Dragon Keep Me

Chapter Twenty-One

Natalie

I was staring out of the front window of the car and trying to figure out what the hell had just happened to me. How does a person have the best s*x of their life, and not even have s*x? I’d had plenty of orgasms in my thirty years on this earth, both by my hand and the hands of others. But, my God.

My eyes slid over to Cass, who was smirking, as usual. Well, it was my fault. I’d played a dangerous game of seduction. My mistake had been challenging the God of Sin himself. One of the better mistakes I’d ever made.

I cleared my throat, feeling the heat rise in my neck as I blurted, “Well, um, I’m sorry that you didn’t get to, you know, finish.”

I think I’d blushed more in the last few days than the rest of my life combined. Did I ever stop blushing?

I felt bad that I was the only one who’d been… pleasured. There really wasn’t a word powerful enough for what I’d just experienced.

A normal man might say ‘it’s okay’. Cass offered me a heated glance and a promise. “Next time.”

Butterflies erupted in my stomach. I grappled with the idea that I was supposed to be with this man for the rest of my life, and that scenes like the theater would become commonplace.

As if he’d somehow followed my train of thought, Cass broke the silence. “Natalie? Do you want me as your True One?”

The question didn’t surprise me as much as his tone. The vulnerability of it. “Cass…”

“I know I don’t deserve it. I insulted you. I… imprisoned you.”

He winced when he mentioned my brief captivity. Obviously, that bothered him a lot. With his history, I wasn’t surprised.

“Do you want me as your True One?” I asked, turning the question around.

“I want you more than I’ve ever craved anything in my life.”

My heartbeat quickened.

“But I’ve never imagined having someone fated to me. Forced to be with me,” he admitted. “Dragons don’t have mates, as far as I know. We’re solitary creatures. Most don’t play nice with others.”

“Is that why you live in the tower alone?”

“At first, it was because Gideon didn’t trust me, but now, yes, I suppose it is. The wolves are my friends. More my family than anyone else has ever been… but I do like to be alone sometimes. And sometimes not. So being close to them but not living with them suits me.”

“I understand. I’m a loner, too. Always have been.”

“Well, you’re a witch. They’re also a solitary species. Except, of course, when they find their True One. Then the pair is solitary together.”

“Nadaria mentioned a coven.”

“Yes, witches get together occasionally to pay homage to the solstices and things like that. Spells are more powerful if cast together.”

It made sense. So many things in my life had made sense since I touched that ward stone. I really had always preferred being alone. Even as a child, I would play alone. I preferred a singular sport and didn’t enjoy taking part in team events. It’s not like I couldn’t be social, but I did have trouble making and keeping friends.

“My hesitation about the True One has nothing to do with you, Cass,” I said. “It’s how fast it is—just the idea of leaving everything behind and starting over.”

“I understand. Choosing between me and a dying philodendron would be difficult,” he deadpanned.

I slapped his shoulder, giggling.

When I went to pull my hand away, he reached up and snatched it, lifting it to his lips so tenderly. His thumb danced across my knuckles. That same hand had just rocked my world in a theater and now it was so gentle. I thought I might melt through the leather of the car seat into a puddle on the floor.

“Well, we have, what is it now? Twenty-seven days to decide. So we don’t have to rush. Although, if Morga doesn’t kill me, waiting that long to be with you might.”

“Not used to waiting for your women, Cass?”

He shook his head sharply back and forth. “Nope.”

I turned back towards the road just in time to glimpse something small and round. “Hey, stop!”

Cass slammed on the brakes and I jolted forward until the lock on my seatbelt stopped me.

“What? What is it?” Cass asked, putting his hand on my shoulder.

“I don’t know. I saw something.”

I opened the door and walked around the front, hearing Cass’ door shut as I spotted it.

“Aw, look at this sweet little baby,” I cooed. “I knew I saw something.” I picked him up. A juvenile snapper. A common type of freshwater turtle.

He stared at me. Not in a normal turtle way, but in a knowledgeable way. I had no idea how I’d seen him. He was tiny, maybe two inches across his shell. His yellow eyes observed me like they already knew every secret in my heart.

Something drew me to him, an irresistible pull. Snapping turtles were a very common species. Sometimes, people considered them a nuisance, but he was absolutely adorable. His coloring was dark, his spiked shell blacker than any other I’d ever seen. I smiled at his little hooked nose and mouth. Was he smiling back at me? I swore he was.

“You almost killed him!” I yelled, a flush of unreasonable anger scorching through my veins.

Cass was leaning against the hood of the car, smirking. “So, what’s his name?”

I looked back at the turtle, and a name just drifted into my head. Not like I thought it up, but like it was put there.

“It’s Mick.”

Cass snorted a laugh. “Uh, Mick?”

“Yeah! It’s a perfect name! Don’t laugh at him!”

Cass held up his hands in surrender, beaming at me.

“You’re disgusting,” I said, shaking my head. “How can you be so handsome in the shine of headlights? It’s horrible lighting. No one should look that good.”

He scoffed. “So grumpy all of the sudden.”

“You almost killed Mick!”

“Well, I didn’t see him. He’s two inches tall!”

I looked back at the little snapper. Hesitantly, I reached out my finger. He was just a baby, but they weren’t called snapping turtles for nothing. He moved, and I jumped in surprise, but he just closed his eyes and rubbed his little turtle cheek against my finger softly.

“Aww, he’s so cute. He loves me,” I said, wanting to kiss his little shell.

“Well, yeah,” Cass said, chuckling. “He’s your familiar.”

“We’re bringing him,” I answered, placing my hand over his shell in fear someone might try to make me part with him.

Cass said, “Of course we are,” and came around to open my car door for me.

I sat with the baby turtle and held him up in front of my face, cooing at him. I felt, genuinely, like a child on Christmas. That long forgotten feeling of love hand in hand with the blessing of receiving a gift. My heart filled with a staggering adoration as I watched the sweet little turtle. It was so powerful my eyes filled with tears.

My familiar.