Healed by the Earth Dragon Prince: Dragon Shifter Romance (Elemental Dragon Warriors Book 4)

a fraction. This is the biggest flower I’ve ever seen, nearly as large as my fist, and he’s calling it small? This one is gorgeous, and it makes me wonder what the koeli looks like if it is so rare that his clan has an annual game to search for it.
How romantic it would be to be given one… It sounds like an extreme version of the old Earth tradition of giving a woman flowers on a date.
“And this,” he points to one of the trailing vines along the wall, “is lotae. It covers the walls of my castle.” Though his eyes are on the verdant plant, his expression is far away.
“They’re my favorite,” I admit. The vine’s blue flowers emit a soft glow at night, reminding me of glittering fairy lights I read about in stories as a child.
A hint of sadness flits across his features. “My sister, Rajila, brought these clippings to the palace the last time we came to visit and planted them here.” A wistful smile curves his lips. “She and Varus’s sister used to pick the blooms and turn them into woven necklaces and crowns for their hair.”
“You have a sister?”
His eyes are bright with tears as they meet mine. “She died during the Great Plague. Along with Varus’s sister, Laris.”
I understand loss all too well. Wanting to offer him comfort, I reach out and take his hand. “I’m sorry,” I whisper. “You must miss her terribly.”
He nods. “Every day.”
“My parents and my younger sister died a few years ago when a virus broke out on the ships.” I close my eyes against the pain. “I lost my entire family within a few days.”
“My hearts grieve with yours.”
“My heart grieves with you, as well.”
He reaches out and picks one of the vibrant blue flowers then gently tucks it into my hair just above my ear. He smiles warmly, whispering, “Beautiful.”
My cheeks flush with warmth. As I stare up at him, I realize it would be so easy to get lost in his golden eyes.
However, I don’t want to rush into this. Clearing my throat, I lower my gaze and change the subject. “Lilly and Varus told me this morning that we’re all going to the Water Clan territory for a peace celebration across Clans. I believe they called it the Summit—something your Clans used to do before the last Great War.”
He nods. “It is truth. I can fly you there, if you’d like.”
“You’re not going home first?”
He shakes his head. “There is no need. I am only the prince. My parents take care of the kingdom. As heir to the throne, I represent them in foreign affairs.”
Only the prince, he says, as if it’s no big deal. I pin him with a glare. “You didn’t tell me you were a prince. I had to find out from Lilly last night.”
A sly smirk twists his lips. “You asked about me?”
I huff and roll my eyes in mock frustration. “No, I was just telling her about my day.”
“I asked about you. And I learned a great deal about human females from Raidyn and Varus.”
“What did—” I start to ask, but the sound of Lilly’s voice cuts me off.
Kaj and I both turn in the same direction. Barely visible through the thick row of bushes, I watch Varus wrap his arms around Lilly from behind.
She cries out in surprise as he pulls her against his chest and nips at her ear. His voice is a low purr. “Shall we return to our rooms, my beautiful mate?”
Heat creeps up my neck and I quickly turn away, feeling as if I’m intruding on a private moment of theirs.
Kaj’s eyes dart briefly to mine and a look of understanding passes between us. Quietly, we retreat into the castle. We ascend the stairs side by side and cross a long hallway. When I reach my room, he stops in front of the door with me.
He takes my hand and I lift my gaze to his, wondering what he means to do. “I enjoyed speaking with you this evening, Anna.”
“So did I.” The words leave my mouth before I can catch them. I watch another devastatingly handsome smile light his face. Inwardly, I curse myself for my unfiltered reply. Though what I said is true, I don’t want to give him the wrong idea. I want to take things slow. Really slow. Someday, maybe I’ll consider the mate thing.
He lifts my hand to his face and presses a tender kiss to the space between my thumb and forefinger. The brush of his lips across my skin makes my heart flutter.
“Until tomorrow,” he whispers.
His golden eyes stare deep into mine. I’m so flustered that I can’t think, much less form a coherent sentence to reply. “Uh... goodnight,” I barely manage.
He sweeps down the hall as I step into my room. My heart is beating wildly in my chest. What’s wrong with me? There’s no denying I’m attracted to him, but I can’t let him get under my skin like this. And certainly not so soon.
I make my way to the bathroom and peel off my robe as I wade into the warm and inviting pool in the center of the room. For a city in a desert, there is an abundance of water here.
The cleansing rooms all come with showers and a bathing pool in the center of the space that could fit at least four people. Most of the pools are fed by warm springs, according to Lilly, but the rest use a superior water recycling technology that would have been so useful on our colony ships.
I release a deep sigh as I allow myself to float in the warm water. My time on the ships seems so very long ago. Almost like a completely different life.
When I’m finished bathing, I wrap myself in a robe and drop onto my bed. The thick, fluffy red comforter surrounds and envelopes me like a giant cloud. My eyes travel over the palatial room. With floating