“I don’t think there’d be too many people at a 7-11 at eleven o’clock at night,” I said to him, waggling my eyebrows at him.
Garen laughed and shook his head. “That doesn’t sound safe to me in general, dragon shifters aside.”
I scoffed at him. “Do you have something against convenience stores?”
“I do when it’s late at night,” he said back. “The kind of people who go to them late at night are not the sort of people that you want to be around, surely.”
I sighed a little.
“I’ll think about it,” he said. “Not about going to 7-11 with you, but about going somewhere with you. We’ll likely have to bring along at least one of my guards, though.”
“That’s not a problem,” I said, trying my best to remain agreeable. Beggers couldn’t be choosers, after all. “I’d prefer Brock.”
Garen raised an eyebrow at me. “You really ought to give Ash a chance sometime. He’s not a bad guy either. He wouldn’t be my servant otherwise.”
“I’m sure,” I said. “He’s probably a great guy to you. But he doesn’t seem to like me very much, and it doesn’t give me a lot of confidence in him when it comes to helping me…”
He opened his mouth to say something further on the subject, but at that exact moment, the doorbell rang. Time had flown by somehow. I wonder if the pizza man has wings, I thought absently. Normally this would’ve been a silly imagined scenario, but now I wasn’t so sure that it was outside the realm of possibility. Oh god. “What if the pizza guy’s a dragon?” I asked Garen, grabbing hold of his arm and stopping him from answering the call.
“Precisely why you need to go into the den and stay out of sight. Now.”
I didn’t argue with him. Instead, I quickly padded back to the den and down the cold, stone steps. Not wanting to risk being seen at all, I went to the couch and laid down on it. Relax, I told myself, even as my heart pounded in my chest. It’s just a pizza guy. He’s just bringing us delicious dinner.
I hated that the horrible dragons had even ruined my love of pizza!
The front door opened—it did make a sound this time—and I heard Garen dispensing the usual pleasantries at someone. His voice never raised. Our hackles had gone up a bit prematurely. I felt bad for whoever was delivering pizzas, in case Garen had given them his intense stare that he reserved for enemies. I could just imagine a poor teenaged delivery driver. Well, delivery sailor in our case. Can’t drive to our doorstep.
The image of a dragon living in a castle made me smile. What did this fairy tale make me? A princess? I felt more like a prisoner even still. I supposed that a lot of princesses in those stories started out as prisoners, too.
Before long, I could hear the sound of the door closing and then footsteps down the hall. “I’m guessing that the delivery man had no interest in killing us,” I said from the couch, not bothering to sit up yet, just in case.
“I don’t know about it being us that anyone wants to kill,” Garen’s voice said back to me.
I sat up, leaning against my elbows, and smiled at him. He was standing there, holding the two gigantic pizzas. “They’d kill you to get to me.”
“They’d certainly try.”
“Those pizzas are ridiculously huge,” I said. “There’s no way we can eat all of this. What were you thinking? Were you planning some kind of a party?”
Garen chuckled, setting the pizzas down on the coffee table in front of the couch; the table that had been my desk not that long before. I was glad that my beautiful, used textbooks weren’t still sitting there. I hated stains on my stuff. “I was thinking of giving some to Ash and Brock. Unless of course you think our guards don’t deserve to eat.”
I blushed a little, immediately feeling like the biggest idiot. “Oh,” I said in a small voice. “No, they can and should have some. I didn’t think they’d be interested in dining with us…”
Garen smiled and sat down next to me on the couch. I scooted over so I was leaning against him instead of my elbows. “They usually don’t ask to, but I thought that since we were dining in tonight and we might want them to remain close at hand, they probably should dine with us. I’ve already mentioned this to Brock. He’s informing Ash.” He looked skyward.
He’s been flying around like a vulture again. A vulture protecting us against other, scarier vultures. “I see.”
Leaning forward, Garen opened one of the pizza boxes—the one on top of the short stack—and pulled a large slice apart from the rest. He brought it to his mouth and I leaned forward to get a slice for myself. “Do you want plates?”
He considered and then shook his head. “I don’t think there’s a point,” he said after swallowing his first big bite. “It’ll just make more work for the guys.”
“I don’t mind doing the dishes,” I offered. “It’s the least I could do to thank them for all of their help… And you. Besides, I could always use more things to do.”
Garen gave me another of his sexy smirks. He nodded his head slightly. “Well, all right then,” he said. “If you’re sure. But don’t say I didn’t warn you if they’re weirded out by you doing it.”
I didn’t believe that they’d mind at all if I covered one of their chores for them. And it wasn’t like I was going to take care of the dishes from then on out. I was just desperate for things to do while I was there in the house, basically by myself. “I think they’ll appreciate it,” I said. “At least Brock will. Ash can be a weirdo if he wants.”
Speak of the devil—Ash and Brock appeared in the den, stepping down and looking at us oddly as we sat there, chatting with large slices of pizza hanging out of our palms. I didn’t even want to look down at my pants because I knew that they were covered in grease.
“Hungry?” I asked them sheepishly.
