Flame Touched

Chapter Thirty-One - Matteo

Three weeks passed slowly. By the time the Dragon Council rolled around, Matt felt as though he'd been wed to Rei for a lot longer than a month. Ever since the scare of the transition, he'd refused to leave the city for any reason. And his father did try, repeatedly, to nudge Matt away from his wife. Rei's recovery took over a week. Like he could leave her when she was so weak for so long? She almost died. Once she was better, he had a hard time leaving her side. Their honeymoon finally happened, in the castle, but it counted. All of the lost time was made up for, so he had no problem leaving her for a few days again.

Missing the Dragon Council was out of the question, anyway. Not only was it his first year, but it was also going to be one of the most important years to attend. Lynx had grand plans to put into action. Stage one began at the council.

Matt also needed a break from his bride. When the day arrived to head down to the docks to depart for the council island, Matt gave her a kiss, promised to contact her, and left the castle a bit more eagerly than he should have. He blamed the excitement on the council and on the chance to spend some more time with Eian. Outside of breakfast, they hadn't gotten much time together.

"She's taking over all of my space," he explained with a frustrated huff to his twin. The last thing he wanted to do was gripe about Rei. After all they'd been through together, he knew her redecorating the suite was not worth getting upset over. Eian had always been one of the few people who would actually sit and listen to him. Once he got it off his chest, he'd be able to move on. He made a note to do it more often, and not let Rei absorb so much of his free time anymore. While he cared about her, a lot, he was starting to not like being attached to her at the hip. She hated when he left her to do anything.

Eian nodded, showing he was still paying attention. "Remember when we used to share a room? You took over my half."

"We were five. That was a lifetime ago," Matt countered.

"Still happened." Eian stuck out his tongue. "Point is, it's natural, I think. Don't look at it as her invading, but instead as her blending her life with yours."

"She likes flowers. I haven't had the heart to tell her that too many of them overwhelm my sense of smell." He sighed. "I'd been hoping she'd pick up on it once she finished going through the changes. They get our senses and reflexes, you know?"

Eian shrugged and gazed away. "So I'm told."

What a baby, honestly. He knew what I meant. "Instead of wanting less flowers in the room, she put in more. She likes the over-saturated floral...ness that has become our bedroom."

"Maybe you should tell her how you actually feel," Eian said. "Can't say I'm an expert in relationships, but last I checked communication is a huge factor for success. How is she supposed to know if you say nothing?"

Nodding, Matt gazed down at his feet. "I know, I know, you're right, I..." He squeezed his eyes shut. "I could have lost her. Right now, I'm struggling with keeping her happy, but also keeping myself happy. She deserves the world. If flowers make her elated, shouldn't I be willing to sacrifice my own comfort to let her have them? They're flowers."

"Compromising isn't always bad," Eian said quietly. "Camila and I compromise a lot. We have to. We're too different."

"Is she still avoiding you?" Matt felt guilty for even complaining about Rei's clinginess. He should have felt lucky to have so much of her devotion. Most men did not get that their first try at a marriage.

Eian gave him a small smile. "Avoiding isn't the right word. She's processing what we are. I thought watching me transform would scare her away, make it real. Nope, it was seeing the after effects of mating."