Chapter 25 - Felix

Watching the exchange between Diego and Sierra through the square frosted window on the room door, I smile to myself.

Despite harboring skepticism toward the man, he saved the woman I love.

I need to thank him for that.

Knocking on the door and heading inside, I realize I'm interrupting something important between the father and daughter when I notice Sierra's puffy eyes. She'd been crying, but when she kissed her father's forehead, I knew it was for all the right reasons.

She barely looks my way as she leaves, making me wonder if she's still upset with me. Frowning after her as she disappears behind the door, Diego clears his throat from the bed and draws my attention back to him.

"I know what you're thinking, and no, I didn't hurt her again," he rebukes with a huff.

"I didn't say anything," I contend with a frown.

"You didn't have to, young man," he quips, and I can't help but chuckle.

"Young?" I scoff. "I'm a few hundred years older than you, Diego."

"Spare me the details, Felix," he sneers. "If you're here to lock me up again, do it now." He holds his hands out, wrists flush together as if he expects me to cuff him.

Sighing heavily, I roll my eyes. "I'm actually here to thank you for saving my mate," I admit begrudgingly. Even though he'd saved Sierra and somewhat made up for all the trouble he caused before, I don't know if he can truly be trusted.

He's been in hot water more times than it should be deemed humanly appropriate.

"You should be thanking me for more than that," he chuckles as he sets his wrists down. "I'm glad we have a moment to finally speak, man to man. Take a seat."

There's something in the way his firm tone has me heeding his instructions despite being the only dragon shifter in the room. I decide not to question it, taking to the chair and crossing my arms over my chest.

"You wanna make a deal again, huh? You want money for taking a bullet for your daughter?"

Diego scoffs. "If money is all you dragons have to offer, then I'll gladly take my daughter back home."

"Cut to bullshit, Diego. What do you want?"

"I want you to never hurt my daughter the way you did all those years ago."

Startled by his statement, I uncross my arms and sit forward. "She told you about that?" I ask in surprise. How much time has passed since he woke up? When did they rekindle their relationship enough for Sierra to open up to him as far as that?

"She didn't have to tell me," he scoffs. "I'm a private investigator. I knew everything."

"You knew about me…?' I murmur more to myself than for his sake, realization dawning on me then. "When you saw me in the dungeon, you recognized me."

Diego chuckles. "You haven't aged a day, Se?or ."

"This isn't the time for jokes, Diego."

"I know," he says, his laughter subsiding. "Sierra is my daughter. Of course, I was watching her every move. ," he defends. "I saw how happy she was with you, but then you left. I had to watch my daughter slowly pick up the pieces of her broken heart. And she did it like a warrior. She has a fighting spirit, just like her mother. A spirit that needs to be calmed down, hence the yoga."

I can't help but smile to myself. I'd witnessed that fighting spirit myself until she decided that I wasn't the trouble and kept it hidden from me.

"I didn't know it was going to be you," he continues. "When I saw you in the dungeon, I knew I'd done the right thing."

"By selling your daughter off?"

"By giving her a fighting chance to be happy. Fate played its own hand and gave you a second chance. I don't know what happened between you two that caused her to go back to our world, but I know she doesn't want to leave this place. But if you hurt her again…" He lifts a warning and points a finger at me.

"You really do care about her, don't you?" I lament in surprise.

"She is my daughter, and she's all I have," he admits as he turns toward the ceiling. The old man has tears pooling in his eyes, and I can't help but feel pity for him. "You hurt her the first time, and I won't let you do it again."

"I won't," I say gallantly, tilting my chin pridefully in the air just as Diego turns to face me. His eyes are wary as he stares at me. "I promise not to hurt your daughter again. I love her; that's why I left her the first time." When he continues to stare at me silently, I go on to explain what happened in the past.

"So you thought you were doing the right thing by leaving her…" he mulls over what I just told him. "Now you know differently. I only want to see her happy."

"I promise to do just that," I swear to the father of the woman I love.

He nods, reaching out and placing a hand on my head. For the first time since knowing about him, I genuinely feel like he's a caring father. In front of him now, as he gives me his blessings, it feels like he's genuinely the elder between us.

