Vashana went back to sleep.
“I am!” I insisted.
“All you've done since we've met is push me away.”
“I have not.”
“Not constantly, or we wouldn't be together, but often.”
“We've already talked about this. Yes, I waver between hope and fear, but everyone does.”
“Galin, you end up on the fear end more often than hope. I have never felt so rejected and so loved at the same time.” He chuckled. “It has caused a strange addiction in me.”
I stared at him again, processing this. Was I negative? I thought I was trying to be positive in my new life. Sure, I'd focused on some bad possibilities out of a need to preparemyself for what might come, but that's natural, isn't it? Maybe it wasn't. Maybe that need to prepare myself was souring what we had now. If Rian wasn't my mate, wouldn't it be better to enjoy the time I had with him and believe we were destined to be together, even if it was a lie? Pushing against his hope and confidence only tainted these moments. It made me more fearful and caused arguments between us. And yet, he vowed that it made him addicted to me. Hold on. Was that why Rian was so obsessed with me? Did he need the back-and-forth? The eternal hunt? Men love a good chase.
“Then, by your reasoning, I should continue to push,” I said at last, after my internal debate.
“What's this now?” Rian leaned back in surprise.
“You like the rejection.” My lips twitched as my dark thoughts turned into lighthearted ones. “I should send you back to Geris. That seems to be the best way to hold your interest.”
Rian burst out laughing, and when it faded, he begged, “Please, my love, don't send me back to him. I fear I will strangle him. Then my dread will be much aggrieved.”
I chuckled and took his hand. “I'm sorry that you've felt so rejected, Rian. You seek hope, while I seek to protect myself from disappointment.”
“Yes, I know you have fresh wounds.” He leaned in to press our foreheads together briefly. “Your heart is still bleeding, and here I am, hoping to claim it. I must be prepared to get bloody in the process.”
I made a face. “Oh, that analogy went gory.”
Rian laughed. “It did, didn't it? But you're with a Dragon now. You'll have to get used to that.”
The carriage rolled to a stop and the sound of men moving about filtered in to us. When the carriage door opened, I wasn't surprised to see that we were in the shopping district. But then Rian got out and helped me onto the sidewalk. As Vashana jumped down, I had a good look around.
“This isn't Citrine Lane,” I said.
“No, we're down a street from your emporium.” The King extended his arm to me. “I hope you don't mind. I love to shop.”
“You do?”
“Yes. It calms me to see all the things people create, their dreams made physical.” He grinned at me before adding, “None come close to your inventions, but there are some lovely things to look at. Maybe you can find inspiration.”
“Inspiration or not, I love to shop too.”
“A creator with a love for shopping. We are well matched indeed.” The Dragon King led me to the closest door. “Let's get lost for a little while in the dreams of others.”
“That sounds like paradise.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
An hour or so later, the Dragon King and I wandered into a jewelry store. It made me nervous to see the glittering gems set in bands of gold and silver. The necklaces, earrings, pins, and rings. All could be tokens of love. Some meant more than others depending on your race. With Argaivs, it was a particular piece of jewelry that declared you were taken. When a couple got engaged, wing bands were exchanged. They each wore one around their right, upper wing. At the wedding ceremony, another exchange of bands occurred, each partner snapping their spouse's into place around their left, upper wing. The bands had to be taken off before the wings were retracted, making it even more annoying for married Argaivs to withdraw their wings. Some Argaivs from the younger generations had taken to getting tattoos on their wing bones instead. That option seemed barbaric and, frankly, stupid to me. If their marriage failed, they wouldn't be able to remove the mark.
“Galin?” Rian set his hand on my forearm.
“Sorry. Did you say something?”
“Not I.” He waved at a Hulfrin woman standing before us.
The lady's sleek head was adorned with a classy circlet set with amber stones. Her long, white hair flowed in a straight linebelow it, going past her shoulders to her hips. The circlet was the only jewelry she wore, despite being a salesclerk in a jewelry store. But then, it was all she needed. The stones and gold set off her honey-colored eyes, especially against her white fur. In short, she was beyond lovely.
