“It does.”
Charlie is quiet next to me, but she takes my hand in a show of support.
I take a deep breath, picturing the faces of my family. My mother, father, sister, friends. All dead. But I alone can choose how I honor their memories.
“My little two-leg has taught me about moving on from a difficult past,” I say after a long moment. “By clinging to the actions of your ancestors, I risked losing the female who holds my heart. I will accept your apology.”
Charlie beams at me as if I alone am responsible for all the stars in the sky.
Charlie
I blink open my eyes as something shifts beneath my chest.
“Dragix?”
He smiles down at me, looking perfectly content and one-hundred-percent alive. “Who were you expecting, my little two-leg?”
I laugh at the absurd nickname, and then I lean up and kiss him.
“I missed you so much,” I murmur, and it’s only when Dragix brushes the tears off my face that I realize I’m crying.
“I missed you too. You left a hole in me, little two-leg.”
“Did you mean what you said?”
He raises an eyebrow, and I blush, suddenly feeling ridiculously awkward.
I glance away, and his hand is gentle as he cups my chin, encouraging me to look at him.
“When you said you loved me,” I blurt out. “You were dying, so I won’t hold it against you if you didn’t mean it.”
Dragix suddenly sits up, pulling me up with him. His eyes are blazing gold and very, very serious.
“I meant it more than anything I have said in my life. You are mine, Charlie,” he says. He gives me an indulgent smile when I stiffen. “It’s okay,” he says gently. “I’m yours too. I began mating with you when we were still in my lair. My dragon didn’t care about all the reasons we should not be together. It just knew that you were the one I should be with—whether that was for eternity or just a few days.”
I stare at him, stunned. “What does it mean if you’re my mate?”
“It means that our lives are tied together. Where one goes, the other follows. It means that you are the other half of my soul, and we will never be parted.” He hesitates for a moment, looking slightly unsure. “Is this acceptable to you?”
“Acceptable? I love you, Dragix. I knew I loved you that day when you were so injured and we slept under the stars. But I was scared to admit it…even to myself. I’m honored to be your mate, but…what does it mean if our lives are tied together? I know you’re not immortal any longer.”
Dragix leans down and nuzzles into my neck. My eyes slide closed, and then I force them back open, burying my hands in his hair and pulling his head away.
“You’re trying to distract me,” I say, and he sighs.
“I fear you will be unhappy with me.”
“Uh-oh. Better come clean, buddy.”
“When you take your final sleep, I will take mine with you. We will go into the great beyond together.”
I stare at him. “Dragix, I might only have fifty or sixty years left. Humans don’t age well.”
He smiles at me. “I believe you will benefit from some of the immortality I lost. If not, then we will make the most of the time we have.”
He shrugs as if he couldn’t care less, and I stare at him.
“You’re crazy.”
“I’m in love.” He sighs as if exasperated, and I narrow my eyes at him. “I don’t want to live without you. I tried it, and it felt worse than anything I had felt before. I will age with you, and we will take each day as it comes.”
“God, Dragix…”
He gives me a slow smile. “I finally have something to live for. Don’t mourn for centuries of life as an enraged beast.”
I feel like I should protest this decision of his some more, but he moves back, and within moments, he’s pulling off the shirt I slept in last night. He lets out a low, very male growl as my breasts pop free.
“I missed these too,” he says, leaning down to nuzzle at them. I wind my hands through his hair and sigh against him. His hands slide over my waist, upward, until he’s cupping my breasts, his fingers brushing my nipples.
In the blink of an eye, his hands fall away, and he locks his arms beneath my butt, hauling me into them. He lifts me, obviously planning to head toward the bed. But he pauses as my breasts hang in his face, and then he’s kissing them, his tongue flicking over my nipple as I let out a low, rough groan.
He moves to my other breast, using slightly more teeth this time, and I shudder in his arms.
“You’re driving me crazy.”
“As I should.”
I blink at that, and then I’m flat on my back, gazing up at him. He kneels over me, pulling off my pants. Then he pauses, his gaze like a brand as he takes in my body. His eyes meet mine, and the breath leaves my lungs at the pure need in those golden orbs.
He lowers his head to mine and kisses me, so gentle, so careful, even as he shudders above me. I can feel his desperation, but he takes his time, caressing my lips.
He rests more of his weight on me, his cock lining up with where I need him the most. He grinds slightly against me as if he can’t help himself, and I tilt my hips.
“You’re so wet,” he gasps, moving his lips to my neck.
“So don’t leave me waiting.”
He laughs, his breath warm against my throat. “Never.”
He presses inside me, and I groan at the feel of every inch of him. Once he’s all the way inside me, he pauses, dropping gentle kisses over every inch of my face.
He thrusts gently, getting me used to the size
