Chapter 38 - Lex

The little clearing in the woods by the stream looks like something out of a fairy tale in the twilight. I don't know how Mom managed it, but flowers of every size, shape and color are placed in huge ceramic vases along the trail in the woods that is going to serve as the aisle. The trees on either side of the trail are draped in fairy lights and wreaths of flowers. The trail itself is strewn with red rose petals. The air is perfumed with the scent of the flowers.

I am standing under a sycamore tree by the stream in my tuxedo with my head turned towards the path. Two flame torches held in antique brass bracket stands are placed on either side of the sycamore tree. Dad is going to officiate our wedding, and Damon is going to walk Nic down the aisle. My mom and Nic's mom are standing on my right and the guys on my left.

When I see Nic emerge from the woods, my heart leaps to my throat. She looks stunning! She is wearing a flowy white dress, not unlike the one I saw her wearing in my dream. But instead of fear, all I feel is love. Her hair is styled into a complicated knot with a few loose strands artistically framing her face. When her eyes meet mine, she smiles. Her eyes are shining with her love for me. How did I get so lucky as to have someone like her love me?

After we exchange our vows, and Dad pronounces us husband and wife, my heart feels as if it will burst with joy. My dragon too is beside himself with happiness. Our first kiss as man and wife is so tender, so warm, that I feel a lump in my throat.

We head back to my parents' house for our wedding dinner, but all I can think of is getting Nic alone. I am going to claim her as my mate today. When my dragon's impatience starts to match my own, I get up, scoop Nic up in my arms, and walk out of the room. Hoots and cheers follow us, making me grin. Nic has gone red in her face and hides her face in the crook of my neck.

Instead of taking her back to my room, I take her outside.

"Where are we going?" she asks.

"You'll see," I say as I get rid of my clothes and stand naked in front of her. She gasps out loud, but her eyes are deep green pools of desire.

"Ready to ride my dragon?" I ask.

When she nods, I shift. She mounts me and we fly away into the night.

Nic

I don't think I will ever get used to riding a dragon. My dragon, I grin as I feel the wind in my hair. I run my hand over the hard scales covering my dragon's neck, and I'm pretty sure I hear him purr.

We have been flying for approximately half an hour by my estimate now, and are flying away from the urban areas, deeper into the mountains. After a few minutes, we land on a mountain. I alight, cup my dragon's face, look deep into his eyes, and kiss his snout gently.

"My dragon," I whisper and lay my cheek against his.

When Lex shifts back to his human form, he is looking at me with so much love, so much emotion, that a lump forms in my throat. I put my arms around him and hold him close.

"Where are we?" I ask.

"This is my special secret place. I used to come here a lot when I first started shifting. Nobody has been here, not even my parents or the guys," he says, leading me down a path.

"And you're bringing me here?" I ask with a slight tremor in my voice. This is just another way of him showing how much he cares for me.

"Everything that is mine is yours."

At the end of the path, there is a small wooden hut. I can barely make out its outline in the dark.

"I built this hut with my own hands when I was a teenager," he says, pausing outside the door. I can hear the smile in his voice.

"I'm going to carry you over the threshold," he announces, scooping me up into his arms again. He pushes the door open with his shoulder and carries me inside.

Except for a bed, the hut is devoid of any other furniture. Lex places me gently on the bed, kisses my forehead, and walks to the fireplace to light the fire. It feels nice and cozy with the fire burning bright.

"You're too far away, Lex," I complain. With a sexy smile, he comes to bed and sits next to me. I can't believe that I'm actually nervous.

"So what happens now? How do I mate with you? Or do you mate with me?" I ask, twisting my fingers in the skirt of my wedding gown.

"Do you trust me?" he asks, cupping my face, looking deep into my eyes.

"With my life," I whisper against his lips.

"I love you, Nic. Will you be my mate?"

"Yes. Yes, Lex. I will be your mate. Now and forever."

His lips capture mine, kissing me like he has never kissed me before. His urgent, hot kiss has left me breathless.

"Take me, Lex," I beg.

He undresses me and lays me down on the bed. For many long seconds, he just looks me.

"My love, my wife, my mate," he says before he begins kissing his way down my body, going lower and lower till he reaches my mound. He makes love to me with his mouth, with his hands, driving me over the edge and again. When I lay limp and spent in his arms, unable to move, he gathers me in his arms and holds me close.

"Did we mate? Was that mating? But we've done that before," I say when my breathing returns to normal.

"You talk too much," he grins and kisses me again. I want him so badly. I will never stop wanting him, or loving him.

I run my hands all over him, reaching down to trail my fingers over his erection. He hisses in a sharp breath. He stops me when I begin kissing my way down his body.

"We'll save it for round two," he says as he parts my legs and enters me. I hungrily wrap my legs around his waist, urging him to move. But he merely smiles and bends his head to kiss me thoroughly again, driving me insane with my need for him. His hands cup my breasts and his thumbs graze my sensitive nipples.

"Lex, please," I beg. Finally, he begins to move inside me with slow, long strokes. I thrust my hips eagerly, urging him to move faster, but he holds me in place with his hands on my hips, forcing me to match his languorous pace, stroking the embers of my desire bit by agonizing bit, till we both almost reach our peaks.

"Look at me," he commands.

"My mate, my love, my wife. Now and forever," he says when our gazes meet. His irises have turned silver, and for the first time, I see his dragon inside him.

"My mate, my love, my husband. Now and forever."

When we reach our peaks simultaneously, his body is aglow with bright silver light. The light envelopes me, caressing every part of me, making me feel safe, secure, loved. Then the blanket of silver light coalesces into a pulsing sphere for a brief moment before it divides into two equal halves. One half of it goes inside Lex's chest, and the other half goes inside mine. I feel it pulsing around my heart till its beat merges with my own heartbeat.

Tears spring to my eyes unbidden. Lex kisses them away, then kisses me tenderly on the lips.

"I feel you here," I whisper, placing a hand over my heart.

"And I feel you here," he says, taking my hand and placing it over his heart. "Your love for me has made me so strong, so powerful. I love you, Nic. And I love her," he says, placing a hand on my belly.

"Her?" I ask, blinking away tears as a smile spreads across my face.

"Her," he says simply and hugs me tight.