Before she could change her mind, Layla blurted without thinking, "Are we true mates, Chase?"
In the next second, the door clicked closed. Damn. Someone had probably just heard her question.
However, in that moment, she didn't care. Instead, she searched Chase's gaze and repeated, "Are we?"
If given a choice, Chase would've wanted Layla to know him better before he answered the life-changing question.
However, as Layla searched his eyes and waited for a reply, there was no other real option but to tell the truth or risk losing her forever.
His dragon whispered, Just tell her.
Chase nodded. "Aye, my dragon says we're true mates."
Rather than panic, Layla asked calmly, "How long have you known?"
"For over two years."
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. What he wouldn't give to have her open them and let him see what was going on inside her brain.
Because the next few moments could drastically alter both of their lives.
His dragon grunted. Then don't stand still. Talk to her, convince her, remind her of how much she responds to our touch.
Oh, how he wanted to. She'll probably flee if we do. Give her a few moments, aye?
We don't have a few moments. The family will enter soon.
Speaking of which, they already should have.
Then he realized the kitchen was quiet, almost too quiet. Not even the smallest shuffle of feet or whisper reached his ears.
If he were a betting male, he'd say they'd all left them after his mum had walked in and rushed right back out.
However, in the next second, Layla opened her dark brown eyes, and he forgot about everything else but the female in front of him.
As he tried to gauge her guarded expression, Layla cleared her throat. "So ever since you hit maturity, your dragon has been telling you to go after me. You never had a chance to grow and discover what kind of lass you truly want for yourself."
Chase had been cautious for years. No more. He growled and leaned closer. "I fought him at first, because I was young and wanted to dally with a few more lasses before settling down. However, it didn't take long for me to notice how clever, kind, and beautiful you are. As time went on, I stopped fighting my dragon. And not because of instinct, but because I wanted you for myself."
Time stilled as she stared into his eyes, her pupils flashing between round and slitted. Odds were that her dragon was on his side. Not every true mate pairing worked or even had dragons on both sides wanting it, but it did more often than not.
And yet, if Layla's human half wasn't on board, too, then nothing would happen. In a worst-case scenario, one of them would be sent to another clan—most likely him—until enough time passed and the true mate pull faded. As long as they didn't kiss each other on the lips and start the need for a mate-claim frenzy, the true mate pull would fade within a few years.
But he didn't want to go away and forget Layla. Over the years, he'd learned how much she needed someone in her life, someone to help share burdens or to bring some laughter into her life. Chase wanted to be that male. He couldn't—or wouldn't—force her, but he wasn't going to give up easily, either.
So he finally asked the question he didn't know the answer to before he decided his next tactic. "What do you want, Layla? Tell me truthfully."
If she tried to step away again, he'd have let her go. Every breath he took made his heart pound harder.
However, she didn't walk away but instead, gingerly placed a hand on his chest. Even through his shirt, the searing heat of her touch made him draw in a breath.
She never broke her gaze as she murmured, "I-I don't know. Rationally, I should laugh and say it'd never work."
He risked raising a hand to lightly trace her jaw, loving how she leaned a little into his caress. "But?"
Her eyes flashed faster as he continued to stroke her soft skin. She replied, "It might be worth a try."
Fuck, what he wouldn't give to kiss her and start trying.