Page 46 of Dragon Me Through Space

He opened his mouth, but I spun back around and jogged away. They were acting even more overprotective than previously. Why? Was it because of all of the time I’d spent with them? Because of the physical intimacy?

As embarrassing as it was to admit, I’d found that we were very physically compatible and more times than not, sparring sessions ended with me so hot and bothered that I sought out one of the Dragonkin. Not that they seemed to be complaining. I was convinced their sweat exuded some type of chemical that effected me.

The bond Gage had talked about, I felt it. I felt it grower stronger every moment I spent with them. But … fated mates were a fantasy. A fairy tale you told children to romanticize love. It didn’t actually exist.

Then again, I hadn’t believed dragon shifting people existed before my parents told me about them.

As I walked around the city, I pictured my life before meeting the Dragonkin. I was constantly fleeing, had my guard up, and trying not to die or get captured. With the Dragonkin, I felt safe, when I was with them, I didn’t have to constantly look over my shoulder.

However, I was also putting them in danger. The mercenaries wouldn’t hesitate to kill them to capture me. The thought of them being in danger because of me caused a physical pain in my chest.

A woman and man stepped out of the shop in front of me, right into my path.

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” the woman apologized.

“No problem,” I said and stepped to the side.

“I keep telling you to let me go first,” the man said and pulled her against his side with a loving smile that the woman immediately returned.

I blinked in silence as I watched the couple, clearly in love, walk down the street together, touching and smiling and laughing like they didn’t have a care in the world.

Then again, maybe they didn’t. They likely hadn’t been on the run most of their lives. They likely hadn’t been tormented and experimented on, crying for help that would never come. I learned at ten years old that you couldn’t put your trust in others coming to rescue you. If you wanted rescue, you had to do it yourself.

Yet, these Dragonkin were willing to share their secret power with me, to kill the Underlord of Porantine. To put themselves at risk for my safety.

Perhaps it was time for me to leave. To go our separate ways.

But the woman had told me to stay with the Dragonkin, that we had an alliance with them. Was it better if I went with them to their planet to ask for asylum? Gage had offered to help as well, so even if their king wouldn’t … No, I shouldn’t take Gage’s money. When they found their mate, I didn’t want to be an obstacle or cause of arguments between them.

“What do you think, Scout?” I asked as I continued walking aimlessly. “Should we stay with the Dragonkin or go on our own way?”

Scout gave a soft, sad chirp.

Yeah, same.

“Come on, Scout! We’ve been doing fine together.” I tried to sound positive, but couldn’t quite fake it well enough.

As I rounded the corner, a little boy ran in front of me carrying a strange looking, but beautiful pink flower. His eyes were wide and he had a huge smile as he ran by me and up to a woman with the same color eyes and hair as him. “Here, Mama!”

The woman took the flower with a soft smile and bent to kiss the boy on his cheek. “Thank you, son.”

He beamed proudly and a man with similar features walked up panting. “Sorry, he got so excited to give you the flower that he took off and I couldn’t catch up to him.”

The woman shook her head and tsked. “I keep telling you that you need more cardio.”

My chest tightened as I watched the family laugh and head to a restaurant.

Warmth. There was so much warmth in a family, in a relationship.

Was that why I felt so cold?

“Diamond?” a female voice that sounded like they’d been smoking for fifty years asked.

Turning, I gasped when I saw Troya, a mercenary that I’d done a few jobs with a couple of years ago. “Troya!” I gasped and ran up to hug her.

She chuckled and patted my back. “I thought that was you, your hair color is pretty unique even among the stars. What are you doing on this backwater asteroid?”

“Oh, um, the group I’m with was refueling and restocking here,” I answered.