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Luke
“So where are you going to take the princess?” Dean was visiting the special guard main building; it was just off the castle grounds. The building was used for meetings with the king. Otherwise we had training grounds near the beaches and met up for any announcements of lesser importance at any warrior’s house.
“I’m taking her someplace nice, don’t worry about it. Plus, I know better than to tell you, next thing I know you and mom will show up peeking through a window.”
“Ah, so there will be windows...” he said and we both laughed. “Alright I only stopped by to see how you were, I’m on the way to go hunt for a goat.”
“Neal’s goats matured? He let them out?”
“Yup, hunting season is on. It was his largest flock so far too.”
The dragon in me wanted to go hunting with Dean, but I had better things to do...particularly a more beautiful person to be with.
“Alright go ahead and bring a goat back to your wife,” I said and Dean chuckled.
“She does know how to cook a good goat,” he said and then waved before he left.
I finished what I was doing, filing a report on the whereabouts of the guard and whatnot. My mind kept straying to Emily. Yesterday Rune got to her first and I know they went out or something yesterday as well. I tried not to think about Rune too much. I didn’t want this to be a competition, because that would only take the focus off of Emily where it should be.
After I gave my report to the king’s assistant I left the castle, shifted, and then flew to my house. Emily would be waiting for me to pick her up from the castle and I had about thirty minutes to do so. I was going to take her out on my father’s boat. We’d have an early dinner and just relax on the Penobscot. I made sure the boat was okay where I readied it in the castle’s reserved marina on the river. Then I went to get Emily from the castle. I landed on her balcony and shifted back just as she walked out, surprise registered on her features.
“Oh it’s you,” she said and I ginned.
“Sorry to just drop in,” I said and she laughed.
“That’s fine, I was just putting on shoes.” Emily waved me into the room and I followed after her. She had a huge bedroom and a large canopy bed. Of course that’s one of the first things I would notice. The second being Emily sitting at her vanity and sliding on her boots.
“So where are we going? Or is this your elaborate plan to get me into bed...?” she asked saucily and I chuckled.
“Trust me that wouldn’t be a problem,” I replied and walked slowly towards her, she glanced up at me with a quirked eyebrow. “But I simply came to whisk you away. I thought a short flight would be nice.”
“That actually sounds great, I haven’t had the chance to get out all day. Sometimes I wonder if I’ll ever see much past this area...ever,” she sighed and, unconsciously, I reached out and brushed her hair out of her face.
“I’m sure you will. Depending on how these meetings with other dragon clans go, maybe we’ll all be moving to Europe soon,” I hurried to say something in order to cover up my touching her. I wasn’t sure if she would take offense or not.
“Imagine that...uprooting all the families here. Then they would have to learn probably the most difficult languages to learn,” she sighed and looked up at me with soft eyes.
That entire moment felt so natural it actually tugged at my chest. I had never felt much for any female, yet Emily was bringing all of these strange feelings out in me.
“That’s looking way into the future. Right now we can pretend nothing else exists, but taking to the sky,” I couldn’t help but grin at my poetic comment.
“That actually wasn’t as corny as it should have been,” she said and we both laughed.
Emily got up and then we walked out to her huge balcony. I watched her shift, she was a sleek dragon, her skin a smoky white and her eyes had turned color, becoming almost completely gold. She looked at me and in her eyes I saw she was telling me to shift already. I pulled the consuming fire from my core and it took over me like a blanket, soon I was aware of my larger body. Emily nudged me with her shoulder before she spread her wings and then lifted from the balcony. I lifted into the air behind her and then led her around the castle grounds before heading towards the river.
The air was nice and cool for late August. I led Emily the long way to where I parked the boat and once we reached the marina we both landed at the end of the dock where there were no boats or any wandering eyes.
“You’re taking me on a boat?” she asked with eagerness in her voice.
“Yeah I thought spending some time on the river would be cool, you don’t get seasick or anything do you?” I should have asked her earlier, before we got all the way out to the marina.
“No I’m not...though what would you do if I was?”
“I’d have to think on my feet, we’d probably end up sitting right there on the dock all evening.”
