This time he took it.
His leg was throbbing, and he knew it was because his bone was beginning to fuse, and although one of the benefits of being a dragon shifter was accelerated healing, it didn’t mean that it wasn’t painful as all hell. He knew the aspirin would help to take the edge off the pain shooting up his body, he had just been too damn proud before to admit that he desperately needed it.
Chase didn’t know what it was exactly that had changed between them, but it seemed as if their soft banter and stolen smiles had broken the ice and eased the tension between them by tenfold, and he found himself liking their new rapport.
She watched him quietly, and he knew something was eating at her. He could practically see the questions rolling around in her head. He shifted to make himself a bit more comfortable as he waited for the aspirin to take effect.
“Go ahead,” he urged.
“What?”
“You have questions for me,” he continued, studying her face and loving the way her cheeks reddened just a bit, almost as if she had been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. “Ask whatever you’d like. I’m an open book.”
Marissa bit back the squeal of delight that sprang to her lips at his generous invitation. An open book! She sure hoped he wasn’t just yanking her tail. She had a thousand and one questions she wanted to ask of the dragon, and suddenly Mr. Moody was offering her free access!
It was like finding a treasure chest! One that she had better take full advantage of before he flipped once again and became the brooding jerk that she had already had the pleasure of dealing with. If there was one thing for certain, it was that Marissa wasn’t going to let this chance slip through her fingers.
“You mentioned your necklace,” she began.
“Amulet,” he corrected her, but she didn’t detect a hint of malice in his tone, he was simply correcting a fact, and she nodded quickly.
She was trying her best not to let on how excited she was, but it was hard. She was positively bursting! She had wanted to know about dragon shifters for as long as she could remember but had never been fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to actually meet one in the flesh before. It wasn’t like they traveled in the same paranormal circles, and until he fully healed, this was her golden opportunity to find out as much as she could. Every and any tid-bit of information that he was willing to share.
“About your Amulet,” she went on, her excitement growing with each second that passed.
“Yes, what about it?”
She couldn’t help but think how smooth and comforting his voice was. It was deep and even, and it made you feel instantly at ease. Well, at least it did when he wasn’t being a boorish ass and snapping at her like she was an idiot out to kill him.
“I noticed that it seems to be extremely important to you, and I couldn’t help but wonder why. It was the very first thing you mentioned when you woke. Well…it was once you stopped barking at me, and demanding to know who I was. Not to mention that whole bottom feeder remark,” She finished with a smirk, and nibbled at her bottom lip to keep her grin hidden. “Is it very valuable?”
He was silent for a long moment, his brows furrowing in what seemed to be concentration, and she began to wonder if he was going to answer her or simply ignore her. Finally, after what seemed to her an eternity, he cleared his throat, and his eyes locked with hers. “It is, but only in the sense that it has been handed down for generations by my people to the leaders of the dragon clans.”
Marissa felt her heart skip a beat.
Oh, Sweet Neptune’s knickers! He wasn’t just a dragon shifter; he was the freaking leader of the dragon shifters!
His laughter filled the air and echoed off the walls of the cavern, bouncing across the space and directly into her brain.
“I’m guessing by your somewhat stunned expression, that it would be safe to say you didn’t realize that I lead my clan,” he chuckled.
“I…um…no…,” she stammered honestly, wondering what kind of nightmare would rain down on her and her people when the dragons found out that he was attacked by that group of dumbasses, and that they had tried to kill their leader!
It certainly would not look good for the merpeople as a whole. And from what had gathered so far, his opinion of her kind wasn’t bright and shiny to begin with. This would just make it worse.
Guh!
Hadn’t she heard one of them say that the amulet would be all the proof they needed to show that they had him?
What idiots! They were looking to start a war!
Deciding that it would be in her best interest not to mention his attackers and to help him, she took a deep breath and returned his gaze, squaring her shoulders with conviction.
“I had no idea, but I want you to know, that once your leg heals, and you are feeling strong enough, I’ll help you find the men who did this to you. I don’t want to you think that because of a few bad ones, that all my people are dishonorable thieves.”
“Thank you, Marissa,” he replied, and her heart once again bounced against her ribs. He hadn’t called her by her name before, and the sound of it rolling past his lips caused a tingle to run across her spine, and she found herself wanting to hear him say it again. “Now, what else would you like to ask me?”
She let out a relived sigh and smiled. Her excitement growing once again by leaps and bounds.
For how long she couldn’t say, but it seemed like hours, she grilled him relentlessly about dragon shifters, completely entranced by his stories, and the longer they talked the more she found herself beginning to like the big oaf in spite of herself. He was charming, and funny when he let his guard down, and she didn’t even want to think about how positively sexy as hell he was!
When she had gotten most of the more pressing questions out of the way and answered to her satisfaction, he surprised her by turning the tables on her.
“Now you,” he said, taking a sip from his water bottle.
“What about me?” Marissa asked innocently, honestly not having the slightest idea why he would ever want to know about her mundane little existence. He was fascinating, and she was… nobody.
