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with the red shingle roof.
    Jason laughed and unlocked the door. "One of
the advantages to being one of Father's favorites is that he makes
sure we're taken care of. There are six bedrooms, so you pick
whichever one you like the most. In fact, we can do what you want
with the place because I have no idea how to decorate."
    She nodded, stepping inside and taking in the
sight of the massive entryway. A staircase spiraled up and around a
crystal chandelier. Tiny lights reflected off of the black tiled
floor. She glanced back at him, her eyes glittering, and smiled. He
loved seeing her happy. It made things easier to know she could be
pleased.
    "Go ahead," he said with a slight push and a
nod. "I'm going to start unpacking the kitchen. By the time I
finish, it'll be time for lunch. We can discuss everything more
thoroughly then. Why don't you go find a room for now and rest." If
he was exhausted, she was no doubt doubly so. There was plenty of
time to talk after some sleep.
    He watched her run up the stairs. It put him
at ease to see that she was no longer afraid and, even more so, to
have her trust him. This was how he planned to win her over, even
if they just stayed friends. He meant it when he said he wasn't
ready for a relationship. Still, they were stuck with each other
for the time being. He had one year to decide if she was the one.
If, by the end of the year the two had still not yet mated, he
would be forced to pick another bride.
    He didn't want to scare her. She didn't need
to know about the extra details. Not yet, anyway.

Chapter Eight
     
    Matt laid his head against Kat's bare chest
and sighed. He had dreamed of being her husband since they'd first
met. Now that the dream was a reality, he could hardly believe it.
He knew they were meant to be together forever, even back then. She
completed him so well. She calmed him when he got angry, and her
smile lit up his life. How did he get to be so lucky?
    "What else do you want to know?" he asked her
while tracing her hand with his fingers.
    "I don't know," she whispered. "It's been a
lot to take in. I mean, you're a dragon, an actual dragon. I didn't
know it was possible. I suspected something was up when I realized
you aged differently than me. I have known you for five years and
you don't look much different. And I noticed your nails were
different too."
    He laughed. "And here I was hoping puberty
was working some amazing magic on my appearance. I only look a
little different?" Her observations were right on. He'd wondered if
she'd noticed how he and his brother aged slower or the fact that
his nails were in fact trimmed down black claws.
    "You are taller, more handsome, and stronger.
I still noticed though," she said then kissed his forehead.
    Matt let out a playful and dramatic sigh
before rolling onto his back. "As long as you still think I'm
handsome."
    "There are a lot more dragons than I
realized," she said.
    He shrugged. "There need to be a lot of us if
we're going to stay safe from the other tribes. They're larger in
size and strong in magic. Our best defense is our numbers."
    "No, I just meant I didn't know so many of
the men here were dragons. Maybe I'm only noticing they're
different now because they smell funny," she said, scowling. He
thought it was adorable.
    "I have a great sense of smell and you're
gaining some of my abilities," he said. "It's called transitioning.
Sometimes it can be a bit painful, but if you stay close to me,
you'll be just fine. Eventually you'll get used to all of the
changes." He hoped so, anyway. He didn't think he'd ever
understand. Things like a heightened sense of smell and good night
vision were things he'd been born with. He couldn't even begin to
imagine what it must be like to gain them so late in life.
    He sighed, cradling her close. The time he
had alone with Kat was short. Soon his military duties would occupy
him even more than they already did. As much as he wanted to tell
her about all of this, he held it in. The last