Pax stirred, and I pressed a kiss on his neck over where I’d marked him. He tensed and whimpered. I kissed his brow and apologized for hurting him. I needed to remember how fragile humans were.
“It’s okay.” He rolled over to face me. “Morning.”
I traced over the tattoo, and like mine, it was no longer hotter than the rest of him because we’d finally found one another.
“How do you feel?” Judging by his smile and one arm flung over my chest, whatever he was about to say was going to be positive.
“I feel whole. Maybe complete is a better word.”
“Me too. And that’s how it’s supposed to be.”
We kissed again, and I pulled him closer, not wanting any space between us. There was no urgency to get up, and we lay in one another’s arms, talking about everything and nothing. Butwhen my stomach growled, Pax laughed and pushed me to the edge of the bed.
“Come on. I can’t finally mate my dragon man only to have him expire from hunger.”
We made it downstairs with difficulty because we kept touching one another and kissing. I made coffee while my mate started on the eggs. I kept glancing at him as he stood at the stove to make sure he was with me and marked.
“Stop staring.” He didn’t look up from the pan where he was flipping eggs.
“I can’t help it.”
“Is this how it’s going to be from now on?”
“Yes.” If it bugged him, I’d stop, and I’d have to stare at him when he wasn’t looking.
We ate our food with our legs entwined and intermittent kissing. Pax mentioned he’d need to call his parents and tell them about me, but he was putting it off for a few days. That was an obstacle I hadn’t considered. Not that he’d tell them I was a shifter, but he hadn’t been in town long and was already in a relationship. That was super speedy by human standards.
“If it’s okay, I’d like to take you somewhere today.” My dragon tensed because the last time we’d been in that place, Pax had run from us.
“Okay.” He rested his chin on his hands. “Where?”
“The clearing.” I held his hand and watched his face for any sign of distress. But other than a raised brow, he didn’t react.
“My family will be flying today, and I’d like you to be there with us. You’re one of us now.”
My parents and everyone else adored Pax after meeting him at the birthday party. But he was family, and they wanted to include him even though he couldn’t fly.
He asked if he’d see much being on the ground, and I suggested we get Garrett’s GoPro and attach it to my dragon.
“Wow. You can do that?” He clapped, and his eyes lit up. “I’d love it.”
Dad’s truckwas already at the clearing, along with Garrett’s and my aunt and uncle’s. My family wasn’t known for being on time, but as had happened at the party, they were eager to see Pax, knowing we were mated.
We walked the trail hand in hand, and when we emerged into the clearing, Garrett was on lookout.
“There they are.” He jogged over and pulled Pax into a hug. “Congratulations.”
I was familiar with my cousin’s hugs, but we were both shifters, and I worried Pax couldn’t breathe. But Garrett released him before he’d squeezed the air from my mate’s lungs.
Dad and Pops came over and welcomed Pax into the family with more hugs and kisses. The rest of the family took turns greeting him, and Aunt Raine made Pax laugh with a comment about the weather being suitable for flying.
The family began to strip down, and while my mate understood we didn’t want to destroy our clothes, his cheeks reddened, and I steered him away from the naked butts.
“What about you?” he whispered. “I’d like to see your ass and other parts of you.”
I told him I’d wait until everyone else except Garrett had taken their scales. We moved to the edge of the clearing so Pax didn’t get caught in the downwash, because when a flight of dragons took off, the wind could easily bowl a human over.
I draped an arm around my mate as one by one my family took their scales. Dad’s blue ones glittered in the afternoon sunwhile Pops’s silver scales shimmered. Pax shielded his eyes, and his mouth fell open as they took off into the air.
