The following day, Emily woke up to the feeling of Theodore nuzzling her neck lovingly.
“What are you doing?” She asked, flustered more than she should be, all things considered.
“I’m inhaling your scent,” he said before placing a butterfly kiss on her neck.
She blushed at both his words and the gesture. “Do I stink?”
“No, you smell heavenly,” he told her softly.
She let out an “Oh,” in acknowledgment.
“I need to get out of bed before my control snaps and I ravish you, right here, right now,” he groaned. His words held a dark promise, a promise of wild debauchery.
Emily would be lying if she said that his words didn’t awaken her inner vixen. She had gone from sleepy and in a dazed state to awake and throbbing for him in a matter of seconds.
And within seconds, he was on his feet, looking at her, his eyes ablaze with a fire that would be hard to extinguish.
She clamped her legs shut in an effort to get some kind of friction.
She should be scared and worried. She should be bemused and flabbergasted… in what kind of world was it okay to harbor such strong feelings for a man she barely knew, and who had so many secrets?
“I’ll be having a shower right now,” he announced, “Do NOT join me no matter how tempted you are.”
“Haha, very funny,” she rolled her eyes at him.
“Roll your eyes at me one more time, and you’ll get the spanking of a lifetime, dorogaya,” he basically growled out the words, and her desire for him increased exponentially.
“Please,” she whimpered under her breath.
She was doomed to be with no one but him, she realized.
“It is unwise to play with fire, little one,” he drawled, “the dragon in me has for only wish claiming you.”
She gasped. “And you don’t?”
“I do, but I want you to come to me willingly and ready,” he told her in a husky tone. “And even though you smell more than willing to me, I’m not sure you are ready just yet.”
“I smell willing?” She blushed profusely at that.
“You do. The smell of your desire drives me mad, dorogaya,” he admitted unabashedly. “And ironically, your desire depends so much on my dominance… Quite fitting of Theos, the god of war.”
Emily was sure she now sported a perplex frown. And he was soon enough explaining to her, “It’s just a nickname. I’m not a god, dorogaya.”
She nodded at him.
“Now, if you’ll allow it,” he said, a smirk playing on his lips, “I am in desperate need of a cold shower.”
“Go ahead,” she told him. “I’ll take my shower in the guest room.”
And with that, he disappeared into the bathroom.
How was she even still okay being with him in the same room after all those revelations?
She realized right then that it was undoubtedly because she loved him. She had grown to love him after those numerous dates. How could she not when a simple touch put her on fire? How could she not realize it when her heart ached at the mere thought of him bedding someone that wasn’t her?
I love him, she thought, almost surprised by her own musings. I love him! Now, I’ll have to find the perfect timing to tell him that.
** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **
Theodore didn’t what to make of his mate’s reaction to the revelations. He thought he’d need to show her how he transformed or something for her to believe him. But then again, his gunshot wound healed in a matter of minutes. There was no denying the fact that he wasn’t human then. And she wasn’t dumb enough to be fooled into believing some cooked-up lie.
And then, her reaction to his proximity was overwhelming. He had trouble staying in control.
As he showered, cleaning the dirty thoughts and the more worrying ones off his mind, he came to the conclusion that he needed to take care of the threat quickly if he wanted to have a shot at happiness.
Indeed, he could no longer delay the matter more. He had to take care of it, and quickly too.
When he emerged from the shower, his beautiful mate was nowhere in his room, but she did choose for him an outfit for the day.
It seemed like she wasn’t upset with him anymore.
Well, I’ll be damned, he thought to himself. If she’s this sweet, I don’t think my control can last much further.
He was afraid to take things a step further too soon, even if it would be the best course of action. For by claiming her and completing the mating process, she would turn – slowly but surely – into a dragon herself. And if she was going to be a dragon, and was at least as strong as she was strong-willed as a human, she’d no doubt earn the title of Goddess of war.
But in the meantime, he would do his best to protect her, even if it meant upsetting her.
He was halfway dressed when she entered his room in a hurry in nothing but a towel.
“Theo,” she called for his name urgently.
His eyes flashed dangerously red at that.
Where was the damned threat?
“What’s the matter, dorogaya?” He asked her, his voice nothing short of a rumble.
“There’s a spider in the bathroom.”
Now, he had to refrain from laughing. Nevertheless, his lips twitched.
“Don’t you dare laugh at me,” she threatened, blushing to the roots of her hair, but eyes spitting fire.
“I won’t,” a scoff escaped him nonetheless and she hit his arm with a soft punch.
“You hit like a girl,” he teased her.
“Well, sorry to disappoint you, but I am indeed a girl,” she told him in a sugar-coated tone. Then, she went on, “I couldn’t shower because of the spider. Let me use your bathroom please.”
“What’s a tiny spider going to do to you?” He asked in a soft tone.
“Should I wait for it to do something to me?” She pouted.
“No, god forbid,” he retorted sweetly as he placed a soft kiss on her lips. “Should I have them bring you your necessities?”
“I’ll just use your own,” she said with a shrug, and the towel almost fell off if it wasn’t for her quick reflexes.
“Oh mother of accidents, not now!” She cursed in her own endearing way as she blushed a deep crimson.
“Oh, mother of accidents, please, indulge a sinner,” he countered jokingly.
She hit his arm playfully a second time before walking in the direction of his bathroom.
He loved this side of her – so innocent, so playful – and he just wished she’d never change.
He never was one to believe that just by wishing for something hard enough, it’d happen… but a man could still hope!