Page 6 of Sapphire Seas

“H-how?”

“I was…the dragon you saw rise out of the moon…in Norway. My journey took too long…you were gone before I got back. Hard to track you. Once you strayed away from the sea.”

“Why?”

“You know…why…it’s why you’ve both been waiting for me to wake up. Mates. I did not…know there would be a third.”

“Neither did I until after I met Mattias and still felt like I was missing a piece of my soul.”

“Here now.”

“What’s your name?”

“C…”

His cough sounded dry and painful. I should have waited to try to talk to him, but standing there in the silence would have made the time unbearably awkward.

“Caspian,” he rasped.

“We can talk more later, when it’s easier for you,” I offered.

“Don’t leave.”

“I won’t.”

His eyes darted to the chair I’d been sitting in earlier. I didn’t want to, but I got the hint and parked my ass in it.

“Your dragon has been trying to wake mine…for the last few hours, but I kept fading in and out…heard a little of your story about the cave and your friend’s snores. Bet they weren’t as loud as your dragon is in my head.”

“Sorry, he acts like a rhino in a teacup factory sometimes. No home training, I swear, can’t take him anywhere and I can’t leave him behind, either, so what’s a guy to do?”

He giggled. It was hoarse and scratchy sounding, and I really wished he’d wait to finish this conversation, but it felt good to have made him laugh.

“I wasn’t sure if you’d prefer something thin or richer, so I heated two kinds of soup. I always make too much and am forced to freeze it,” Mattias explained as he carried over a tray with tea, ice water, and juice positioned behind two steaming bowls of soup. “One is chicken and dumpling, and the other is clear broth with slivers of green onion and mushrooms.”

“Hungry enough to eat both,” he grumbled as he propped himself up on one arm, paused, sucked in a ragged breath, and finished dragging himself into an upright position, waving me off when I reached out to help him.

I’d have reacted the same way, and had, so I let him finish getting situated on his own. That was hard to do given the pain marring his handsome face.

“Thank you,” he said when Mattias settled the tray across his lap.

He reached for the water first, downed it, then picked up the steaming bowl of broth and mushrooms and drank it like it was his morning caffeine fix.

“Goddess that was good,” he said, burped, and chugged the juice beside it.

Needless to say, the chicken and dumplings didn’t stand a chance, but he did have to slow down enough to use a spoon and chew with that one.

“Now, will you please tell me whether or not you make a habit of almost getting yourself killed?” Mattias asked as soon as Caspian sat his empty teacup down, the meal decimated in less than five minutes, he’d been that hungry. I knew what that felt like and hated that he’d had to experience it just to get to me.

Caspian peered up at him, looking sheepish and adorable all at the same time, with his tousled hair falling in waves all around his face.

“Only accidentally.”

Chapter Three

Caspian

Goddess above, my mates were even more gorgeous in person than in my dreams. Mattias’ growly, possessive side and Kes’ sweet, calm nature were the perfect yin and yang for me.