Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 45585 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 228(@200wpm)___ 182(@250wpm)___ 152(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45585 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 228(@200wpm)___ 182(@250wpm)___ 152(@300wpm)
Aurora stood and walked out into the main area. She could see Drake on his phone. He stood facing the carved wall opposite the doorway. Slipping off her shoes to walk as quietly as possible, she picked up her water bottle as she headed past his door as a possible excuse. She didn’t need to worry about attracting Drake’s attention since he was HOT about something. Waves of heat radiated out of his office as his dragon reacted to his emotions.
Tracing her fingers along the wall in the hallway, she came to a space where it looked like there was an entrance. She pushed against the wall and with a click, a door popped inward a couple of inches. A roar sounded from Drake’s office and she quickly pushed with all her weight, shoving the door open.
“Don’t, Aurora.”
She looked over her shoulder to see him and deliberately rejected his order and dashed down a hallway that sloped up. Drake followed behind her, not trying to stop her but keeping up with Aurora. She turned a corner and stepped through the door into an area that glowed with colors. Her eyes lifted to see a huge stained-glass window depicting a breath-taking dragon with glowing, gold-rimmed blue eyes.
“I wanted to keep you to myself for a while.”
She didn’t turn at the sound of Drake’s voice. “You treated me like a fool. What’s living in there like for you? Camping out?”
“You’ve been in my most inner sanctum. I do not share it easily.”
“Except with all your other mates!” she threw in his face.
“None have lived there before you.”
“Master Drake. I was not expecting to see you. This must be your new mate. The staff is eager to meet you, miss.”
Aurora stared at the woman with graying hair and laugh lines around her mouth. She guessed the employee was somewhere in her fifties. She wore leggings with a type of smock-like uniform top over it. Aurora guessed she might be a house cleaner?
Knowing exactly who was at fault for this, she said, “Hi. I’m Aurora.”
“What a beautiful name. I’m Twila, Master Drake’s housekeeper. I double as a cook when the master and his mate are in residence. There’s still time to have some groceries delivered and for me to make dinner for the two of you. What do you like?”
“Oh, I’m easy. I like everything. I think we’re okay without dinner tonight. Da… Master Drake might change his mind for tomorrow,” Aurora said.
“Perfect. I’ll run up and refresh your suite.”
When the woman had disappeared up the stairs, Aurora turned to look at Drake. Shaking her head, she walked to the immense front door and pushed it open. She crossed under the large porte cochere and emerged on the wide, paved driveway.
“This makes arriving by dragon very unnecessary.” She crossed her arms in front of her chest, trying to keep her anger from exploding.
“I didn’t want to share you with anyone,” he repeated. “I spend a lot of time in my lair. When I met you, it felt lonely. I needed to have you close.”
“There would have been an easy way to do both,” she pointed out. “You lied to me.”
“I did not lie,” he corrected her. Drake straightened his shoulders to stand up completely straight. His eyes glowed slightly orange, signaling his dragon was close.
“What do you call it then?” she challenged him, not backing down an inch.
“I simply didn’t share the existence of the rest of my estate. I wanted to take care of you myself.”
“What else haven’t you told me?” she asked.
“Nothing.”
“You’ll excuse me if I don’t believe that.”
A roar burst from his throat and Drake stalked forward. “I do not lie to my mate.”
“No? You simply deceive her?”
“I did not deceive you, Little one.”
“Call me a taxi or a rideshare, Drake. I wish to go stay with my grandparents for a few days. And what about the mate bond?”
“I’ll make it okay, Little one,” he promised before instructing, “Go pack a few things. At least get Firefly. You will not sleep well without him.”
How had she almost forgotten her stuffie? She felt tears well in her eyes. “Thank you for reminding me.”
“You are my mate. My heart. I will guard you until my last breath.”
Aurora didn’t know how to answer that. She turned and retraced her steps. In a flash, she emerged with a pillowcase stuffed with her most basic needs. She wasn’t going to take time to pack everything. Leaving now was important before she changed her mind.
She was not surprised to see Drake in dragon form at the front door. Somehow, she’d known he wouldn’t trust an unknown stranger in a rideshare or taxi to take her anywhere. Without making eye contact with the dragon who watched her closely, she tied the neck of the pillowcase and set it by his paw. Climbing onto his back like an experienced dragon rider, Aurora settled into place and grabbed hold of his scales.