Page 37 of Eternally Rare
“She was. My parents wanted me to mate before I became coven master. I was holding out for my beloved, but I wasn’t getting any younger, so I agreed to go to a mating ceremony. The Russo’s were extravagant. They flaunted their wealth. When I arrived, I wanted to leave, but I couldn’t. I had a responsibility. And then I saw your mother. I knew. I couldn’t believe shewasn’t my beloved when everything inside me felt like she was, but the bond didn’t snap into place. I didn’t care.”
I take his hand when a profound sadness weighs him down, the dark circles of his eyes becoming heavier.
“She was and is my absolute everything. In the moment we danced, I never wanted to let her go, and then her sister saw us. Gods,” he rolls his eyes, still annoyed all these years later. “She threw a fit. Luckily, Esmeralda’s father was on my side, and I was able to keep her for myself.” He stares into the Cove, sighing. “I miss her so much.”
“I know,” I reply, squeezing his hand. “I’m sorry I’ve been so insensitive.”
He shakes his head, giving me a small, forced smile. “You haven’t been. No one has. I’ve been grieving and I’m not sure if I’ll ever be able to stop.”
“Not even if you meet your beloved?” I dare to ask.
He whips his head up, his eyes shifting from brown to red. I rear back, wondering if he’s about to attack.
“My beloved is dead.”
“Father—”
He holds up his hand. “—If fate ever brought me someone who wasn’t your mother, I’d rather die. Your mother, no matter what Fate says, was my beloved. I’ll take that to my grave.”
I drop the subject, not wanting to upset him further.
“What I’m saying is, don’t ever let your beloved slip through your fingers, Rarity. I lived before Esmeralda, but I didn’t truly see life the way it was meant to be seen until I had her by my side. She made everything better, brighter, and beautiful.”
I pluck a piece of grass, wishing I could have known her, and then a thought occurs to me. I press my cheek against my knee, staring at my father who appears so young that I wouldn’t doubt people would think he was my brother.
“What happened to mother’s family? You never talk about them. Do I have a grandpa?”
“I have no idea. I haven’t checked. They haven’t checked.” His brows pinch together. “I guess that’s something I should look into. You all deserve to know your family, just not Esmeralda’s sister. She’s terrible. She probably got staked.”
“Father!” I chuckle, slapping his shoulder. “I can’t believe you just said that.”
“Eh,” he shrugs a shoulder. “I would have done it myself if I had the chance.”
“You’re terrible.”
He grins, flashing a bit of fang. “And it feels so good.” He bumps his elbow against me, the tension easing. “So, tell me, what’s this other piece of information?” He holds up a finger to stop me. “And before you start, please just start calling me Dad. The Father thing makes me feel old.”
“You are old,” I mumble.
“Brat.”
Slow laughs fade to silence, and I take a minute to gather my thoughts to get this over with.
A big, heavy, end-of-the-world sigh escapes me. “I have another beloved.” I tug on another piece, ripping the green blade in half. “A dragon.” I cut my eyes to my father’s stunned face. “And he hates me,” I choke, his face a permanent image in the front of my mind. I could feel how much he wanted to kill me. “He barged in on Cailian feeding from me. I was able to leave before he burnt me to a crisp. He wasn’t happy to know he had another mate.”
Father remains silent, but then eventually says, “Hmm.”
“Hmm? That’s it? Hmm?” I ask hysterically.
He leans back on his hands and stares up at the sky. “A mating of three is rare. It makes sense you’d have two beloveds. You’re special like that and you deserve all the happiness. What makesyou think your dragon hates you? He probably realizes now that you’re his mate. I can bet he smelled you on Cailian after you left. Dragons don’t have the greatest sense of smell, Rarity. They have to be very close. They are so used to smelling smoke, that it’s ruined any ability to scent you. You should go back,” he says. “Don’t stay away because of fear. Fear is a dangerous prison, Sweetheart. You’ll never see the light of day once you lock yourself inside.”
“I want to go back. I want to meet him. I just… I don’t want him to be disappointed when he sees me.”
Father slips his fingers under my chin and gently applies pressure to turn my head, making me look at him. “Why would he be disappointed seeing you?”
I drop my eyes, tears jostling free down my cheeks, and like a good father, he wipes them away.
“Because… look at me,” I say quietly. “I’m so different and I don’t know why.”