Their voices moved further away, and the conversation continued.
It took me a couple of seconds to process what I had just heard, and the conversation between the two no longer concerned me. The encounter was so brief, yet there was so much to take in here. It felt like my body and mind landed slowly, and I returned to a normal state. Questions swirled and created chaos inside my head. Deal with me? What did she mean? And what the hell is a Mare and Orm? Why didn't they see us? Is this green smoke some sort of invisible spell? And why the hell is this creep still on top of me?!
A deep grunt pushed up my throat as I pushed him away with all my strength. My eyes widened, and I stared at him with my mouth wide open before I looked down at my hands. He turned them around, then back again before gaping back up on the stranger, now stumbling and crawling to get back on his feet. I guess my body works again! It had been a mere thought, a wish to get him the fuck off me. A desperate, unrecognizable need for space. I needed to think, needed to collect my thoughts.
"Who are you?"
Remembering how much this man loved his own voice, I asked the question before he regained his composure.
"Hmpf... 'Oh, thank you for saving me.' 'no problem, little human.'"
He muttered while brushing dry dirt and grass off his clothes without even looking up. I felt myself rolling my eyes mentally and cut his bratty sulking off,
"No. No, you don't get to play that card! You followed me, then spent the first minutes humiliating my very existence and picking my looks and life apart without even a second thought. You jumped out here like a short-minded bully; then you jumped me. Held me down and did who knows what to me! I couldn't even roll my eyes!! All this, without even a 'Hi, my name is...' Fuck you, shut up and answer!"
The air between us vibrated with energy and tension. My fists clenched, and my heart, yet again, slammed against my ribcage. I could feel how the blood rushed through my veins, making me feel warm, anxious, and irritated. It didn't help that he didn't even react, still focusing on his clothes and brushing off invisible dust.
"Your dress is clean; now answer me!"
"That is your focus? No wonder humans remain so weak, and their evolution has stopped there. What a waste of time, but very well. If the future queen would like to waste time on unimportant questions before the ones that really matter, let me entertain the royal... I am Orm, and yes, it is just Orm: no surname, middle name, or family name. I am Orm, simple as that. I've followed you since you crossed the ice river, and might I say, you need to pay more attention to your surroundings! So reckless in so many ways! "
He breathed out in a huff, like a disappointed parent left without words.
"And I do not like that insinuation, not at all! I didn't do anything to you, and I didn't jump you. I don't like the way it sounds when you are saying it! I made sure we both laid low. I wouldn't have to if you knew how to use your ears and just listen. However, they arrived a little earlier than I expected. So, stop flattering yourself; it makes me feel sick! I am not a desperate male; I'm no creep. I did what I had to do, nothing more!"
I have no words. I really have no idea whether to laugh, shout, or just walk away. Still, despite what I just said and how he acted towards me, even after I pointed it out, he didn't seem affected in any way. As a matter of fact, he seemed even more irritated, and if possible, his cocky demeanor grew. I'm not even sure how to speak to this person, creature, or whatever he is.
"I've never heard of you..."
I felt a strange sensation of pride boost inside my chest; he was no better than me! And despite how childish this reaction was, it was what it was! I wanted nothing more than to pull him off his high horse and slap that crooked grin on his face.
"Oh, poor girl. Of course, you don't know who I am. You know me, you heard of me, but all without knowing anything. I do not expect you to understand. But are we done wasting time here so we can start on what really matters?"
"No, there is one more thing!"
"No, I am not stalking you. No, I am not trying to claim you, and no, I do not want you in any way!"
He waved me away while answering a question I would never even think of asking, and I could feel how my face turned into a displeased grimace, and a chill of disgust ran over my skin, leaving goosebumps in its wake.
"Yuk... No! Just, NO! Who are the royal elders?"
For once, he seemed to lose his calm and collected cocky-stone face and tilted his head to the side. His curiosity was impossible to hide, and my cheeks burned. I felt shame. For what? For not knowing, for being as clueless and useless as he had claimed earlier? No, I felt embarrassed and ashamed that I might love a man that hid this from me. I trusted him with my life and my thoughts, and I would probably trust him with my private book collection, and still, he kept this away from me. Never mentioned the royal elders, never mentioned the need to be accepted, never mentioned a thing. Even if I hated to admit it, doubt ached in my chest. Maybe he never wanted me that way, never intended to really make me his mate. Did he play me all this time? I refused to believe it; the pain was so immense I didn't dare take the time to think it through. No, it can't be like that. He is part of me; he is me; he is what I need to keep going in this world. He is the only thing keeping me alive, making me feel alive and happy. Needed.
"You haven't met your mates' parents?"
The question made my entire body cold, and a heavy stone formed in my stomach.
"He doesn't have any..."
This time, I didn't manage to match his energy, and I hated myself for sounding so insecure. I am not. I know he doesn't have parents, he told me himself!
"He does. And marking you without the royal elder's approval will kill you."
I couldn't breathe. I felt how the color of my face vanished, and the throbbing pain left my skin numb. My voice didn't hold. It broke, even when just a whisper,
"You are lying..."
"No. If a royal dragon marks his female without the royal elder's approval, without the seal on her body, she will die. And I do not see the seal on you."