Legend of the Inero Dragon (5 page)

"Pretend I love you, then?"

He shook his head. "Most of my kin don't
believe in one true love. You can probably get away with simply
liking me," he said, flashing her a smile. She laughed.

"You haven't given me a reason to not like
you yet, so I think I can put on a genuine performance. I shouldn't
expect to ever be able to really leave here though, should I?"

"We'd have to divorce," he explained,
lowering his voice as they passed a small group of people. "Which,
if we can't find a system for both of us to be comfortable with or
you're truly that miserable, I will do it as soon as I think it's
safe to. Then you can go back."

"But it's not safe now?"

"No, far from it," he said. "If I let you go
now, you'd most likely be taken and recycled to another one of my
brothers. Our relationship isn't considered respectable. I can't
let them think you displease me or they'll give you away. It's hard
on me just as much as it is you. It will all figure itself
out."

"You haven't let me down yet." The two
stopped in front of his new house. Her eyes widened at the sight of
the stucco and brick mansion with the red shingle roof.

Jason laughed and unlocked the door. "One of
the advantages to being one of Father's favorites is that he makes
sure we're taken care of. There are six bedrooms, so you pick
whichever one you like the most. In fact, we can do what you want
with the place because I have no idea how to decorate."

She nodded, stepping inside and taking in the
sight of the massive entryway. A staircase spiraled up and around a
crystal chandelier. Tiny lights reflected off of the black tiled
floor. She glanced back at him, her eyes glittering, and smiled. He
loved seeing her happy. It made things easier to know she could be
pleased.

"Go ahead," he said with a slight push and a
nod. "I'm going to start unpacking the kitchen. By the time I
finish, it'll be time for lunch. We can discuss everything more
thoroughly then. Why don't you go find a room for now and rest." If
he was exhausted, she was no doubt doubly so. There was plenty of
time to talk after some sleep.

He watched her run up the stairs. It put him
at ease to see that she was no longer afraid and, even more so, to
have her trust him. This was how he planned to win her over, even
if they just stayed friends. He meant it when he said he wasn't
ready for a relationship. Still, they were stuck with each other
for the time being. He had one year to decide if she was the one.
If, by the end of the year the two had still not yet mated, he
would be forced to pick another bride.

He didn't want to scare her. She didn't need
to know about the extra details. Not yet, anyway.

Chapter
Eight

Matt laid his head against Kat's bare chest
and sighed. He had dreamed of being her husband since they'd first
met. Now that the dream was a reality, he could hardly believe it.
He knew they were meant to be together forever, even back then. She
completed him so well. She calmed him when he got angry, and her
smile lit up his life. How did he get to be so lucky?

"What else do you want to know?" he asked her
while tracing her hand with his fingers.

"I don't know," she whispered. "It's been a
lot to take in. I mean, you're a dragon, an actual dragon. I didn't
know it was possible. I suspected something was up when I realized
you aged differently than me. I have known you for five years and
you don't look much different. And I noticed your nails were
different too."

He laughed. "And here I was hoping puberty
was working some amazing magic on my appearance. I only look a
little different?" Her observations were right on. He'd wondered if
she'd noticed how he and his brother aged slower or the fact that
his nails were in fact trimmed down black claws.

"You are taller, more handsome, and stronger.
I still noticed though," she said then kissed his forehead.

Matt let out a playful and dramatic sigh
before rolling onto his back. "As long as you still think I'm
handsome."

"There are a lot more dragons than I
realized," she said.

He shrugged. "There need to be a lot of us if
we're going to stay safe from the other tribes. They're larger in
size and strong in magic. Our best defense is our numbers."

"No, I just meant I didn't know so many of
the men here were dragons. Maybe I'm only noticing they're
different now because they smell funny," she said, scowling. He
thought it was adorable.

"I have a great sense of smell and you're
gaining some of my abilities," he said. "It's called transitioning.
Sometimes it can be a bit painful, but if you stay close to me,
you'll be just fine. Eventually you'll get used to all of the
changes." He hoped so, anyway. He didn't think he'd ever
understand. Things like a heightened sense of smell and good night
vision were things he'd been born with. He couldn't even begin to
imagine what it must be like to gain them so late in life.

He sighed, cradling her close. The time he
had alone with Kat was short. Soon his military duties would occupy
him even more than they already did. As much as he wanted to tell
her about all of this, he held it in. The last thing he wanted to
do was spoil their honeymoon bliss with bad news.

"You know I wouldn't ever let anything bad
happen to you, right?" he said, kissing her cheek.

"I know. I trust you. So what do I get to do
all day while you do your dragony things?"

"Whatever you want?"

Kat let out a heavy sigh. "You mean sunbathe
and look pretty like all the other women? Be a bimbo?"

"No, I said whatever you want," he repeated.
"Most of the wives spend their time there, but you don't have to if
you'd rather do something else. The important women lay around the
pool while others work. Not that you aren't important, but I mean
in social standing."

"And I am one of those?" she asked, raising
an eyebrow.

"Well you are my wife and I'm the favorite,"
he said. He rolled away from her and climbed out of the bed.
Finding his clothes on the floor, he started getting dressed.

"Where are you going?" she
asked, her dark, almond-shaped eyes watching his every move.
Yum.

Matt smirked and wiggled his
eyebrows at her. He loved sharing his thoughts with her. Now he
never had to guess what she was thinking or feeling.
Takes yum to know yum.

She stretched her petite body. He got a
flash of her smooth, long legs. "Where are you going?" she
repeated.

"I'm hungry. It's dinner time."

"Good, I'm starving too. What are you going
to bring back?" she asked with a hopeful smile.

