“My ancestors have taken great pride in these gardens for over a thousand years,” Draven said, unable to keep his own pride from his voice. “They believed the volcanic soil held ancient healing energy. The gardens were designed to harness that power.”
Lila paused beside a fountain carved from black obsidian, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. “I can feel it. There’s something here that makes me feel lighter and more energized.”
Of course she can feel it. The mate bond is already strengthening her connection to this place.
Without thinking, Draven reached for her hand, his fingers intertwining with hers. The contact sent warmth shooting up his arm and straight to his heart. When she didn’t pull away, his dragon rumbled with approval deep in his chest.
They strolled hand in hand along the winding stone path, past beds of fire blossoms that only grew in Nova Aurora’s unique soil. The silence between them was comfortable now, charged with possibility rather than tension.
“So,” Lila said, slipping into her professional mode with an ease that both impressed and amused him, “yesterday I asked you to journal about your fears. You mentioned you wrote some things down.”
Draven’s jaw tightened slightly. Even in this peaceful setting, discussing his deepest fears made his alpha instincts want to deflect and protect. But if he wanted her trust, he had to give her honesty.
“I wrote down three main fears,” he said quietly.
Lila squeezed his hand encouragingly, and the simple gesture gave him the courage to continue.
“Fear number one: That the fire madness will consume me and I’ll lose control completely, becoming the monster everyone expects.” The words tasted bitter on his tongue, but once they started flowing, he couldn’t stop them. “Fear number two: That the Dominion will crumble under a broken king if I don’t get better. Fear number three...” He paused, swallowing hard. “That I’ll never be worthy of the crown my father died protecting.”
Lila stopped walking and turned to face him fully, her therapist’s instincts clearly kicking in. “Those are completely valid fears, especially for someone suffering from your condition and feeling hopeless. But Draven, they’re fears about things that will never happen if you get better.”
She believes I can get better.
“Now that I’ve told you about our mate bond and that you’re the cure for my condition,” he admitted, his thumb stroking across her knuckles, “I feel less afraid about the present and future.”
The words hung, heavy with implication. He was still worried about what would happen if she didn’t accept him fully, but he was trying not to let that stress consume him.
“Why don’t you just try to enjoy this moment with me right now?” Lila suggested, her voice soft but firm. “Stop thinking so much about making everything perfect or solving every problem. Sometimes just letting things happen naturally is even better than if it’s all planned out.”
Her words hit him like a revelation. For eighteen years, he’d been trying to control everything—his kingdom, his condition, his destiny. But maybe what he needed was to simply trust in this moment, in her, in the bond that connected them.
Taking her advice to heart, Draven stopped and turned to face her completely. The morning light caught the golden highlights in her dark hair, and her green eyes sparkled with warmth.
Without a word, he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. This kiss was different from the one they’d shared at the cliff overlook. There was no wine clouding their judgment, no romantic dinner setting the mood. This was pure, honest desire sparked by genuine connection. Her lips were soft and warm against his, and when she melted into him with a soft sigh, his dragon roared with triumph.
She kissed him back with equal passion, her hands fisting in the fabric of his shirt as if she couldn’t get close enough. They got lost in each other for what felt like hours but was probably only minutes, the rest of the world fading away until there wasnothing but the taste of her lips and the feeling of rightness that flooded through him.
When they finally broke their kiss, both breathing hard, Draven felt more alive and free than he had in years.
“I have an idea about being truly spontaneous,” he said, his voice husky with desire and excitement. “There’s a hidden cove by the cliffs where the view is magical. I want to take you there now.”
Lila’s face lit up with genuine enthusiasm. “That sounds like a perfect idea.”
“Would you want to fly on my dragon’s back to get there faster?” The question slipped out before he could second-guess himself. Most humans were terrified of dragon flight, but something told him Lila might be different.
Her eyes widened, but with excitement rather than fear. “That sounds really exciting.”
My brave, beautiful mate.
Draven led her to a clearing in the gardens where ancient trees formed a natural circle. The space had been used for dragon transformations for generations, the ground worn smooth by countless shifts.
“Stand back for a minute,” he instructed, his pulse quickening with anticipation.
Lila stepped back obediently, her eyes never leaving his face as he began to call on his dragon. The transformation was always intense, but with his mate watching, every sensation felt heightened. Heat raced through his veins as his bones stretched and reformed, his skin giving way to obsidian scales that gleamed like polished black glass. His massive wings unfurled, casting shadows across the clearing as his powerful dragon form settled where the man had stood moments before.
“Oh my God,” Lila whispered, her voice filled with wonder rather than fear. “You’re so majestic and powerful.”
In his dragon form, Draven couldn’t speak, but he could feel her excitement and awe through their strengthening mate bond. The pure acceptance in her voice made his dragon’s chest swell with pride. He lowered his great head, offering his back to her.
