When they finally finished their meal, they prepared the baby for a stroll around the resort. Maia dressed Waverley in light clothes for the warm day, and she wore a light dress of JoJo’s that was appropriate for the weather, though not quite right for Maia’s style. Zephyr wore a pair of Bermuda shorts, a polo shirt, and sandals. They went out, down the elevator, and out into the lobby, looking every bit the family on vacation. What he wouldn't give to truly be what they appeared to be. The humans around them smiled as they passed, seeing only the external appearance. They could not see the turbulent emotions that seemed to ping-pong back and forth between them.
They walked down the avenue of boutiques and local arts and crafts. The first shop they stopped at was for children. Maia took great joy in picking out clothing suitable for little Waverley. She bought all pink and frills and whites and ribbons and bonnets and bows for her baby. Maia’s thrill at buying dresses for her daughter infected Zephyr to the point where he was picking out sweet feminine fabrics and booties for the child as well.
By the time they were finished, Waverley was decked out in a light, lacy dress perfect for the weather, with soft bottom shoes and a sun bonnet. She sat upright in the stroller, shaking a rattle that she intermittently sucked into her toothless mouth. Maia was lit up with joy as they made their way to the next shop and ducked inside.
"I can watch Maia while you pick out your things," Zephyr said.
Maia looked from Zephyr to the baby and back again, her smile still full on her face. She nodded once and stepped away from the stroller, angling the handle to Zephyr.
"You wait near the dressing room, and I'll show you everything that I try on."
Zephyr cleared his throat, a cold sweat breaking out on his brow. The idea of watching Maia dress up in clothes that would suit her filled him with deeply conflicted emotions.
11
Maia stepped into the store, gazing around at all the beautiful offerings. She felt the sense of ease and luxury as she passed down the aisles of gorgeous outfits. Each fabric was softer and more luxurious than the last. She felt so blessed to be in that moment, Zephyr and Waverley and so many beautiful options and opportunities before her. As the Dragoness Prime and the Duchess of the House of Tides, Maia was not unfamiliar with beautiful things. It had been a long time since she had felt so at ease with her life and with herself. All of her life, she’d felt her responsibility to her people. She had prepared to be the mother to a dragonkin from each house. Once the seed of the princes had been delivered to her, she'd taken it into their body and gestated their offerings to create new life that would save her people from destruction. The strength to defy the elders’ wishes had taken everything she had. Maia had not since had the desire to do something as simple and pleasant as choosing a new dress.
Zephyr had arranged this moment in time, after all her duties had been fulfilled. She was in this new world with all her children. It was a deeply satisfying moment for Maia. And a suitable distraction for the gnawing emptiness in her heart at the knowledge she could not yet be with Zephyr.
A salesgirl approached and smiled broadly at Maia, asking what she was looking for.
"I'm not sure," Maia confessed.
“Is there a special occasion?”
"Perhaps… courtship," Maia said with a wink.
"Ohhh, you need something for a date. Is that him over there?" The salesgirl pointed at Zephyr settling into his seat near the dressing room. He rocked the stroller back and forth, gently lulling Waverley to sleep.
"Yes. He’s my mate. I mean, my husband. We've come on this trip to rekindle our romance.”
"I think I know just the thing.”
Maia followed the salesgirl through the shop and approved as she picked out a variety of dresses. They passed Zephyr before the salesgirl hung the outfits in a dressing room and Maia stepped inside.
"Just call me if you need anything,” the salesgirl said from the other side of the door.
"Thank you,” Maia said, truly grateful for the girl’s help.
Maia pulled off JoJo’s clothes and slipped into the first dress. It was a lustrous material with a fitted waist and a flared skirt. The bodice was deep blue like the ocean during a storm, and tropical flowers were printed across the fabric of the skirt. She slipped on a pair of matching shoes and gazed at herself in the mirror. Her skin glowed with the radiance of a Dragonian, and her hair fell in dark, long waves around her shoulders. She was tall and curvaceous in the way of her people and needed no additional adornments. But the sight of herself and the human fashion was thrilling to behold.
She slipped out the door of the dressing room and found Zephyr attentively waiting for her while reading something on a human device called a smartphone. His eyes flicked up to her and widened with shock when he took her in. She turned back and forth, letting the skirt flow around her. His cheeks flushed.
"Do you like it?" she asked, although it was obvious that he found her attractive in that moment.
"You are a sight to behold,” he said, his voice nearly breaking.
Maia smiled slightly and turned back to the dressing room, pleased with herself. It was only the first outfit. She chose a second dress. This one fitted her curves all the way down, conforming to the shape of her body. The dusty pink fabric had tiny white flecks. A belt cinched it at the waist. She slipped on a pair of white pumps and twisted her hair up at the nape of her neck in a loose bun. She walked out of the room and struck a dramatic pose with one hand on her waist and the other arm jutted out from her side. Zephyr nearly fell out of his seat. His reaction was extremely satisfying. She giggled, placing her fingertips to her mouth.
"Do you like this one better than the last?”
"It's hard to compare,” he finally said, sounding like an adolescent male.
"I may just have to get both.”
