I Married A Dragon (Prime Mating Agency)(40)

She gave me an indulgent smile. “Yes, it does, because it is your human way. I do not dismiss the reality of your discomfort. However, my sister, answer me this. So what if you’re naked? It means nothing to us Derakeens. It will not cause you harm while inside your lair, and it will give Cedros what he sorely needs. Providing him full contact with you should be your number one priority, to keep him physically and mentally healthy and strong. What do you lose by granting him this? And what do you gain by denying him?”

I hated how stupid it made me feel to have it put it this way. “Nothing. I gain and lose nothing,” I conceded. “But like I said, I’m working on it.”

“Good. But then I will ask you the same thing about open communications with him.”

I glared at her.

She chuckled. “Do not give me the evil eye, Kaida. I am not attacking you. I merely want to give you a different perspective, from an experienced, Dramnac-born Ejaya to a fledgling one. Some questions can be uncomfortable, and some topics embarrassing. But the sooner you shed your inhibitions, the sooner you will develop a strong bond with your Shadow Lord. You will never have a closer, more loyal friend in the universe than Cedros, like Rovain is mine.”

I tucked my hair behind my right ear before tapping a finger on my bottom lip while I pondered her words.

“May I ask what kind of conversations or questions Rovain asked you that you deemed uncomfortable?”

“When he asked me to become his mate,” Trinit answered without hesitation.

I recoiled, stunned by the unexpected answer. “Why? Did you already have someone else?”

She shook her head. “No. I was single when Rovain and I met. He was forty-one, and I was twenty-eight. It was already quite late for a Shadow Lord to find his Ejaya. We became lovers after a week, and he asked me to become his mate six months later. As I wasn’t in love with him, I declined. It was quite difficult to reject his request, as I knew how much he wanted a family. But in this, I had to be true to myself.”

“Ugh, that must have been very awkward. Were things tense between the two of you afterward?” I asked.

“Oh no! Not at all. He knew there was a good chance I would refuse. But he wanted me to know that, should I ever consider it, he would love for us to be mated.”

“Did your affair stop then?” I asked, slightly stunned.

“Not at all. We continued as before for a little over eight years. And then he turned fifty.”

“Why do I sense a big twist coming?” I said, burning with curiosity.

Trinit chuckled. “I wouldn’t call it a big twist. But something forced me to make a decision. You see, when an unmated Shadow Lord turns fifty, he is expected to try to reproduce with any willing female whose presence is tolerable to him. However, for those who, like Rovain, have an Ejaya, there is no restriction as to who they can couple with.”

She let the words hang between us for a moment, leaving me to sort it out.

And then it hit me.

“Oh, hell no! Please don’t tell me you’re expected to sit in the room with them while they’re going at it so that your presence can dampen the discomfort for him?!” I exclaimed, horrified.

She nodded. “That is exactly the expectation... Although, it’s usually flying alongside them since most of the couplings occur in flight. But the thought of bearing witness to him attempting to impregnate however many females while making it easier for him drove me insane. Therefore, I told him that if he still wanted me, I would marry him.”

“It made you realize you were in love with him, after all,” I said with a smile.

Trinit laughed. “No. I’m still not in love with him. Rovain isn’t my soulmate. But I do love him, and I never met anyone else that I loved equally or more. Rovain is my best friend, a wonderful lover, an amazing father to our offspring, and he makes me very happy.”

“Oh. Hmm… Does he know?”

She laughed again. “Of course he does. I told you, there are no secrets between an Ejaya and her Shadow Lord. He knows that I’m not in love with him, but he loves me, and the love I bear him is enough. He is happy. It’s all that matters.”

“Wow,” I said, shifting uneasily in my seat. “It is common for Ejayas and Shadow Lords to be lovers?”

“Yes, very common. But it’s not compulsory. This is one of the things that you should refuse him if you’re not comfortable with it.”

“But… Aren’t they all virgins before meeting an Ejaya?” I asked, heat creeping back up my cheeks.

“Yes, they all are.”

“Well, isn’t it pretty much guaranteeing that they will fall in love with their Ejaya? It seems a little cruel, like leading them on, if you’re not in love with them,” I said, choosing my words carefully.

By the knowing smile she gave me, Trinit wasn’t fooled at all by my underlying meaning. “Oh, my dear sister, a Shadow Lord always falls in love with his Ejaya. No other female in the universe can make him feel what we do. Whether you couple with Cedros or not, he is already in love with you. Sex will not increase or diminish his feelings for you. If you desire him, then enjoy yourself. Denying him—and yourself—is merely punishment for both of you. Do not overthink or overcomplicate things. Approach your life on Dramnac with Cedros with the same candor and boldness of a youngling. Be there for Cedros, and let him be there for you.”