He had to think about this. After all, he
always had dinner with his family. She was part of his family now,
and she could come along, of course, but to eat just the two of
them? Did couples really do that? Then he remembered his father
would go on dinner dates with his wife at least once a week. Lynx
knew everything about women it seemed. Then again, the man tended
to get married about three times in a year along with his countless
mistresses. He knew how to woo properly.

"Yes, we can get dinner just the two of us in
the kitchen. I'll make us something," he finally said. Matt didn't
get the chance to do much cooking, so this would be an interesting
adventure.

Kat settled into the bed covers. "I don't
want to move though," she said, giving him a smile, her dark eyes
lighting up. "We should eat in here. It would be sweet."

Sweet? Was she was being
serious?
That's sweet?

Yes!
She giggled.

What's sweet?
Jason chimed in.

Eating in the bedroom?
Matthias was
confused. He'd heard about it, seen it in film and in pictures, and
even read stories about it. It didn't make sense to him. It sounded
more messy than anything else.

Yeah, it's supposed to be,
Jason
said.

Yes!
Kat repeated at the same time.
The two voices in Matt's head at once were giving him a
headache.

If she wants it, do it,
Jason said
before Matthias had to ask if it was a good idea.
Keep her
happy.

Matt frowned. What
about
his
happiness? He liked to eat with his family. They were just as
important to him as she was. Plus, they'd been in the bedroom
practically every free second he had. Getting out for a little bit
for some air would be a welcome change in scenery.

"If you're going to make that face, then I'm
not hungry anyway," Kat said.

"Huh?" Matt's frown deepened. "It's not a
problem. I just don't understand why you think it's so
special."

"I could show you," Kat
said, throwing the blanket up around her more. She hugged it to her
tiny body. He didn't want her to hide. She was the most beautiful
girl he'd ever seen. Everything from her shoulder-length dark hair,
to her tiny, precious toes, was amazing.
I
just want some real time with you. I've barely seen you today. I
thought you were mine?

"What are you talking about?" Matt said out
loud. The last thing he wanted was Jason getting involved in this
tiff. "We spend a lot of time with each other."

"Eight hours of sleeping and twenty random
minutes a few times a day doesn't count for a lot of time. I think
this is the most I've gotten you to talk to me all day, which isn't
like us. We've always talked a lot more. Maybe I'm worrying over
nothing, but I don't want things to change just because we're being
intimate now. If anything, we should be closer."

"We are closer."

"Then spend some real time with me. We used
to go out and explore, enjoy being together. Do that for me
now."

"So you want to go out then?
I thought you said you didn't want to move?" he said, raising an
eyebrow at her. Plus, he thought she was being melodramatic. He'd
practically worshipped her during all of his free time.
What more do you want from me?

Never mind.
She let out a deep sigh then flopped onto her
pillow. "I'll see you in an hour I guess."

"Kat, what's wrong?"

"Go to dinner. I'll be here cleaning up."

He sighed, made himself presentable, then
left. That wasn't how he had pictured ending his first full day
with her.

Chapter
Nine

Gwen stared at Jason. He promised to show her
his transformation into a dragon but he kept stalling every time
she brought it up. The bathroom, lunch, dinner, yard work,
everything else seemed a lot more important. It was getting to the
point where he had to be doing it on purpose. Did he not want to
show her? Or was it all a lie? She clenched her fists in anger at
the thought.

"Admit it, you're not really
a dragon," she said, glaring.
I knew it.
Something else is going on. This is all some kind of trick and he's
trying to—

She stopped mid-thought, her jaw dropping as
she watched him grow at least two feet taller. His clothing and
skin melted away into rusty red scales. His legs turned into
powerful haunches, a long tail came out his backside. Next, his
arms adjusted their position on his body and shifted so they were
slightly higher. The already-present black claws on his hands grew
longer and sharper. Finally, his head elongated, taking on a
lizard-like snout. All of his hair melted into skin. She couldn't
recognize him. He'd gone from human to great lizard in thirty
seconds right in front of her eyes.

A scream caught in her throat. The last thing
she wanted to do was startle him. When she looked into his eyes,
she still saw him there. While the shape was similar to that of a
lizard, she saw his soul. His vertically slit eyes had the same
depth as the dark brown ones she stared into every so often.

"You're a-a-a—" she stammered.

"Dragon?"
Jason said in a low rumble of sounds she barely
recognized as words.

"Y-yes, a dragon. How is this possible? I
don't—"

He held up a claw to silence her. As quickly
as he had changed into his dragon shape, he returned back to human.
The only thing out of place was the slight wrinkling of his brown
pants and button-down shirt. He ran a hand through his hair then
glanced her way. "Are you okay?"

It took her a moment to calm down, but once
she did, she acted as though nothing out of the ordinary had
happened. She didn't want him to see her so weak. If he thought she
was afraid of him, he could use it to his advantage.

Gwen forced a smile to her face. "I'm
impressed. Not only are you a dragon, but you're an intelligent
one. I'm surprised you can speak with that huge mouth."

"I speak well with it but not so well in
English. There's a dragon tongue. Some humans naturally understand
it. It's an ability the wives get when we mate. Since we haven't, I
didn't expect you to know what I was saying. I'm impressed you
picked it up without the gift."

"I used a little deductive reasoning. It
sounded similar. So those who naturally have the ability, the
humans I mean, why is it they can understand without mating?"

He shrugged. "Only God knows why they do.
Some say it's to help bridge the gap between our two species.
Others say it's some kind of divine appointment. Those who can are
usually chosen to be priests in the temples."

"You're a dragon."

"Yes."

"I'm not sure how to feel about this."

"What's important to me is that you believe
me. With that comes the understanding. It'll be easier for me to
keep you safe. I know you still don't want to trust me but I hope
it helps."

Gwen shook her head. "I'm going to do the
dishes."