Draziel’s POV

  I had taken seven hours of my time searching through books, shuffling, and pinning for triggering words, but nothing in these pages confirms that dragons have ever been mated to humans. It’s not possible, they don’t have the kind of souls we have, they are different. They are pure They can’t feel it.

  This curse that bound people together—they don’t feel it, so why her? What does she have that other humans don’t? Was it her hair? Her skin, or the fact that I caught some sort of likeness for her after seeing her. Was it my initial interest in her? It had to be something.

  It had been so long since I admired anyone. Is that why I felt it? Kealith had admitted his choice was random, but why her?

  Flipping through the book, I got to the part that describes human analogy from their ancestors and their method of mating, and from past researchers, it had been noted that humans can’t be mated to dragons, it was simple… THEY DON’T, MATE! It was physically and spiritually impossible.

  Tossing the book over, it settled with the rest of the pile at a distance. At this point, I might read a whole library of books, and it would still be the same thing: that it was not possible, whatever happened last night could not happen, but here I was, in my room, burning alive, totally disoriented and lost.

  Swimming in a pool book, lusting, desiring for a lady I had barely seen, a lady whose name could be imprinted in my soul already, and I don’t know what it is. I had barely had any sleep, but somehow I walked to the place I heard she was kept, and I feared if I moved one step closer, I might combust into nothingness. I had never wanted to hold, to see, or to desire someone this much.

  Everyone who has ever been mated is dead. I couldn’t ask any dragon presently in the capital what it felt like to be mated to someone because… because the death of one mate was the death of the other.

  A knowledge harnessed by our mortal enemy.

  I sagged back on my seat, her face flashed in my mind, I shrugged back to the present, my heart pumping, and my eyes snapped wide open. I stood up from my seat; I could not leave like this for one more day. I needed to see her, to ask her how she’s doing.

  If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  The place she was kept was cold, I already told Maryam to get her sweater. Humans could get sick from a mere cold, which was another disadvantage, these people were weaklings. She could die from a mere infection, if she gets too cold, she would die, if she’s too hot, she would die, if anything at all… and I might… shit

  I kicked the stool close to me, it met with the wall and almost slammed into someone else's head.

  Kealith walked in with his head bowed.

  “What do you want? Kealith, what!!!” I was at the brink of losing my mind.

  “I am sorry. I, uh. I didn’t know you would be rusty, I just wanted to play a prank. I didn’t mean to ruin your entire universe with her nudity. I mean, she's not ugly or anything. Why do you fear female nudity so much? ”

  “Wha—What? Get out of my room!” He must have lost his damn mind if he thought this was some apology.

  “Sorry, I just—sorry, everyone is worried, you fucking destroyed a mountain. It must have pissed you off. I didn’t. I wanted to make you happy—You have been sad and worried for way too long—I “

  “Stop right there. Stop it. I told you countless times I do not want to breed with any human, didn’t I?”

  “Yeah, but?”

  “No, but the problem here is that you think everything is a joke, Kealith, it’s just a joke to you, and you never take anything seriously. Goodness. All you have to do is listen, and you can’t do that right!”

  “I am sorry, I didn’t.”

  “I am sorry for you too, because one day you will have an entire empire to rule, and trust me, no one regards a lord who does nothing but joke around. I wonder how Dad would feel knowing all you do is joke around.”

  I regretted it, I shouldn’t have said that, and I saw the disappointment in his eyes.

  “Well, good thing he’s dead, he doesn’t have to see that I am not perfect and strong like you.” He lowered his eyes to my feet, and the next time they met mine, they were glossy with tears. I was more disappointed in myself than in him.

  With this bond now, my purpose has been slashed in two. If I am mated to her, then I have to keep her alive by every means, because if she does as little as fall sick, I would be disoriented, and I wouldn’t be able to win the war against the wolves. Neither would I be alive to see others get it.

  ‘Ziel… why would you say that’ I hear Seraphine’s voice again her voice echoed in a whimper. I felt her presence around me it made me paranoid. Her hands met mine, and my skin crawled.

  “Kealith, I am sorry I didn’t mean it.”

  “It’s fine. I should be more serious. Like Dad, like you.” His voice broke. He was more than a hundred years old, but in my eyes he never truly aged a day.

  ‘Say something now Ziel.’

  “I don’t want you.” The words were harder as the pressure in my mind increased. I craved an urgent release, but the voices wouldn’t stop till I pleased it. I walked over to Ziel and then pulled him closer to my body. My hand combed his hair down as I felt his rapid heartbeat reduce.

  He was sore just like everyone else I just tend to forget most times because of how jolly he grew up to be.

  “Maybe I am rusty. Your big brother is rusty.” I admitted in an attempt to soothe him, which in turn worked, as he began to chuckle and then hugged me even tighter.

  “I love you.” His words came as a murmur, but I heard it. I kissed his hair, then pulled him at arm's length.

  “I don’t want to sleep with anyone, is that clear? No more pranks. The only human permitted to walk through my door is Maryam no one else.”

  He nodded, then wiped his eyes. I demanded that he leave, which he did, and right after I was back to my madness. I needed less pressure. I needed to know why I felt the way I felt and why her. And I needed time.

  I called Maryam to my room.

  “The lady. What's her name?”

  “I don’t know, my Lord.”

  “Well, find out, but I want you to care for her, she won’t be among the ladies to breed with. Put her to work for the royal house.”

  After a moment of silence, she answered. “Yes, My Lord.”

  That way, I would be able to look after her myself.