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

me, and I brace myself, waiting to see what he’ll do. After a moment, he finally rasps, “Very well. If that is what you wish, I will take you back.”
I’m shocked. “You will?”
He turns to me, shoulders slumped. “Yes.”
He’s willing to take me back simply because I asked. Maybe he’s not like Edward at all. I stand and move toward him. “Thank you for understanding, Kaj.”
“I will no longer bother you,” he adds dejectedly. “Once I have taken you back, I will return to my territory.”
My heart stops. I may not be entirely sure about us, but that doesn’t mean I feel nothing. I don’t want him to leave me. “You don’t have to go just because of me,” I offer. “I—"
His smile is pained. “I am needed here. And... in truth, it is difficult to be around you when you do not want me.” Absently, he places a hand on his chest, directly over the swirling fate mark. “It is something I will learn to accept. I will not pressure you into taking me as yours.”
His words touch something deep inside me. “It’s not that I don’t want you, Kaj, because I do.” His eyes light with hope, so I rush to continue. “It’s just that we’re moving a bit fast and I—I want to be sure that we’re compatible. That we won’t end up killing each other one day.”
He stares at me, aghast. “I would never harm you. My vow. Females are cherished and treasured among my kind and—”
I laugh softly and place a finger on his lips to silence him. “It’s just a figure of speech.” I grin. “I don’t mean that we’d literally kill each other. Just that we might argue a lot and be miserable.”
His brows draw down. “I want only to please you.”
“I know,” I sigh. He has made this point multiple times. “But—”
I stutter to a halt. I have to tell him the truth, no matter how painful. Drawing in a deep and steadying breath, I face him and admit, “I have a hard time trusting people. Men, specifically. I was…” I swallow against the lump in my throat. “A guy I was close to... tried to hurt me.”
His golden gaze holds mine as he waits patiently for me to continue.
“His actions made me afraid to get involved with anyone because I don’t want that to happen again.”
As the words leave my mouth, I realize I’m relieved to get this off my chest. I rarely talk about the assault, but Kaj needs to know. I want him to understand exactly why I am hesitant to accept him.
He takes my hand and places it on his hearts. “I would sooner end my life than ever harm you, Anna. I would do anything to make you happy. Please. Allow me to prove that I would be a good mate to you, that I am an honorable male. Will you give me this chance?”
My brain is telling me to be cautious, but my heart—the hopeless romantic—is practically screaming at me to say yes. He’s a good guy who has never given me a reason to distrust him. He asked me if I wanted to come here, and he’s willing to take me back to my friends should I ask. So far, he has forced nothing upon me.
I meet his reflective golden eyes. “All right. Let’s give us a chance.”

Chapter 15
Kaj
Us. She said us. My hearts soar and I want nothing more than to take her in my arms and shower her with human kisses. I barely stop myself in time to realize that I must allow her to lead. She feels that the fate bond has been forced upon her and must decide if she wants to accept—if she wishes to claim me as her mate or reject me.
Her green eyes look lost. “What now?”
I cock my head to the side. I had not considered the future. If she were a Drakarian female, we would already be mating. Repeatedly. But she is human, and their ways are different, so I need to be cautious and deliberate before I act on my feelings. “What would you like to do?”
Her cheeks flush a lovely shade of red as she softly bites her lower lip. “Well... maybe we could just stay here. Spend time getting to know one another better.”
She wishes to spend time with me. This is good, for my first choice is obviously to stay here, without contending with the constant interruption of other people. Surely, we can grow closer during long hours of shared time and conversation. “You wish to stay here?” I ask, just to be certain.
“Yes.” She smiles. Her voice radiates more confidence. “We should stay. But I think we should let everyone know where we are. Don’t you think?”
I lower my gaze. “I did not install a communication center here.”
“Why not?”
“Because this was meant to be a place that is undisturbed from the outside world.”
“Oh,” she replies. “Like a getaway place?”
I frown for I do not understand this term.
She explains. “A place to relax.”
I do not tell her it was built expressly as a nest for my future mate because I worry it would make her feel uncomfortable. So instead, I nod. “Yes. That is a good way to describe it.”
She looks to me. “Did people see us leave together?”
“Yes. There were many nearby when we were on the balcony. That is why I suggested going somewhere more private.”
“Then, they know I’m with you, so they shouldn’t be worried. It’s not like you stole me away or anything.”
“We can travel to the castle and contact them from there,” I offer.
She shrugs. “All right. But first, I’d like to explore a bit. I’ve never been somewhere like this before. What is there to do around here?”
My gaze immediately darts to the bed, the sole reason I constructed this nest. I built the house with the intent of bringing my female here for our first mating, followed by many more, but