This was unexpected. He’d circled back around several times, trying to remove the painful ache in his chest. His dragon fought Deo to go back and claim her. How she had changed her mind this quickly, he would never understand.
Or perhaps she hadn’t. He growled at the sight of the small male walking in stride with her. Had she wanted to talk simply to break his heart all over again? Females on this planet were cruel.
He turned away, trying to control himself. The small male was near her again, he’d thought they had a truce. Deo also was fighting the urge to reach out and murder the male. That would not please his mate. Probably.
He sniffed the air. Fear reached him first, and then sadness. The male’s scent reached him next, he was the one who smelled of fear whereas Aisha seemed to only have a subtle scent of sadness.Odd. What was she sad about? She’d stomped on Deo’s heart, not the other way around.
“Deo?”
He took a deep breath before turning back around. Control. He was a warrior, for shit’s sake. He should be the definition of calm. Except when his mate was involved.
“Yes, mate. My brother said you called. I came to answer.”
She smiled at him before scowling at Tan.
“Tan. Now isn’t a good time.”
She rolled her eyes at him. Not a good sign in Deo’s experience.
“When is it going to be a good time? We need to talk before you do something you might regret.”
She stopped and Deo listened with his dragon’s hearing.
“Look, Tan, don’t you think that we would both regret getting married just to make my father happy?”
The male scratched his head. “Yeah. No. I agree. I want to be supportive of you, but I don’t think we have what we should for a marriage.”
Aisha’s scent changed, mixing into something new. Something he really didn’t understand. His heart on the other hand was very happy to hear Tan finally getting the hint that Aisha would never be his.
“You do?” she asked.
The male nodded.
“I do. Don’t get me wrong. I think you’re wonderful and you’re very smart, but perhaps that thing was right,” Tan said.
Deo growled at his comment. How dare something so small call him a thing?
“Tan, he has a name.”
Deo watched carefully. He wanted his Aisha to come to him. Leave that feeble male alone. How long was this going to take?
“Well, whatever. Perhaps he was right. I mean, do you think he was right?” asked Tan.
Deo smiled.
“Well, yeah. I agree. But why do you agree suddenly?” she said.
Deo waited for his response.
Tan scratched his head and shrugged. “I guess it’s that girl he found.” Tan gave Deo a dirty look, but Deo knew the truth. The male simply didn’t like that Deo had been right.
But, of course, he’d been right. Aisha’s body language had been a female on a mission only moments ago, but now her hands were on her hips and her eyes were narrowed.
He liked the things the male was saying, but he didn’t like the distress she was in. Perhaps distress was wrong. Frustrated?
Aisha looked over at him as they got closer, right as Tan’s hand reached for Aisha. Deo‘s feet hit the ground as he ran to stop Tan.
“You will remove your hand from her,” Deo said, gripping Tan’s wrist.
“Hey. I’m on your side, Deo. Calm down. I just want her to look at me and have her tell me you are what she wants.”
Deo clung to the towel around his hips, the only things he could find presentable. With his other hand, he released the male and stood behind Aisha.
She looked over her shoulder at Deo. He didn’t want to let her out of his sight, he refused to let the fear that someone could come snatch her from him become a reality.
Truly it was that no matter what, this could all be taken away in a second. She’d already proven that. One moment he thought his world was complete and the next second he was flying back to his ship, alone. What did he do? He clung to this moment as if it was that last bit of hope given to him by the goddess herself.
His hand slipped around her waist, running over her belly. She leaned into him and his heart fluttered. Could she have truly changed her mind?
Feathering his hand a little lower, his dragon snarled to claim her before she could get away again. Yeah, no. They’d already had this argument.
Deo tasted blood before he realized he bit his own lip trying to fight everything within him. Goddess, he needed her.
“Yes, Tan. He is what I want.”
Tan backed away, hands up in surrender. “I’m good with this. I promised your father your happiness. That you wouldn’t be alone, and I don’t feel that I would do right by him or you if I ignored your wishes.”
Aisha’s hand wrapped around his forearm, keeping Tan from going.
“What about you though?” she asked.
Tan answered with a smile. “I’ll be fine. As much as I want to hate him, whatever he is, he has good instincts. Perhaps I won’t be single myself for long.”
Deo couldn’t see her face, but he could sense the natural perfume of her rather than a storm of emotion. Perhaps she was finally settled with her choices.
Deo’s hand splayed against her lower belly. She would not be settling. He was meant for her, and she was meant for him.
His nostrils flared as the scent of the air changed with the breeze. She was not settling. Her body knew he was hers, even if she didn’t want to admit it. Her sweet arousal, a light scent on the air, had him drinking it in. He would do anything to love her. His dragon pawed within.
Mine.
Yes. His. He couldn’t fight it much longer. Even touching her wasn’t keeping the madness down.
He pressed his pelvis against her backside, ensuring she understood his next intention. The second they got rid of this Tan.
“Male? You’ll excuse
