “I could teach you how to control it. But do you think you could handle it?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” she whispers with a frown.

“Because…’ I take a deep breath, turning my eyes on her but still maintaining an unruffled facial expression. ‘... You’d have to ensure no one hears your mind link when you scream my name.”

Lily’s eyes open wide as a sweet blush covers her cheeks. She gulps as she stares at me, noticing how serious I am.

“Thanks for dinner and this gorgeous pie, Mother,” I extend as I pick up my plate and Lily’s from the table, my chair scraping the tiles as I draw attention to myself. “Lily and I will have dessert upstairs.”

Felix coughs, and Aragon clears his throat while the twins whisper under their breaths. It takes every ounce of discipline in me to remain unfazed.

“Is everything alright, Lily?”

“Yes,” she murmurs timidly as she gets out of her chair and lifts a hand to her forehead. “I’m just really tired.”

“Oh, it must be the pregnancy,” Mother sympathizes with a pout. “Go on, get some rest. I’ll see you in the morning for breakfast, I hope.”

“Of course,” Lily bids with a curt bow before following me out of the dining room.

“Nice acting,” I praise with a wink while we wait for the lift. “You’ll be rewarded for that.”

Lily blushes, whispering, “What will my reward be tonight?”

When the lift doors slide open, I cock up one brow as my lips play into a smirk. “Patience, sweetheart. You’ll see for yourself.”

***

Watching Lily sleep has become my favorite pastime. I lift a hand to her face, tucking her hair behind her ear. That’s when she smiles, sensing my admiration of her.

“Good morning,” she whispers like the gentle morning breeze on a cool summer’s day. It’s pleasant and warm, inviting me to close my eyes and bask in it.

“Good morning, sweetheart,” I greet back, leaning in to press a chaste kiss on her lips. Usually, I’d wait for her to open her eyes. But today, I need to coerce her toward it.

When I lean back, she’s staring at me through the soft depths of her earthy brown eyes. “You look like you’ve been awake for a while,” she comments as a frown flits past her face.

I turn onto my back, slinking an arm behind my head as I pull her close to my side. When she lays her head on my chest, I’m able to stroke her hair while I speak my deepest thoughts.

“And then it got me thinking about your family in Redmond,” I say after praising her for how well she handled my family last night. Knowing that they can be overbearing at times, I was surprised that she actually enjoyed dinner with the gang.

I lift my head to gauge her expression when Lily doesnt reply. It’s blank as she stares into space, seemingly lost in her thoughts.

“Sweetheart?”

She snaps out of her daze and offers me a feeble smile. “Sorry. I’ve been trying not to think about them.”

“Hey…” I slide a cupped hand over her cheek to cradle her face, eyes full of remorse. “You are allowed to go back, Lily. Just because you’re my mate doesn’t mean you’re bound here.”

Lily parts her lips to say something but pauses and shakes her head. “I…” She takes a deep breath. “I don’t wanna go back. I like it here. It’s just that…” Her voice tapers off as she lays her head back on my chest.

“Would you like to visit them?”

She nods against my chest. “Yes, please.”

“Your wish is my command, m’lady,” I profess as I lay a kiss on her forehead. “All you have to do is ask.”