Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 84237 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84237 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
Staring up into those eyes, Samuel didn’t know how to argue against this. He just knew it couldn’t be right. There was no way this was right. How could it be? He’d never in his life uttered one spell that worked. Not even a simple wind spell. He wasn’t qualified to be a dragon’s mate, dammit.
Dimitri must have seen the objection on his face, as he smiled in reassurance. “I assure you, your core is there. It’s viable. It’s just not in working order right now. I can promise you this: I will move heaven and earth to help you get it fixed. Whatever the problem is, we’ll figure it out and correct it.”
For one pure moment, Samuel wanted that more than anything. Wanted to believe it. Wanted to be this man’s mate, to have the kind of fairytale love that a dragon and mage were famous for. Samuel could imagine it all too clearly. To live the rest of his life sure that he was loved. To be able to turn into those arms, to find love and comfort there without needing to bargain or ask for it.
The reality of the situation crashed through, shredding that dream to bits with nothing more than tatters left in its place. That damn hope kept rearing its head only to destroy another piece of Samuel’s heart.
How could he possibly be a dragon’s mate when he couldn’t cast a spell to save his life?
Shaking his head, Sam pulled free of Dimitri’s arms. He felt like he was choking around the words, but they had to be said. “Don’t you realize? I can’t perform the binding spell. I can’t… Even simple spells are entirely beyond me. I can’t begin to do such complicated magic.”
Dimitri reached out, laying a warm palm directly over Sam’s chest, where his core resided. His smile was a little sad, but that confidence hadn’t shaken in his eyes. “I’m fine if you don’t ever work magic in our lifetimes. Finding you is all I need. Loving you, cherishing you, being with you, that’s all that really matters.”
Samuel could tell he meant it. Meant every word of it. Samuel felt his heart melt into a pile of goo. How could it not when faced with such pure, unrelenting love? He felt every resolve in himself soften under the force of it.
Damn, no wonder Kaiser Jaeggi had gone insane. Having this kind of love only to lose it would destroy any man’s heart and sanity.
Dimitri slid both hands around Samuel’s waist, drawing him into a firm embrace. Samuel went without protest because he needed to be held just then. This conflict of emotions battled it out in his chest. On the one hand, giving in to hope once again terrified him. He’d been hurt by it too many times. He didn’t want to give it another chance to wreck him.
On the other, he had the chance to love and be loved in a way that most people only dreamed about. How could he let go of this? How could anyone?
Dimitri kissed his temple, then his cheek, the caress gentle and sweet enough that it brought a pang to Samuel’s heart. Dammit, the man could be so incredibly tender in the right moments. It was wholly unfair because it undermined his defenses before Samuel realized what was happening.
“You’re perfect the way you are,” Dimitri whispered into his skin. “I love you the way you are.”
God, those words were far too sweet. Samuel felt them down to his marrow, the whisper sparking pleasure all along his skin. He knotted his hands in the back of Dimitri’s shirt, holding him just as fiercely. He wanted to hold on.
He had to let go.
“I can’t bind us together,” he choked out against that warm shoulder. “It’s not fair to you. In four, five decades, I’ll be dead. You’ll be alone. That span of time is nothing to a dragon. Dimitri, you can’t set yourself up for that kind of heartbreak—”
“My love, I appreciate the concern, but it’s far too late for that. My whole world now revolves around you. If your fears are realized, the only regret I’ll have is that I won’t have more time with you. I won’t regret meeting you.”
Damn this man. He was going to make Samuel cry and make a purely emotional decision that would spell trouble later. His common sense had already skipped merrily away, leaving Samuel alone, which was a poor life choice. All his heart wanted to say was yes.
He tried once more. For both their sakes. “A mage who can’t work magic cannot possibly call a dragon their mate. Dimitri, please, think this through.”
“There’s nothing to think through. You are mine. We belong together and I couldn’t be happier about it. The only thing that matters to me is your happiness. We are going to fix this, together. Your family might have exhausted all their knowledge, but remember: I have the collective wisdom and talent of the Lost Clan at my disposal. We’ll get them to help with this problem.”