"I wish the two of you happiness," he says while a tear escapes his ear. "Now go," he urges. "She is waiting for you."

***

When Diego said Sierra was waiting for me, I expected her to be in the hospital's waiting room. When I didn't find her, I'd had to follow a trail of mind links from the dragons, asking each one if they saw Sierra. It's led me to my quarters, standing outside the guest bedroom and taking deep breaths to compose myself.

When Diego told me about Sierra's heartbreak when I left her seven years ago, I understood why she rejected me before. I understand her hesitation in giving me a second chance.

While the door stands ajar, I peek through but can't see her. Once I will myself to head inside, I notice the bathroom door is closed.

"Sierra…?' I call out gently. I know she's in there because my sister brought her back to her room. Even though Diego told me that she doesn't want to leave, her being in my quarters is an obvious indication of that, I know what I must do. What I have to say.

I have to fight for her, even if she's willing to give me another chance.

"Sierra?" I call again when I near the ensuite bathroom door. I lift my hand, about to knock, when she tentatively replies,

"Come in."

This is rather odd, I muse mentally as a frown grows on my face. Having a deep, heartfelt conversation in the confines of the bathroom doesn't feel as romantic as I'd been hoping for. Still, I open the bathroom door, only to find Sierra at the basin, staring at her reflection in the mirror.

The warm depths of her honey-golden eyes meet mine in the mirror, and a gentle blush spreads across her cheeks. The corners of her mouth lift ever-so-slightly in a smile, her gaze not leaving mine.

I'm wordlessly beckoned to go over to her, maintaining intense eye contact, mesmerized from being lost in the endless possibilities of her soul. A soul I wish to explore again, just as I had explored it once before. I'd like to meet that fiery spirit, that warrior inside that demands to be fought for.

And oh! How I'll fight for her, save her, and keep her safe… Silent promises I make with each step as I get closer to her, promises I'm about to voice out without hesitation.

"Sierra…" I breathe, coming up behind her, standing a mere foot away. "We need to talk."

"Yes," she agrees, sending my heart into a frenzy of tumultuous somersaults. Mentally, I'm kicking my feet, giddy from excitement. Outwardly, I remain composed, taking that next step forward and reaching out to her.

When I place my hand on her shoulder, her eyelids flutter closed, her long, thick lashes fanning over the apples of her cheeks. So pretty, I think, relishing in how she hums as if my touch alone is her savior.

She opens her eyes again, a faint shudder passing through her. When her eyes flit to the counter beside the basin, I follow her gaze, only to discover a pregnancy test on there.

The two red lines on the screen seem to come alive before my eyes. Like two distinct beings of light and life, pulsing warmly to represent the two pairs of eyes staring at it, the two warm bodies in the bathroom that united into one.

"You're—You're pregnant…" I whisper as I take another step forward, closing the little distance between us as she lifts the apparatus and nods slowly.

"I am," she concedes, her cheeks becoming rosier when I meet her eyes in the mirror's reflection again. In them, I see my future—a future once lost, rediscovered thanks to fate.

I reach for her hand, lifting the pregnancy test closer to inspect it in awe. My heart feels full and complete, the joy spreading through my entire being and radiating with a love I never thought was possible.

Loving Sierra was already more than I thought I was capable of, the most profound experience I've ever had. Right now, my love reaches new heights, impossible heights, that only confirm what I already knew to be true.

"We—We can't do this here," I relent, gently taking the test from her and clutching it in my hand. "We need to talk."

"No," she says, shaking her head and sparking my dread all over again. But when she turns and smiles at me, I'm put at ease again.

"... There is a lot to talk about," she says as she reaches out and wraps both arms around my neck, staring up into my eyes with determination. "And we'll get to that. Right now, I need you to kiss me."

I notice the desperation in her voice, reminding me of when she made the same request on the top of Mount Aurora. Except this time, she's not seeking to be reminded of her feelings for me.

She needs the comfort only I can provide.

Smiling while pride ripples through my chest, I set the test on the counter and rest my hands on the dip of her waist.

"Gladly, mi ángel," I whisper as I dip my head and press my lips to hers.