CHAPTER 10

“Hello!” a deep voice said next to her. Raegan did jump then and instantly regretted it. Groaning loudly she settled back in her bed, astonished at her own lack of fear from the creature that now sat on its haunches near her bedside. It was huge… black as night with eyes like raging blue oceans. She instantly felt drawn to it… to a dragon… a freaking huge black dragon.

Nirvana chose that moment to speak, “now do you believe that I’m not delusional?” she smirked.

Raegan’s eyes went wide.

Nirvana replied without her asking. “Yes I know what you were thinking. No, I’m not psychic it was just written all over your face”. She grinned, her beautiful teeth on display. She was really pretty.

“Don’t be scared. I won’t hurt you”. The dragon spoke rather gently this time and slowly she turned her head in the direction of the voice – or more specifically the dragon – the most magnificent creature she had ever seen – and nothing like those hideous creatures they showed in Harry Potter or The Hobbit.

“Well that is the thing; I’m not scared. I know I should be but I’m not”, she said “and you speak” she added rather lamely making Valiance very amused.

“Of course I speak. How else do you think we communicate?”

“I didn’t think” she confessed; embarrassed.

“Clearly” he chuckled. A dragon version of a chuckle – that in all its hideousness was rather deep and manly – or dragonly, whatever.

“You were serious. They are real.” She said to nirvana.

“Yes. I’ll take my leave now. Valiance this is Raegan. Raegan this is Valiance D’evreux – son of King D’evreux who saved your life”.

“Don’t let my father hear you say the k word with his name. He won’t be happy”. Valiance reprimanded softly.

“I am sorry. I’ll be careful. Raegan you can ask anything you want from him. I will come again when it’s again time for your potion”.

With that nirvana left the room leaving her alone with the dragon prince.

“Okay”. She said simply. Turning towards the dragon again, she said: “Whew. Man you’re huge”. Her eyes wide in amazement and awe… she was like a star struck kid, meeting his favorite super-hero for the first time”.

“I am amazed at how easily you are accepting everything. Many people would be running for the hills by now” Valiance wondered in amusement.

“Well, for starters, I’m in no position to be even sitting right now much less running for the hills – which got me here in this bed in the first place”. She rolled her eyes at herself.

“Oh yes, I’ve been told what befell you. But what I don’t understand is that the trail you were on is quite safe. How did you manage to fall?”

“That’s because someone thought I could fly”. She said, rolling her eyes.

“What do you mean, may I ask?”

Raegan tried to sit up to better communicate with the massive figure sitting next to her. But she fell back against the soft pillows; groaning in pain.

“Careful! The healers say you need to take it easy for a couple days more. That was a pretty nasty fall you took. It was a blessing you survived”. Valiance couldn’t control a little growl to enter his tone and Raegan’s eyes widened in surprise.

His behavior was confusing even him. He might have recognized her as his mate but he was just meeting her. And already he was feeling too strongly for her. This was bad – too bad. A mate from dragon lands could accept the situation but a girl from the outer world? He stood no chance. He was doomed to this curse.

Raegan broke him out of his thoughts, “Well, to better answer your question, I just wanted to enjoy the sunrise and to take some pictures. So, I snuck off from the camp when no one was paying attention. I went a bit far actually and ended up on an outcropping of rock. The sun was about to rise and it was so beautiful I wanted to capture it. When I was busy taking a photo, a girl from our team came behind me and we started arguing and when I just dismissed her, she pushed me - you know what happened next… I couldn’t get a hold anywhere and I kept falling. Eventually the pines below broke my fall but sadly they broke my bones too… fuckers”. She grumbled.

“Why would she do something so extreme? What happened between you two?”

“Well, there was this guy in our team who became a very good friend to me and she liked him. She thought we were an item so she got jealous and instead of going to him and talk like an adult, she chose the easy way out – she eliminated the competition” she rolled her eyes.

“And there was nothing between you two?” Valiance couldn’t help asking.

“No, he was just a good friend”. She sighed, “Man I can’t believe I’m talking to a dragon… a living, breathing, giant dragon. Can I ask you something?”

“Sure, anything”.

“Why did you come here as a dragon and not a human first? I mean what if I was a loser and had a heart attack upon seeing you?” she laughed “oh hey, just so we’re clear I’m not asking you to change right now. I know you’ll be naked when you shift. I’ve read about it in so many books”. As soon as the words left her mouth her eyes widened in quiet horror and she closed her indecent mouth shut.

Valiance chuckled, “Yes, I will be naked but you don’t need to worry about that” Raegan opened her eyes just in time to see his eyes storm with pain. But it was gone as soon as it had appeared, making her wonder.

“As to answer your question – I can’t shift back to my human form. I was assured that you’ve been briefed about our truth before my arrival. That’s why I came here as a dragon”.