Chapter 103

Damien’s POV

My mind had been in a cloud ever since Anila left.

I didn’t tell her that I was worried, and I acted as if I didn’t care, but there was something inside of me that nagged at me the second she was gone. I didn’t even feel this way when I found out that Sarah was cheating on me. This was an unfamiliar feeling, and I would do anything to get it to go away.

The effect she had on me was not like any other.

She’s your mate, a voice in my head told me repeatedly.

I brushed the thought and the noise out of my mind. It couldn’t be possible. I was a wizard and wizards don’t have mates. At least I didn’t think they did. Of course, I knew the Moon Queen had multiple mates, one of which was a wizard, but I didn’t think something like that could ever happen to me.

Part of me thought the stories were made up, but after spending the last few weeks in the library researching, I realized it was actually common for wizards and witches to find mates.

But why did my mate have to have other mates as well? It didn’t make any sense and it kind of felt like a kick below the belt.

The others seemed to be adjusting to the fact that Anila was their shared mate, but I was still uncertain about the entire ordeal. Zach had already marked her and I knew it wouldn’t take long for Harley to mark her as well. If Xaden recovered from his injury and woke up, he would mark her too, no doubt.

Then, there’s the Dragon King, who she was pretty much living with right now. The thought of her living in the underground city with him left me feeling both worried and unsettled. He was rumored to be the most vicious being ever to exist. He was a danger to our society and couldn’t be trusted. Yet, I trusted her, and I knew she wouldn’t put herself in danger if it wasn’t important. She was doing this to protect one of her mates… that was the kind of person she was. That was the kind of person I admired.

I sent her some of her coursework earlier along with some magic spells for her to practice, via her school email. I’m not sure if she received them though and it worried me that she might fall behind playing house with the Dragon King.

It was late when I decided it was time to shut off my brain and get some sleep. I couldn’t just sit here and think about a girl that didn’t belong to me. She belonged to others, but I doubted she would ever belong to me.

I closed my eyes and relaxed my body, allowing myself to drift off to sleep.

…..

How did I get here?

I stared around at the slightly familiar room. I feel like I have been here before… maybe in another dream. I was in a bedroom, but it wasn’t my own room. I looked around at the plain space; there was a neatly made bed on which I was sitting, a dresser, a closet, a desk on the far side of the room, and a couple of nightstands next to the bed. But nothing really stood out to me in this room.

“Xaden?” I heard a familiar voice outside the bedroom door, making my entire body freeze. “Zach?”

Her voice was like velvet and made my stomach flip. I stared down at my hands, realizing what was happening. I was in a dream… were the others going to show up again?

The door handle turned to the bedroom and then the door opened, revealing Anila who stood shellshocked at my presence. Her eyes were wide, and she sucked in a sharp breath.

“Damien?”

“Anila… Is this one of those dreams?” I found myself asking her.

“Yeah… I think it is,” she breathed as she stepped into the room and shut the door behind her. “Hi…”

“I’m not sure how I got here,” I admitted, lowering my hands to the bed. “I’m sorry if I’m not who you wanted to see.”

Her shocked expression softened as she walked over to the bed.

“I’m always glad to see you,” she told me, sitting beside me. “Are you okay? I’m here for a reason and so are you. Did you need to talk about something?”

I thought about it for a moment, not sure what to say. I felt so awkward around her, and I hated that. If she was my mate… should I feel this awkward around her? Maybe it was because she had other mates as well.

“I think I was just a little worried about you and wanted to make sure you were okay,” I decided to say as I stared down at my hands.

I could feel her mood shifting slightly as she nudged me with her shoulder.

“You were worried about me?” She asked, a twinkle of humor in her eyes as I looked up at her.

“Don’t let it go to your head,” I told her, but I was only half joking with her.

She laughed.

“I’m doing fine, Damien,” she assured me. “I’ve found out a lot of interesting information that I can’t wait to share with the rest of you. Did you know that the former Dragon King was Jaxon’s father, and he killed him??”

