took a bite and discovered it was quite
good.
They ate in silence while others finished their meals and started dancing.
After a time, Channon glanced to Sebastian and noticed his eyes seemed troubled.
"Are you all right?" she asked.
Sebastian ran his hand over the uncovered portion of his face. He felt ill inside.
The harmony between his two halves had been disrupted by his inner fighting over
Channon, and the pain of it was almost more than he could stand.
The Drakos wanted her regardless, but the man in him refused to see her
endangered. The struggle between the two sides was so severe that he wondered
how he was going to make it for the next three weeks without doing permanent
damage to one or the other of his halves.
It was this kind of internal struggle that caused the madness in their youth. And if
he didn't restore the balance soon, his powers would be permanently scarred.
"Jet lag from the time-jump," he said.
Forcing the dragon back into submission, he didn't speak to Channon while she ate.
He allowed her the time
to experience the life and beauty of this time without intruding on her.
Gods, how he ached to make her stay here. He could take her right now and bind
her to him for the rest of his life. It was fully within his power.
But he couldn't do that to her. The man in him refused to claim her against her will.
It had to be her choice. He would never accept anything less than that.
Channon frowned as she noted the seriousness in Sebastian's eyes. "Are you sure
you're all right?" she asked.
"I'm fine. Really."
She still didn't buy that. The musicians paused and the crowd clapped for them. As
she applauded the musicians and dancers, Channon became aware of something on
her hand. Frowning, she studied her palm. "What in the world?"
Sebastian swallowed. Up until now he'd used his powers to shield her from the
marking. But his powers were weakening...
She tried to rub it off. "What is this?"
He started to tell her the truth, but it wedged in his throat. She didn't need to know
that. Not right now. He didn't want to destroy the fun she was having by
interjecting such a serious topic. "It's from the time-jump," he lied. "It's nothing
major."
"Oh," Channon said, dropping her hand. "Okay."
The musicians started up again. Sebastian excused himself from her.
Channon frowned. Something in his demeanor concerned her.
He walked too deliberately with his spine rigid and his shoulders back.
Following after him, she watched as he left the hall and went outside. He rounded
the side of the hall and headed toward a small well.
Channon stayed back while he pulled water from the
well, then removed his mask and splashed the water over his face.
"Sebastian?" she asked softly, moving to his side. 'Tell me what's wrong with you."
Sebastian raked his gloved hands through his hair, dampening it. "I'm okay, really."
"You keep saying that, but..."
She placed her hand on his arm. The sensation of her touch rocked him so fiercely
that he wanted to growl from it. His body reacted viciously as desire tore through
him.
The dragon snarled and circled, demanding her. Take her. Take her. Take her.
No! He would not cost her her life. He would not endanger her.
"I shouldn't have brought you here, Channon," he said as he turned his powers
inward to harness the Drakos. "I'm sorry."
She smiled at him. "Don't be. It's not turning out so badly. It's actually kind of nice
here."
He shut his eyes and turned away. He had to. The beast inside was snarling again.
Salivating.
Claim her.
It wanted total possession.
And so did the man.
His groin tightened even more, and he wondered how much longer he could keep
that part of him leashed.
Channon saw the feral look in his eyes as he raked a ravenous look over her. Her
body reacted to it with a desire so powerful that it stunned and scared her. She
wanted him to look at her like that. Forever.
His breathing ragged, he cupped her face in his hands and
good.
They ate in silence while others finished their meals and started dancing.
After a time, Channon glanced to Sebastian and noticed his eyes seemed troubled.
"Are you all right?" she asked.
Sebastian ran his hand over the uncovered portion of his face. He felt ill inside.
The harmony between his two halves had been disrupted by his inner fighting over
Channon, and the pain of it was almost more than he could stand.
The Drakos wanted her regardless, but the man in him refused to see her
endangered. The struggle between the two sides was so severe that he wondered
how he was going to make it for the next three weeks without doing permanent
damage to one or the other of his halves.
It was this kind of internal struggle that caused the madness in their youth. And if
he didn't restore the balance soon, his powers would be permanently scarred.
"Jet lag from the time-jump," he said.
Forcing the dragon back into submission, he didn't speak to Channon while she ate.
He allowed her the time
to experience the life and beauty of this time without intruding on her.
Gods, how he ached to make her stay here. He could take her right now and bind
her to him for the rest of his life. It was fully within his power.
But he couldn't do that to her. The man in him refused to claim her against her will.
It had to be her choice. He would never accept anything less than that.
Channon frowned as she noted the seriousness in Sebastian's eyes. "Are you sure
you're all right?" she asked.
"I'm fine. Really."
She still didn't buy that. The musicians paused and the crowd clapped for them. As
she applauded the musicians and dancers, Channon became aware of something on
her hand. Frowning, she studied her palm. "What in the world?"
Sebastian swallowed. Up until now he'd used his powers to shield her from the
marking. But his powers were weakening...
She tried to rub it off. "What is this?"
He started to tell her the truth, but it wedged in his throat. She didn't need to know
that. Not right now. He didn't want to destroy the fun she was having by
interjecting such a serious topic. "It's from the time-jump," he lied. "It's nothing
major."
"Oh," Channon said, dropping her hand. "Okay."
The musicians started up again. Sebastian excused himself from her.
Channon frowned. Something in his demeanor concerned her.
He walked too deliberately with his spine rigid and his shoulders back.
Following after him, she watched as he left the hall and went outside. He rounded
the side of the hall and headed toward a small well.
Channon stayed back while he pulled water from the
well, then removed his mask and splashed the water over his face.
"Sebastian?" she asked softly, moving to his side. 'Tell me what's wrong with you."
Sebastian raked his gloved hands through his hair, dampening it. "I'm okay, really."
"You keep saying that, but..."
She placed her hand on his arm. The sensation of her touch rocked him so fiercely
that he wanted to growl from it. His body reacted viciously as desire tore through
him.
The dragon snarled and circled, demanding her. Take her. Take her. Take her.
No! He would not cost her her life. He would not endanger her.
"I shouldn't have brought you here, Channon," he said as he turned his powers
inward to harness the Drakos. "I'm sorry."
She smiled at him. "Don't be. It's not turning out so badly. It's actually kind of nice
here."
He shut his eyes and turned away. He had to. The beast inside was snarling again.
Salivating.
Claim her.
It wanted total possession.
And so did the man.
His groin tightened even more, and he wondered how much longer he could keep
that part of him leashed.
Channon saw the feral look in his eyes as he raked a ravenous look over her. Her
body reacted to it with a desire so powerful that it stunned and scared her. She
wanted him to look at her like that. Forever.
His breathing ragged, he cupped her face in his hands and
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