Okay. I said, not with my voice but with my thoughts, suddenly understanding how we had communicated before. It was all in our minds.
Moving shakily, I approached him, aware of the power coiled in his vast body, the strength that could easilycrush me without effort. He was gentle, lowering himself to make it easier for me to reach him.
Here. Ashton directed mentally.Grab the base of my wing and put your foot above my back knee.
I did as he said, hefting myself up and landing on my stomach. It struck me how ridiculous I must've looked as I turned the right way and settled my legs behind his wings. I couldn't help a giggle that may have sounded a bit desperate.
Hold on tight.
I grasped onto the tough ridges along his neck, the warmth of his dark obsidian black scales a living heat that pulsed beneath my fingertips, a deep, steady current flowing into my palms. The warmth of raw power, of ancient life, solid and utterly reassuring, seeping into my palms. He was warmer than the night, but not so hot I couldn't take it. I might end up sweating a bit, though.
I could feel the thrumming of his life force, the steady beat of his heart syncing with mine. There was no room left for doubt, only trust in the creature who had come to save me.
Ready? he asked, already knowing the answer.
Yes, let's get out of here.
He rose, muscles flexing beneath me as he prepared to take us away from the smoldering remains of whatcould have been my end. In that moment, clinging to the back of a dragon, I realized that no matter how fantastical, how impossible my life had become, it was unequivocally real.
Whatever happens, don't let go.
Got it.
His body tensed beneath me, and then, with a whoosh that forced the air from my lungs, we were airborne. The ground fell away so swiftly that for a moment, my mind couldn't catch up with the reality that I was flying, actually flying, on the back of a dragon.
The world below transformed into a patchwork quilt of darkening hues, the moon casting long shadows over the land. Wind whipped through my hair, and I tightened my hold as Ashton banked sharply to the left, the force of the turn pressing me against his scales. Fear fluttered in my chest, but it was quickly drowned out by exhilaration, a laugh bubbling up from my throat that got lost in the roar of the rushing air.
Are you okay? Ashton's voice echoed in my head, tinged with amusement.
More than okay!My thoughts were a giddy swirl.This is incredible!
It was more than the physical sensation of flight; it was the freedom, the absolute release from theearthly ties that had bound me moments ago. The doubts and uncertainties that had plagued me about Ashton, about being connected to a dragon, seemed insignificant now. How could they not be when I was part of something so magnificent?
Ashton surged higher, and the ground became a distant memory. Stars blinked into existence above us after we went through the clouds, and the sky was a canvas painted with the promise of night.
I leaned into the movement, feeling the strength of his wings as they interrupted the air, understanding at last the power of what it meant to soar.
"Thank you," I said into the wind. He would hear me, feeling my spirit meld with his in a way I hadn't thought possible. In this vast, open sky, with nothing between us and the heavens, I found a sense of belonging. As we flew toward our future, I realized that love had been the truest form of liberation all along.
As we touched down, the world seemed to right itself beneath us. Ashton's wings retracted with a graceful sweep as he settled on the grass beside the stone path that led to the front door of the Beck Manor. I slid from his back, my legs unsteady not from the flight but from the rush of emotions that came crashing in after our aerial escape.
"Erin, I—" Ashton said after he shifted back to his human form, fully clothed.
"I'm sorry," we both said simultaneously, an awkward chuckle escaping my lips as I realized we'd spoken over each other.
"Go ahead," he said, a sheepish smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"No, you first." I brushed a stray lock of hair from my face. No doubt my hair was insane, but I wasn't even going to think about that.
"Erin, I apologize for not being there when that man came... I should have?—"
"Stop," I said gently. "You came when it mattered. You saved me."
He nodded, accepting my words with a solemn intensity. "Are we..." My voice faded into the evening air, uncertainty knotting my stomach.
"Are we what?" Ashton stepped closer.
"Are we really fated mates?" The question felt small but carried my entire world.
