The Dragon's Bride
Chapter 13

When Catori woke, she was tangled up in the sheets and with half of her body on Rydstorm.

She gasped, then sat up in bed, causing Rydstorm to wake as well.

“What is it?” Rydstorm asked, his voice low and sexy with sleep.

Catori bit her lower lip, “nothing. I should go home.” She said, after looking out the window.

Before Rydstorm could gather himself, Catori rushed from the small hotel.

The freezing morning air bit into the flesh of her cheeks as she hurried home.

The few people that were already up and going about their day stopped to stare at her, whispering as she ran by.

“Catori!?” Leona called.

Catori turned her head slightly to look at the pale skinned girl.

“Where are you coming from?” Leona asked, her brown eyes burning with mischief.

Catori didn’t answer, but she didn’t have to. Leona already had an idea. She only wanted confirmation.

Leona’s small oval-shaped face turned sour as she scrunched up her broad freckled nose.

“You are such a whore! That man has only been here for a day, and already you spent the night with him.” Leona tried to tease.

“Said the girl who keeps fooling around with her sister’s husband and trying to get with her best friend’s father. Just remember that you are the one to get to many men, not me.” Catori fired back.

Leona’s thin pink lips parted as she got ready to argue, but Catori had already turned away.

“Come back here!” Leona chased after her.

“No, leave me alone Leona.”

“Why? You act so innocent but look at you in such a scandalous night gown and coming from a man you don’t even know.”

“You wouldn’t even understand.” Catori stopped to look at her.

“Understand what? How much of a slut you are?”

Catori gave a laugh to control her anger, “you know what? I have no time for you, you just don’t know how to deal with rejection.”

“I was never rejected.”

“Right, you were the one that dealt the rejection.”

Catori once again walked off, heading home so she could get a shower and clear her mind of what had happened the previous night.

When Catori pushed the door open, and entered the living room, her mother’s head snapped up from where she was just laying out breakfast.

“And where are you coming from?”

“Somewhere.”

“Catori, where have you been?”

“I was at a hotel, talking to someone who could potentially be my husband.”

“You mean where those outsiders are staying?”

“Yes.”

Farrah scoffed, “why do you have to be the only female in town to act as if you are some cheap low-class girl? If you think those men want y-”

“You were the one who told me to make sure that I marry someone, so why are you getting all upset that I’m taking your advice?”

“I also told you to never come back here if you left.”

“And that was obviously a mistake. But don’t worry mother, I will go back to Rydstorm and I’m taking the twins with me.”

Farrah let out a laugh. “And what? Just because you lost your virginity to some strange man, you think you are now an adult?”

“I have been an adult since I became eighteen. It is you who always treated me like a child.”

“Right, and what makes you think that you can take my children?”

“Because you are unstable. It shows in the way you act, think and talk.”

Without warning, Farrah threw a plate at Catori’s head. Luckily she dodged in time but a splinter from the plate managed to cut her under the eye.

“Are you fucking crazy?”

Catori hurried to her room, slamming the door behind her, deciding that this was the day she would leave home and never look back.

She pulled out a trunk from under her bed, stuffing all her belongings in it while tears pricked the corners of her eyes.

Catori gasped when her door was pushed open, her heart hammered against her chest, thinking that it was her mother.

But she soon let out a breath after seeing that it was her father.

“Your mother said you are leaving.”

She nodded then sat on the edge of her bed.

“Dragons are real, dad, and those people that came to town are dragons themselves. One of them said I’m his mate, I would rather to be with him than here with her.”

Lucian frowned.

″I know how it sounds, and I am just meeting this man, but I do believe him, and I feel this pull towards him that I can’t explain. I never felt this way about anyone before.”

“He is your mate, so you should feel that way towards him. It is only natural.”

“Is mom your mate?”

“No, my mate died years ago.”

“What?”

“I should have told you the entire truth before it got this far.″

“You never did.”

“Because you never came back to me after reading the book.”

“Because I’m not finished reading it, most things that are written confuse me.”

“Well, to answer your question. I am… was Nightwing.”

“Why didn’t you tell me this before?”

“I didn’t want to lose you. I used my powers to suppress yours just so I could keep you close to me longer.”

“Why?”

“You remind me of her, your mother.”

“I don’t want to be compared to her.”

Lucian laughed, “Your real mother, Catori. I gave you her name.”

“So...” Catori trailed off.

“Farrah isn’t your real mother. My true mate died giving birth to you some two hundred years ago.”

Catori glanced at her father, “two hundred yea- Is this why she treats me like this?″

“That is part of it, it also has to do with me taking a preference to you. But you are my only heir, the only one that can take back the throne.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Catori, it is nothing to stress yourself over. Just know that I will protect you with all that I am and so will your mate. You should also never trust a human, not even Farrah or your best friends. And when you open your mind, you will begin to understand, also read the book I gave to you.”

“What does this mean now?”

“That you are grown and free to go where your wings and mate take you, but just remember, I am still your father. Still Nightwing”

“But what about the twins?”

“Don’t worry about them, let’s just say they aren’t real.”

A look of confusion flashed across Catori’s face.

“Farrah could never bring forth a child of her own, so I used my ability to create an illusion of her having children.”

“Dad, that’s bad.”

“She was the one to force my hand to do so.”

“So she knows?”

“Not fully. I’m sorry I kept all of this from you. I thought I was protecting you.”

Catori threw her arms around her father, “you have, and you did a great job.”

Lucian gave a half smile.

“Time for me to go do something I should have done long ago.” Lucian said, walking to the door.

“One more thing. What is the name of your mate?”

“Rydstorm, he said he looked up to Nightwing from he was a child.”

“Rydstorm?”

“Yes, he has blue hair.”

Lucian thought for a while.

“I would like to speak with him soon. But for now, take care of yourself.”