by Leela Ash
“Good. You know, if you’re not up to it we could always do it another time.”
“No, I’m okay,” Max assured her.
“Anyway, I know I will love wherever it is you’re taking me. I love it here. Everywhere there is to go is somewhere special.”
Andrea sat back in her seat and revoked her hand from Max’s leg. She looked out the window of the cab as it continued to roll through the sleepy streets. It was a nice way to travel. The place was kind of small and a little bit slow in a way, but it was a nice change of pace from the hectic constant motion of Fiora. They had lived in the epicenter of the world; a city known as Lainsmar. It was a beautiful place, but always busy. Never time to stop and reflect. In a way, the banishment had provided them with a sense of calm and serenity previously unknown to any of them.
It was nice, at least to a point, though Max found himself feeling restless quite frequently. There was always some activity or another going on back on Fiora. He never had to worry about keeping himself entertained. On Earth, the most he did on a daily basis was work.
A sudden thought chilled him. Would Drea even want to come back to his home? She was pretty established and happy on Earth. Could he find happiness on Earth to please her and abandon his own world? Would leaving Earth ever even be an option? Probably not. It was best not to think about it.
“It is very nice here,” Max agreed. “It is nice a lot of places. Do you like to travel?”
Andrea smiled. “I haven’t had the chance to travel much. I like to stay close to my mother. We are pretty close. Especially now…”
“Why especially now?” Max asked. If there was a reason she didn’t want to travel now, it would likely hinder any chances of him being able to go back to his world with his fated mate. He shook the thoughts away and smiled at Andrea. He would do whatever it took to make her happy.
“My mother is ill,” she explained, but she didn’t seem very keen on pursuing the subject. “I just want to stay close in case she needs me.”
“Ah,” Max said. He nearly opened his mouth to tell her that he might be able to help, but it was far too soon for that sort of admission. Still, illness was a difficult thing to deal with. If he helped her too late then he would never forgive himself. And if Drea found out that he could have helped and didn’t, she certainly would never forgive him either. And he wouldn’t blame her one bit.
“Here you are,” the driver said, interrupting Max’s thoughts. He was soon caught up in the act of paying for the ride and holding the door open for Andrea, who was clearly enjoying the doting immensely.
He wished he would have been able to do more for her, like leave that moment and see what could be done to help Drea’s mother, if anything. Perhaps he could do nothing. If she was a descendant as well, he could. But if the genes had been passed to Drea through her father then there was nothing he could do, and it would be a false hope for all of them. He would probably look insane.
“All right, come,” Max said, hating himself for not being able to be honest with Andrea. “Follow me.”
“Can I ask where we’re going or is it a surprise?” Andrea asked, looking around. There were several buildings lined up in a strip, and Max simply smiled mysteriously.
“You can ask,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean I will answer.”
Andrea quirked her brow at Max and then a broad smile lit her face. He found himself feeling happier than he had ever felt before. It was overwhelming really; he had never allowed anybody to have such a profound impact on him.
“Well, okay,” she said, still pleased despite his answer. It almost made him love her more, but that didn’t seem possible. She was the most captivating being he had ever known, and she was everything he could ever have hoped to find.
They walked quietly for a few steps and Max finally took her by the hand and held her close to his body as they walked. He could sense her very physical reaction to his closeness and had to slow his own heart as it began to thud hard in his chest. There was just something comfortable about being with Andrea. Something that made him feel both at peace and hot with longing.
But his desires would have to be put to rest. They were nearing their destination. He glanced down at the woman secretly, relishing in her nearness, and then, just as she seemed to expect he would walk into one of the buildings, he led her behind it and up a small staircase that served as a fire escape.
“What? Where are we going?” Andrea asked, a small note of panic in her voice. She didn’t like to be surprised by things like this; it became very clear right in the moment. And of course, she wouldn’t. She didn’t know him yet. She had no reason to trust him, barring the fact that they were fated mates. But how would she know that? It would still be startling and difficult for her.
Max smiled down at her reassuringly.
“You’ll see. Don’t worry. No harm will come to you. Unless you don’t like the food.”
She laughed and continued up after him in silence. When they arrived, a small gasp escaped her throat. On top of the roof was a table and chairs that Max had set up (with permission from the owners of the building; Gavin was always on them about that kind of thing). He walked Andrea to the table and smiled at her as he held the chair out for her and tucked her toward the table. He was very strong and moved the chair forward with ease and she let out a small, surprised burst of laughter as her knees knocked into the center of the table.
“Sorry,” Max said, grinning down at her, and crossing the table to sit down.
“It’s okay,” Drea replied, looking down at the table. She looked back up at Max in confusion. “A menu?”
“Yeah,” Max said.
Suddenly, a waiter was coming up to their isolated table. He had been hiding near the staircase that led back into the building and Max grinned at the look of pure surprise on Andrea’s face.
“Are you ready to order? Or would you just like to start off with something to drink?”
Andrea gaped at the waiter for a moment then looked over at Max. She looked dubiously at the waiter again and then smiled. “I’d like a little more time, but you could start me off with some water if that’s okay.”