She laughed and I led her to my father’s boat. It wasn’t a small skipper or anything. The boat had everything from a kitchenette to a cabin and common area.
“Wow this is a nice boat, it’s yours?”
“It was my father’s, he built it himself, then Dean helped him and then I did. Dean didn’t want the boat after he passed, so I took it.”
Emily’s eyes softened and she reached out to squeeze my arm comfortingly before she wandered around inside, looking at everything.
“Once I get the boat out on the river, we can go out to the deck and hang out.”
“Okay...wait you have a captain’s license?” she was impressed and I smiled a little cockily.
“Yes I do,” she laughed at my tone and then I went to untie the boat before maneuvering it out of the dock. After Emily had a thorough look around she joined me at the wheel and we had a moment of comfortable silence.
“So what did you do today?” she asked me almost suddenly and I glanced at her before replying.
“I was at the castle and special guard building, back and forth. Mostly filing reports. With Ajax gone I had to take over the paperwork end of his job. Soon I’ll have to do that as well as lead the men on missions.”
“Do you enjoy being a warrior? Even after...how your father passed?” she asked me tentatively and I wet my lips absently before answering. I felt her gaze heavy on my face and then saw she was looking at my lips.
“I do enjoy it. At first it was a compulsion, something I had to do. Protect the clan and serve our leaders. My father was still alive when I first joined the special guard, I thought it was just something I inherited from him. It was sort of like following in the family business. I didn’t mind it, it was honorable and I looked up to my father greatly. Then he died in that fight and I hated everything about being a warrior...but eventually that compulsion came back and I knew it was just something I had to do with my life. This is what I was born to do, I’m right where I am supposed to be. Dying for the honor of your countrymen is part of the duty and in itself an honor.”
“Wow...you just gave me goose bumps,” she said and I smirked. “It’s rare you find a person with as much passion for what they do...” Emily’s eyes were faraway and I wondered how she felt about soon heading our entire clan. Compared to the other seven Dragon clans we were the largest in number.
We came to a long straightaway of the river and I let the boat idle while I lowered the anchor. Once it was set. I turned the boat off and then gave Emily my full attention.
“Are you hungry?”
“Not yet, I’d like to watch the sky change color though,” she said and I took her hand then led her out to the deck.
There was a couch near the sliding door that led inside and it had a storage compartment. I opened it up and pulled a blanket out for us to lie down on. It was soothing to float on the water and watch the sky in shades of blue and purple.
“How do you feel about taking the throne?”
“Sort of terrified. For much of my life I was okay thinking I’d be like my mother, a social figure for the clan. But then she and my father never had another child and well...when I think about it I get a little overwhelmed honestly.”
“But you will have many people around you to help with your duties. You aren’t alone at the top.”
I turned my head and studied her profile. Emily was preternaturally beautiful. The first time I saw her my chest sort of constricted and spending time with her just felt so natural and good.
“I hope not...” she finally turned to look at me and I saw curiosity in her eyes.
Then she closed the distance between us and pressed her lips lightly against mine. I know it’s corny to compare a kiss to fireworks, but I swear that’s what I saw when her lips made contact with mine. Then enticing electricity crackled in the air and ignited a strong reaction in me. I gently pushed my fingers through her hair and held her head to mine. I licked along her bottom lip and her mouth opened, her tongue met mine and I knew if I didn’t pull back things would soon get out of hand.
The air heated around us and she pressed herself flush against me, her hand was on my chest and travelling down. The urge to take her and claim her as mine was like a siren in my mind and blood, soon I wouldn’t be able to hold back. So I caught her hand and then she broke the kiss.
“My god I’m in trouble...” she whispered and then pressed a kiss on my jaw before she rolled away from me and stood up. “I think we should...eat now...with a table in between us,” she grinned.
I chuckled and stood up slowly, following her inside, with every beat of my heart I wanted to take her into the cabin and continue what was started on the deck. But I wanted her to choose me first, I wouldn’t force her into anything as who she wanted for a mate was her choice and not mine. But good lord I hoped she would choose me.