CONTENT ADVISORY / TRIGGER WARNING
THIS NOVEL CONTAINS DEPICTIONS/STRONG IMPLICATIONS OF THE FOLLOWING THAT SOME READERS MAY FIND OFFENSIVE OR DISTURBING:
~ PROFANITY
Eskil soaked in the faintly warm water that smelled of lavender while Libelle gently scrubbed his chest with a soft cloth. His head was resting back on the copper rim of the tub while he spoke to her.
"A dragon's lifemate is not chosen at random, nor is it something we can decide. Our lifemate is chosen by Freyja, the goddess of love. It's fate, and nothing we do can change fate. Freyja and Freyr made it so only male dragons sense their lifemate, the females can sense it when we are near, but they don't have a constant drive to find him. It's some sick twist that makes us go crazy in our search for her, and until we find her, we are driven almost mad. Some dragons are fortunate enough to find their lifemate at a young age, while others can go almost their whole life without ever finding them. I've told you before that somehow, when we see her, we just know. We look at her, then it's as if the world stops and begins to revolve around her."
"It sounds very special," Libelle whispered.
"It is. A dragon's lifemate, there can only ever be one of them. They mate for life, never sharing each other with anyone else. The desire to betray their partner has never been felt. We become hopelessly devoted to the other. A dragon's desire is to make their lifemate happy. We want her to always smile and to never feel fear or pain. We want to protect her. We would do anything for her, even if it meant dying for her."
He smiled when a flicker of fear crossed her expression, and he rubbed her cheek and traced his thumb over her lower lip.
"Dragons bind to their lifemate on a deeper level than some verbal contract. Our souls are two pieces that make one. Our physical souls bind together, bound by vows that can never be broken. Only death could separate us, and by all the gods in existence, I would never let that happen. When our souls are bound together, so are our hearts and minds. We can feel the other's emotions, their joy, sadness, anger, and fear. We can feel their pain as if it were our own. We always know where the other is, and we will always be by their side."
He sat up and pulled her close when the soapy washcloth paused against his chest. He kissed her lips, the kiss gentle but full of his desire for her. "It's how I always knew where to find you. It's how I always knew what you were feeling. It's how you felt my pain tonight, and it's why you felt such rage when I was hurt. I am your beloved, I belong to you for now and forever. You are mine, and you belong to me for now and forever."
Libelle nodded at him in understanding, her eyes puffy and red. She squeaked in surprise when he pulled her over the metal rim of the tub and into the cooling water with a splash, it was still pleasantly warm, but he was much hotter. He untied her silk robe and removed it from her body, wringing the fabric out and tossing it onto the floor. He wrapped his arms around her nude body, holding her close to him without uttering a word.
She looked up at him expectantly. "We shouldn't. He might hear."
"I know, but just let me hold you for a while."
They sat silently in the water for several minutes, his fingers caressing her back while she twisted thin braids into his hair. Eskil opened his mouth with a yawn, his head still resting back on the tub.
He felt a timid and gentle kiss on his neck, the touch leaving a mark of fire on his skin. He smiled wickedly. "By the gods, I don't give a damn if he hears us."