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Some of the stiffness left Kai’s shoulders and his arms loosened. He wasn’t looking at Xiang yet, but from the angle of his head, it was likely he could at least see Xiang from the corner of his eye.
“That being said, it’s rude to disappear in the middle of an argument. It’s not fair to the other person. Do you understand how intimidating it is to argue with you when I know how much power you command?”
That got Kai’s head to snap around to him, but the pain that slashed across his face stabbed right through Xiang’s heart. That was not what he wanted at all. He wanted Kai to listen to him.
“So, you think I would hurt you?” Kai whispered.
“What? No! Where would you get that idea?”
“You said that my power intimidates you. Plus, you don’t want me to accompany you while sneaking into the fae castle. It is my sword, my fight with the queen, my revenge for being so humiliated. I should be there to take back my sword, but you do not trust me to not hurt you and your clan. You fear my power.”
“Gods, Kai. If I am terrified of anything, it’s that I’m afraid of losing you.” Xiang rushed forward, closing the distance between them so he could cup Kai’s face in his shaking hands. “Any of my clan mates would be happy to explain that I’m not the smartest of us. I know how to do one thing, and that’s protect the people who are most important to me. I’m not good at talking about how I feel, and I’m not good at stepping aside to let someone else fight.”
Pausing, Xiang closed his eyes and drew in a steadying breath. When he opened them, he stared deep into a pair of soft silvery eyes that watched him as if he were the only thing in all the world. “You are right. You should be there to get your sword and to have your revenge. I’m not afraid of you hurting me or my clan. I’m scared to death of the queen hurting you. Seeing you chained and hurting in the courtyard nearly stopped my heart. That…that moment…almost killed me,” he choked out past the lump in his throat. His body grew cold all over as the images of that day flickered through his brain. He’d wanted to cut through every fae he saw. He’d wanted to rush to the queen and cut her head off, but his priority had been getting Kai free and somewhere safe.
“But you said that my powers intimidate you?” Kai prodded, his voice low and soft.
“They can be intimidating. You can do so many things with nothing more than a wave of your hand. I’m not afraid of you hurting me or my family.” He stopped and licked his lips. “However, I am scared that you don’t respect me and my opinion. That you don’t see me as an equal. In my eyes, mates should be equals. But if you can disappear when you don’t agree with something I say, I feel like I don’t matter.”
The dragon jerked his head back out of his touch while his eyebrows snapped together. His mouth fell open as if to argue, but nothing came out. He closed it again, and his eyes darted away. Xiang bit the inside of his mouth to keep from smiling as his lover seemed to contemplate what he was saying. A couple of seconds ticked by before a gasp slipped from Kai’s lips.
Xiang didn’t even get the chance to react. Kai swept him up and tucked him into his lap, wrapping his arms around him while burrowing his face against Xiang’s neck. “No,” Kai mumbled into his skin. “No. Never.”
“No never what?” Xiang inquired, fighting a bubble of laughter.
“I never want you to think I don’t respect you. Everything about you is precious to me.” Kai lifted his head and narrowed his eyes. “Even when you disagree with me and say mean things like I am a dinosaur.”
Xiang sighed and pressed a small kiss to the corner of Kai’s mouth. “I am sorry. You are not a dinosaur. You are the most impressive, most beautiful dragon in all the world. Not to mention, you’re a very sexy human as well.”
The grumpiness melted from Kai’s features. “Thank you.”
“But we need to talk through our disagreements,” Xiang pressed, unwilling to let this go until it was fixed. “I’m impulsive and overprotective. You’re overprotective and used to getting your way after being alone for so long. We talk things through. I’m not your pet.”
“No, you’re my mate,” Kai finished. The dragon leaned forward, pressing his forehead to Xiang’s. “Forgive me, Xiang. I jumped to conclusions rather than talking things out with you.”
“Of course.” Xiang wrapped his arms about Kai’s shoulders, pressing kisses across his face. “I’m sorry I hurt you. The idea of you going anywhere near the fae scares me and makes me irrational. I should never have said that you weren’t accompanying us.”
Kai’s head popped up, his silver eyes twinkling bright. “You’ll allow me to come with you?”
Xiang choked on a laugh. Allow? Like he could stop the dragon from doing anything he wanted.
Except maybe he could. Kai wanted nothing but his happiness and his safety. He probably would have obeyed Xiang if he commanded Kai to remain behind. Yet as much as he wanted to keep him safe, he couldn’t do that to the dragon.
And maybe Chen was right when he’d said that Xiang was the heart of Kai’s hoard. Right now, he’d take anything that weakened the queen’s hold over him.
“You know, this is going to sound crazy,” Xiang murmured as he nuzzled the soft spot behind Kai’s ear with the tip of his nose. “But I think I’ve missed your hoard. It feels nice to be here with you. Like it’s our spot and no one can find us.”
A low rumble like a growling purr moved up Kai’s throat and the dragon’s arms tightened on him. “You have no idea how happy it makes me to hear you say that.”
Before Xiang could ask him about his cryptic comment, Kai rose to his feet, lifting Xiang with him. A sound erupted from Xiang’s lips like a surprised chicken. He clutched Kai’s shoulders with both hands as the dragon carried him away from the bed.
“Where are you going?” Xiang demanded.
“There’s something I’ve been longing for since you first reminded me how enjoyable sex can be.”
Xiang snorted and relaxed in Kai’s embrace. “Yes, but sex is only enjoyable with me.”
A small smirk teased Kai’s lips. “Of course. I have no interest in sharing my body with anyone else.”
