Chapter 25
Aaron’s arms were wrapped around Keira as they lay in bed the next morning.
“Aaron,” Keira said, “should I be scared of you?”
Aaron pulled back in surprise, his eyebrows raised.
“Scared of me? Why would you be scared of me?”
“Well ...” Keira said. She hesitated for a moment, wondering what imp had possessed her to bring this up.
“Yes?” prompted Aaron when she didn’t continue.
“Cathryn said you give yourself over to your animal instincts when you feed,” Keira said slowly. “Should I be worried if I come upon you when you’re feeding?”
“Ah!” Turning away from her, Aaron rolled onto his back, his eyes gazing up at the ceiling as he folded his hands behind his head.
“I heard you went to visit some of the prisoners yesterday,” Aaron said.
“Yes. Are you angry?”
“No, I’m not angry,” he said. “I’m glad you wanted to find out more, though I’d prefer you not make a habit of it. Most prisoners are truly wicked men.”
“I understand.”
“Keira, if there is one thing I could change about myself, it would be my need to eat human flesh in order to survive. I hate the fact that my survival is dependent on people dying. If I could change this aspect of my nature, I’d do it in a heartbeat.” Aaron turned to look at her. “But I am a dragon, and I refuse to hate myself. There have been those who drove themselves mad, denying who and what they are, destroying themselves in the process. Jack’s father was one of those, but I will not do that.”
“Jack’s father?” she said in astonishment.
“Jack’s father died just a few years after mine,” he said. “But unlike my father, who was killed at the hands of others, Jack’s father died because he refused to accept who, or what, he was. He went mad before he died, unwilling to feed and eventually too weak to even get out of bed. But God said that his creations are good, and I choose to believe that this includes dragons, and that I too am fearfully and wonderfully made.” He gave her a brief smile before continuing.
“Cathryn is right when she says that we give ourselves over to our animal instincts,” he said. “I have to give myself over to the beast. Killing my prey while thinking as a human would drive me crazy. And I cannot consider my actions in the light of human emotion, either.” Aaron gently stroked her cheek before continuing. “But Keira, I never lose myself. I am always fully aware of who I am, where I am, and who it is that I love. When I kill my prey, I know what it is I am doing, and I try to make it as quick and painless as possible. So could I ever hurt you, even when I’m like that? The answer is no, never. It would be like destroying a part of myself if I were to hurt you.”
“What if I was the last person left on earth?” Keira asked, the teasing note in her voice deflecting the strain of the question.
Aaron grimaced. “Absolutely not. I’d rather die than hurt you.”
“And would you die? I mean, what would happen if you didn’t eat ... well, you know.”
“Humans?” he said. “Yes, I would eventually die, but I’d probably go crazy first, like Jack’s father. Most of us have trained ourselves to go for longer and longer periods without it, but we still need to feed that part of ourselves eventually. Without it I’d weaken to the point of sickness, and then death.”
“So how long can you go without it?”
“It depends,” he said. “Usually a few months, but more frequently if I’m expending more energy. Yesterday was the first time I’d fed on human flesh since before I met you.”
Keira considered this for a moment.
“Aaron?” she said, then hesitated.
“Hmm?”
“Do you enjoy it?”
“Enjoy it? What do you mean?”
“I mean ... never mind.”
Aaron stared at her for a moment as a blush crept into her cheeks.
“Are you asking me if I enjoy my meals?” he asked incredulously, laughing when Keira remained silent. “Oh, Keira,” he groaned. He rolled onto his side to face her. “When the body needs nourishment, even the most unappetizing meal is as welcome as a cup of cold water in the middle of a burning desert. My body begins to crave what it needs, and is satisfied when it receives it. There, does that answer your question?”
She nodded, but refused to meet his gaze. He watched her for a moment, then placed his hand beneath her chin and forced her head up until their eyes met. “Keira, my sweet, I may not always like your questions, but you must never be shy with me,” he said. “I love you, and I’ll always answer your questions as honestly and openly as I possibly can. You have taken a beast into your arms, into your bed and into your heart, and you’re entitled to know who it is you have married.”
Keira smiled shyly as Aaron bent down to kiss her.
“I love you too,” she whispered back.
They lay there for a few more minutes before Aaron suddenly pushed her away and, springing out of the bed, strode over to the window.
“The mountains are so beautiful in the early morning light,” he said. “I haven’t taken you anywhere since our guests started arriving, so come, let’s take a quick flight.”
“But aren’t the other dragons expecting you to join them?” she asked in surprise. Aaron shrugged.
“They’ve had plenty of my attention all week. They can manage without me for a few hours. Now come along, lazy bones.” He grabbed her hands and yanked her up, spilling the quilts onto the floor. “Get yourself dressed, and hurry. I’m getting impatient.”
Keira laughed. “Patience is clearly a virtue you need to learn. Perhaps I’ll send for a bath before I get dressed.”
But when Aaron sprang at her, growling, Keira held up her hands in surrender. “I’m going, I’m going. Wouldn’t want to rile the beast – I could end up being a meal.” She skipped away from his reaching hand as he growled, and laughed as she went into the antechamber to don a gown.
Anyone scaling the sheer rock face minutes later might have looked up to see a fearful dragon soaring out of the castle window, his golden armor gleaming in the light of the sun which was rising over the mountains. If they had squinted against the light, they may have seen a figure riding the dragon’s back without any fear of the beast, thick brown hair streaming out behind her as she leaned forward and gently stroked the thick neck of the monster. They might have noticed the dragon turning his head back to look at the lady, astonished at the gentleness in the dragon’s gaze, before the creature straightened himself out and headed towards the ever-brightening horizon. But there were no such climbers, and the moment passed without anyone spying on the beast and his wife.