She went back into the dressing room and tried on the lacy white dress with the skirt that hung down to her midcalf and a pair of black pumps with a shiny leather. She remembered the image of a white dress from the films she'd watched with Zephyr the day before. White dresses were worn by humans on their mating day. There was a floral headdress in the dressing room that Maia held like a bouquet of flowers when she walked out to up the dressing room for Zephyr to take her in. He made a long low whistle, his eyes traveling from her feet up to her face and back down again in a slow, sensual motion. She posed delicately, moving her feet and body to best display the gown.
"Does this look like a wedding dress?" she asked.
"It does," he croaked.
“It’s quite lovely, but I think I might want to wear something fancier on my wedding day, should I participate in that human custom. It might be fun to do such a thing now that I'm on Earth. Don't you think?"
"I think it would be quite fun.” He gulped. “To see you as a bride."
She giggled and went back to the dressing room, trying on five more gowns. After she had displayed them each to Zephyr, she decided to buy all of them. Then she tried on the resortwear and casual clothing the salesgirl had provided and decided to get all of that as well. Money was not an object for the Dragoness Prime and Duchess of the House of Tides, and she felt the desire to be pleased after everything she’d been through.
When the Maia and Zephyr left the boutique, she felt as high as a dragon in flight. The shopping had been quite amusing. But what gave her the most pleasure was the look in Zephyr’s eyes when he saw her. After storing everything in their suite, Maia and Zephyr decided to have lunch on the beach. She changed into a swimsuit and maxi dress and changed her daughter into a swimsuit as well.
They went out to the resort beach and sat at a table under an umbrella. A waiter came out to take their lunch order. This time Maia knew exactly what she preferred. She ordered a ham and pineapple sandwich and Zephyr ordered the same. Waverley sucked on a bottle of dragonkin formula and they sipped fruity drinks as the warm breeze ruffled her hair.
She stared out at the crystal blue waves and drank in th
e feeling of ease and contentment. It was such a lovely moment in time, made even lovelier by the presence of the man she believed was her mate. Maia had agreed to wait until they had absolute confirmation that they were a match, but the truth was she no longer cared. She knew deep inside that she and Zephyr were mates. In the end, nothing could keep them apart. Just like in the romantic comedy they had watched the night before.
She knew they would go through their struggles but eventually love would prevail. It was what had kept her going all those months she'd been a prisoner aboard the ship. It was what had helped her stay strong when she'd hatched twelve eggs, knowing her dragonkin would all soon be gone.
She had to hold on to love no matter what. And she would. Because there was no other way. There was no other option. Love was all that she was and all that she cared about. It was her strength and her shield and, no matter what happened, Maia would continue to love as deeply and as strongly as she always had.
She looked down at her daughter and then up at Zephyr as the waiter brought their lunch and set it before them on the table. They could be a family. Mother, father, and child. They could share the love and the bond that she had longed for all this time. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, imagining that what she wished for was already true. The waiter asked if they needed anything else, and Zephyr told him that they were fine for now. Maia took a bite of her sandwich, and the flavor of pineapple and pork wrapped in crunchy bread mingled in her mouth, unfolding into something delightfully new. Humans had a way with the food that was quite pleasing.
"It was worth coming all the way across the galaxy just for this food."
Zephyr burst out laughing at that, and she joined him in his mirth.
"The food is definitely, as humans say, a silver lining."
12
After lunch, Maia stood up from the table, lifting Waverley from her highchair. She slipped out of her dress, revealing her long luscious body and a teeny tiny swimsuit. Zephyr was dumbstruck as he watched her walk down the beach. She looked back over her shoulder and called out to him
"Are you coming?”
He slipped out of his shirt and shorts and followed her down the beach.
“The sand feels glorious under my toes,” she said, when he met her at the shore.
"The sun is warm, and the sea is too." A wave splashed up over their feet and legs.
"I want Waverley to experience the water.”
She started into crystal blue water, slowly stepping through the gentle waves, with Waverley on her hip. The water enveloped more and more of Maia’s suntanned skin, climbing up her legs, her thighs, her hips, her waist. Zephyr watched the whole time with a sense of awakening. His inner dragon was overcome by the sight of her, and the magnificence that was Maia, Duchess of Tides. His body responded, and he forced himself to get back under control. Everyone loved the Dragoness Prime. The Prince of Tides had abandoned his honor to try to keep her. Zephyr would never be that kind of man. No matter how much he desired her. No matter how much his inner dragon roared to make her his.
Maia held Waverley in the water and they playfully splashed in the waves. He was overcome with the impulse to touch her, to kiss her, to offer her sweet words of devotion. What could it hurt? It was what they both wanted. Why hold back? Why torture themselves? He turned away, his heart pounding at his weak thoughts. He would not be this man. He would not. And yet, he couldn't help it. He felt as if he was being torn apart from the inside out. His inner dragon battled with his sense of duty, and there was no winning in a battle against the self. He didn't know what he could do. He was speechless and lost. Maia glanced at him, raising an eyebrow.
"What's wrong? You seem upset."
"I feel as if my soul is being torn to shreds."
