8. Calix

Chapter eight

Calix

“ F ollow me.” Zero gathers the food, a bottle of wine and the wineglasses on the counter. I scoop up my blood bag and follow him upstairs and back to his bedroom. I half expect him to guide me to his bed. Instead, he walks over to colorful pillows and cushions in front of the large window.

Smiling, I join him at the window and peer outside. “I’ve always wanted a setup like this.” I lounge back against the soft pillows. The view of the ocean below is beautiful. Waves crash against sand and the water sparkles in the sunlight. I close my eyes and bask in the warmth of its rays. Just a few months ago, I thought I’d never be able to see the sunlight glittering on the ocean ever again.

“I remember,” Zero says, voice soft. “You wanted a huge house on the ocean and a reading nook with colorful cushions—teal, magenta, and gold, if I’m not mistaken—because you wanted a place to read or write your stories in luxury.”

My eyes snap open and I sit up straight. My eyes slowly drop to the pillows that are, in fact, teal, magenta, and gold. “How did you know that? The only person who knew that was—” My voice trails off as I take in Zero’s appearance again. The dragon shifter is sitting up too, eyes imploring.

“Rune?” I whisper, suddenly wishing more than anything that this is my childhood friend in front of me.

He closes his eyes and a sweet smile tips onto his lips. Fangs, similar to mine, only shorter, touch his bottom lip. He tilts his head back, reminding me of a cat sunbathing. “It’s been almost fifteen years since anyone has said my human name.”

“Rune,” I say again, this time a little louder. “Is it really you?”

His eyes open, and I see the bright amethyst coloring, the dragon slits of his pupils, and the scales that adorn his face. How is it possible? The Rune I knew was blond. He had hazel eyes and round ears. The dragon shifter in front of me has white hair, iridescent amethyst wings, and sharp points to his pierced ears.

Then I take a closer look. Same hairstyle—even if the color is different. The straight nose has a strong bridge. Thick arched brows, that are shaped just so. And those lips. Gods, those lips. I’ve had so many dreams about those lips. He must notice something in my gaze because his smile is wide and vibrant, showcasing one lone, sexy dimple. A dimple I recognize.

I gasp. “It’s you. Holy shit. It’s really you!” Without thinking, I throw myself across his body and into his arms. He wraps me up easily, hugging me back. My lips are quivering as tears spill down my cheeks. “Rune. Oh gods, you’re a dragon? How?”

His eyes close, and then he squeezes me tight, pressing his body close. The strength of his embrace steals my breath. My head rests against his chest, and the sound of his racing heartbeat makes me feel alive.

Slowly, I pry myself off him, already missing his warmth. Red splotches of color dust his cheeks. “My dragon appeared shortly after…my eighteenth birthday.”

The overhead light casts a golden glow over his skin and causes his scales to shimmer when he moves. I trace a finger across a scale just inside his wrist. “These scales suit you, pretty dragon.”

A groan escapes his lips, and he blinks before flashing me a wolfish grin.

“Ah. There’s the flirty Rune I remember. Would you prefer for me to call you Zero or Rune?”

“Either. But only you can call me Rune. After my dragon appeared, I found out it’s tradition for dragon shifters to rename themselves. We choose a dragon name and wear it with pride.”

“Zero it is, then.” I smile. “I like it.”

Zero’s eyes flash into slits. “My dragon likes our name on your lips,” he rumbles, his voice deep.

Settling back against the cushions, Zero tells me about his dragon and his shifter abilities. He pours my blood into the wineglass, and we munch on our cheese and grapes while I get reacquainted with my childhood best friend.

I let him know that I have been having dreams about his dragon for years, and his dragon confirms that we’ve been sharing dreams. A fact that causes him to get angry, since it could have been the key to finding me earlier. Learning that he could locate me at any time was a major shock, as he had originally joined the Elite Guard for better resources to continue searching for me.

As much as I would have preferred to be rescued, I assured Zero I was meant to stay so I could help rescue Nico.

“You’ve always had a kind heart,” he smiles.

“Not always,” I confess, guilt swirling in my stomach. “I killed my husband.”

Zero growls a deep thundering sound. “Don’t call him that. That vampire was your captor.”

I squeeze his hand. “Sorry. It’s habit now. He didn’t want me calling him anything else.”

“Regardless, you did what you had to. You were protecting yourself and saved your friend as well. You also prevented that bastard from doing the same thing to someone else.” He places a light kiss on my temple.

How can a touch so small and sweet feel so monumental?

“Thank you,” I whisper. Desire pulses between us, but I push it down. Instead, I bask in Zero’s affection. I’ve waited fifteen years to be with this man, so I can wait a little longer.

When I finish the blood, Zero pours me a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon, and we continue to talk. As the sun sets and the sky grows dark, I realize how much I’ve missed talking to someone. Sure, I chatted with Nico when I could, but most of our conversations were always rushed. Calculated. I cherish this moment of the getting-to-know-you conversations and savor the feel of our shared touches.

We talk late into the night and fall asleep in each other’s arms. We don’t bother moving to the bed since our little nest of pillows and moonlight is perfect as is.

Eventually, we both wake up hungry and wander downstairs for another meal, where he properly introduces me to his team.

***

“Tell me more about your life,” I say from the kitchen a few days later as I cook some breakfast for us. We’ve danced around some of the heavier topics, like how he got the reputation of being the Vampire Slayer, or what I fully endured while in either Dante’s or Helios’s household. But I swear, something about talking with Zero heals my soul, one tiny piece at a time. It probably has to do with the magical bond that is literally weaving between us. But the more I talk to him, the more I want to know everything I can about my dragon.

“What did you do for the Elite Guard?”

He narrows his eyes.

I laugh, already knowing what he’s thinking. “Pretend I’m not a vampire for a moment. I see the way you talk to your teammates. Tell me about the good things you’ve done.”

“How can you think I’ve done so much good when I’ve literally slaughtered your kind?” The worry in his tone is evident. Even though we haven’t solidified the bond, or have had sex yet, the magic between us pulses easily. If I had to guess, we were fated before I was taken and the magic started weaving us together back then. It would explain why we’ve clung onto the idea of each other for so long.

My fingers wrap around the necklace I keep hidden under the hem of my shirt. It was a gift, a pendant carved from the hands of the boy I had a crush on. The boy who did everything in his power to find me once I was taken. The boy I knew, who is now the smart, determined, and loyal man standing in front of me today.

“Don’t forget, I know you, Rune. You don’t find pleasure in hurting the innocent. Anyone you’ve killed was supported by the guard.”

“Your mate speaks the truth, Zero.” Silver appears by my side. His long, straight hair tumbles down to his waist. There are several intricate braids woven throughout the Fae’s hair.

Gideon walks into the kitchen and rests his hip against the counter. “Listen to Silver and your mate, Bossman. Everything you’ve done has helped hundreds, if not thousands, of people.”

The four of us spend the next several hours chatting about their missions and the things Zero did for his team. Gideon talks about another teammate who has plans to move into this house, as well as the witch who already lives here but is currently away on a mission.

I learn that Zero built this huge house for his chosen family, and take pleasure in the fact he decorated parts of his house in secret just for me—even though he didn’t think I’d ever see it.

When Gideon and Silver wander back up to their rooms, Zero and I take a long walk in his gardens. With our fingers laced, we continue talking, both of us eager to get to know the people we are now and see how it matches up with the friend we used to know.