Page 78 of The Dragon's Gambit
“How many other abilities do you have?” Reiya was really curious about Xander and wanted to know what he was capable of.
He looked down at her and grinned. “How many do you have?”
Reiya frowned slightly. “I don’t know. I guess I have premonitions, and I can heal curses. But I don’t know all of them. I would guess I can heal too, but I just haven’t learned how to yet. I don’t get them all at once, so I have to wait and see. I mean, I do have a couple other little things. I can disorient someone temporarily. I’ve also found a way to manipulate my elemental skill with my fairy magic. I can create a frost sword that shoots out water daggers. It’s sort of cool. And, umm …” Reiya stopped walking as they reached the overlook doors. Xander was staring down at her curiously. “There is something else, too,” she said in almost a whisper.
“Are you not going to tell me?” He gave her a crooked grin and watched her face turn solemn.
“I haven’t told anyone except Hunter.” Reiya inhaled deeply through her nose. Truthfully, she liked to pretend that she didn’t know about it.
“Well, now you have to tell me. It’ll be our secret … just between us.”
Reiya hesitated. She really didn’t want anyone knowing she had this ability. On the other hand, it would be nice for someone else to know. She looked up at Xander and stared into his calming amber eyes. She lifted her hand and extended her pinky. “Pinky promise?”
Xander chuckled. Her childlike adorableness was touching. He knew this also warmed Levi’s heart. She was so pure and innocent. He lifted his hand and locked his pinky with hers. “Pinky promise.”
Reiya glanced around, making sure they were alone. She then stood on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around Xander's neck, tilting his head lower. She leaned her mouth close to his ear so she could whisper very quietly. “I have a sort of double-edged sword ability. Hunter and I together can … I guess you could say we can use a power together, but by doing so, it woulduse everything we have.” Reiya bit her lip and then said the words only she and Hunter had discussed. “If things get too bad, Hunter and I will protect everyone, no matter what.”
Xander felt her drift away from his ear, and he looked down at her. “How did you find out something like that?”
“When we were sixteen, we could feel it when we grabbed hands. Some abilities you just know and recognize. It’s something we can only do with each other, though.”
Xander’s eyes widened. “Don’t … ever … use it. Ever. I don’t care how bad it looks. I won’t let you, Reiya. I would never allow it.” Xander rested his hands on her shoulders. She wasn't just precious to him, she was vital, like oxygen in his lungs or blood in his veins. The pull between them wasn’t that of lust or attraction. It wasn’t something he actually understood, except that she felt like she was a part of him. Their connection defied logic or explanation. All he knew was, if she were torn from him now, he wouldn't merely suffer, he would shatter. He would cease to exist in any way that mattered.
Reiya smiled and nodded. “I can’t leave Lee alone, can I?”
Xander smiled and nodded in agreement. “No, you can’t. You can’t leave any of us alone.” He leaned in and rested his forehead on hers. It was comforting. Being with her was comforting.
“Save it for the bedroom,” Mason called out as he and Ruby walked up to them. Xander smiled at Reiya before turning to look at their approaching friends.
“You should know better than to interrupt a dragon’s intimate moments.” Xander smirked and pushed the door open to the lookout. “I’m going to join you guys for lunch.”
“Aww, we have to share Reiya with her mate.” Ruby pouted and tugged on Mason’s shirt.
He chuckled. “Nothing I can do about that. He’s her mate. We’ll just have to share her with him.”
Xander growled and pulled Reiya tightly into him as they walked out to their table. “I don’t like you two talking about her like she’s yours,” he grumbled, his brows furrowed. He grabbed Reiya’s chair and pulled it closer to his own, away from theirs.
“Haha. No, we just know you have a hard time sharing her attention with others,” Mason said with a smug smile as he and Ruby took their seats across from them.
“Hmph, I shouldn’t have to share her,” Xander snorted, taking a sip of his drink. His eyes then flicked up to Mason. “Have you heard anything?”
“No. It’s been very quiet. I think they’re being incredibly cautious. They might even suspect that we’re suspicious. Not to worry, though. I have my most trusted men on it. Weston does as well, and then along with yours … well, we’re bound to hear of anything before it happens.” Mason’s tone was serious. There was a scary confidence about him, and his eyes looked at Reiya with possessiveness. A look that made Xander wrap his arm around her. “I won’t let anything happen to her. Not our angel.” He then smiled at Ruby, who nodded back confidently.
“I know it may seem weird, but we’re bonded to Reiya. She’s someone we owe everything to. She’s important to us, too.” Ruby smiled at Reiya and looked at Xander. She might be his mate, but Reiya was special to them. She’d risked her life to remove the curse from Mason, for someone she didn’t even know. She saved two lives that day. Ruby was struggling so much with not being able to be with Mason, and she couldn’t imagine how badly Mason had battled. Reiya stopped the never-ending pain they experienced daily. They owed her everything.
“Thank you. Thank you for looking out for her. It means a lot to me that you both accept her. Not only accept her, but that you would also protect her. I don’t know what I would do if something happened to her.” Xander shocked everyone bysaying something out of character. He wanted them to know that he really did appreciate them for that. He meant it.
Reiya playfully bumped her shoulder into him. “Okay, fun talk time and food time.” Reiya grinned, and he chuckled at her.
There it was again. Her childlike adorableness. There was just something about her that made his beast want to shield her. As he watched her laugh and talk with Ruby, his chest tightened at the thought of the demon after her. He would protect her no matter what. It was weird, but at times he felt like a part of him was calling out to her. What was calling out, and what was it calling for?
All he knew was that, at that moment, the urge to protect her felt even stronger.
Chapter 53 A Guardian is Born
Meanwhile….
The steam was thick in the air from the hot water in the tub. Brody lathered soap into the loofa in his hand, working up a thick lather. He’d been taking his time with Chelsie, thoroughlypampering her body. First, he started out with a bath that he drew for her, where he insisted on scrubbing her body for her. He grabbed her hands when she tried to do it herself, kissing each one of her fingers and nipping at the ends of them playfully.
