CHAPTER 13
“His body temperature has come down, but he is in no shape to be claimed, Cobra. Even without the dragon heat, he’s used far too much power and look at the man, he’s out cold. He couldn’t have sex now anyway.” Jude hissed.
“I am not trying to have sex with my unconscious sentience. For god’s sake, Jude, what the hell kind of man do you think I am?” Cobra snapped.
Gio was trying to open his eyes and ask what the heck was going on, but they felt so heavy and refused to cooperate.
Jude huffed, “I don’t know, Cobra, you could be into somnophilia or something.”
“Oh, for the love of… Jude, you are just so nasty.” Bren ground out.
“Well, he could. How the hell would I know what kink he’s into?” Jude grumbled.
“Somno what?”
If Gio wasn’t mistaken, that was Gunner, but what the heck were they all doing in his room.Stupid eyes open.Cobra argued with himself. He needed to figure out what the heck everyone was so upset about.
Bren huffed, “Somnophilia is better known as Sleeping Beauty Syndrome. It’s when someone gets sexually turned on when their partner is unconscious.”
“Now that shit is just wrong!” Gunner exclaimed.
“Damn, Jude, really? You’ve known Cobra for damn near a year, do you honestly think he would do something like that? You’re practically accusing the man of wanting to commit rape.” Casper ground out.
“I am not. He’s the one coming in here saying the only way to help Taco is if he has sex with Gio. I was just pointing out that Gio is in no shape for that kind of giddy up.” Jude snapped.
Taco? What the hell was wrong with Taco, and why would Cobra and him having sex fix his dragon?Gio wondered, as he rolled his head slowly towards the voices, and using a strength he didn’t know he had, finally opened his eyes.
Everyone was so intent on each other that no one noticed Gio was awake, watching and listening to everything being said.
“I was only telling Pit what Talpa and the other maharishi were saying. I wasn’t suggesting having sex with Gio in that condition. I’m not a fucking rapist and I’m not a cold-hearted bastard. I am just a man, trying to figure out how to save the lives of my sentience and maharishi, Jude.” Cobra argued.
“I already told you Gio should be fine. His temperature has been coming down and even though his energy is low, it is rising, just a bit slower than others, because he is using a great deal of what he has, trying to regulate his body temperature.” Jude explained, sounding exasperated.
“And my dragon… my soul bond is dying! Smoky and the other dragons are doing what they need to do to keep him alive until Gio and I can claim each other. However, I wasn’t suggesting that I fuck my sentience right this second, and for you to think so little of me…”
Jude sighed, “I’m sorry, Cobra. You know I don’t… it’s just that… well, let’s just say I know what it’s like when you guys find your sentience, and I also know you guys have been forced to hold off on your claiming with all the shit going on, and—”
“What my illustrious brother is trying to say in his typically stunted way, is that he knows your fear of Taco is one thing, but you also fear for Gio, and the fact that he’s going through the dragon heat with little relief since Taco can’t bind himself to your sentience. Having both your soul bonds in distress can take its toll, and sometimes thoughts can become irrational.” Rylee explained.
What the heck was going on? Gio was finding it difficult to think or understand what everyone was talking about. Then it hit him. Taco had given his magic over to Gio! Oh gods, his dragon had essentially handed his life over to save Gio and Cobra on the boulevard, and if what Gio remembered was correct, it had taken a lot of energy to defeat his brother in battle. Taco was dying and it was Gio’s fault!
Gio pulled the needle out of his arms and began to stand, his actions bringing everyone’s attention to him and what he was doing. Cobra was by his side immediately. “What the hell are you doing, Gio? Get back into that bed. You’re in no shape to be standing right now.”
Shaking his head, Gio rasped, “Have to help Taco. I… I can heal… I—”
“You can lay your ass down and rest. You don’t have the energy in you to heal yourself and you know it.” Jude snapped.
“I have enough to he… help things along. Stand ba… b-back.” Gio stammered.
Cobra grabbed Gio, hissing, “I won’t let you do this. You aren’t strong enough and you could end up hurting yourself worse than what you are. Taco wouldn’t want you to do this and I don’t want us binding because you feel obligated to our maharishi. Now get back into that bed and stop being stubborn.”
Gio’s eyes filled with tears, “I would never feel obligated to bind with you Cobra. I’ve wanted you for over twenty-five years. I dreamed about being yours from the moment I saw you walking past my store. I don’t know where you were going that day, but I do know it was love at first sight for me. You had such a fierce look on your face and strutted with such confidence. Never once in all those years have I ever seen fear in you. Never and damned if I wasn’t jealous as hell sometimes. I wished I could be like you. So sure of myself… so brave to face whatever life is throwing at me.”
“Gio you are filled with bravery. You saved all of us from Kace earlier. You didn’t back down and you did what needed to be done, even though I know how afraid you were. That is what it takes to be brave. You have nothing to prove to anyone, least of all me.” Cobra whispered.
Shaking his head, Gio rasped, “This isn’t about proving myself. It’s about us being one… you, me,andTaco. When I faced off with Kace, the only thing that made me take that stand was knowing if I didn’t you would die. I had to save you and now… now, I have to at least try and save Taco. I have to do this. Taco gifted me with his magic in order to help save us as well. If what you say is true, only our mating can heal him.”
“We don’t even know if that would work, Gio. Smoky and the other maharishi think so, but even they aren’t one hundred percent certain it will do any good.” Cobra insisted.
