Dragon Knight-Commander (A Cullen Rutherford Shapeshifter Romance)

Chapter 7

'You disobeyed my direct orders,' Cullen growled. He lay on his bed, the candlelight cast shadows over his chiselled features and highlighted his golden hair making him look angelic.

I knew better. I'd been ordered to his room and I was expecting a bollocking. 'I'd do it again in a heartbeat,' I said.

'Kitten, when I command you to do something...' He bit his lip and said, 'Come here.'

I sat on his bed and took the un-gloved hand he held out to me. It was large and warm and calloused from gripping weapons. I wondered how it would feel against my naked body and blushed when I caught myself in the thought.

He snatched back his hand as if he'd been burnt and grimaced. He cleared his throat. 'The girl with so many questions has not one single question about me?'

'Are you kidding? I've got a million questions, but you said you didn't want me to breathe a word.'

He chuckled then coughed when it hurt his ribs. 'Never knew it was that easy to silence you. How much do you know?'

'Nothing. But I can make an educated guess.'

'Go ahead.'

'Your ancestors were abominations.'

He smiled and pulled my braid. 'Clever girl.'

'The Snow Queen named a star after you.'

He threw his head back onto the pillow and said, 'Too clever for your own good.'

'So, why the secrecy?'

He sighed. 'I would never have been allowed to join the Templars. Or command this army. But that's not it.'

I kept silent.

He swallowed. He was afraid to tell me. I had never seen Cullen this anxious before. 'You will not fear me?'

'I trust you,' I said.

He gripped the bed. 'The Fallen's natural form is the dragon.'

I waited for him to continue.

He was waiting for a reaction. After a pause he blinked and said, 'Kitten, my ancestors mated with the Fallen.' He said this like it was something horrible, like I should know exactly what that meant and be shocked.

'Fallen angels?' I asked. 

'Yes.'

'Like the one on horseback at the Elven Temple?'

He shrugged. 'I don't know what that was.'

'So, other than flying, can you do magic? Or does it give you superpowers? Can you breathe fire? Is that why you're so strong?'

He laughed again and winced. 'The only woman in Thedas who doesn't understand the significance of the Fallen falls into my lap and my conscience compels me to tell her. Kitten, they are the true enemies of the Maker. Their darkness tainted the whole of creation. They are the reason for evil in our world. They were banished by the Maker thousands of years ago for mating with the elves. But some of them also mated with humans. Their offspring remained. Every generation of my ancestors had a dragon born. That fate fell to me.'

'That's amazing.' I smiled at him.

'The rest of Thedas wouldn't call it that. I would be cast out or worse if -'

'Commander, every day you've shown yourself to be one of the most noble, heroic, least-evil men I've ever met. And where I'm from, you don't judge people by their race, but by their actions.'

He blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. 'I - I would ask a big favour of you.'

'Name it.'

'I bind my dragon every day with a potion.'

'Let me guess: a potion made from moonbeams and starlight.' I sighed at the beauty, the sheer lunatical beauty of Thedas.

'Too astute. You're too quick, kitten. Yes moonbeams and starlight. This pleases you.'

'You just couldn't make this stuff up. It's incredible.'

'Tomorrow I won't bind it.'

'Okay.' I sighed. I was sitting next to Cullen the hunky bear man, no hunky dragon man, in candlelight, speaking of fallen angel legends and moonbeams and it was all just so bloody thrilling.

'We will travel together away from all eyes and I will become my dragon. Then I ask that you heal my dragon.'

His eyes lowered then came to meet mine again. 'But when I return back to human form you must encourage me to take the potion again. And if I don't, you must never be, ah, alone in my company. My dragon won't want to be bound. I always wait too late, for a mistake, for misery, for a reason. But the Inquisition - it's too important. You're too important. You must promise me this.'

'What am I promising exactly?'

'When I'm human again, if my dragon isn't bound, you, er, you keep your distance.'

'Will you hurt me?'

He laughed, its ring hollow and grim. 'Your innocence protects you, kitten. It's not a mortal threat. Go, you need your rest too. You will aid me?'

'Of course.'

'First light, the day after tomorrow. Meet me by the stables. I will tell the council we have a private mission.'