Page 19 of Marked By His Alpha Dragon's Desire

“There’s more I need to tell you.”

“After,” I said.

He hesitated for a moment, and I thought perhaps he was going to deny me. Then he nodded. I bounced on my toes and clapped like a child being given a toy.

I tugged him toward the back door. “Is there enough room in the backyard? How big are you?”

He laughed. “Big enough. I’ll fit in the backyard, though.”

He followed me out the back and down the steps of the deck. I wrapped my arms around my middle and shivered. The cool morning air sent a chill through me. The morning dew made my feet wet as I walked through the grass.

I turned to face him. A smile played at his lips and his green eyes sparkled.

“Are you ready?” he asked.

I nodded. My breath hitched and my body thrummed with excitement. An hour ago, I didn’t know shifters existed, and now I was going to watch my lover become a dragon.

Raphael stood still, his arms lifted and his eyes closed. Then the air thickened around us and energy crackled. It was like the air around him shifted and a green hue filled the space. His muscles rippled and expanded, bones changing shape. His skin turning from the golden hue to an emerald green.

In mere seconds, his dragon was in front of me. He towered over me by what felt like ten feet. His wings flexed and expanded, shadowing me.

“Holy shit. You’re breathtaking.” I stepped closer, lifting my hand.

A low rumble sounded from his belly, shaking the ground. He lowered his head. His snout was long, his eyes a silver hue that held intelligence. Down his long neck were ridges that stretchedalong his spine and down to the tip of his tail. A tail that was curving toward me, encircling me.

I held out a hand, and his snout touched my palm. His scales were warm under my touch and smooth. I traced the intricate pattern with my fingertips.

Mate.

I didn’t know if that word came from me or from him, but either way, I knew it to be true.

“Mate? Are we mates, Raphael?”

Chapter 11

Raphael

“I think we should go out to lunch,” Luca said. “Or breakfast. Whatever time of day it is, we should have that meal.”

We had come in from showing Luca my dragon. He reacted way better than I anticipated. I still felt awful for not having told him what I was before last night, but he understood.

“I feel like I can look at the town with new eyes now. Also, I have a ton of questions.”

I chuckled. “Yeah, I suppose you will. If you want to go out, we can go out.”

“While we’re out, why don’t we get your things from the fire station? There’s no reason for you to stay there when I have a perfectly good house. You can stay here with me.”

I raised a brow. “Moving in together? So soon?”

“We are mates, aren’t we?”

My dragon rumbled with pleasure. Luca felt it when I was in my scales. The word had echoed between us like a rope tying us together. An unbreakable bond.

“We are indeed,” I said. “I’ll only move in if you’re sure, Luca. I don’t want to rush things.”

“That ship sailed last night, love.”

We had so much more to talk about, but I sensed my mate still processing it all. I could practically see the gears working in his mind as he took it all in.

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