“He might be, but like you said, he can't get in.”
“Are you content to sit here like prey? I’m not.” I tried to keep my voice calm and as neutral as I could, but I wanted to throttle him. Riley was in danger, and her babe as well.
He closed his laptop with a sharp click. “Of course not. I want to go out and find that old man and drain the blood from his body, but I can't. I won't leave my pregnant wife with less than all three of us to protect her until she has the baby and can protect herself. Once the baby is born and she's strong again, I know she can handle herself and we’ll go after the lunatic.”
“She saved herself from him once. She could do it again.” He hadn't seen her. She was glorious, an inferno of rage and retribution. Her hair hadn’t burned, as was the norm when a Sárkány let their fire consume their body. It had hung down her back in red waves, made brighter by the flames, stopping just before the slope of her bottom. That's how I remembered that day, watching her walk away from me, shapely thighs and calves flickering.
I could've taken over for her, but since she erupted before I could, her clothes were burned off. If I'd let my flames out, I would've burned mine off, plus in the amount of time it took to get out of the building, I would've burned all my energy out, giving the Shapeshifters the opportunity to get their hands on both of us again. I'd had to be the voice of reason that day while she saved us.
Anthony was that voice today. “You're right. We must practice patience.” I sighed. “I just want her to be safe. She's saving our people, providing a beacon of hope, and through her, we found the Junta, this world, and salvation. Then I got to know her and found her to be simply amazing. How could I not want to save her?”
“Man,” he said, chuckling. “You've got it bad, huh?”
“It?” I asked.
“You've been bitten by the love bug.”
What did he mean? “Do you have a bug that causes feelings of love? Like a bug as in sickness or an actual flying type bug?”
“It's an old expression. It just means you’re experiencing passionate feelings of love for someone.”
That made sense. “Oh, well, yes.”
“Can I ask a question?” He turned to walk out of the room.
“Of course.” I followed him toward the door.
“You're being very calm about the fact that you two haven't been very intimate.”
“That's not a question.” I knew what he was getting at, but I wanted to make him say it.
“Why haven't you had sex? It's got to be killing you.”
I laughed at him and contemplated my answer, pausing before walking out in the hall where we might be overheard. “It needs to be just right. I'm very old, Anthony, by human standards at least. Much older than you and Elias. I've seen marriages prosper and seen them crumble. I'm not saying that moving quickly is a sign of a bad marriage. Just that not treating each other as the most important creatures in the world, that's a mistake.”
“She is the most important creature to me. She, Elias, and the kids. You're growing on that list every day, as well.” He leaned against the wall, apparently content to allow our conversation to happen in private.
“That is obvious to anyone that knows you. Elias too. She is your center, your focus. The children and her relationship with them bother her, I can see that. She's a stepmom, in a way even to her own children. But that'll ease with time. Elias had the biggest foundation with Riley, and from what she's told me, she fell for you hard and fast. But—our love is different, and it is very new.”
“How is it different?” He looked a little offended.
“Nothing bad,” I said quickly. I didn't want him to think I was saying our love was better. Just different. “Your relationship, for her, began as attraction and physical lust, yes?”
He nodded his head. “It did, though I was already in love with her before she even knew who I was.”
“Okay, but for us, we've been friends for months. We didn't fully know we were interested in pursuing a relationship until very recently. As a matter of fact, I didn't know me entering into this unconventional arrangement was an option. I thought I would admire and care for Riley from afar for the rest of our lives, hopefully finding someone to love along the way.”
“You’ve taken it slow from the beginning, and you want to continue that with your physical relationship?” Anthony asked.
“Yes. And I want to have time to worship her body for as long as I want to.”
He burst out laughing. “You're just being selfish. You want her all to yourself the first time.”
“Is that so wrong?”
“No... man, I'm just messing with you. You deserve that together. Come on, let's go start some dinner.”
I mulled over our conversation as I walked to the kitchen to cook. Having Riley to myself for our first night together would allow us to bond properly, as Sárkány mates should. We deserved a proper bond, even in an unconventional relationship.
