freely than ever before. It's hard to find human women who are still pure. I know for a fact a few of my elder brothers wed women who weren't.â
âA lot of things can make a person not want to wait,â she said quietly. âNot that I'm justifying the action necessarily, but you shouldn't be quick to make judgments either. You don't know their circumstances.â
âNo, and it's not my business to know. All I'm saying is, I know that sort of thing is important to you.â He paused. âA lot of dragon men aren't waiting. Or at least that's what I hear from my friends back home in Terran.â
She shook her head. âThat's dangerous. A dragon's bond with a human is so much stronger after mating. With the magic we have⦠if something happens and the relationship doesn't work out⦠you know what happens when either half of a joined couple mates with an outsider.â
âYup, and I've seen it happen. It's not a pretty thing, and it ruins the lives of a lot of the women. I would imagine going back to a normal life after gaining all of that magic would be difficult. They couldn't be with a normal human man and finding another dragon to marry them would be difficult too.â He sighed. âAt least when the humans mate with one another, they don't have to deal with the same physical consequences. The scars are mostly emotional.â
âYes, and if I have to, I'll deal with the fact that my future husband might not be pure,â she said quietly. In her heart, she knew that wouldn't be the case. The idea of her future husband having been with another woman certainly made her sad and a tad bit insecure, but she wouldn't hold such a thing against him. At the same time, her instincts told her that would be a non-issue. Those instincts were hardly ever wrong.
Teo gave her a small smile. âYou're sweet, Mik. One of the things I love about you is your ability to look past everything. I've never met someone so kind and forgiving. Sometimes I wish I could have a heart so pure.â
She grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze. âYour heart is plenty good and pure. Don't let go of what you dream of. You're eighteen. Finding a woman who meets all of your expectations won't be difficult, so long as you hold her to realistic ones.â
âI'm not that unreasonable. Honestly, I can't say I've sat down and thought about all of the things I want from my future wife. All I know is that I'd like to only know one woman, and be the only man she's ever been with too. It seems only fair.â
âIt does,â Mikko said. She paused and thought about her dream and the man with the blue eyes. âDo you think it's possible to see your future before it happens?â
Eyes narrowing, Teo faced her. âAre you gaining some kind of new special magic ability?â
She laughed. âI only asked a question.â
âKnowing you, it's not just a question. There's always a reason behind everything you say.â
âPlease answer.â
He shrugged. âI haven't thought about it much, but I suppose it's possible. Why not? Are you asking because you think you had a dream about your future?â
âIt was a nightmare.â She exhaled slowly. âI was walking through Oceina City, and then the next instant I was in a park. The weather had changed from winter to summer. In the park was a man.â Heat began to fill her cheeks. Teo started to laugh, so he must have noticed her blushing. âHe was so handsome. I don't think I've ever seen a man so good looking before in my life. Blond hair, blue eyes, strong, tall, just about everything I could ever want in a guy, he had.â
âI don't know how this is a nightmare, at least not for you. If this is going in the direction I think it is, please spare me the details because I don't need to have those kinds of images in my head!â
Mikko smacked him across the shoulder. âLike I would tell you anything if I