“That’s perfectly fine, ma’am. And for you, sir?”
“A bottle of your finest wine,” Max said, proudly quoting one of the movies he had seen not long beforehand. He had no idea how much it might cost him, but he was willing to pay anything to see Drea smile.
“Of course. I’ll be back with your drinks.”
When the waiter disappeared, Max looked expectantly at Drea, who was watching the waiter as he disappeared out of sight. When she turned back to Max, her face was flushed, and she shook her head slowly.
“This is really incredible,” she said, her beautiful eyes scanning the skyline. Twilight was beginning to brush the sky, and Max beamed inwardly. He couldn’t have chosen a better time to do this. He was lucky the people at the restaurant were so cooperative. Then again, the hefty sum he had offered to pay them had helped a little bit.
“I’m glad you like it,” Max said softly. He nudged the menu toward her, urging her to look inside. “Pick what you want to eat. Anything off the menu. Don’t worry. I want you to have a great time.”
He could tell Andrea was still a little uncomfortable with the thought of spending any amount of money on herself, but she relaxed a little bit when he smiled comfortingly at her.
“Okay…”
She flipped the menu open and began scouring it as Max did the same. He was still trying hard to get used to human dishes, but he had learned that he really loved bread. When the waiter returned a few moments later, Andrea looked uncertainly at Max then back down at her menu.
“Are you ready to order, ma’am?”
Andrea finally sighed and turned her blue eyes onto the waiter.
“Can I have this, please?” She pointed to the menu and the waiter leaned over.
“Good choice,” he said approvingly. “And what will you have?”
“Brea
d,” Max said proudly, handing the waiter the menu.
“Excuse me?”
“I want bread,” Max said, blinking. What was so difficult to understand about that?
“Just…just bread?” the waiter asked, gaping at Max.
“Yes. Oh, and some pickles.”
“Are you…” the waiter squinted. “Really? Are you sure?”
“I’m positive,” Max said.
“Okay…what kind of bread?”
Max considered this. “The long kind.”
The waiter blinked again then nodded slowly. “Sure. Okay.”
When he turned his attention back to Andrea, he found that she, too, was looking at him strangely.
“Is something wrong?” he asked, looking furtively at the woman across from him.
“No. Nothing is wrong exactly,” Andrea said, furrowing her brow. “Are you sure that bread is all you want, though? Is what I ordered too expensive?”
Max realized his folly immediately. She was concerned that he was spending too much money because what he ordered was not a typical human meal. He could have kicked himself. Stupid.
“No! I just love bread,” he said shrugging and smiling sheepishly at her. “I am here so you can enjoy yourself. I want to see you happy. I just want to please you. Is that all right?”
“Yeah, I guess so,” Andrea said, a small, attractive flush creeping across her cheeks. “As long as you’re sure.”
“I’m very sure,” Max said firmly, uncorking the wine, and pouring them each a glass. “I love to see you smile. And I love bread. That’s all it is.”
“Bread and pickles,” Andrea said, laughing softly. It was one of the most beautiful sounds Max had ever heard, and he beamed at her from across the table.
“Yes. I love bread and pickles and…”
He halted himself. He had almost admitted that he loved her. That was a big social faux pas. That was one thing he had learned for sure from the movies he had been studying. You never said you loved a woman until you were sure she would either reciprocate it or she wouldn’t be entirely alarmed by your feelings. It was still far too soon.
Though he was still burning to tell her about the fact that they were fated mates, he knew he couldn’t even begin to broach the subject. Not yet. Instead, he waited patiently for the food to be brought out. When the waiter returned with bread sticks, his stomach rumbled loudly, and he grinned at Drea from across the room. “Now this is a party,” he said.
She laughed, a bright, delightful sound. He couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed by the sweetness of her voice and she smiled back at him, her beautiful face bringing him a deep sense of peace.
“First party I’ve been to in a while,” she said, her lips still twitching with the sensation of a fading smile. “I have to say, it’s one of my favorite so far. Way better than a barbeque.”
“A barbeque?” Max asked.
The tone of Andrea’s voice had changed, and he searched her blue eyes curiously. He was honestly attempting to summon a point of reference for what a barbeque was. He was still a little bit rusty when it came to his studies of human emotion and social customs, but he knew it had to be a gathering of some sort.
“Let’s just say you are much better company than the last person who invited me out,” Andrea said, shaking her head. Max could sense, by her energy, that she didn’t want to talk about it anymore, so he smiled and nodded.
“I will take that as a good thing,” he said, grabbing a breadstick. “Don’t these smell amazing? You are welcome to them.”
Andrea laughed. “Thank you,” she said, holding his gaze. She always seemed to be in a sense of disbelief with him, and he was having a hard time figuring out what it was she couldn’t figure out. He wanted to ask her, but he knew it might throw her off that he was able to read her so easily.
“You’re welcome,” he said instead of asking, although it kind of killed him to just drop the subject like that.
They fell quiet as Andrea began to eat and Max sat back, fully appreciating the sight of her enjoying herself. It was hard for him to let it go. He wanted to know everything about her that he could possibly learn.