Not to mention that the man was the leader of an ancient clan of dragons!
She wasn’t stupid. She knew that most paranormal beings didn’t think the merpeople were anything special. They were the keepers of the water. Left alone to watch over the oceans and black lakes. They weren’t considered an important part of the supernatural realm, and it was one of the reasons her people chose to keep themselves as far from the land as possible.
There were those few over the centuries who had decided to live with the landwalkers, and those, like the men who had attacked him, who frequented the towns for their own gain and pleasure, but on land they had no powers to speak of. For all intents and purposes, they were just human.
Humans who happened to live forever. Human who sprouted a tail and could breathe underwater…but still human, so the other beings took great pleasure in looking down on them. Treated them no better than garbage, and she realized that was one of the main reasons why his bottom feeders remark had stung her so badly.
Her parents had pounded it into her head for as long as she could remember, that their place was in the sea; and those times, not so very long ago, when she had thrown caution to the wind and gave into her curious nature and ventured onto land had proven them right. She shoved the thought from her mind and glanced down at the cavern floor, suddenly feeling brutally exposed.
“Tell me about yourself, Marissa.”
“There’s nothing much to tell. I’m a mermaid. I watch over the ocean. I keep a watch over those who sail the seas. That’s about it.”
Chase watched the curious little imp intently, knowing that she was holding something back. He saw a flash of something cross her features. Sadness, maybe? He couldn’t be certain, but there was something below the surface with this one, and he found himself wanting to find out what it was exactly that brought that wistful look to
her eyes.
He realized that he had actually enjoyed the last few hours sitting and talking with her. More than he had ever remembered enjoying anything in a very long time. Or ever, for that matter. This all was so not his style. He didn’t sit around and talk. And even though, for all intents and purposes, he was on the “out of commission” list for the moment, he found himself wanting the moment to go on and on.
“You really should rest,” she insisted softly, although he didn’t hear much conviction in her tone at all. “I’m sure I’ve exhausted you with all my questions.”
“I’m good, although I would kill for a cup of coffee right about now. You don’t happen to have any in that magical bag of yours, do you?”
She shook her head.
“Well, then, how about another water?”
She dug around and handed him the bottle and he cracked it open.
It was better than nothing.
“You seem very,” he paused, searching for the right words, “well-schooled in the world outside…or above…or however you wish to phrase it. Do you come up on land often?”
He watched her expression change instantly, as if the very thought of spending time on land brought on an overwhelming sense of…fear?
“Did I say something wrong?” he asked, leaning forward a bit. He winced as a shot of pain sliced through his leg and inwardly cursed his current situation.
He remained silent as she grabbed the blanket that she had used to cover herself with that morning and moved over to kneel beside him, her delicate hands easing it behind his back, and he realized that she was trying so very hard not to hurt him, and wanted to laugh.
He was a damned dragon leader, and this little set back was just a blip of nuisance in the grand scheme of things. He was getting stronger by the minute, and sure as hell didn’t need a nursemaid.
Yet, as much as it irked him to admit, it was kind of nice having her tend to him.
He also realized something unexpected as she busied herself trying to make him comfortable.
She smelled damned amazing!
Fresh and clean, like the sea-breeze rolling off the ocean she called home, it wafted through his senses and made him forget where he was for just a millisecond in time. He caught himself leaning over to get just a bit closer to her, and breathed her scent in greedily.
She turned her head at just that moment and their mouths were suddenly mere inches apart, and it took every ounce of willpower he possessed not to follow what every single instinct he had was screaming at him, and close that tiny gap between them and steal a kiss.
Taste her lips.
Instead he cleared his throat like a complete jackass and leaned back, internally kicking himself in the ass as he did.
Just what in the hell was wrong with him? If he wanted something, he damned well took it! Deciding that he needed to rest and get the hell back to his clan, he closed his eyes and tried to ignore the sensation of the beautiful creature as she fussed over him.
Chapter Four
“I believe he was given the kiss by Krill’s daughter,” Magnus said, watching the group’s reactions closely. He had followed the maid as she had taken the dragon to her hideaway and kissed the shifter back to life. She must have known what a foolish risk she was taking. Not that it mattered to him in the least. All he cared about was that this information would put him in his leader’s favor.
“Son of a bitch!” Aquilas shouted, throwing his mug of stout against the wall of the tavern where it exploded, sending glass shards flying in every direction. The bartender looked up with a scowl at the group of men.
The man should have figured he was due for some of this bullshit. The mermen had been much too quiet of late.
He despised the rowdy group of sea-scum. They were nothing but trouble.
But…they also paid him for the trouble they caused by ten-fold, so in the long run, the money it added to his pockets was well worth the damage that they caused. He didn’t stick his nose in their business, and they stayed out of his.
