Page 72 of The Loneliest Dragon at Christmas
“Hundreds of years. I’m eighty-eight now. My father is almost four hundred. The oldest known dragon lived into his nine hundreds.”
“Wow.” Hundreds of years. It felt daunting. It felt a little overwhelming if Jack was being honest. But looking at Avery, Jack knew he wanted it. He wanted hundreds of years with him.
“It would also allow us to have children,” Avery said softly. “Technically a dragon can have children outside of mating. But it doesn’t occur often, as it is considered immoral.”
“Children.” Jack mulled over the word. He’d always wanted them. He’d planned to adopt. “Would our children be dragons?”
“Yes.”
“Wow,” Jack said again.
Avery looked down. “I know it is a lot to take in. I understand if you need more time to think about it.”
Jack reached out and took Avery’s hand. “I want to. What’s important to me is that I get to be with you, for life, as long as that life is.” He smiled and felt the truth of the words in his gut, in his heart, in all his being. “So how do we make it happen? Is there like a marriage ceremony? An old dragon who stands before us and says some words?”
Avery shook his head. “It’s private. Mating between dragons has always been private.” Avery rose and walked to one of his shelves.
A few moments later, Avery returned to the rug, carrying with him a green-and-gold leather-bound tome.
“I’d always hoped that one day I might find a mate. But the hope seemed so far-fetched when I had no friends or companions or family. If I couldn’t find anyone to care for mein any sort of way, how could I ever find someone who loved me enough to mate with me?” Avery raised his golden gaze and looked straight at Jack. “And then I found you.”
“And I found you.” Jack’s heart clenched. He pulled Avery into a hug. “I love you. I want to be your mate.”
Avery let out a shuddering breath. “I love you too.”
It took a little while to set up. Carrie was comfortable on her cushion by the fire in the drawing room. This mating ceremony was just for the two of them.
Now Avery and Jack sat cross-legged, facing each other in the library, hands on their knees, both naked. Jack’s gaze ran over Avery’s slender body. His hair blazed in the firelight.
He’s mine. And we’re going to be together for hundreds of years.
Around them in a circle, a fine red shimmery dust lay. It was one of Avery’s dragon scales, ground up and mixed with a few drops of Jack’s blood that had been drawn from his finger.
“Are you ready?” Avery asked.
“I’m ready.”
“Are you sure, Jack?” Avery’s eyes flicked over Jack’s face. “It’s all right if you need more time.”
“I’m sure.” Jack reached out and placed his hand on Avery’s. “Are you?”
Avery smiled. “I am.”
Then Avery closed his eyes, and Jack pulled back his hand. Avery breathed steadily in and out. For several seconds, nothing happened. Then the air around them began to distort and lighten. The library faded until just the two of them remained in a pale, white light.
Avery began to shimmer, as if about to shift. But he didn’t. His human form took on an almost cloud-like appearance, hazy and wispy. Jack felt he could reach out and run his hand through Avery.
And then, for a moment, Jack could see both Avery’s forms, the human and the dragon. Avery raised his hands from his knees and lifted them to his chest over his heart.
Avery pressed down, and the cloud form shifted. Jack almost cried out to see Avery’s hands plunge into his hazy chest. He probably would have, except Avery had explained that this would happen. Then, out of his chest, Avery withdrew a small red stone.
His heart stone. It burned a brilliant red and throbbed as it beat.
The stone had formed within Avery’s heart over his lifetime, burning within him. And when Avery chose, when he was ready, he’d give it to his mate.
Avery opened his eyes. “Place your hands on top of mine.”
Jack reached out and cupped Avery’s hands. Avery’s skin almost burned Jack’s. Avery began to move their hands towards Jack’s chest. Their hands pressed against the skin over Jack’s heart.
