Page 33 of Into the Dawn
“Really?” She smiled. “Then, I won’t mind leaving this here. Since I’m giving this house to Layla, I’m sure she will enjoy it. That is, if Abby doesn’t steal it first.”
“Are you sad about leaving?”
She took her time chewing another bite of food before answering. “Yes and no. I can live without the fame and glamour of my previous life, but I’ll miss Layla, Abby, Buddy, and all the others.”
Over the past few days, he’d gained an understanding of how close Kylie and Layla were. He also realized that Abby and Buddy were surrogate parents to her. Hearing about how she had lost her family at such a young, tender age had hurt Dominic’s heart. He knew she was close with the entire Ross family, but she still kept herself apart from the others.
That emotional distance was something he understood since he had tried to do the same thing after he lost his brother and Imra. Of course, distancing himself from Ronan had been utterly impossible, but Dominic had pulled back from the rest of his family. Some of that had been grief, but a lot of it had to do with the guilt he’d felt for failing to save them.
It had taken a while to get over that phase of his grief. Perhaps he would always carry a shadow of that guilt with him, but he had learned that moving on was not forgetting the past. He could still honor what had been while living a full life without them.
“After my parents died, I leaned pretty heavily on Abby and Buddy. Throughout my singing career, they’ve also been instrumental in making me a success. And when I got sick, they did everything they could to help me through it. And Layla…she’s been my rock. There is nothing that girl wouldn’t do for me. I understand why we have to leave. Even more now with my physical changes, but I’m still going to miss them.”
“We understand the sacrifice you are making by returning to our home world with us,” he said softly.
She shook her head. “It’s not a sacrifice. It’s a blessing. I’m really excited to be going to Arcadia with you, but I’m also a little nervous. Especially about meeting your family. How are they going to take the news that you traveled to Earth to bring back your sick mate?”
“You are not sick anymore,” he reminded. “Do not worry, everyone is going to love you. My mother and fathers will adoreyou, and my younger brothers will probably end up following you around annoying you with a slew of questions.”
“I can’t wait to meet them. I’ve always wanted siblings.”
“I am sure you will change your mind once you meet the trio,” he said dryly.
She chuckled. “Stop. I’m sure they are not that bad.”
“Worse than you can imagine. They are troublemakers. I think you will enjoy meeting our friends’ mates, though. Allie and Raven were once human just like you.”
“I remember you mentioning them a few times while I was drifting in and out of your thoughts. Do you know where they were from?”
“Nay, just that they were from your planet and were brought to Arcadia by the lightning. I believe Allie was a doctor on your world, and Raven was a warrior with the police.”
“A doctor? That will come in handy. Especially if we have kids someday. Speaking of, you’re a dragon, right? Will I have a baby or lay an egg? I have to tell you, I might freak out if I end up laying a dragon egg in our bed someday.”
“You will not lay an egg on our bed,” he assured. Even the image of that in his head was enough to make him want to laugh. “We will have beautiful babes one day. Although I should warn you that the Dragon Warrior gestation period is about half the time of a human’s.”
“That’s good,” she said, sounding relieved. “I would never hear the end of it from Layla if she thought I was laying eggs.”
As if realizing what she said, she went quiet.
Glancing down at the bowl, Dominic realized he had finished the rest of it after she had stopped eating. Setting the empty bowl aside, he poured the wine, then handed her a glass.
“Once we learn how to use our magic, we can try to find a way to visit your friends again.”
She took a sip of the wine, then rested her head against his shoulder. “I will miss them, but I understand how difficult it would be to return. The only other thing I think I will miss as much as them are my instruments.”
“Ronan and I will do our best to recreate as many as your instruments as we can once we return.”
“Really?”
She sat up and wiggled on his lap, causing him to grip her hips tight for the sake of his own sanity.
“Really,” he confirmed. “Music is not as prominent on Arcadia as it is here. However, there is nothing stopping you from changing that. We will do whatever we can to make you happy in your new home. So, we will make you a thousand instruments if that will please you.”
She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tight. He was alarmed when he felt her tears falling on his skin. Stroking her hair, he simply held her as she wept. He didn’t understand what had caused the storm of emotions, but he would accompany her through it.
“What is wrong? Why is our mate crying?”Ronan demanded.
“I do not know. All I did was tell her we would try to recreate her instruments for her once we return home.”
