Page 181 of Scales ’N’ Spells: Volume Two

“Nikki and I both lived for years in a very restrictive place where freedom wasn’t guaranteed. Where we had to escape. Our clan doesn’t have those same rules, but we’re still under restrictions for our own safety. Of course the overlap is going to sometimes trigger us in the wrong ways.”

“Oh shit.” Gunter groaned. He mentally kicked himself several times. “But they’re still in the castle?”

“I got Ravi to keep an eye on them from a distance. He just texted that Nikki came back in a second ago. They’re safe, Gunter, breathe. But also do something about this. I offered to introduce my therapist to Nikki. And they were pretty receptive to the idea. Reinforce it, if you can.”

“I absolutely will.” Gunter once again blessed Tori’s coming into the clan. He was an excellent friend and brother in many ways. “Thank you. I’ll follow up with you properly tomorrow. Your therapist is in Sonthofen, right?”

“Yeah, and she’s great. She’s up to speed on what all goes into mating to a dragon, and stuff, so I think Nikki would easily transition into talking with her. But there’s other therapists in her practice if they don’t click with her for some reason. Emphasize that Nikki has options, okay? That will help more than anything else.”

“Because they’ve never had options before.”

“Yup. Just as I didn’t. Presenting multiple options will get you further than anything else.”

“I will.”

“Good, good. Give me a shout if you’ve got questions. I need to get back to Baldewin.”

“Thanks again, Tori.”

“Anytime.” Click.

Gunter let the phone go back on the nightstand as he thought it through. Shit, he really should have realized Nikki would struggle in this way. Especially since they’d tested their ability to leave the very first few days they were here. And being on that blasted Jaeggi compound would only bring all of those negative feelings back.

He really, really had to start paying better attention.

The door opened and Nikki slipped through, quietly, as if expecting Gunter to be asleep. It was a tad early for that, though, and Gunter had no intention of sleeping until Nikki was properly in bed with him.

Halfway through the door, Nikki spied him sitting upright and stopped tiptoeing.

“Oh, you’re up.”

“Waiting on you.” Gunter gave them a smile, shelving his worries for a moment. “You smell like night air and wind.”

“Yeah, I maybe stepped outside for a moment.” Nikki kicked off shoes before crawling over to Gunter, snuggling in.

Gunter immediately folded them in, stroking their back with a soft palm. Never, ever, did he want his mate to feel trapped here with him. He didn’t want Nikki to be driven off by those dark feelings. Or by something Gunter did—or failed to do. But he didn’t have an immediate fix to this problem either. And it wasn’t something that called for an immediate fix.

Time, and love, and patience. That’s what would help heal Nikki.

“Gunter?”

“Hmm?”

“I bumped into Tori outside. And he said dragons like to fly with their mates. Is that true?”

“We enjoy nothing more. It’s immensely satisfying, flying with our mates. I always enjoy flying with you.”

“Oh. The last few flights have all been about business. And I was kind of stressed out about where we were going. I guess I wasn’t in the right frame of mind to enjoy it.”

That sounded like an invitation to Gunter. “Would you like to go flying now?”

Nikki lifted their head, blinking down at him. “Right now? But you’re still injured.”

“Sora would have my head if we went tonight. As soon as I’m healed, we’ll go. Night flying is wonderfully liberating,” Gunter explained, smiling up at them. “The air is cool and crisp and fresh in your lungs. And the night sky envelopes you, makes you feel like you can dance with the stars.”

“Well. If you put it like that, all poetic and shit, of course I’m going to say yes.”

Gunter grinned and smacked a kiss on their lips. “Tonight, how about a drive with the top down? A similar feeling, and it’ll be relaxing to just drive for a while.”