Dragon's Treasure (Book 1)

Chapter 5 - Bonding

“My goodness! I just ate a whole chicken!” Olivia exclaimed as she threw the last bone she had been nibbling on into the fire. “I feel like such a pig.”

Kaden groaned as if the thought pained him. “Oh, please don’t say that. I just finished eating a pig. That would mean eating you. It’s a disturbing thought.”

Before they had started eating, they had settled around the fire. Olivia had put the blanket underneath her so she wouldn’t be sitting on the cold ground and Kaden was curled up in his spot, facing the fire. He was big enough to be close to it even from his place. The rain outside had subsided a bit but still hadn’t stopped so it created a soft, calming music which spread throughout the cave.

They had fallen into a comfortable silence while they had both enjoyed their meals. Throwing surreptitious glances at each other when they thought, or hoped, the other wouldn’t notice. The only time the gentle silence in the cave had been disturbed was when Kaden had told Olivia of how he had gotten the food and even though she had been a little upset with him, she was just glad that he hadn’t hurt anyone.

That was yet another odd little fact about the dragon that she found so surprising. All the stories she had heard over the years had made dragons sound so bloodthirsty and vicious but here she was, safe and relaxed, having lunch with a supposedly dangerous beast. She was also surprised how at ease she felt and how comfortable it was to just sit near the fire and eat while the conversation between them trickled intermittently.

Every minute she spent in Kaden’s company, Olivia felt more refreshed and alive. Even though the cave was cold, damp and depressing, being around the dragon made everything so much better. The whole occurrence just felt so surreal. She never would have imagined finding herself in this situation.

“Have you ever...” Olivia started to say but quietly trailed off, too afraid to finish the sentence, as she focused her attention on the fire.

Kaden knew what she had wanted to ask though. He had even been expecting it. “Eaten a human?” He finished for her, just as softly.

Olivia nodded as she sat cross legged across the fire from him, and even though she was afraid of what his answer might be, she found the courage to look up into his amber colored eyes.

“Never,” he answered honestly. “Although there were a few times I wish I did.”

His quiet chuckle filled the cave and Olivia tilted her head to the side in puppy-like curiosity. The sadness he had found to dim the sparkle in her eyes was replaced with inquisitiveness, which he found most endearing.

Again, he knew what she was asking just by looking at her.

“There were many, evil people I have encountered through the years. But the most I could do was kill them.” He decided to be honest with her.

Olivia unconsciously leaned her body slightly backwards, away from him as she stuttered out fearfully. “K... Kill them?”

She hadn’t expected him to admit to taking lives.

Her frightened reaction made him angry and sad at the same time.

“It’s better for some people to be dead!” He sputtered out irritably as he raised his head higher, his eyes ablaze with suppressed anger. “Would you have me leave those murderers and rapists live? They don’t deserve it! And sometimes, I just didn’t have a choice. It was either them or me and even though I hate my life sometimes… I still want to live.” Kaden breathed out slowly, trying to calm down when he saw her eyes wide with panic and her body trembling in reaction to his outburst. His tone was softer when he spoke again, “Not everything is black or white, but at least hundreds of shades of grey in between.” His regretful sigh formed a cloud of smoke around him and the burnt smell of it spread throughout the cave. “Sometimes, I just didn’t have a choice.”