Page 20 of Possessed By the Dragon Alien
Nena’s heart squeezed at the pain in his voice, even as awareness rippled through her at the raw need that was theretoo. Oh, he’d done terrible things. He’d been part of a system that had crushed worlds and destroyed lives. But the male before her now was questioning all of it. Seeing the horror of what he’d participated in. That took its own kind of courage.
“You cannot change the past,” she said softly. “I suppose what matters is what you will do next.”
“I am trying to determine that.” His wings curved forward slightly, like he wanted to wrap them around her but held himself back. “But nothing I do can make up for the death I’ve caused. The worlds I helped conquer.”
She stepped closer, drawn by the ache in his voice. “Chancellor—”
“Call me Madrian. I am only Madrian with you,” he said and let out a rusty chuckle. “I doubt I will be a chancellor for much longer, anyway.”
“Very well, Madrian.” She shook her head. “You asked me to see my worth. I’m asking you to see yours. Your potential. Yourtruepower.” This was, without question, the strangest conversation she’d had with anyone,ever. And she’d walked her friends, and others in the settlement, through plenty of personal dilemmas. Never had she ever imagined that she’d one day work through a devastating personal revelation with one of the high leaders of the Axis.
But here they were, so close she could see the tense lines around his eyes and the taut angle of his jaw and feel the knots of restraint he was employing to keep his hands off her.
His silver eyes locked onto hers. She saw the conflict there, the self-loathing warring with hope. With need. She understood, now, what the council feared. This connection between them wasn’t just about attraction or even rebellion. It was about seeing each other past the masks they wore, past the roles they’d been forced into. It was about losing control.
Without letting herself overthink it, she reached up and touched his face. His scales were smooth and warm beneath her palm. A muscle jumped in his jaw. He went utterly still, but she felt the shudder that ran through him at her touch.
“I am not afraid to touch you,” she whispered. “You cannot ‘taint’ me.”
He leaned into her hand, his eyes drifting shut. “Nena…”
“You don’t have to be what they made you,” she said. Her thumb traced the sharp line of his cheekbone. “You can choose differently. Choose better.”
His hands came up to frame her face, so carefully, like she might shatter. “I choose you,” he said roughly. “Whatever that means. Whatever it costs.”
The truth of it rang between them like a bell. Whatever happened next, there was no going back. Not for either of them.
Nena let her other hand rest against his chest, feeling the thunder of his heart beneath her palm. “Then be the male you want to be,” she whispered. “Not their weapon. Not their chancellor. Just…you.”
His wings wrapped around them both, blocking out the room and creating a private world of shadow and warmth. And then, he lowered his mouth to hers.
His lips brushed hers, gentle as starlight. Nena’s breath caught at the softness of it, the careful way he explored her mouth like she was something precious. His hands trembled against her face as he deepened the kiss, drawing her closer with aching tenderness.
Heat bloomed in her chest and spread outward, warming her from the inside out. She slid her fingers into his hair, reveling in the silky texture against her gardener’s hands. His wings curved closer, cocooning them in velvet darkness that felt like a sanctuary.
When he finally pulled back, his silver eyes were dark with emotion. “I’ve never…” He swallowed hard. “No one has ever touched me like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like I’m worth touching.” His thumbs stroked her cheeks. “Like I matter beyond my power.”
Nena’s heart cracked. She stretched up and pressed another soft kiss to his lips. “You do matter,” she whispered. “You always have. They just made you forget.”
He rested his forehead against hers, his wings still sheltering them from the rest of the world. For now, there was only the quiet sound of their breathing, the warmth of his hands on her skin, and the knowledge that everything was about to change.
THIRTEEN
Madrian held Nena close. His wings created a private space around them, filling his senses with the scents of soil, green things and something uniquely her. She fit perfectly against him, her smaller form tucked against his chest like she belonged there. For the first time in his life, he felt…complete. At peace. Never had he experienced such contentment, such rightness, and the foreignness of how he felt revealed the stark emptiness of his existence serving the Axis with cold precision and ruthless force.
The dragon inside him purred with satisfaction. This was right. This washome.
His purpose crystallized with stunning clarity. He would dedicate his life to being worthy of her trust, her touch, her love. No more serving an empire built on suffering. He would change the course of things. For her. For himself. For the chance to become someone who deserved the way she looked at him.
But first, he had to keep her safe.
Madrian pulled back slightly, though it physically hurt to create space between them. “Soon they’ll discover you’re not in your cell.”
Nena nodded against his chest. “What will they do?”
