Born In Light I | Born In Light II | Born In Light III | Born In Light IV | Born In Light V | Born In Light VI

I felt the wind whipping past my face as Ethan propelled me forward. Instead of heading to the dorms where I had assumed he’d take me, he veered off and towards the Guard’s housing complex. This was where all of the Instructors and campus Guards stayed. I hadn’t been inside yet, but I’d heard they were very nice.

My eyes wandered up to Ethans’ face, and I saw a tight-lipped strained expression. He seemed to be in pain almost, and I felt a bit sorry for him. After what Michael had told me, I was starting to understand how difficult all of this was for the man holding me. He’d been alone for so long and suddenly had a Rider and…what had he called me?…  right, a Tether… dropped on him like a bowling ball.

But he didn’t need to drag me across the entire courtyard like a madman. I narrowed my eyes as my thoughts finally stopped racing. My feet planted, and I yanked back on the arm that gripped me. It caused him to stumble slightly, but not nearly enough for my liking.

“You need to stop!” He looked back at me, eyes wide and wild. I almost cowered away from him then but steeled myself and stood straight. “What you did in there was uncalled for. Michael has been nothing but a friend to me since I got here, and you roared at him like a feral beast.”

Ethan glared at me, but I could tell he wasn’t really mad at the comment. He knew he had acted horribly, and his eyes told me how ashamed he was. Of course, that wasn’t what came out of his mouth next.

A sneer formed on his lips and crossed his arms, muscles bulging as he did so. “I told you to stay away from him. He wants you, and I will not allow that.”

My hands bunched in frustration, “why?”

“You’re my Tether.” He said it like I should know what that meant.

“And?” I cocked my head at him and sighed.

“As he said, it hasn’t happened to our kind in,” he paused, “a very long time.”

I raised a brow, waiting for him to continue. He shook his head and held his hand out to me. “Ellie, this is not the place to explain this. Please, just come with me.”

I looked beyond him to the Guard’s housing. “Why there?”

“I live there,” he trailed off for a moment. “For now.”

“Is Adrian ok with you taking me there? I’m pretty sure it’s off-limits to students.” Ethan shook his head again and held out his hand further.

“You’re an exception.” I eyed him for a moment longer, I could see his impatience growing the longer I took. When it seemed like he would boil over, I nodded and took his larger hand. He immediately encased mine, and his whole body seemed to relax.

“Thank you.” With that, he continued leading me to the housing. The place was quite beautiful, really. Once we passed through the gates surrounding it, I could see the small homes up close. They looked like little cottages all lined up along a manicured walking path. Trees and flowers were planted along the walls, and gardens lined the fronts. Small back yards were fenced in, and I could see some of the adults lounging around a fire pit.

They looked at us curiously, but no one said a word as Ethan led me further into the little neighborhood. We came to a stop in front of one of the larger homes, it was just as quaint as the others, but it was apparent it was reserved for the more notable visitors. The decor was much more luxurious as he led me up the front porch and inside. The living space looked like it had been designed by an Interior Designer and not a single Dragon on his own.

I stood in the middle of the living room as he disappeared for a moment. When he returned, he had two glasses of water for us. I watched him sit on the couch and then pat the seat next to him.

I hesitated for a moment before I joined him, my curiosity getting the better of me.

“Alright, explain.” I didn’t want to beat around the bush, and he seemed to appreciate it.

“As I said, you are my Tether. This is a bond that runs deeper than a Rider bond.”

I licked my lip softly, thoughts flooding my mind. I caught him watching the action but dismissed it. “Ok, how is it deeper?”

“Ellie, a Tether, is the genuine soulbond between a Rider and Dragon.”

I motioned him to continue. He fidgeted slightly, uneasy.

“The soulbond is,” he paused and took a drink. “It’s-”

I finally lost my patience, “oh, get on with it already!”

He glared but finally finished his thought. “A Tether is a Dragon’s life mate. You are my life mate Ellie. It’s why I don’t want Michael anywhere near you.”

I stared at him for a few minutes, and he snapped his fingers in front of me. “Ellie?”

I couldn’t respond, darkness had claimed me as I hit the floor.