Page 115 of Enamored By the Dragon
She stopped short when the elevator doors opened. But the inside of the car wasn’t empty. Pythorus and Elian were inside, and when they saw Hektor and Zara on the other side of the door, both of them looked wide-eyed with panic.
“H-h-hey, you guys are back!” Pythorus greeted, his voice pitching higher than usual. The patch of skin on his cheek just above his scales was also a strange shade of red. “Um, I forgot something in my room. I was going to grab it.” He quickly slithered past them.
“I forgot something too,” Elian said, though his voice was much calmer. “Welcome back, by the way, I’ll see you both downstairs.” Shoving his hands in his pockets, he calmly walked away.
“Everything okay?” Hektor asked.
“Huh?” She started. “What do you mean?”
“You have this expression on your face.”
She placed a hand on her hip. “And what expression would that be?”
“You get this look on your face when you’re sensing someone’s emotions or intentions. Like…you’re deep in thought, but in a different way. You did the same thing with Maldenis.”
“I did?”
“Yes. What did you sense?”
She bit at her lower lip. “Believe it or not, I don’t sense any bad intentions from Maldenis. He reads pretty much the same from the first time we met him. Pythorus, on the other hand…”
“What about him? Has his intentions changed?”
“Not exactly. Something’s changed but…I’ll tell you later, okay? He told me something in confidence, just let me ask him first if I can tell you.”
“Whatever you wish, my mate.”
“So, what you said earlier. You can tell when I’m using my powers just by looking at me?”
“My mate,” he said gently, wrapping an arm around her waist. “It is my duty to know you. To observe you, to anticipate your needs and feelings. And do not worry about your siblings, I’m sure all will be fine. If not, I will make sure it is.”
Her face lit up with a smile that was brighter than a Drakkon’s fire. “Aww, that’s so sweet.” She placed her hands on his chest. “Between my powers, Thing 1 and Thing 2, my nosy parents, you really choose me, huh?”
“Yes. If I was asked a thousand times, I would always choose you.”
She slid her arms around his neck to bring him down for a kiss. “Wow, you really are extra.”
