"I want to know why you do it."
"Why I do what." he asked, stripping off his overcoat.
He flung it over the back of the couch without much thought as he began unbuttoning his shirt.
"Why you always save me. Every time I'm in trouble you always come...
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Several hours into our trip, we finally stopped for a break. Wooyoung let me dismount and my knees about gave out underneath me. I held onto the side of the saddle to get my bearings as Wooyoung laughed above me.
"Don't worry kitten. You'll get used to it."
I tossed him a glare at the pet name letting him know I didn't appreciate it. My efforts were wasted though as he didn't even spare me another glance before he started unpacking the bags on the back of his horse. Leaving him be, I searched the camp site for my mom. She stood next to San who chatted with her comfortably as he also began unpacking bags that had been tied to his saddle. It briefly crossed my mind how unusual he seemed. As a king, he was incredibly laid back. Not caring about formalities. Then again, none of them really seemed keen on formalities, at least not in the current situation.
They also never addressed each other as formally as one would think they should. In fact, they almost treated each other like close friends or even family. I let my gaze roam the others before settling on Jongho and Seonghwa who didn't engage with anyone else. Just simply unpacked their own things. Well, maybe not all of them were as close as I thought. Mother helped San with the last of his bags before helping him set up camp. Figuring I should also be making myself useful, I made my way over to Yeosang who was one of the last ones to unpack his things.
"Would you like some help?"
He looked up at me before giving me a warm smile.
"Sure. I was setting up the blankets for a place to sleep."
He handed me a few blankets before carrying the rest of it himself. We walked a short distance from the rest of the site and began placing blankets. Yeosang tossed a few of the packs down to use as pillows before nodding at our work.
"We'll be taking turns as night watch, so we won't need all the blankets. You and your mother can have the extras. It'll probably get colder later tonight."
"What about you all though? I don't want to hog all the blankets if someone else needed them."
"Don't worry about it. Dragon blood tends to run warmer than human. We'll be fine without a blanket."
That made sense I supposed. I didn't give much thought to their dragon counterparts and just how much affect it had on them even in human form. Despite that though, I was grateful for their kindness.
"Thank you."
He smiled before motioning towards the rest of the group.
"I'm sure you're hungry. We should start on dinner."
Of course, mother insisted on cooking for them. Especially since no one volunteered for the job. Not having anything better to do, I decided to help her, needing the distraction anyway. The way the men's eyes seemed to constantly migrate my direction made me antsy. Their gazes were intense. Especially the ones belonging to the three I had most recently found out I was bonded to.
"Y/N."
Mother's voice was soft, but I still heard it clearly as I looked at her. Her bright hazel-colored eyes flickered between me and the men behind us. I could see the worry in them without her having to voice it.
"It's okay mom. They've agreed to help us find somewhere safe. I...I trust them. They haven't given me a reason not to thus far."
"That's not what I'm worried about. I have no doubt that at least a few of them would do whatever it took to protect you. I'm just worried about what happens when we get to Kriton."
"What do you mean?"
She sighed before turning her attention back to the fire and the stew that cooked over it.
"King San explained everything to me. I know that you're bonded to three of them. Your father was a close advisor for the late king of Nirian and I know what the bond means from what he's explained to me. I just never expected it to be you." She whispered.
"What do you mean? What did father tell you about the bond?" I asked, scooting closer to her.
"The bond can only be formed by potential mates. Sharing the bond with them means that their dragons recognize you as a potential mate. Mating for dragons is a lifetime commitment."
I had a feeling about where this conversation was going. Honestly, I hadn't thought much about what being bonded to them meant because I wasn't ready to face the reality. My priority at this point was making sure my mother was safe. That we were safe. Everything else could be shoved to the side until later. I took a deep breath before giving my mom a halfhearted smile.
"It's okay. Just because the bond is there doesn't mean they feel that way about me. We'll cross that bridge if we come to it. Right now, we just need to focus on getting somewhere safe."
She looked at me dubiously and sighed shaking her head. I knew she didn't believe me. Hell, I didn't know if I believed the words coming out of my mouth either. The only thing I did know was that I couldn't stay here. I couldn't stay with them.
