“I didn’t grow up in London,” I started but he cut me off.
“No, you weren’t born here – on Earthside,” he whispered. “The Starscales have a different aura too. They’re these dragons from a different place too. Some of the elves have an aura that tells me the same thing. Can I touch it?”
I swallowed hard, clearly projecting a meaning onto his words that they didn’t have. Yes. Yes, he could touch it. He could touch whatever of mine he wanted to. Who was I to deny my mate?
“May I?” he asked again when I didn’t speak.
“Of course,” I nodded.
He ran his long fingers with their chipped red polish through the air and goosebumps rose up all over my body. Inside his inner sanctum, my cat purred, trying to brush up against our mate’s ethereal touch. I bit the inside of my cheek to hold back the sound from vibrating up my throat.
Nic’s sparkling blue eyes grew to saucers as his fingers raked over the air for a second time. He took a step closer, and I took a step away from him because I was impersonating a nurse, but that step made my very bones ache. Whatever magic called true-mates back together lifetime after lifetime had its hooks in me good.
He stepped forward again and I didn’t have the resolve to step away a second time.
“Who are you really?” Nic whispered.
There were so many ways to answer his question, and I wasn’t sure which one was the best. I wanted to soothe away the anxiety from his scent and reassure him that he had nothing to worry about. If he had been a saber back home, he’d have known who I was from the very beginning. Still, how could I come to him now without having provided the third courting gift? Our customs were different, but I needed him to know it didn’t matter whether or not Jon and Chard survived – he was safe. Hyenas didn’t stand a chance. Nothing or no one would ever hurt him again.
“Are you like my guardian angel or something?” Nic asked, sniffing at me.
My spine stiffened and I tried to think of my grandparents bickering over the pasta back home. I tried to think of the hunt ahead of me. I tried to conjure anything that would keep my dick from hardening from Nic’s close proximity.
“Something like that,” I nodded.
“To save me from Tops?”
“To protect you from any threat,” I whispered.
“I think my mum might eat him,” he whispered back.
“Good on her,” I nodded.
The confession of our bond was on the tip of my tongue as Nic raked both hands through my aura. I trembled as his eyes grew wide again.
“You did it,” he said but didn’t back away. “The paw. The tail. You did it…”
“To keep you safe. I promise once I explain it all…” I started but Nic shook his head.
My heart plummeted into my stomach.
“Oh,” Nic said. “Oh. We’ve got to get out of here. If they figure out…”
“They won’t. We’ll go and ---” I started.
“I can’t leave everything! I’m the only one my mother has and---” Nic pulled away. “Why did you leave it on my pillow?”
“So that you’d find it.”
“But why? Why wasn’t just maiming them enough? Why Jon? Jealousy or--?”
“Never. I’m more cat than he’ll ever be. It is tradition amongst my cats. We bring three courting gifts to prove that we are worthy. I would never have known what to bring a dragon of Earthside if I hadn’t found you arguing with Jon that night. I followed him and he led me to Chard. They discussed killing you to get the money Jon owed Tops.”
The color fled from his face, and he sat down on the edge of the hospital bed.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know taking Jon’s paw would upset you so much. I’d have found another way to get my point across if I knew.”
“He was going to kill me?” Nic asked.