I knew that the former Dragon King was Jaxon’s father, yes. But I didn’t know that Jaxon was the one who killed him. I was admittedly impressed by that.

“That’s interesting,” I told her. “What else did you learn.”

“That the Alpha King has the Dragon Stone,” she said, meeting my eyes. “Which means everybody is in danger, Damien. That’s why Jaxon is working for him… or pretending to. He’s trying to get that stone back.”

I raised my brows; now that was very new information. If the Alpha King had the Dragon stone, that could be dire to everyone.

“I have to stay and help him get that stone back,” she continued, her voice softening. “I don’t have a choice anymore. This is bigger than me and much bigger than my mates. Now the world is at stake, and I fear what might happen if something isn’t done about it.”

I thought about it for a moment, hating that she felt responsible for saving the world.

“What about school?” I asked her. “And the challenges?”

“I’m still going to do school and compete in these challenges,” she assured me, giving me another nudge. “I have a pretty great tutor to help me.”

My face warmed as I looked back down at my hands.

“I’m sorry for worrying you and the others, Damien,” she told me, putting her hand on mine. “It wasn’t my intention… but with Xaden hanging on for his life, I didn’t have a choice.”

I nodded, understanding and not wanting her to think that I didn’t understand.

“I get it,” I told her. “You have to do what’s best for you.”

“I’m doing what’s best for all of us…” she told me. “Even you.”

We both fell silent, letting her words wash over me.

Even me… she cared about me.

The thought shouldn’t have warmed me, but it did. I felt my heart skip a beat, and suddenly, I felt nervous and a little out of my element.

The only one I had experience with was Sarah, and she was simple. She was also someone I had known my entire life, so things were easy with her. But with Anila… it was all new and scary.

She bit her lip for a moment, nibbling on it and I could tell she was deep in thought about something.

“What’s wrong?” I asked her, not wanting her to be afraid to talk to me.

“Have you always been like that?” She asked.

I raised my brows.

“Like what?” I asked.

“Afraid to voice yourself,” she surprised me by saying.

I let out a low and shocked laugh.

“I’m sorry, what are you talking about?” I asked her.

Her cheeks turned a bright shade of pink and she shrugged.

“You are quiet when you are around the others. I know you are having trouble with the concept that you have a mate and have to ‘share’ her with the others… you stay back, even in these dreams. It’s like you’re afraid to go after what you want. It’s like you’re afraid. I’m just not sure why…”

“And what do you think it is that I want?” I asked, meeting her eyes.

Her cheeks turned even redder as she maintained eye contact with me.

“I’m not really sure because you haven’t told me…” she said gently. “But I’m sure whatever it is you want; I want it too.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat, my Adam’s apple moving slightly.

“I doubt it,” I found myself saying in a barely a whisper. “Because what I want isn’t possible.”

Her brows pinched together.

“Care to tell me?” She asked.

I wasn’t sure what was wrong with me or why I was telling her this, but I knew I couldn’t keep this to myself. The way she looked at me and the way her pouty lips were begging for me to kiss her; I couldn’t help myself. I bent down and brushed my lips against hers, tasting her sweetness and basking in the softness of her kiss.

She didn’t pull away like I thought she would, she sighed as if she had been waiting for this moment and she let me kiss her with a gentleness I didn’t even know was possible. Our lips moved together in such harmony that it felt almost perfect. I sucked her bottom lip into my mouth, needing to taste more of it… more of her.

My tongue swiped across her parted lips and when our tongues met, it felt like my entire heart was exploding in light. I cradled her head as I deepened the kiss, taking what I wanted from her. A soft moan escaped her mouth, and I pulled back slightly, gazing down at her swollen lips and flushed cheeks.

“I don’t want to have to share you,” I whispered, my voice coming out hoarse.

Her eyes opened slightly, and I saw the lust filling them.

“I don’t see anyone else here,” she replied.

I knew at that moment that I was a goner.