“Your body certainly looks healthy,” she said, her eyes traveling over his thickly muscled form.
“I have always stayed in good physical condition. As a military officer, I must always be prepared to fight.”
“And this tattoo,” she said, sliding her finger over his shoulder and bicep. “When did you get it?”
“When I entered the service and first came under the command of Captain Hanish. I’m afraid it was the result of a lost bet between myself and Raiden. He has something similar himself.”
“What was the bet?”
“Raiden and Hanish share a similar approach to life, though the two can often butt heads. Raiden likes to jump into action before thinking. I warned him that this tactic may prove fatal in a battle we were fighting against the vampires at the time; I told him he should take his time to analyze the situation and then make a decision. He told me he would wait. He bet me that his approach would be victorious. And, in the end, it was. So now I have this tattoo.”
“Have you ever been in active battle?”
“Oh yes, many times. I fight with a two-handed laser sword. My training started in my youth when my parents noticed that I was more talented in the ways of the mind — they ventured to ensure they would not have a weak son. And, although I resented it at the time, I now see the wisdom of their decision.”
“So do I.” Maia’s eyes ran a hot trail over his body and goose flesh rose on his skin under the intensity of her gaze.
Maia stepped closer, her fingers running over the tattoo on his arm across his shoulder and then down his chest. They swept lower and lower until they crossed his naval and rested on the waistband of his swim trunks. His body throbbed under the surface of the water and he squeezed his eyes closed before grasping her hand and gently moving it away.
"I want you. I want you more than anything I've ever wanted in my entire life. But we must wait for the results. Otherwise, I am no better than the Prince of Tides.”
Her mouth dropped in shock and she wrapped both arms around her child. "Never compare yourself to that man ever again. I refuse to hear you say those words, Zephyr. Do you understand me?"
“I am sorry if I have offended you, Maia, but this is the only way I can control my desire for you. I long for you in every moment. I want you with every shred of my being. But I must resist. I cannot give in to my desire without evidence that we are fated. I have no right…”
“But I want you too."
"I need to think, Maia. I need to be alone with my thoughts.” He turned away from her. The warring parts of his being thrashed and clashed inside him. The pain was nearly unbearable. “I will meet you for the evening meal tonight. And we can discuss it again then. Hopefully in that time I will be able to get myself under control and to think in a rational manner in keeping with the man I believe myself to be.”
"You're leaving me?" she asked as he turned away.
“I’ll be in the suite. I feel too conflicted to be near you right now. It's not doing either of us any good. You are so beautiful in that bathing suit, so joyous with your child, I fear I will lose control and will touch you or kiss you or tell you how much I love you.”
“Zephyr…” She reached out to him, but he moved away.
"We both know it's wrong. I will speak with you again soon, Duchess of Tides. You have my utmost respect. Please do not be offended."
"I'm not offended Zephyr. But I miss you when we are not together. My inner dragoness screams to complete the bond. It is all I have ever wanted and all I dreamed of in my months of captivity. I resisted the Prince of Tides, not only because he is an evil, confused man, but because I believed that true love was out there for me. Now that love is standing here before me, we both feel it, yet you deny it to yourself. We don’t need the mating analysis to prove we should be together. All we need is the truth inside our hearts.”
"But we could be wrong. And then what would we do?"
"You're right. If we are wrong and we are not true mates, we could potentially lose the respect of the other houses. We would inevitably bring the vengeance of the Prince of Tides. But don’t you think our feelings mean anything? Don’t they prove that we are meant to be together?"
"There is a reason that o
ur people stopped depending on these feelings. And instead began to depend on the mating analysis. You of all people should understand that. You are the Dragoness Prime."
"I am a woman. And I am a woman in love with a man. That is enough for me.”
He turned to face her, moving through the soft waves. He stood just outside her arm's reach. His inner dragon screamed for him to take her in his arms, to console her, to tell her that their feelings were more than enough. To tell her she was all he had ever needed and all he ever would need. But he couldn't.
Instead, he said, “These feelings are important. And when the mating analysis proves I am your fated one, I will revel in them.”
And then he turned away, storming through the gentle sea and away from the woman who provoked more feeling than he had ever experienced in the totality of his existence. It was anguish or bliss. He didn't know which. The thought of being with her filled him with elation, but the thought of not being with her filled him with dread. He could not reconcile his heart and his head. He didn’t even know where to begin untangling the emotions warring inside him.
13
Maia walked into the hotel suite, feeling more confused than ever. She wished that Zephyr would just forget about the mating analysis and give in to their longing. If they were humans, none of this would be an issue; they would just do what they felt was right. At least, that's what she had come to understand about the human race. At first, she’d felt a bit sorry for them. But now she felt sorry for herself. After the sun and sand at the beach, she gave Waverley a bath and put her down for a nap.
Zephyr was cloistered in his bedroom, so she decided it was best to leave him alone. After a shower and a change of clothes, she set down at the computer to do some more research on human courtship rituals. Maybe Zephyr was right. Maybe they were just fooling themselves because they both wanted so much to find their mates. Maybe her own mate was still out there somewhere.
Zephyr: House of Storms: Dragon Guardians Book 8 Page 6
