Billionaire Dragon's Bride(24)

“So, what’s a gold moon?” she asked as she picked at the slices of strawberry, dappled with whipped cream. “You mentioned that the fight between Daedalus and Roman had to be decided on a gold moon. How come?”

Devon looked up from his food, arching his brows a bit before a smirk finally cracked his lips. She noticed that his expression changed ever so slightly, almost unnoticeably, but enough to give him a harder look, reminding her of the dragon within him once again.

“You pay attention far too well. A gold moon is the king of moons. Once every year, the sky is lit by a gold moon. Humans say it’s just that we’re so close to the moon that it seems almost close enough to touch, shining bright in the night sky. We dragons think it’s the time when our ancestors look down on us with their golden eyes, judging our actions and seeing if we’ve been honorable and done our kin proud. It’s supposed to be the time when our ancestors, the great old dragons, are the closest, and when our dragons are the strongest. It’s good luck and tradition to finish all important things by the gold moon and then start anew so that the forefathers could judge us. The next one is in just about two weeks.”

Gemma smiled at the description. It was interesting to hear that dragons were in a way religious as well, or at least spiritual. There was something comforting in the knowledge that even these great, brutal beasts paid homage to the ones that came before them and cared about making their elders proud, both in life and in death.

“What important things are you going to finish by the gold moon, then?” she teased, pushing her hair back and letting her fingertips slide over the golden earring she was wearing – a tiny, delicate golden dragon that wrapped around her ear and clung onto the skin with its small clawed hands. Devon’s eyes went to it, and a wolfish grin spread on his lips. Like countless times before, she felt like a bunny being stared down by a big animal, who could gobble her up in one bite. But, as before, it just made her sit up straighter. She wasn’t afraid of no wolf or dragon, as it might be.

“I thought it was obvious, my Gem. I’m going to marry you.” He licked across his lips, and she could almost feel the sensation of his tongue crossing over her mouth the way it had when they kissed. The memory came back with force, and a shudder coursed through her, both wanting and uncertain at the same time.

“And your elders would approve?” she asked pointedly, trying to keep her voice level and her jade eyes on him, though the intensity of his gaze made her want to look away.

“I think they’ll be most pleased that I’m carrying on traditions,” he said mildly, finally releasing her from the weight of his piercing blue eyes. She exhaled quietly, noting that she was almost vibrating on the spot. The dragon was a master at building suspense and expectation without saying much, and it always felt as if the room and everything around him shifted to fit his mood, even though she knew it was only in her head.

Still, she had to wonder why a man as impressive as Devon Bluewing had ever wasted his potential on chasing skirts and hamming it up on the tabloids to begin with, when he could have been commanding armies and making the leaders of the world bend to his will if need be. He was just that damn striking that it didn’t seem impossible at all.

The next question rattled around in her head, bouncing from wall to wall until it was so loud and painful that she had to blurt it out.

“What makes you so sure I’m the right one?” It had been taking root since the very first conversation with him, and fearing the answer, she hadn’t dared ask before. But with their conversation in the morning now a fond memory, she could muster the courage to ask. After all, a girl who travelled the world without being able to find her cause had to wonder what made a man so sure that his decision was the only right one he could make. Devon eyed her again, setting down his dessert spoon and pushing the food away.

He leant his elbows on the table, looking thoughtful. The matte black shirt he was wearing strained at his biceps as he clasped his hands together and the flames of the candles cast shadows on his face. This time, she saw the man, not the dragon.

“It’s hard to explain, Gem.” He let the quiet hang between them until Gemma thought it would suffocate her whole. Her heart pounded loudly in her ears, and her throat wanted to close in on itself. She wasn’t sure why knowing the answer mattered so much to her, but it did. For that moment in time, it was the most important thing in the world, and she hoped for all things holy that he could tell her why.

She clung to the silence, making it her life raft until he could tell her and release her from this burden of not knowing. If he could be so certain, so infallibly sure that his decision was the right one, how did he come to it? Finally, he looked up at her, smiling a guarded smile. It seemed like he had reached a decision. Without another moment, he grabbed her by the hand, and Gemma was pulled up, urgently but gently.