"I'm sure." He reaches out and takes the keys. "You're newly mated, and Diaval is half-mated to her. You both need time to let the bond strengthen and deepen naturally."
I extend my hand and shake his firmly. "I can see why she accepted you as her first mate. You lead from a place of selflessness. Torben, you are wise beyond your years."
"What do you mean I accepted him as first mate? The order makes a difference?" Shit. Her innocent question I know will not be able to be derailed.
"Let's talk about it while Torben drives, shall we?"
"I need answers. Many detailed answers." She looks up into my eyes as she grips my tie firmly.
"Answers you shall have." Diaval states as he offers her his arm.
Feray releases me like I set her hand on fire and takes hold of Diaval. He leads her back to the car and then to the trunk. Popping it open, he pulls out a bottle of water and a bag of snacks. "You need to eat and drink once we're in the vehicle again. Then we will give you the answers you desire." He doesn't give her the option to refuse. Instead, she smiles slightly and nods, taking what he's offering.
Without hesitation, she gets into the car, and I stand here stunned, watching what's happening before me. Feray is strong and dominant when she has to be, otherwise she enjoys feeling safe and cared for. Her preference for being sheltered versus having to wage war is interesting. I get into the back of the SUV from the passenger side and close the door.
"Are we ready to get going?" Torben turns with a big smile painted on his face. The big guy seems happy with the way everything is progressing.
"Let's get going." I laugh a little, watching Feray eat her snack and Diaval watch her like a hawk.
"What is it with you two and stuffing food in Feray's face?" I look between them as Torben pulls back out onto the road.
"For bears, a well-fed and happy mate is a sign of a powerful male. A good boar provides food and protection for its mate. If she feels safe and is never hungry, then I've done my job." Torben says it with such passion that I sit up and take notice.
"Dragons believe that if our female wants for nothing, we've done our job." I watch Diaval brush the hair away from her face as she eats the second bag of snacks.
"What of your hoard? Which means more to you—your mate or your hoard?" I pose the question, curious about his answer.
Diaval laughs as he hands Feray her water bottle back. "That's easy. A dragon's mate trumps its hoard. Since my mate gave me my prized possession, it's always going to be her."
"I did?" Feray angles her body, leaning back against me to watch Diaval. She obviously didn't realize how important her gift was to him.
"You did." The smirk he was wearing earlier fades, and a genuine smile appears for a moment as he digs in the satchel that's never far from him. He pulls out the black mug Feray gave him, handing it to her like it's the most fragile thing in the world. She turns it over in her hands several times and then noticesthe inscription—the same Latin phrase,until death, written in beautiful script.
"You didn't know it, but the day you gave me that mug, my dragon decided you were meant to be ours. Instinct told me you were mine, but that cranky bastard doesn't always agree with me. For once, he did."
"But you set it aside..." She sets the mug on her lap before wringing the hem of her sundress.
Torben's eyes find the rearview mirror, looking back at Feray. "Deep breath. Let him explain."
Diaval nods his thanks in Torben's direction before speaking. "Your thoughtful gift stunned me. I'm usually so unapproachable that no one has ever gifted me anything." I watch him reach down and extract her hands from the hem of her dress, rubbing his thumbs gently over the back of her small hands. Slowly, I run my hands down her arms, trying to soothe her.
"You are a massive asshole most of the time, Diaval." I chime in.
"Easton!" Feray looks over her shoulder at me and lightly smacks my hand.
"What? It's true."
"He is right. Diaval can be a dick at times." Torben adds.
"Now that we've determined I can be a dickish asshole, may I continue?" Diaval stares at each of us, then proceeds, taking our silence as permission.
"My dragon started fighting me, wanted to be released in that little room for you to see him. Before I accidentally crushed themug in my hand, I set it aside to keep it safe." He draws in a deep breath and looks over her shoulder at me. "As Easton can attest, it's difficult when you've spent most of your existence alone." A smirk ticks up the corner of his mouth for a moment.
"In dragon society, the female picks the males in her nest. My dragon chose you. It was a shock when he was urging me to claim a female he only knew from the bar. One who seemed to know exactly what flavors would please us the most." He gazes affectionately down the bridge of his nose at her.
"It wasn't hard to figure out. Your choice in whiskey or bourbon told me exactly what to put together. The rest was watching and learning." Feray leans back and presses herself into me further. From what I can tell, she does this when a topic makes her uncomfortable. I stop running my hands up and down her arms and wrap an arm around her waistline, hugging her.
"You are very observant and highly intelligent. I would expect nothing less from you." Leaning in, I kiss the shell of her ear and nuzzle her cheek after, like I've seen Torben do to soothe her.
