You’re not normal.Never were.
It made sense, how she’d never felt quite… right.Never fit in, even with her own kind.She’d been neither here nor there her whole life.“Have any Twenty One Pilots in there?”she asked, hearing a quiver in her voice.
“Never heard of them.I tend to like classic rock and metal music from the seventies and eighties.Elvis was all right, but I started really enjoying music in the sixties and seventies.”
He was around when Elvis got his start.Wow.Just … wow.
“So my parents were Dragons?”
“Your mother was Dragon.Moncrief, your grandfather, and your father were Deuces.Descendants inherit only one aspect.Generally, the different types of Crescents don’t intermingle, but love doesn’t always make sense.”He let his gaze settle on her for a moment before his expression reverted to the business-at-hand look.“Time to start.You need to submit to me.To my will.”
She anchored her hands on her hips.“Oh, this is the part where I would have been more malleable had you gotten your hands on me when I was thirteen.”
“I wouldn’t be ‘getting my hands’ on you.”
“I didn’t mean it that way.”She guessed that in romantic dalliances, he probably wanted a woman more experienced in the ways of Dragon.And likely other things.She was safe most likely, at least that way.“But I’m not submitting to you.”
He put his hands on her shoulders.“Ruby, as your sworn protector, I will lay my life on the line for you.”His words shivered through her because she heard the devotion in them.And she had, after all, seen him do just that.“But you have to do your part.You have to grow into your strength and power and out of your tough façade.”
“What do you mean, façade?”
He drew his finger from her shoulder to her collarbone, where he made tiny circles.“Your real strength lies here, in your Dragon.I’m your way of reaching that.”
Shesodid not like needing him.“I am tough.I didn’t crumble in fear when that damned orb was chasing me or when I saw a friggin’ demon.”
Damn it, his smile reeked of patronization.“You are tougher than most would be in your position.Now you have to get tougher.”
“I get images of you forcing me to kiss your boot.”Her eyebrows furrowed.“Or someplace even more degrading.”
His mouth twitched.“Interesting image.The more degrading place.Can you elaborate?”
She slapped his finger away.He laughed, irritating her even more because he never reacted the way she expected.Which reminded her of the Dragon Prince on his wedding day.Garnet had tried to piss him off and assert her autonomy, and he’d laughed!
“I don’t need to force you to do petty acts to assuage my need for dominance.”He arched an eyebrow.“Which I don’t have, by the way.Submitting is an act of strength, not weakness.In the beginning, with your Dragon Awakened, it’ll feel like riding a bucking bronco.Hold on tight.I’ll be Dragon, too, and if I need to, I’ll hold you down.Or knock you on your ass.I won’t let you hurt yourself, or me, if you’re out of control.”
All her life she’d done everything to be in control.Never drinking to excess, no drugs, being her own boss.Now she might lose it completely.
Her throat felt as if she’d swallowed sand.“How do I become human again?”
“You will it.You’re the master.I suggest you remove your clothes now and set them in a neat pile so you can get to them easily when you Catalyze back.I’ll cover my eyes.”He gave her such a condescending smile that she narrowed her eyes.He chuckled.“You have fire.Good.You’ll need it.”
Déjà vu smacked her in the chest.She’d heard those words before.Ah, before the Dragon Prince enabled the spell.More bits were coming back—because they were living them.Maybe the books were indeed a prophecy.
He removed his pants and set them with his shirt.Not a speck of modesty.She watched him walk away, the candlelight gilding his glutes.Did he have to be achingly beautiful?He remained faced away and even covered his eyes with one hand.Her gaze drifted down wide shoulders that tapered to a narrow waist, his exquisite ass, and then strong legs dusted with hair as dark as the hair on his head.And the Dragon climbing up his back.Her gaze drifted to the mirror’s reflection where she could see the front of him.His closed eyes and strong chin, the Dragon watching her…
“Ready?”he asked.
She started.“No.”The word snapped out of her mouth, only because she’d been gawking.She put her clothes in a pile far from his.After arranging her hair to fall over her breasts, she said, “All right.”
He turned around to face her.“I’ve been to a lot of ceremonies.Each teenager has a family member who triggers the Awakening.I will act in that role.When you Catalyze for the first time, it will be intense.Painful.”He must have seen her trepidation at those words.“I know you can handle it, Ruby, because you’re meant for this.And I’ve been told you’re quite tough.”
“Hah hah.”He still said her name in that sultry way, wrapping his voice around it like a coating of melted chocolate.
He stepped up to within inches of her.“I’m going to put my mouth on yours.I didn’t want you to think I was trying to kiss you.”
“That would be a crazy thought.”
“Indeed.”He placed his hands on either side of her face and brought his mouth toward hers.Her body wanted to fall toward him the moment his mouth settled over hers, but she remained on her feet.
