Page 21 of The Manny's Fiery Dragon Bond

“You didn’t take my word for it. You didn’t trust what I was feeling. You needed someone else to tell you it was real. Probably a dragon. Probably someone older than me.”

I winced. “Yes. But I do believe you, Ollie. I’m glad you told me. I see it now.”

Still sadness radiated from him, like a signal blasting to the world that he was unhappy. “I’m sure we’ll talk about this more,” he said, voice quiet. “But I’m not going to lie and say it doesn’t hurt. You didn’t trust me. That destroyed me, Malric. It hurt. A lot.”

My chest ached like I’d been punched in the chest.

“I don’t know what it feels like to lose a mate,” he went on, “and maybe that’s something we’ll have to work through. But you are my mate, and you hurt me.”

“I know,” I whispered. “And I want to tell you it was me I didn’t trust, which is also true, but I should’ve listened to you. You are the one person I should trust unconditionally.”

“So I guess we’ll work through it,” he said. “But right now, I don’t want to talk.”

I swallowed hard. “Okay. I respect that. Do you… do you know when you might want to talk?” I was being pushy, and I hated that, but I had to try.

He considered. “You can call me tomorrow. Tuesday night, I’m free. I have the evening off from watching the kids.”

If I called my son, they would make sure he had off right now until next week, but that wasn’t what my mate wanted, what he needed. I had to learn to accept his boundaries even if I hated them.

“I’d love to take you to dinner.” Or anything else that would make him smile.

He nodded. “Yeah. I think that would be nice.”

It wasn’t much, but it was something. I could work with that. I had no choice. The alternative was giving up, and I refused to give up on my mate and me. He was mine and I was his, and if waiting until Tuesday was what I needed to do, then I would do it.

Chapter 12

Ollie

Ispentmostofmy Sunday evening just trying to understand Malric’s side of things. Losing his first mate the way that he had, and still having to care for his three children, could not’ve been easy. Especially not for a creature so long-lived. To expect to spend your life with someone and then not being able to had to be heartbreaking in a way that couldn’t be put into words.

But that didn’t change the fact that it hurt when he and his dragon didn’t recognize me for what I was. Or maybe his dragon had. I only half processed our conversation at the bookstore. I’d been sitting there trying to hide from the hurt and he came walking in, his scent tearing open all of the wounds twice as deep.

I’d dreamt of meeting my mate for so long. I had this perfect image of how it would go. He’d sweep me off my feet and cherish me and love me in a way that only mates could. That had been my ultimate fantasy, and then reality came rushing in.

The reality that Malric hadn’t recognized me for what I was to him. He didn’t see me, not really. Not even when I had told him straight out what was happening.

Still, we would have to work through it. There was no other choice. We both felt the pull, both needed it. It just took him a little more time to get there. So much for wisdom coming with age.

I believed with my whole heart that this was just a bump in the road.

I’d spent most of the evening lost in my book because I didn’t wish to think too hard about the reality of the situation. Living in a fantasy land of unicorns and fae was a much better place to be. At least for now. It could be a problem for tomorrow—or the next day. I didn’t want to dwell on it, or else I’d be reduced to tears.

Monday came far too slowly. I was happy to be back to a normal work schedule. It was easy to keep busy because I had three children to chase after. It gave me both a sense of normalcy and a sense of purpose. Still, there were quiet moments where my thoughts were able to wander back to that night.

Kier and Tavian went to work as normal, and I worked with the children on different projects. Of course, one liked painting, another liked sensory bins, and the other one—well, she spent her time flipping through books. A girl after my own heart. I loved how all three of them were so very different, and their parents not only saw that in them but fostered it. I’d heard stories through my manny groups of so many dragons who wanted their clutches to not only be identical but take on the interests the parents had. A healthy childhood that did not make.

I was surprised when the doorbell rang. We weren’t expecting anyone, and most packages were just left on the doorstep without so much as a knock, thanks to a well-placed note for the delivery people.

When I opened the door, I found a man in a suit standing there with a box, I was extra confused. Wouldn’t they have seen the note, too? But then again, they weren’t driving around in a big brown truck wearing a uniform.

“Mr. Ollie?”

“Yes?” I wished I hadn’t opened the door. The man was definitely a dragon. But then again, none of my prey instincts were screaming at me to take cover, so he must’ve been part of Malric’s clan… possibly someone Malric knew.

“This is for you.” He handed me the package. It was addressed to me, but there was no postage or anything. “It is from Lord Malric.”

That explained so much.

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