Dragonfury 01 - Fury of Fire

quiet. On edge. Not exactly the reaction he imagined when he asked Daimler to set up the romantic evening.
    “All this?” One hand picking at the piping on top of the chair, she gestured toward the table with the other. “You don’t need any of it, Bastian. I’m a sure thing.”
    Her admission should’ve pleased him. Bastian found himself worried instead. Her confusion clouded the air around her, warning him better than words. She was thinking about running. He didn’t blame her. The world he lived in would never be easy for her. It was isolating for a female, a strange place with different rules—and Myst was essentially alone in it. No other females to talk to or spend time with…no one to help guide her from old life to new.
    A pang hit him chest level. “And that scares you…belonging to me?”
    “Yes…no…I don’t know,” she said in a small voice, sounding lost.
    “It’s all right to be unsure, Myst,” he said, needing to reassure her. What they shared was strange, and as he moved away from the door toward her, Bastian struggled to find the right words to tell her that he understood. “The feeling between us is unexpected. A little overwhelming. For me, too.”
    Her grip on the chair tightened as he stopped behind her, close but not touching. When she shivered, he lost the battle. His urge to comfort her was too strong. He needed her in his arms. Murmuring to her in Dragonese, he used his voice to soothe and drew her in, wrapped his arms around her, fitting her back to his front.
    A shudder rolled through her into him. “You’ve never…”
    “No.” Dipping his head, he burrowed into her hair, filling his lungs with her scent. “There has never been another for me. Only you.”
    “Okay. That’s good. Really good, but…what now? I mean…God.” The words came out on a quiver, giving voice to her panic. Like a living thing, she vibrated, on the verge of bolting. “It’s only been four days. Four days !”
    “I know.”
    “I mean…jeez. So little time and I’m…” With an abrupt shift, she turned in his arms. She shook her head, unease in her eyes as she searched his. “Half nuts. A giant mess over you. Totally wrecked. It can’t be—”
    “Normal? No, love, it isn’t.”
    Thank God. He loved the way he affected her, and what he felt for her in return. The sheer strength of their bond empowered him, gave hope where none existed before. And as he held her close, he wanted to sink deep and wallow in it. He needed to show her that what they shared was right and true…meant to be on a cosmic level that crossed borders and trumped species.
    “What we share…the connection we have?” Keeping one arm around her, he cupped her face, brushing her skin with featherlight strokes. “It’s powerful and very rare.”
    A furrow between her fine brows, she stared up at him. In her gaze he saw everything he’d felt over the past day: confusion, curiosity, fear of the unknown. And yet, even though she was afraid, she accepted his touch, waiting for him to continue. She wanted the truth. He needed to tell her, but…
    Where should he start?
    At the beginning? Near the end?
    Emotion wasn’t his strength. Yeah, he felt it, but he’d always kept it caged, avoiding vulnerability like an axe to the head. But with her in his arms and a pleading light in her eyes, he couldn’t deny her. She deserved the best of him.
    Taking a deep breath, Bastian reached for his magic. It came when called, flaring along his spine and in his fingertips. Holding her gaze, he tapped into her energy, connecting them on the emotional plane. There, he laid himself bare, allowing her to see everything: his love and respect for her, all the need, want, and hope for their future.
    Her breath caught and tears filled her eyes. “I see you.”
    Bastian’s heart stopped mid-beat, just hung inside his chest. I see you. English words with Dragonkind meaning. In the tradition of his kind, the words carried ancient weight: It was an acknowledgement of worth, respect, and undying devotion.
    I see you.
    The truest compliment one could give to another.
    The question was…how had she known? Connecting them emotionally was one thing, her ability to read his mind quite another. But her acknowledgement wasn’t random. He saw the understanding in her eyes and…Jesus. Was the energy-fuse that strong?
    The possibility blew his mind, sent him reeling in directions he hadn’t considered.
    “Kalim, bellmia,” he said, speaking