Kamrynn’s POV
Lorien’s crimson eyes bore into mine, unwavering, unrelenting. He was waiting, watching for my reaction, for any sign that I was starting to see things his way.
I wasn’t.
But the problem was-I was hesitating.
And he could tell.
“This is the right choice,” he murmured, his voice softer now, almost coaxing. “Staying with me is what’s best for you. You’ll understand that soon enough.”
I let out a sharp, bitter laugh. “Right choice?” I echoed, my voice dripping with disbelief. “Best for me?”
His expression remained unreadable, but I could see the conviction in his eyes.
“You’re standing there acting like you know what’s best for me,” I spat, “like you’re some noble savior who’s rescuing me from a terrible fate. But let’s get one thing straight-you’re no better than Calvin.”
Lorien’s gaze darkened slightly, but he didn’t speak.
“You want to pretend you’re different from him?” I pressed, taking a step closer, my blood boiling with anger. “You’re pointing fingers at him, calling him a monster, but you were the one who tried to force yourself on me minutes ago!”
The accusation hung between us like a blade.
Lorien inhaled deeply, but instead of looking guilty or ashamed, he simply sighed. “I’m in rut.”
I blinked. “Excuse me?”
“I’ve been holding myself back,” he said, as if that explained anything. “For much longer than I was supposed to.”
A scoff ripped from my throat. “Holding yourself back?” I repeated, my anger flaring even hotter. “Are you serious right now?”
His jaw clenched.
“You think that justifies what you did?” I pressed. “You think that excuses the fact that you-”
“You don’t understand-”
“No, you don’t understand!” I cut him off, my voice sharp as a blade. “Cut the crap, Lorien. You’re not some love-sick puppy who only wants my happiness. You’re not doing this out of some grand, selfless devotion to me.” I took another step closer, my hands curling into fists at my sides. “The truth is-you only want me for your own selfish ends.”
He remained silent, but the air around him tensed.
“For whatever reason,” I continued, my voice unwavering, “you’re trying to breed me. You’re trying to make me have your children.” My stomach twisted as I forced the words out. “And as disgusting as it sounds, that’s probably all I am to you, isn’t it? A womb to carry your offspring.”
A heavy silence followed.
I waited for him to deny it. To scoff, to get angry, to argue.
But he didn’t.
Instead, he exhaled slowly, his expression unreadable. “You’re not wrong.”
I froze.
The words hit me like a physical blow.
“You are the one I need,” he continued, his tone firm, unshaken. “And not just because I want you-but because I have to.”
My breath came faster. “That’s not a good enough reason,” I said, barely above a whisper.
“You haven’t even heard my reason yet. Or at least you don’t understand it.”
I swallowed, my heartbeat pounding in my ears.
Lorien’s gaze darkened slightly, as if he were preparing himself. “I am the last of the Solarian dragons.”
I frowned. I already knew that well but it wasn’t enough of an excuse for his messed up plans for me.
“I survived for a reason, Kamrynn,” he continued, his voice quiet but weighted with something heavy. “To prevent my kind from going extinct.” His fingers curled slightly at his sides. “And while I do care enough to want your happiness, I can’t ignore my duty. It is the very reason for my existence.”
Something twisted inside me.
I wasn’t expecting him to say something like that.
My throat felt tight as I shook my head. “I don’t have a problem with you wanting to continue your race,” I said, forcing my voice to stay level. “That’s your choice. But go do it with someone else. A willing female who will love you and the offspring you have together.” I met his gaze, my resolve hardening. “It can’t be me, Lorien. I already belong to someone else. I already have a mate. I already have a family.”
He exhaled through his nose. “It can only be you.”
My body stiffened.
Lorien’s gaze was sharp, unwavering. “And it’s not because of sentimentality,” he added. “It’s because of bloodline, strength, and viability.”
My heart pounded. “… What do you mean?”
“If I were to mate with another female-if I somehow managed to get her pregnant-” he inhaled deeply, “there would be little to no chance of survival for the eggs.”
My breath caught. “Why?”
“Because dragons,” he said carefully, “can only be formed from a powerful bloodline. They don’t mix with inferior DNA.”
His words sent a cold chill through me.
I shook my head. “And you think I’m powerful enough?”
Lorien’s expression didn’t waver. “You are.”
I swallowed, a lump forming in my throat.
“Your blood saved me from a slow and agonizing death,” he revealed, his voice quieter now. “It destroyed the virus that wiped out my race.” His eyes locked onto mine, unwavering. “That’s proof enough. Only you would be capable of successfully birthing and hatching my children.” His voice softened slightly. “That’s why it has to be you, Kamrynn.”
The room felt suddenly smaller, the weight of his words pressing down on me.
I hadn’t realized I was holding my breath until my chest started to ache.
Lorien wasn’t trying to manipulate me. He wasn’t twisting my emotions, forcing my hand, or trying to break me down.
He was telling the truth.
For the first time since meeting him, I saw the burden he carried-the loneliness, the desperation, the responsibility.
And for just a fleeting moment-his mask cracked.
His entire race had been wiped out.
He was the only one left.
And I could see, clear as day, the weight of that knowledge pressing on him like an invisible force, heavier than anything I could comprehend.
His voice dropped, raw and unguarded. “I can’t let my race perish forever.”
My stomach clenched.
“Not when I inadvertently caused everyone else’s death.”
I sucked in a sharp breath.
Lorien looked at me then, something almost pleading in his expression. “I’m begging you, Kamrynn. Don’t let my people go extinct.”
My throat tightened.
I felt like I was sinking-drowning in something too deep, too heavy to escape from.
I wanted to be furious. I wanted to scream at him, to shove him away, to curse him for putting this burden on me.
But I couldn’t.
Because despite everything…
Despite how selfish his reasons sounded…
They weren’t unreasonable.
And the most chilling part of all?
Even if I refused…
Even if I fought…
There didn’t seem to be a way out of this.
Not alive, at least.