A sigh escaped me, but it felt good, like letting go of the past. “It’s all right. It’s taken a while, but I’m slowly getting over it.” I smiled at him. “Talking it out with you helps.”
He curled his tail closer. “That’s what I’m here for.”
My heart skipped. Thystle hadn’t said anything particularly romantic, but those feelings pooled around me in waves. He cared about me deeply, on a level I’d never experienced from anyone else—and I felt the same way about him.
He didn’tneedto spell it out for me to understand. It was the little things he did that drew me to him, that made me wonder if my quest for a fated mate finally reached its conclusion...
Holding Thystle’s dragon head in my hands, I pressed my nose against his. His breath had a smoky aroma, like a campfire.
“If it’s all right,” I whispered, quiet enough for the mics to miss. “I’d like to be alone with you.”
Thystle’s pupils squeezed into narrow slits, and I felt the barely perceptible tension seizing his body.
The dragon’s response was a low growl, barely voiced and feral. “Go to your hotel room. In an hour, you’remine.”
Eighteen
Thystle
Fifty-nine minutes later,I was on his balcony.
Containing my dragon was a colossal effort, like shoving a crocodile into a cat crate. I’d flown to Matteo’s room, shifted as I landed, then gave the sliding door a single knock. Ineededto change back. My human body couldn’t handle the emotion and desire raging within me. It clawed at my insides, desperate to be freed.
Matteo didn’t make me wait. He opened the door and silently met my gaze. A glassy desire clouded his dark eyes.
Without a word, I grabbed his wrist, pulled him to my chest, and leapt off the balcony. Having Matteo in my grasp was the straw that broke the camel’s back. My dragon soul burst free, ripping through the strained seams of my human form. I stretched my wings to their limit. I loved the way the night air felt beneath my leathery flesh.
I wasn’t alone in shifting. The sky worked its magic on Matteo, too. As we took to the air together, he slipped into his golden eagle form. The tips of our wings touched as we flew side-by-side. His eagle form was gorgeous. His beautiful brown eyes caught the moonlight, making them gleam, and his feathers had a pale sheen that made him look like he glowed.
“I want to lock talons and sky-dive with you,” I said suddenly.
Matteo let out a few clicks of laughter. “That’s bald eagles, not golden eagles. But I won’t say no to a good courtship ritual.”
My heart soared—then, so did I. Pumping my muscles, I flew upwards. Matteo joined me in our ascent. The air cooled the higher we went. The hotel and beach shrank beneath us. I felt exhilarated—up this high, it felt like me and Matteo were in our own private world. I forgot the Games, the challenges, the drama. Right now, it was me and him.
My mate.
Facing him, I extended my front claws. Matteo banked his wings, coming closer, then locked his talons in mine.
“Ready?” he asked.
“Ready.”
Together, we tipped into a free fall. Our bodies spun in a rhythmic spiral, a twister of feathers and scales. Wind rushed around us. It was a wild, intoxicating feeling. I gripped Matteo’s talons harder and pulled him as close as possible. We were one unit, a knife slicing the air. He cried out in a screech of laughter, and I joined him with a roar.
We plummeted towards the beach. It only took a few seconds, but the experience felt longer. Right before we’d crash, we disconnected our talons, flared our wings, and took proper flight.
But I wasn’t done with Matteo yet. I beckoned him with a deep growl, wanting him to follow me. He let out a few affirmative piping notes as he flew by my side.
That breathtaking courtship ritual lit a fire in my blood. I was full to the brim with desire, and this time, no amount of willpower could dampen it. Hell, I couldn’t even wait until we reached my bedroom.
I was going to claim Matteo once and for all, and it had to benow.
We soared over the forest until I spotted a glint of pale light. A secluded pond in a clearing reflected the moonlight. I nudged Matteo with the tip of my wing and flew down. He followed behind me, shifting to human form as he touched down on the dewy grass. He gazed around the misty clearing, taking in the sights and smells of the untouched forest oasis.
“This is gorgeous,” he murmured.
Unlike him, I hadn’t shifted. I remained in my dragon form as I pressed my maw against his cheek.
