“More than my heart.” I wriggled my cock against his belly.
Aras burst out laughing, his cock kicking inside me, and I joined him. He fell forward atop me, shoving my legs out further, but I didn't care. I pulled him even closer and held him until our laughter abated. It didn't affect our erections at all. We were both still hard when Aras pushed up on his hands to stare down at me.
He slid in as deep as he could and held himself there as he said, “I'm glad I didn't know.”
“About the mating bond?”
“About all of it—Dragon mating, you, and love. You introduced me to everything I now treasure most.”
I scowled. “I also tortured you with it.”
“Worth it,” he vowed. “It made this all the sweeter.”
“Truly?”
“Truly.” Aras started thrusting faster. “But I can't hold on to that sweetness for much longer, Mate.” He bared his teeth and spoke through them, “I need to rut!”
“Thank the Gods,” I said. “My dragon is clawing at me to do the same.”
“Hold on, my love,” Aras said. “This is going to get wild.”
“I will never let go. No matter how wild it gets.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
“Well, thank the Gods,” my father said at lunch the next day.
My mate and I had slept in after our long night of lovemaking, so this was the first meal of the day for us. We had decided to take it in the dining hall, sitting at the royal table together with my family and Ellas. I had just informed my parents about the day before—everything about the Eye, our new allies, and my confession to Aras.
“We've been eager to welcome you into our family, Son,” my mother said to Aras as she got out of her chair.
She went to him, and Aras stood, looking uncertain. His eyes went wide as she hugged him.
“You're not disappointed that your son didn't mate a Dragon?” Aras asked.
My father made a scoffing sound as he leaned around my back to shake Aras's hand. “You've seen how our fellow Dragons are behaving. Do you really think it bothers us that you aren't one of them?”
“Well, I hope I'd be a good Dragon.”
Father laughed. “I'm sure you would be. At the very least, you'd tell your mate that you had mated him.” He shot a chiding look my way.
“Enough of that,” my mother said. “It was that relic influencing him.” She kissed my cheek before returning to her seat. “Lyrandir can't be held accountable for his actions.”
“I can and I will be,” I said. “I'm going to make it up to Aras.”
“After we win this war,” Aras said. “Then you can do all the making-up you want. But until then, we have to focus on preparing the army.” He looked out across the hall. “Is there anything more we can do to improve their skills?”
I thought about it. “Beyond enchanting them, no.”
“That's not such a bad idea,” my father said.
“Hidero!” my mother exclaimed.
“What? He was going to use the Eye. How is enchanting the troops any different?”
“I believe that's the point, Father,” I said.
“We are magical beings,” my father said. “You cannot let what happened affect how you feel about magic.”
