Page 7 of The Dragon's Distraction

Her voice was almost shy. She twirled a long lock of hair around a finger as she gazed up at me hopefully. I sighed. I didn’t want what we had to be tainted by lies. My deepest urge was to protect her. But perhaps in this case, lying would not be protection. It would just hurt her more in the long run.

“I cannot. For now.”

“Oh. Are you worried you won’t fit? I’m a bit worried about that.”

I laughed.

“Oh no. Don’t you worry, I would stretch you and it will take a bit of working, but I will fit. Fate made us for each other.”

Her eyes widened and her mind obviously travelled off to imagining what I had just described for a moment before she refocused.

“So why then?”

“You know there is a shadow demon here?”

Her face screwed up slightly with confusion.

“Yes. He floats around. We can’t keep a collar on him, but they have him under control somehow. He is very invested in his therapy with Ella by the sounds of it.”

“I’m sure he is,” I said with a smirk.

Lyla’s face twitched as realisation dawned.

“Oh! Oh really? Sweet little Ella? And a shadow demon?”

“I do not know her to comment. But I know he can see the future.”

Her face turned serious.

“Oh?”

She said it hesitantly, as though she didn’t really want to hear any more.

“My future is uncertain. With regards to… well, living.”

Her face crumpled, and I thought it might break me. I scooped her up against me, desperate to soothe her. My chest ached at her pain.

“When?”

“Soon, I think. But I intend to live. I’ll fight the reaper himself if I need to, to stay with you.”

Sobs erupted from my small mate. I could feel her heart breaking and it was taking mine with it.

“And that is why I cannot claim you. Because it would cement our bond. And you wouldn’t be as free to move on and find love elsewhere. Afterwards.”

She pushed away from me suddenly, her face contorted with anger.

“You don’t get to decide that for me.”

“My Sunbeam….”

“No! Absolutely not. We are mates. Do you understand what that means? Really understand?”

I paused. She was furious with me. I hadn’t expected this at all. Before I could organise my thoughts into words, she continued raging. The full force of her personality was directed at me now. It was so intense I wanted to step back, and I hadn’t stepped back from anyone in a confrontation. Ever.

“It means we are a team. We make decisions together. We work best together. I might have enjoyed certain dominating things in the heat of the moment, and I may well enjoy them again. But here, now in the cold light of day, with matters of the heart, we are equals.”

“I see. I understand.”

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