Ashton & James
Already annoyed to have been cut off a second time, Ashton looked down at the short boy vampire and growled softly, taking James's words as insult. "Of course we do!" The dragon snapped. "Barclay and I are --" The word mates hung on his tongue, but Ashton didn't say it. He and Barclay had had this talk. That what if the time came when Ashton did find a female dragon? What if the time came when Ashton needed to mate to further his own species? He could not be mated, in the sense of the word dragons used it, to a human. But, still, Ashton could not think of another way to live, another purpose, besides being with Barclay.
James was a convenient target to cast the blame on for the dragon's turn of mood and Ashton growled again and bared his teeth. "We do not need a human custom or anyone's permission to be together for the rest of our lives. How dare you question us."