Chapter 3: Escapism
The pizza really was delicious. I didn’t know why I’d been a little shocked when he ordered without asking me what I wanted. As usual, Garen knew what was best. He treated me so well. And he even treated his servants with appreciation and respect. That much was clear as they sat down on the floor, wanting to be close to the pizza. They munched on the extra-large pizzas with us.
Even though I appreciated the meal and the time with the other trustworthy dragons, I still longed to leave the house, at least for a little while. “I hope you’re not going to go back on your idea,” I said to Garen later that night as we lay in bed together. “About letting me stretch my limbs a little outside.”
He bobbed his head up and down against the downy pillow that we were both sharing. “I won’t go back on it,” he said. I wondered if it was a promise or just another empty statement such as, ‘I’ll think of something.’
“It doesn’t really have to be a convenience or grocery store,” I said. “I was just making some quick examples. A walk would be fine. A walk through the trees here in the park. We’d be under cover that way.”
He appeared thoughtful as he looked at me in the mostly-dark. “I know that it is a lot, to be stuck in here all the time. It’d be difficult for anyone. Especially so quickly without any notice. It wasn’t my intention to shut you off from the world.” He sighed a little. “I can swear that. There’s just no other way that I can think of to keep you safe. Apart from moving away, but my work is here. We can’t just move to Quebec like your parents. Though it’d be nice.”
“It’d be nice to visit them,” I added, rolling over a little so I could lie with my chest against his. I kissed him on his lips and then gave his chin a little nip. “That’s the sort of thing that would be the dream. A real vacation.”
Garen smiled up at me, but there was some sadness in his smile. He brought a hand to his face and rubbed the bridge of his nose. I could tell that I was giving him grief about all of this, even if he did understand my struggle. He clearly didn’t have many answers to help fix the situation.
I rested my head against his hairy chest, listening to his heart’s irregular rhythm. “Or not. Whatever. You know
what’s best.”
He ran his long fingers through my hair and didn’t say anything. I didn’t say anything either, thinking that he was drifting off to sleep, and not wanting to disturb him.
“I know a place,” he murmured softly, when I was just starting to doze off myself. “I know a guy…”
“Hmm?” I asked. “You know a place to what?”
He chuckled so quietly that the only way I could tell he was doing so was because his chest gently vibrated against me. “I know a place where we can go spend some time outside of the house. Wouldn’t you like that?”
“Oh,” I said with a smile. “Yes, I’d love that. Where is it?”
There was a long pause in which he didn’t say anything. Okay, I thought. He really is asleep this time.
“Let’s plan more tomorrow,” he said, practically through sleep. “I’m too tired right now.”
I cuddled against him, nodding my head a little. “Okay. I look forward to that.” It was great just to have something to eagerly anticipate again.
The following morning came too soon. Garen gently disentangled my body from his, waking me up in the process. I looked at him, grumbling as I rubbed the sleep from my eyes. It wasn’t even light outside yet.
“Sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to wake you.” He leaned down and kissed me. “I’ve got early meetings today. That means I should hopefully be able to come home earlier, too.”
I smiled at him with my eyes closed, hoping that I could just go back to sleep for a while instead of having to wake up and get to work. There was a scheduled lecture online today, but not until the afternoon. It was decidedly not close to afternoon yet. “Have fun,” I said to him groggily, rolling over onto my left side so I could face him as he walked around the room, getting dressed and ready to go.
When I woke up again, it was some hours later. The sun was in the sky then. I could see its brightness peeking through the slightly sheer curtains. I could also see that Garen wasn’t there anymore. My heart sank a little, as it always did when he wasn’t around. “I hope he really does come home early,” I said aloud, my voice slightly croaky. I got out of bed and put my robe on in order to cover up my revealing pajamas, and keep warm in the icebox of a mansion.
I went downstairs in search of breakfast and Brock was there, chilling in the kitchen like he always seemed to. As if he knew that I’d show up there eventually. Instead of bothering with a pastry this time, I just got out some cereal and some milk. “Anything interesting today?” I asked him, nodding towards the newspaper in his hands.
He shook his head, frowning a little as though he was disappointed that people weren’t out for my blood this morning. “It’s same old, same old, today. No mentions of you, which you’re probably relieved to hear.”
“I am,” I told him readily. “It means I’m that much closer to being able to breathe outside.”
Brock looked at me and he showed his sharp, impressive teeth to me in a friendly matter. It was meant as a smile. I was startled to see it. He didn’t normally do such things. He was normally too stoic to have anything other than a straight face. Less stoic than his friend Ash, though. At least Brock could be jokey sometimes.
“We’ll see about that,” he said to me with a bit of humor in his voice. “Don’t hold your breath. But I know that the Master is trying.”
That was enough for me for the moment. I ate my cereal at the breakfast bar, sitting next to him as he read his newspaper in silence. There was a friendly understanding that we shared. He didn’t bother me or act super strict around me anymore. Probably because he knew that Garen would make him pay for any insolence on his part, but also maybe because he liked me a little.