“What in the hell was that bitch thinking?” Aquilas ranted, pacing around the deserted bar. “Does she not realize that it is not to be used on others? Damn that head-strong maid!” He seethed, walking over to stand in front of Magnus. He laid his hand on the other man’s shoulder and snarled. “You’ve done well. Believe me when I say, it won’t soon be forgotten.” He turned and looked at his men, his eyes gleaming devilishly before looking back to the man standing in front of him, his chest puffed-up with pride. “Magnus, I want you to take a few of the men and keep watch on our pair,” he instructed. “Make sure you do not make your presence known, just keep me abreast as to what is going on. I have some time to decide what I want to do. The shifter will need to recover from our friendly little bit of game-play. Even dragons aren’t indestructible.”
“Why not just do away with them both and be done with it?” Magnus asked, not much liking the fact that he was basically being assigned to play babysitter.
“Now, where would the fun in that be?” Aquilas laughed. “Who would have thought that the Princess of the Sea could be so foolish? It’s a shame her father isn’t still alive to see his perfect daughter’s folly!”
When Marissa was certain that Chase had fallen asleep, she slipped through the small opening at the back of the cavern and headed toward town. They had spent the better part of the day talking and getting to know each other, and she’d found herself sharing things she hadn’t shared with anyone in a very long time. If ever. She found him to be warm and caring once the all-powerful dragon schtick slipped away, and she found herself wanting to do something nice for him.
After much thought, she had decided that a decent supper and some coffee would be just the thing. She had checked her funds and was happy to discover that she still had more than enough to gather the supplies she needed, and set off, not numb to the fact that this would be the second time in as many days that she was going among the landwalkers.
Who would ever have imagined?
All it took was one ornery dragon to get her to overcome her fears. Well, if she were to be perfectly honest with herself, it wasn’t overcoming them exactly, but at least she was forcing herself to deal with them a whole heck of a lot more than she was before she had rescued the man.
She strolled along; her mind lost on thoughts of the dragon leader. He had woven stories of his clan and how they worked together as brothers to serve and protect the supernatural realm, and she found herself wistfully wishing she could experience a sense a family like that.
For the most part, merpeople were notoriously self-absorbed creatures. Their beauty and grace caused them to be content in their own presence most of the time, and not really want to spend it in the company of others.
Something Marissa never could really get a grasp on.
She had always craved a connection with other creatures. She was curious by nature and had a caring heart, not to mention that she loved learning about other beings. Something her family could never truly understand.
Or condone.
Once their duty to raise their young was over, merfolk moved on.
Marissa had only heard of her father’s passing by accident, and her mother had left them years before, moving on to another. As her father’s only living heir, she knew she should take her place among their people to rule, she simply chose not to. Hence, her love of her secret cavern. It was her sanctuary, basically where she felt safest. And now, it was someone else’s as well.
At least for the time being.
She found herself almost dreading the time when he got what he wanted from her and she led him to his attackers and then inevitably move on and went back to his people. For some reason, the idea of it caused a small pit to form in her stomach.
Marissa pushed the thought away and continued into town, unaware of the figures that lurked in the darkness watching her.
Chase rolled over with a hearty groan of contentment and opened his eyes, pleasantly surprised that his
leg didn’t scream out in protest at the movement. He was getting there. Slower than he’d like, but at least he was making progress.
He sat up and glanced around for his cave-mate, surprised when he found nothing. Pushing himself up, he stood and tested his leg.
There was a dull ache, and it was still a bit weak, but things were definitely looking up.
He found himself grinning as the day spent with her flitted through his mind. Her musical laugher and quick smile. She was witty and smart, and he found himself admiring the moxie of someone who spent their time in the depths of the sea.
Now, if he could just figure out where the beautiful little sprite had run off to. Or swam off to, as the case may be.
He moved around a bit, stretching his legs and trying to strengthen them, before removing her make-shift splint and deciding to explore a bit.
She had to be around here somewhere.
Marissa slipped through the opening with her bag, her grin nearly cracking her face in half. She had found two wonderful looking steaks, and a camping coffee pot, and was practically bursting. It was rare that she ever ate the landwalkers fare, especially meat, so this was going to be a special treat!
“I was beginning to wonder if you had finally decided to take off and leave me to my own accord.”
Marissa spun around with an audible squeak as his smooth, velvety voice drifted through the darkness. Her bag fell from her hand with a loud crash as the steel percolator slipped out of the plastic and clattered along the passageway.
“Poseidon’s pufferfish!” She shrieked, glaring into the darkness. “You nearly scared the pearls right out of me! What are you doing lurking about in the dark?”
Chase tried his damndest to hold back the ripple of laughter that was bubbling up in his gut and threatening to slip past his lips. The last thing he wanted was for her to think that he was laughing at her; but she sure as shit had a colorful way with words.
“Sorry,” he choked out, trying to hide his grin as he stepped closer to where she stood, although he doubted very much that she could actually see it. He just wasn’t going to take any chances. “I woke to find you gone, and decided to do a little exploring. I needed to move around a bit.”
The Mermaid's Kiss Page 4