Page 64 of Dragon Me Through Space

“How are you feeling?” Zeke asked, coming to stand before me, though staying far enough back I didn’t have to tilt my head too far back to meet his eyes.

“I’m …” How was I feeling? Shocked? Uncertain? Nervous?

“It’s a lot to take in,” Preston said softly. “Don’t worry, pet, we’ll just take it one day at a time.”

“You haven’t explained the necklace yet,” I reminded him and tapped my chest where the necklace hung beneath my shirt.

He smiled. “You’ve got to quell that curiosity, it’s dangerous to be so curious.”

“I’ve had this necklace for a decade with no answers, so it’s not like I’m not warranted the level of curiosity I have.”

Chuckling, he said, “I suppose that’s true. After you eat, meet me on the main deck. We’ll explain the significance of the necklace to you then.”

Wayne’s and Zeke’s heads snapped around to Preston.

“Already?” Wayne asked, his hands gripping the refrigerator door handle so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

“I think it’s better if she learns now, before anymore … incidents happen.” He winked at me and sauntered out of the kitchen.

Hopping up onto the counter, I watched Zeke and Wayne working together to make food. They joked and nudged each other while smiling happily. It was adorable and made my chest warm.

Is this what it would be like back on their planet? Would they continue being caring and sweet like this?

The need for a family, to be wanted and safe, hummed through me even harder now. Ever since I lost my parents and planet, that was what I craved. So far, the time I’d spent with the Dragonkin was the best since my childhood.

It was crazy to think that I had met them when they were younger, that I had played tag with them and eaten with them. All while not knowing that we were being betrothed together by our parents. Or that fate had an even larger role for us.

“Let’s eat in the dining room,” Wayne said as he carried two bowls through the kitchen door.

Zeke waited for me to exit before following behind. “After you meet with Preston, I have a surprise for you.”

My brows rose as I turned to look at him. Zeke was usually a quiet, brooding, overprotective giant. Not a sweet gift-giver. Or had I just not known him long enough to truly know him yet?

“A surprise? Like a gift?”

He smirked. “You really are too curious for your own good.”

My glare only made his smirk turn into a full smile, one that made my stomach flutter at how handsome he looked.

Wayne and Zeke talked about things they needed to do that I didn’t fully understand while we ate, so I stayed silent.

When we finished eating, I practically ran to the main deck, much to all of the guys’ amusement.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

“I see you’re bristling with excitement to learn about the locket you’ve been wearing for a decade,” Preston teased.

“Wouldn’t you be?” I asked back with more snark than intended. The locket was supposed to be opened, but Mom had ordered me not to open it until it was the right time. I’d never known what the “right time” was, so it had remained firmly closed.

All of the Dragonkin had gathered, sitting in their chairs that I knew would fall through the floor to take them to an exit where they could fly out into space. Something that still made me wary, so I stood before them with my back to the transparent wall, the vastness of space a backdrop behind me.

“That locket contains a powerful magic that will activate once you open it,” Preston explained.

“What kind of magic?” I asked. Would it be dangerous? No, Mom wouldn’t put magic in a locket on my body that could hurt me. We hadn’t had much magic on our planet, but I’d been exposed to some from allies who visited, and it always amazed me. Probably because it was something that I couldn’t do or use.

Gage answered, “The magic, once released, will bind you and those near you together.”

“What? How?” That didn’t make sense to me. “Like physically stick you together?”