Page 57 of Dragon Unbound (Dragon Kings 3)
Chapter Twenty-four
First one Dragon King, then three more. And a Dragon Queen? Tamlyn could hardly believe her eyes. She’d dreaded the dragons for so long. They were still fearsome creatures, but she’d also discovered they could be friendly.
Her gaze moved to Cullen. She had tuned out the debate he was having with the others about what had attacked him. She hadn’t realized how close to harm he had actually come. Cullen had proven time and again that he was a man of his word. He had protected her, guided her, and steered her to understanding who she really was. For that alone, she would never be able to thank him.
There was so much she wanted to say to him. Alone. She understood that things needed to be settled with everyone, but she was beginning to think the current discussion would go on for hours.
She stifled a yawn. Now that everyone was safe, and her adrenaline had waned, she was having a hard time keeping her eyes open. She blinked several times, trying to wake herself. All she managed was to bring on another yawn.
Sian and Jenefer were completely absorbed in the discussion. Frankly, Tamlyn was a little surprised by Sian. Her mind was usually occupied with new creations in her lab. Yet, she had remained through the entirety of the story and the subsequent discussion. Ordinarily, Sian couldn’t be bothered with such things.
Then again, things had changed for all of them.
Tamlyn inwardly berated herself. She didn’t know why Sian’s interest rubbed her wrong. Maybe she was just tired of waiting for the talk to be finished so she could catch Cullen’s attention. Tamlyn covered her hand with her mouth as another yawn took her. She was having a difficult time keeping her eyes open. If she wanted to remain alert, she needed to stand and move around to get the blood flowing.
No one paid her any heed when she quietly got up and walked in the direction of the kitchen. Her stomach rumbled, causing her to smile and think of the pizza she had eaten. She wanted more of it. Hopefully, she wouldn’t have to wait too long.
She paused to look in on the children on her way. Most were asleep, though some were simply lying silently. She smiled at them and walked to the kitchen. Once there, she looked around but didn’t want anything. Her thoughts were on Cullen. Was his mission finished? Would he return to dragon land? Or worse, his realm? What about their time together?
As much as she wanted more time with him, she couldn’t imagine how it would work. She couldn’t go to his side of the boundary, and he couldn’t remain here. Where did that leave them? The thought left her with an ache in her chest. Because she had developed feelings for him. Deep ones. The kind that involved her heart.
“Tamlyn?”
She whirled around at the sound of Cullen’s voice.
He wore a frown as he walked to her. “Are you all right?”
“I’m just feeling a little worn out.”
A blond brow quirked. “Is that all?”
“Mostly.”
“You can tell me anything. You know that, right?”
Knowing she could and actually doing it were two different things. “Yes.”
“Then what’s holding you back?”
Everything. But she wouldn’t tell him that, either. Instead, she shrugged. “I don’t know where to begin.”
“Then let me.”
“W-what?” She hadn’t expected that. She wasn’t sure why not. Cullen had surprised her at every turn.
He grinned and reached for her hand. “Why are you shocked? Did I no’ make my intentions evident?”
“I…” What could she say?
“Let me make my wishes clear then.”
Only an idiot would say no to that, and she wasn’t an idiot. “All right.”
He took her hand and led her through the corridors. It wasn’t long before she realized he was taking her to the part of the ruins she had asked him to remain in when he first arrived. A smile pulled at her lips when he walked her into the very chamber she’d chosen for him.
The darkened room suddenly lit up from a source above them that hung in midair. She didn’t need to ask to know that Cullen had done it.
“I want you to see my face,” he told her as he faced her.
Tamlyn looked into his pale brown eyes and wanted to wrap her arms around him. She managed to contain herself. Barely.
Cullen cleared his throat and shifted his feet as if he were nervous. It bolstered her because she didn’t think anything would make him anxious. Especially not her. But…perhaps his feelings did go deep. Maybe… If she dared to imagine the possibility.
“I’ve been alive for a long time,” he began. “I’ve seen more than you can imagine and experienced so much that I’ve forgotten most of it. I’ve waged war and lived in peace. I’ve ruled thousands of Garnets, and I’ve suffered quietly alone in my mountain.”
His words made her heart catch. No one should have to suffer alone. Ever. But she understood because she had suffered alone.
Cullen’s gaze slid away briefly. “Some flout destiny. They scorn the idea of Fate. No’ me. I’ve always trusted the path I was put on. I might have questioned it a few times, but I knew there was a purpose. I didna foresee that purpose being you. When I saw you running from the forest as dawn broke, I had the overwhelming urge to come to your defense. Even after, when I knew I should return to my side of the barrier, I couldna. I had to meet you, to see you. To talk to you. That still wasna enough.”
This couldn’t really be happening to her. Could it? If it was a dream, she hoped she never woke.
“I would’ve defied orders to help you,” Cullen continued. “I didna care who tried to stop me or why. That was how compelled I was to return to your side. And I doona wish to leave it now. Or ever.”
Her lips parted, but no words came. In all her imaginings, she hadn’t dared to allow herself to believe that Cullen felt such things for her. She swallowed, the sound loud in the silence. What did she say? How did she answer? So many words were jumbled in her mind that she couldn’t manage to string a sentence together.
“Of course, if you doona feel the same, tell me,” Cullen said. “I know you felt something when we shared our bodies. But it might be too soon for yo—”
Tamlyn put a finger over his lips to quiet him. She saw the uncertainty in his eyes. This man, this Dragon King, had laid bare his heart. To her. If she hadn’t already been in love with him, she would’ve fallen for him right then.
“Shhh,” she said with a smile and let her hand drop to her side. “I was so surprised by your words that I was left speechless for a moment.” He had been honest with her. The least she could do was give him the same. She took a deep breath and looked into his eyes. “I’ve never encountered anyone like you. You shielded me at the same time you pushed me. You didn’t try to hold me back but gave me the courage to do things I never would’ve done. You showed me what it was to be cherished. I never thought I was worthy of it.”
His face contorted at her words as he brought their bodies together. “You are worthy, lass.”
“You helped me see that. I found my true self, the Banshee I feared to be, because of you. You helped me find my strength and my power.”
The back of his knuckles caressed her cheek. “You’ve always had it within you. You just needed a wee nudge.”
“You say you don’t want to leave me. I don’t want to be without you.”
