Not now. Not in front of her.
“Draven.” Lila’s voice cut through the rising panic, soft but commanding. “Close your eyes.”
He obeyed without thinking, desperate for any relief from the anxiety clawing at him.
“Good. Now breathe with me. In for four counts.” Her voice became his anchor, steady and sure. “Hold for four. Out for six. Feel your feet on the ground, your back against the chair.”
The technique was simple, something he’d tried countless times before with limited success. But guided by her voice, grounded by her presence, his racing heart actually began to slow. The crushing weight on his chest eased degree by degree until he could draw a full breath again.
How did she do that?
When he opened his eyes, she was watching him with professional interest tinged by genuine concern.
“Better?” At his nod, she made notes on her tablet. “How often do you experience episodes like that?”
“Daily.” The admission felt like pulling teeth. “Sometimes multiple times per day.”
“And they’ve been increasing in frequency recently?”
“The past month has been... challenging.”
She nodded. “I can see why Gerri thought you needed immediate intervention. What you’re experiencing appears to be a complex case of anxiety-driven psychological distress, complicated by your unique physiology.”
Unique physiology. That’s one way to describe a dragon going slowly insane.
“Dr. Reyes.” He leaned forward, needing her to understand the gravity of what she was dealing with. “This isn’t ordinary anxiety. The fire madness that afflicts my bloodline has driven kings to insanity, to abandoning their thrones, to...” He stopped before admitting the worst—that some had taken their own lives rather than succumb completely.
“I understand the stakes are high.” Her eyes held his steadily. “Which is why this will require careful intervention, built on trust and patience. I’d like to spend the next two weeks working intensively with you, if you’re willing.”
Two weeks. Two weeks with my fated mate in the same castle, breathing the same air, close enough to touch.
His dragon practically sang at the prospect while his rational mind screamed warnings about the impossibility of maintaining professional boundaries.
“Two weeks,” he repeated, his voice huskier than he intended.
“Is that a problem?” She tilted her head, studying his reaction with those perceptive eyes that seemed to see straight through his carefully constructed walls.
Only if you count falling completely under the spell of my fated mate while trying to hide the most humiliating weakness a king can have.
“No problem at all, Dr. Reyes.” The lie came easily, well-practiced from years of diplomatic necessity. “I’m... grateful for your assistance.”
And terrified of what those two weeks might cost us both.
Draven stood from his desk with careful control. Every primal instinct urged him to stay close to Lila, and to breathe in more of that intoxicating scent that had quieted his dragon for the first time in eighteen years.
“Shall we find Gerri?” The words scraped against his throat like gravel.
Lila gathered her tablet and purse with efficient grace, and Draven found himself studying the elegant curve of her neck as she bent forward.
Focus, you fool. She’s here to help you, not to be devoured by your imagination.
They soon walked through the corridors of his castle, her presence beside him both soothing and maddening. The click of her heels against the stone floors created a rhythm that seemed to match his heartbeat, and he fought the urge to slow his pace just to keep her near him longer.
“Your castle is magnificent,” Lila said, her voice carrying genuine appreciation as they passed tapestries depicting dragon history. “The architecture feels both ancient and futuristic.”
“Nova Aurora’s builders understood that strength and beauty aren’t mutually exclusive.” The pride in his voice surprised him.
When had he last cared what anyone thought of his home?
