“Harpy knows, too,” Casey admitted, looking down at his feet as we continued to walk between the trees.
“How are you feeling about it?”
Casey shrugged. “I knew he wasn’t meant to be mine, and I’ve tried to break things off with Harpy ever since. He’s the one who isn’t ready to let go yet.”
“But you are?” I felt horrible for asking, but I liked Casey and I didn’t want to hurt his feelings. Not that I wasn’t going to claim Harpy because of it. I definitely would get my mate no matter who got hurt. But I could still be a decent person before claiming his boyfriend.
Casey nodded. “I am. Which is why I wanted to talk to you. Harpy seems to believe that The Magic made a mistake and we truly will someday be fated mates. So, I ask you to please kiss him.”
I stopped walking. “You want me to kiss your boyfriend?” I exclaimed in shock. “Are you certain?” I needed him to fully consentto this, because I was all for it, but I didn’t want to mess things up between the two of them.
Casey sounded pained when he replied, “I am.”
It was now later in the afternoon and I was taking a walk outside the castle walls. I needed some fresh air and to think about how to approach Harpy. I feared my dragon would take over as soon as I had my mate alone, and I was not about to claim him without his consent. A kiss shouldn’t be enough to seal our bond yet, not when we were basically strangers still, but I had to be careful anyway.
Someone closed in on me from behind, but my instincts told me it wasn’t a threat so I kept on walking, minding my own business as I envisioned Harpy’s breathtaking face.
“Nym?” a male student asked, now almost caught up to me. I was heading for the lake, wanting to walk around it so I had a goalas I pondered what to do. I slowed my steps and turned to face him. The student had to be Damon, at least he fit the vague description Ryn had given me when I’d asked how he looked. I much preferred not to be caught by surprise when he decided to approach me. He looked nothing like his black dragon form. He was big in his human form, but I was bigger than him. It didn’t matter that his dragon was much bigger in size than mine, I was still the more powerful of us. It had been clear to everyone, even his dragon form knew it to be true.
“Damon?” I replied, just to be certain this blonde-haired guy with piercing lilac eyes truly was the black dragon.
He nodded. “I wanted to apologize.”
I wasn’t up for a long and deep apology, so I kept my response short. “I understand why you did it.”
He blinked in surprise. “You do?”
I gave him a small smile. “I wanted to show off for my fated, too.”
He let out a relieved laugh. “I still can’t believe I hit you with my wing. All I could focus on was winning. It wasn’t until you were falling that I realized what I’d done.”
Shrugging, I continued toward my goal, knowing he would follow.
“You’re actually the first dragon shifter I’ve met,” he admitted. “I was hoping we could maybe be friends? But I totally understand it if you’d rather want nothing to do with me. I did attack you, after all.”
“I would like that,” I hurried to assure him, not wanting him to linger on his guilt. “I’ve met a few dragon shifters myself, but not one that’s my age. It would be nice to have someone to ask for advice.”
He laughed. “I would love that.” We walked in silence for a beat before he asked, “So, who’s your fated?”
“Harpy,” I replied, not wanting to hide who he was to me. And maybe because I wanted to stake my claim on him, too. “Yours?”
“I don’t know his name. But he’s hard to miss. In fact, I think you’re friends with him.”
“Really?” I didn’t have friends here, not outside of my family and Casey, and now Damon.
“Yeah, he’s got this light green hair. Total cutie.”
“Ryn?!” I exclaimed.
“Is that his name?” Damon sounded almost dreamy as he asked, like Ryn was just perfection.
I nodded, unable to stop my mind from whirling. I felt protective over my cousin, but I also knew Ryn wouldn’t find another mate as protective as a dragon, so I couldn’t truly be mad about it.
“And you’re friends with him?” Damon questioned.
“He’s my cousin. Not by blood, but our fathers are close. All of us kids were raised as cousins and he’s always been family because of that,” I explained. I wondered if Damon knew we were royalty or not. I figured it should be Ryn who told him if he didn’t.
“Oh, that actually sounds cool!”
