Page 85 of Dragon Unleashed
“No, that’s not—Aries, look at me.”
He lifts his lowered gaze to mine, and I let his dark eyes steady me. One look at him, and I know exactly what I want. What I need. “Look, if I have magic, and no one told me, that means I can’t trust them to give me the truth now. I deserve to know what I am, and... if Hoc has been hiding it, I don’t think I want to stay here anymore anyway. I need to figure this out, but it doesn’t change how I feel about you. Nothing will ever change that.” He leans toward me, so I add, “But I will ask him about this before we leave.”
He nods. “Of course. We should give him a chance to—”
“I will speak to him alone.”
He straightens, eyes blazing. “Absolutely not. It’s too dangerous.”
My brow arches. “Oh, you mean like it was too dangerous for you to go into that tunnel alone?”
He scowls. “It’s not the same.”
“Exactly. That tunnel and Hoc are not the same at all. Hoc would never hurt me, Aries. Even if he’s lying, he loves me.”
But even as I say the words, my stomach churns. Do I really believe that?
“Fine. But I’ll be close by,” Aries warns. “Close enough to hear. And if he tries anything, I’m coming through the wall.”
“Or, you know, you could try the door.”
He bares his teeth, and I have to swallow a laugh. The dragon king doesn’t scare me. Well, unless you count the fact that I love him so much it’s scary.
“You don’t scare me, Your Highness,” I tease.
Before I see it coming, he grabs my wrist and yanks me toward him. I nearly sprawl across the bed, but he catches me and pulls me into his arms. His large, muscled, incredibly strong arms. They wrap gently around me so I’m looking up at his scruffy face.
“I love you, Paige Murphy,” he says fiercely. “With everything I am.”
I meet his gaze, a lump of emotion in my throat as I study his handsome face. For so long, I’ve wanted this kind of love. Even as I knew it would likely always be out of reach for someone like me.
Then came Aries.
He exploded into my life like the fire-breathing dragon he is, and now, nothing will ever be the same. Shit, if you think about it, a pumpkin spice latte changed the course of my entire life.
“I never want to know what it’s like to be without you,” I tell him as I cup his cheeks and arch upward to press my lips to his. “I love you, too.”
Chapter23
Paige
Dressed in grey sweatpants, my biggest T-shirt, and a pair of Hoc’s old boots, Aries walks beside me, his large hand enveloping mine as we make our way down into the main part of the library. With his other hand, he carries my bag full of belongings for our trip.
Packing for a far-off land whose fashions and customs are nothing like mine meant a light load to carry. Aries assured me he’ll buy me whatever I need when we get there, but it still feels a little strange to be making a permanent move with nothing but a weekender bag. Still, if he can wear the same pair of sweatpants for days on end for me, I can deal with the same for him on the other side of the portal.
As long as we’re together, I can deal with anything.
After yesterday’s near-death experience, I haven’t let him out of my sight. Not that it’s been such a chore. We did shower together—safety in numbers and all that.
According to the others, there’s been no sign of Constantine, and not a single extracted creature has been discovered within the library’s walls. In fact, according to Blossom, the stacks have been extra well-behaved since everything went down in that cavern. I tell myself that means it’s all over so I can feel good about leaving the people I love behind today.
The moment we step off the elevator, I smile. Bright balloons and streamers adorn the rows and rows of shelves while a table boasting aMy Little Ponytablecloth holds a large white cake with red, green, yellow, and blue polka dots.
The gnomes are drinking punch and devouring a pile of donuts—a dangerous combination—though their laughter booms through the space and brings a smile to my face.
Adorable little bastards.
Beneath the table, Kitty waits hopefully for them to drop their crumbs for her. She spots us and watches warily like the anti-social creature she is.
