“I got there using a flyer I stole from my brother. It crashed on landing. Initially the females caught me, but then their leader decided she didn’t want me, and I was able to escape,” Deus says. “But not leave, neither the area where I crashed nor the continent itself.”
“But Dalox discovered a way, a flyer which was capable of the distance.”
“He did. I wasn’t…able to take on the females on my own,” Deus says, not looking at me. “And not being able to shift meant if I got injured, I would have been more vulnerable.”
With a sigh, he returns to his more humanoid form.
“It would seem I cannot hold my shift for long,” he adds.
“Long enough.” I pull the blanket closer around me, although while I’m not curled in his tail anymore, I am instead pressed against his abdomen, and his arm is around my shoulder.
“I did not mean to upset you…before,” Deus says. “Is that why you ran?”
I shake my head. “I’ve been through…a lot. I wasn’t sure what to think or what to do. It wasn’t you.” I look up at him, seeing his jaw clenched. “I promise it wasn’t anything you did.”
I put my hand on his chest. Deus is still incredibly warm, and his scales are silky smooth, glittering under my fingers. He looks down at where I touch him.
“You did a good job on my shed,” he rumbles.
I laugh a little. “Hardly. I just did what you told me to do.”
“You did me a kindness, my ember, one you did not need to do, not when I had you as my captive.”
“And I’m not your captive now.”
He moves his arm from my shoulder. “You are free to go.”
“What? With all the killer plants out there?” I mock gasp at him. “You’d send me out into the night?”
The growl he releases could probably register on the Richter scale.
“I would never.” He sucks in a breath before releasing a stream of smoke. “Never hurt you.”
“I know.” I bunch up my hand and flatten it again.
“Good. Because Dante and Darax’s warriors came for you and I…sent them away.”
I deeply suspect the wordssent them awayare doing some heavy lifting in this context.
“Will they come back?”
“Most probably.”
“Deus.” I look up into his face. The muscle in his jaw has stopped jumping, and there is a calmness to his eyes which I haven’t seen before.
“Yes, little ember.”
“Why did you bring me here?”
He doesn’t say anything for a long time, so long I think he isn’t going to answer.
“I don’t know.” His voice cracks slightly. “Your scent…” He stops, blinks, as if resetting his brain. “You were…” Deus turns his face down to me. “It wasn’t supposed to be like this, Lydia,” he rasps hesitantly. “I believe I rut for you.”
LYDIA
He can’t be in rut for me. Deus was mated and his mate died. It’s the defining thing about Deus. Everything he’s done, he’s done because he lost his mate.
“Are you…sure?” I say, although my voice is incredibly weak.