But he knew it was probably for the best that the two of them were taking things slow. That was what the movies had told him to do. That was what all the research said was the right thing. And he could also tell simply by the way she felt whether or not she would be comfortable with the things he wanted to say. Somehow, he seemed able to read her in a way he had never been able to read anybody before.
Dragon shifter or not, it was rare for him to be able to see somebody on such a deep level. He wondered if she could sense him as well. She had already asked him if he was okay in the car on the way over. Maybe she could tell how he was feeling just as he could tell how she was feeling.
The thought was strange, but it was also a little bit exciting and liberating. It was nice to know that maybe somebody out there could truly understand him. It happened so rarely, and yet, here was a possibility that he had never even dared to dream of before. The mate for him who would truly care about who he was and what he was going through.
“How is your food?” he asked, hoping to distract himself from such strange thoughts.
“The food is excellent here. I have never gone to this restaurant before. And I have certainly never dined on the roof of a restaurant. This is beautiful.”
She fell silent as she looked out over his shoulder at the horizon. Her face began to glow of bright pink color as the radiant hues of the sun hitting the atmosphere began to change the color of her complexion right along with it.
Max watched the sight, overwhelmed by his sense of excitement. He was awestruck by her beauty. He had never seen anything like it, and now that he was witnessing it firsthand, the words nearly bubbled out from his lips. The truth. The fact that she was his fated one.
But if he did that, it could have serious repercussions. If she didn’t believe him and went into denial, her powers could be awakened and beyond her control. If her powers were awakened, it might summon the forces in the universe that had made the Loni blood so scarce in the first place. They were a powerful force to be reckoned with, and both utilized and annihilated by ill-intentioned beings throughout the dimensions.
It was why so many of the most powerful Lonis had been sent away from Fiora. It was for their own safety. Now, though, awakening her powers before she was ready to accept them meant they could be used and unchecked. It could mean that she was put in mortal danger. He couldn’t allow that to happen.
He didn’t want to let the truth spill until he was sure she would be able to accept it and clamped his mouth shut for a moment. But it was too much when she turned her bright blue eyes back on him.
“This is really wonderful,” she said softly. “Thank you for bringing me here. Nobody has ever done anything like this for me before.”
“You are my fated mate,” he said before he could stop himself. Max cursed inwardly but his mouth continued to speak. “Of course, I would do this for you. I care for you more than you could ever know. I would do all this and more for you.”
Her smile faded, and her eyes became clouded with confusion.
“What?”
Max’s stomach dropped. He had let it slip.
“My fated mate. You have dragon shifter blood in your veins.”
Now that he had spoken the words out loud, he had to follow them up with something. Still, he felt kind of like an idiot for actually speaking them out loud. Wasn’t he supposed to wait? He was probably messing everything up beyond repair right now. What was going to happen? Why was everything so difficult to navigate?
Well, it was too late now. He had already said what he needed to say and now there was nothing stopping them.
“I really don’t understand what you’re trying to tell me,” Andrea said, her eyes furrowing in confusion. She was starting to look concerned. Maybe even afraid.
“You felt it. You cannot deny that. It was there, and it was c
lear to both of us. The first time we ever laid eyes on each other. The connection.”
Andrea gazed at Max, her eyes blinking slowly as she took in his words. He knew he had felt her connect to him. He knew she had been able to feel the same thing that he did. How was it possible that she hadn’t? He knew what he felt. And he saw the look in her eyes. It was the same. She did understand, even if it was difficult. He had already come this far. He would just have to keep trying.
“You have a really good sense of humor,” Andrea said, her face breaking out into a sudden, bright smile. Max gazed at her and opened his mouth. He wasn’t kidding. He had never been more serious about anything in his life and this was more important than she could ever possibly know. Why was she making a joke out of it when, deep down inside of herself, somewhere, she knew the truth?
But, in a way, he knew she simply wasn’t ready for the truth. He had blurted it out at an inopportune time. It was lucky she didn’t run off screaming that he was completely insane and never speak to him again.
And so, Max met her words with a tentative smile and a shrug.
“I love to see you smile,” he said honestly, hoping to drop the subject there. He would have to wait to tell her until he could give her some sort of proof. When she would be open and receptive to it. But who knew how much damage might be happening to Fiora now without the children of the descendants to help it thrive?
This brought another stunning smile to Andrea’s cheeks and Max turned his eyes away, forcing away the urge to try to force her to understand. Now wasn’t the time.
And so, they had to finish the date in peace, with the lingering sadness in Max’s chest at knowing he had been very close to being able to confess his identity to her and in a way that would allow him to reclaim his honor in his home world.
10.
When Max dropped Andrea off at her apartment, she walked inside, her mind still whirling. The night had gone well – remarkably well – but there was something very strange about Max’s confession. She had a feeling that he hadn’t been joking at all. He had played it off very naturally and his charm had nearly caused her to be distracted from the strangeness of his words. And yet, she hadn’t been able to allow herself to let go of the statement.
