The dragon man drew in another long breath and let it out slowly. “No,” he answered. “It takes more than that to form a mating bond, but it’s a step in that direction.” The heated look in his eyes made Terra wiggle in her seat.
She drew her hand away from him and folded it into her lap. “Well then, I guess we had better find out who you are, ‘cause I don’t think I could shoot you down and truly mean it.” Pushing back from the table, she stood up.
The dragon man followed her motion and stood up, too.
“Please,” she held her hands out, waving him back to his seat. “Sit back down and eat. I’m just going to the bathroom.”
He hesitated for a moment. “Will you be okay?”
Terra laughed out loud, breaking the tension hanging between them. “I’ll be fine.” She smiled. “Eat your breakfast so we can get moving. We have a long day ahead of us.” Turning, she left to find the restroom. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to be a dragon’s mate, but turning the man down before she found out what life with him would be like just didn’t seem right. Only time would tell if they could work it out together.
Alex watched Terra walk away before settling back into his seat. Closing his eyes, he let out a long sigh. His skin itched as his dragon withdrew, contented with the answer she had given him. He stood a chance, and that was all his dragon wanted—a chance. Opening his eyes, he found that his vision had returned to normal.
Looking at his untouched food, he picked up his fork and pulled the plate closer to himself. Now that she had eaten, he was free to consume as much as he liked. Unfortunately, the answer she had given did nothing to clear the main conflict running around in him. He still didn’t know who he was, and that did a lot to curb his appetite. Forcing himself to eat, he considered what course to take from here. They still had to go to the pub and find out if anyone knew who he was. But now he also had to deal with his dragon chasing after Terra. That was going to add a whole new layer of interesting to everything else going on.
Alex was nearly finished with his food when a tingle of electricity raced up his spine. He sat up and turned his head just enough to see Terra walking back into the room. Great… Since she hadn’t rejected him, his dragon had tuned itself into her. He tracked her as she crossed the dining area and settled back into her seat. Warmth radiated through him as his dragon settled down contently, draining the excess tension from him. Wonderful! He hadn’t even noticed that his dragon had been alert, waiting for her return. He almost wished she had turned him down and left him to brood. It wouldn’t have made life much easier, but brooding was something he was used to.
A rumble of anger echoed up from his chest as his dragon disagreed with that thought.
Terra’s eyebrows went up in surprise.
The corner of Alex’s lip turned up in a wry smile. “Sorry. I’m still having an argument with myself.” He dropped his fork to his plate and slid it away from him. He really did need to get himself back under control.
Terra eyed the few bites he hadn’t finished before looking up and considering him. “Are you all right?”
“No, but I will be,” he reassured her. “I just need some time to work things out.” He paused and let out an ironic laugh. “Well, that and my memories.”
Oh yes, he needed his memories. Hopefully, most of his immediate problems would be solved when he rediscovered who he was.
She snickered softly. “Then how about we get started on that right now?” Picking up her purse, Terra fished her phone out. “So, what was the name of that place?” she asked as she slid her thumb across the screen, unlocking it.
Alex smiled at her and started collecting the used dishes. “The Dragon’s Wing.” The name felt right coming out of his mouth, like he had said it many times but just couldn’t remember it.
Terra clicked away at her phone for a moment. “It’s on the other side of town, but I think we can find it.” She looked up at him. “Are you ready?”
“In just a moment.” Standing up, Alex took the dirty dishes over to the plastic tub waiting for them. He turned around just in time to see Terra slip his leather bag over her shoulder and tuck her purse inside. The motion made him smile. He had forgotten all about that satchel.
“I’ll take those,” Alex said as he reached out and gently took the plastic bags before she could get a proper grip on them.
She gave him a confused look. “Are you sure?”
He chuckled again. “I’m sure.” He slid his hand to her lower back and pressed on it, steering her towards the exit. “It wouldn’t be right to let my lady carry everything.” An ironic smirk slipped across his face. “You haven’t turned me down yet, so now I’m going to try to convince you that I would be a good mate.”
The note of sarcasm in his voice made Terra look up at him, concerned. “But, I thought you said you couldn’t do that until you regained your memories?”
Alex chuckled wryly. “Yes. I did.” A forlorn sigh slipped out of him as they walked. “But that doesn’t mean that my instincts are going to back off and just let things be. My dragon sees you as a potential mate; therefore, it demands that you be treated as such. But don’t worry. It isn’t as bad as you think.”
“Really?” Terra asked as Alex skirted around her and opened the door before she could put her hand on it.
Alex smiled at her as she paused before heading through the door. “Yes,” he said, trying to reassure her. He paused to choose his words carefully, not wanting to come straight out and explain all the little things his dragon was pushing him to do. As it was, he was having a hell of a time trying to resist most of his urges. A quick glance at her face told him she had some doubts.
“Let me see if I can explain.” He moved back to her side. Placing his hand on her back again, he guided her out into the parking lot. “Male dragons treat their mates with reverence.”
Terra shot him another doubtful look. “Reverence? As in worshipped?”
Definitely not the right word to use. It didn’t look like Terra liked the idea of being worshipped.
“I wouldn’t say that.” Alex tried to think of better way to explain it to her. “Females are treated with respect. They’re cared for and protected. Newly bonded and courting males tend to pamper their chosen female.”
“Pamper?”
The note of intrigue in Terra’s voice curled the corner of Alex’s mouth. “Yes,” he answered, stroking his hand down the small of her back. The feel of her under his hand made him want to draw her closer, but he resisted the urge. This conversation would go a lot smoother if he gave her space to think. He glanced down to watch her worrying her bottom lip with her teeth. Obviously, she was considering his words hard.
“And how long does this usually last—” She glanced up at him as she spoke. “—the pampering?”
Alex smiled again. “For some, their instincts settle down shortly after the mating bonds are made, but I know old dragons that still spoil their mates. I guess it just depends on the dragon.”
They walked the rest of the way to the car in silence as Terra thought, and he prayed he hadn’t just scared her off.
Once settled into the car, Terra looked over at him, another question floating in her eyes. “Do female dragons go through this?”
Alex cocked his head as he considered his answer. “Female dragons don’t go through the same urges that the males do. They don’t brood, but they do have moments when their fertility peaks. Thankfully, that only happens a few times in their life. They tend to get a little crazy. Plus, the overproduction of pheromones can send the males around them into a brooding. It’s not fun to see.”