I leaned back and smiled contentedly. My mate. Here at last. And he was incredible. Aras guarded my back, stood at my side, and did wonderful things to my front as well. So beautiful. So loyal. I knew he would be true to me forever. There was no other man for me and never would be.
When Aras got back to the couch, I tucked him in against my side and just held him while we waited for the food. I didn't want to start something and get interrupted. But also, I enjoyed sitting with him, staring into the fire. The possibility of doing just this, every night, popped into my head. A comfortable life full of love. It was so different from the life I had imagined for myself and so much better.
“Tell me about your family,” I said to Aras.
He jerked upright. “What?”
I frowned at him. “You know all about me, but you haven't told me much about yourself. Where were you born?”
Aras cleared his throat. “I was born . . .”
“Aras?” I took his hand. “I was born a farmer. I won't judge you. You know that.”
He sighed and leaned back. “I don't know where I was born. Not exactly.”
“What does that mean?”
“My mother was found in the forest, dead, with me in her arms. She died from giving birth to me.”
“But Hulfrin are immortal.” I sat up.
“Yes. Dying in childbirth is rare, but it happens. I've heard it even happens to Dragon women.”
“Does it?” I murmured. “Aras, I'm so sorry.”
He shrugged. “The men who found me were Zaknir.”
“Zaknir? What kingdom were you in?”
“Latur.”
“Latur?” I paused. “I didn't think there were any Hulfrin in Latur.”
“They aren't native to the region, no. Nor do pregnant Hulfrin women travel alone.” Aras stretched his shoulders. “There was a lot of mystery surrounding my birth. No one hasbeen able to tell me who my mother was, much less my father, or why she gave birth to me alone. They don't even know that last part for sure. They said she was clothed, and I was swaddled, but her skirts were soaked in blood. It looked as if she had given birth somewhere else and ran into the forest for sanctuary.”
“You are a miracle, Aras,” I whispered.
He frowned. “I'm an orphan with no homeland.”
“No homeland,” I murmured. “Is that why you took to the sea?”
“The Zaknir wouldn't take me with them. You know how they are about their kingdom. No outsiders.” Aras shrugged. “But they couldn't leave a baby to die either. They took me to the nearest village and gave me to a human orphanage.”
“Ahumanorphanage?! You were raised by humans?”
“Yes. And they were good to me. But they knew nothing about my people.”
I stared at him. Was this why Aras hadn't known about Dragon mating? “But surely, you learned after you matured?”
“I was too ashamed.” Aras chewed at his lower lip, his whiskers twitching. “I left the orphanage when I became an adult and went straight to the docks. The orphanage was in a coastal town, so the sea trade was the biggest opportunity for those without formal skills. I found a ship that needed a deckhand and signed up to be on the crew. Luckily, it was a legitimate vessel, and I learned an honest trade. I worked hard and eventually saved enough to buy my own ship. Along the way, I met more Hulfrin and slowly learned what it was to be Hulfrin through watching them. When I bought the Tiger's Claw,I decided to hire only Hulfrin. It made me feel connected to my mother.”
“Holy fuck,” I whispered. “I have to say it again; you are a miracle.”
“No, I'm a survivor. I did what I had to, and I got lucky along the way. I could have easily wound up as a pirate.” He grimaced and looked toward the balcony. “I could have been like that Neraky I tortured.”
“Hey.” I laid my hand on his leg. “You aren't like him, and I don't believe that you would have gone that route. Maybe when you were young and didn't have a lot of options, you might have turned to crime to survive, but once you got stronger, you would have chosen a new path.”
“How do you know that?”