As soon as I was done with my breakfast, I took my bowl around to the sink and rinsed it before putting it and the spoon I’d used into the dishwasher. Brock lowered his paper just enough for me to know that he was watching and appreciating this gesture, too. There was no reason that he needed to be treated like he was lower than me. He certainly was more involved and informed than I was. He did more than I did already, so what were a few dishes?
I went up to the bedroom again and changed into some decent clothes for the day. I put on the nice, dark jeans I’d worn the other day and a sky blue tank top. Thinking better of leaving like that, I threw a dark blue cardigan over my shoulders before heading back out. I didn’t bother about shoes, though. It wasn’t like I was going anywhere.
Now I was dressed for some work. I went down to the den and set things up at the coffee table the way that I liked them. “I could really use a laptop,” I said out loud as I opened my first textbook for the day. It would be so much easier if I could just have a laptop on the table there beside my desk. The desktop computer that Garen has was nice, but it wasn’t as convenient. Is it too much to ask for? I wondered. He’s my dragon mate. He’s not my sugar daddy.
I doubted very much that he was going to be able to come home early, even though he’d said so that morning. It had been so early and I’d been so sleepy that I knew there was a chance that I’d imagined that entire exchange. He goes in early every day, pretty much. Why should today be any different?
Garen was the boss, but that didn’t mean that he could just work less whenever he felt like it, did it? He quite obviously worked his ass off every day, otherwise he wouldn’t have been gone so often and left me there to fend for myself. I realized that I was being dramatic, but I hated being lonely in that giant’s mouth of a house. Being left with only Brock was basically like being left entirely alone.
I found myself wondering where Garen had gotten all of that gold that filled the basement. Had that been some kind of a dream, too? I’d known about it for a while but had never come up with a nonchalant way of mentioning or asking about it. The subject just seemed so rude. There was also the small matter of explaining how I knew about the gold in the first place. Though, honestly, it wasn’t as if he locked the door to the basement. He had to have known that I’d go down there and find it eventually.
Looking down at my book, I realized that I’d read zero of the words on the page so far. “Ugh,” I said, closing the book in my frustration. I looked at the clock on my phone and noted that there were four hours until the lecture that I had to ‘attend.’ I had time to goof off if I chose, but it might very well bite me in the ass if I procrastinated my studies for too long.
I walked up the steps of the den and looked down the long hallway. I could just make out Brock sitting there at the breakfast bar in the kitchen. He hadn’t moved one inch, from the look of things. I whistled softly and that didn’t get his attention either.
Now’s my chance! I thought. My chance for what, though? It wasn’t like I was going to try and make a run for it. I had nowhere to run to and no reason to flee the place that was keeping me safe. I wished I could go outside for a little, but I wasn’t that stupid. Exploring the house was about the only thing I could do for some entertainment that wasn’t just passively sitting on the couch and watching TV. And I knew how well that had turned out last time. I slipped out of the den and went to the tall, black door a little ways down the hall. It wasn’t eye-catching in the least, and the fact that it was closed made it even harder to see as it stood up against the stone walls. I placed my hand onto the handle and pulled like I’d done last time.
It didn’t budge.
I tried again, putting all of my strength into it. Still nada.
Had Garen become wise and locked the door?
I didn’t think it would be a good thing for him to come home and find me there, struggling to open a door that I probably shouldn’t have known about. Letting go of the knob, I slowly and quietly went back into the den so I could focus on my work like I’d planned. Garen would be much happier to find me there anyway. I could ask about the gold in due time, but it would be much better to calmly inquire when it somehow came up in conversation, versus being discovered as I was trying and failing to open up his secret stash.
I hit the books a
nd stayed there sitting between the couch and the coffee table, the rug keeping me off the cold floor. When my lecture was about to start, I swiftly went over to the computer and sat in the chair, booting up and clicking onto Columbia’s website. After logging in, I accessed the lecture and was amused to find the professor in the process of setting up his webcam. The poor guy had it on before he was quite ready, but I didn’t type anything to alert him about it. There didn’t seem to be much point. I was looking forward to the feeling of sitting in a live class for once.
The lecture went well. It mostly involved just listening to the professor talk, but occasionally he’d post things into the chat window for us to peruse at our leisure. After he spoke for about an hour, he opened up the chatroom for a live discussion of things he’d said and what they all meant. I was riveted.
To my great surprise and delight, the sound of the front door opening roused me from my reading a few hours later. I gasped. “I didn’t imagine it!” I yelled in my excitement, forgetting that other people could actually hear me now that I wasn’t alone. I could hear Garen laughing as I rushed down the hallways and into his waiting arms.
“I have a feeling you missed me,” I said with a handsome smile on his face.
I grinned. “I did. I had class today and it went so well. I’d just started nodding off a little during my last reading when I heard you come home. How was work?”
“Work was okay,” he answered, and I could tell by the expression on his face that he wasn’t lying. It felt so good to have him home. I hoped that he could see that just by looking at my face. It also felt good to know that he wasn’t lying to me about his work, even if he didn’t ever tell me what it was that he actually did.
Abducted By The Dragons: The Complete Series Page 11