Dark.
Ready to devour.
Frowning, I looked up at it.
Kenji raised his eyebrows. "You can see it right now?"
"Yeah." I swallowed hard. "He's big. He's taking up the majority of the wall and the shower. And he's dark. Darker than ever. And. . .his eyes look red."
Kenji followed my gaze to the shadow. Then he looked back at me. “Red?”
“Yes. I didn’t even know he could get this dark or his eyes would look that way.”
"Then, my dragon is ready for war too."
I trembled. “Yes.”
Kenji’s smile widened, while my mind screamed at me to beg him not to go.
Yesterday had been so perfect romance with omakase, sensuality immersed within fire play.
I'd felt so close to him.
So connected.
We'd been falling deeper in love with every breath.
And now he was leaving, heading for war.
I'd known this life would be dangerous. I'd known there would be moments like this. But I never realized how terrifying it would feel to stand next to him right now. To see the dragon-shadow writhing behind him.
To know that in a few hours he could be dead.
The pain of this dread was physical. A knife twisting in my chest.
My throat closed up, and I wanted to cry.
Wanted to scream.
Wanted to tell him how much I hated this.
How much I didn't want him to go.
But I didn't say any of it.
Because he needed to focus. He needed to be sharp, ready, and unafraid. And if I broke down right now, if I cried, begged, and made this harder for him, I'd be putting him in danger.
So I swallowed the fear, the tears, and the desperate plea sitting on my tongue.
I looked up at him. "What can I do?"
Kenji's expression softened. His hands came up to frame my face, and his thumbs brushed across my cheekbones. "You're doing it right now, being here for me is everything I need to win."
I shook my head. "I want to do more."
"You’re scared.”
My bottom lip quivered.
