by Arizona Tape
“Oi!” I tugged the sheets back, wrapping them around me like a burrito.
“Stop it, Tate.”
“No!” I giggled, moving around the bed like a caterpillar. Not sure why I was doing that, but it seemed like a good idea.
“Give me the blankets!” Devon shouted, but I could hear he was amused.
“Not happening!” I called back, slithering off the bed and worming my way towards the door.
A strong hand grabbed me by the ankle and Devon easily dragged me back. With a smirk on his face, he wrapped his arms around me and lifted me onto the bed.
“Let go of me!”
“Make me,” he growled playfully, his eyes lighting up.
“Stay back,” I squealed, grabbing my pillow to defend myself. As best as I could, I aimed for his head and smacked the soft bundle of feathers down.
“Oi!”
“Back, you mean dragon!” I laughed, hitting him a couple more times. With every hit, white feathers burst out of the pillow and Devon looked absolutely ridiculous with the fluff in his hair. He looked almost cute.
Grinning, he yanked the pillow out of my hands and threw it across the room. With a chuckle, he fell down next to me.
“Blankets, Tate.”
Reluctantly, I unwrapped myself from my comfy burrito and threw them over Devon. He rolled on his side and gently, he cupped my face. Almost unnoticeably, he swiped his thumb across my cheek. His dark blue eyes lit up and for a moment, they reminded me of Sian’s. Just for a moment. They were nothing like hers.
I sighed in his palm and closed my eyes, willing my heart to stop whispering her name. That wasn’t fair. None of this was fair.
“Tate.”
I looked up at Devon, nervously chewing my lip. All the playfulness was gone and he suddenly sounded very serious.
“Something is wrong, isn’t it?”
My stomach clenched and for a brief moment, I wanted to deny everything. But the words fell from my lips before I could stop them.
“Yes, there is.”
He shut his eyes and I knew he was bracing for impact. His left eyelid twitched as he slowed his breathing. It was a weird little thing he did, but it helped him stay calm.
“Okay, lay it on me,” he sighed as he pulled his hand back.
“It’s not an easy thing to say...” I admitted.
“I figured. Go on.”
“I... I met someone else.”
Hurt flashed across his face. “W-What?” he croaked, his voice breaking as he stared at me in disbelief.
“It’s not what you think—“
“Who is he?”
“Devon...”
“Who is he?” he repeated, his jaw clenching as he diverted his gaze from mine.
“Her name is Sian.”
“Her? A woman?”
“Yes, but I can explain—”
“Please. Do,” he growled, pushing himself up from the bed so he could nervously pace across the bedroom.
“In the past weeks, haven’t you noticed something strange?”
Devon stopped in his tracks. For a moment, he studied me as all the pieces fell back into place. “So everything you did... Was it just to keep me in the dark?”
“What? Oh no, you’re getting it all wrong.” Fuck, I really wasn’t doing a great job in explaining. “It wasn’t me.”
“Right, shifting blame, like you always do. Then who was it, Tate?”
“I’m not shifting blame! There’s really another woman taking over my body. Her name is Ayra, she’s a vampire and she looks exactly like me.”
Devon laughed harshly. “Right, and my name is not really Devon. No, when I go around cheating, I use a different name as well!” he called, slamming his fast into the wall. “Fuck, damn it, Tate!”
“Devon!” Panicked, I jumped up from the bed and ran over to him. “Your hand!”
“It’ll heal,” he growled, shrugging me away. He was seething. And for some stupid reason, I expected this talk to go as easy as Sian and Ayra’s. Well, the joke was on me.
“I’m not lying and I didn’t cheat!”
“Right, who is this Sian? What does she want from you?”
“Devon, please listen to me.”
“Ha! Why should I?”
“I...”
“You’re unbelievable, Tate.”
“Stop it, Devon.”
Stop it? You started it!”
“Devon...”
“What?” he growled, his eyes spewing fire at me. Well, it wasn’t his eyes. The flames were coming out of his mouth. Scales rippled under his skin and I knew that any moment, his wings would burst out. And our little flat really wasn’t dragon proof.
“Devon, we’re inside!”
“Why, Tate, Why?!”
“Watch out for your wings!”
“Why?” he howled as more scales burst through on his chest. He was losing control of his shift. Shit. He really couldn’t shift in here. It would destroy everything, it would expose Devon as a supernatural. No, this was not good. I couldn’t allow it.
So I did the one thing I knew would help. I hugged him. He snarled and growled as I pressed myself against him. I could feel the anger and the roaring ocean inside him, crashing against his chest, ready to burst out at any moment.
Gods, at times, I forgot how powerful he really was. How much he bent for me. But now I’d done it. Now I awoken the dragon. And they really didn’t call him the Dragon God of the Four Seas just for show. Within him, he had the power, the force, the spirit to command anything and everything that belonged to the oceans. Including me.
But he never had and he never would. He loved me too much. I knew he did. He would never hurt me, not even in his wildest rage, in his most feral form.
A sharp pain shot through my head and it had nothing to do with Devon. Oh no, this really was not the right time to swap. Fuck. I couldn’t leave Ayra to deal with this. She wouldn’t know how to handle him.
No, no, no. Not now. I can’t go now.
Devon...
No.
Darkness, stay way... But the darkness didn’t listen.
Chapter 16
A familiar kitchen formed in front of my eyes and the blonde standing by the sink was a clear sign. The swap went through. Ayra was now with an enraged Devon.
Fuck.
“Shit,” I cursed, my hands flying into my hair. If Devon shifted into his dragon form, we’d be in all kinds of trouble. Ayra would be in trouble. And I really didn’t want to find out what happened to me if she got hurt in my body.
“Tate?” Sian asked, concern flashing across her face. “Is it you?”
“Yes, it’s me. Fuck, I can’t be here.”
Pain flitted through her eyes. “Why not?” she asked in a small voice, the hurt clear from her tone. Shit, that wasn’t what I meant. Oh no, I really couldn’t deal with an upset vampire as well. No, I needed to calm Devon first. I needed to stop his shift and make sure he’d stay human.
“Tate?”
“Fuck, I’m sorry.”
“Talk to me, what’s going on?”
“Devon... I was just talking to him about us but I did it all wrong. Fuck. And now he’s out of control. And Ayra won’t know what to do. Fuck, fuck, fuck,” I muttered as I paced through the kitchen. I wanted to tell her, I did. But I couldn’t find the words, couldn’t catch my breath, couldn’t think, couldn’t...
“Hey, it will be okay. Relax... Tell me what’s going on?” Sian asked as she ran to me. She touched my face and the effect was instant. Like a gust of wind, she chased the clouds and fog from my mind.
“Stay calm, take your time...”
I drew a shaky breath as I collected my thoughts, growing calmer with every circle she drew on my skin.
“Okay, so I was talking to Devon.”
Sian guided me to the countertop and gently pushed me down on the chair. “And?”
“And I explained everything all wrong. He thought I was cheating on him and it made him angry.”
She wrinkled her nose. “But you didn’t cheat...”
“I know! But I explained it wrong and he didn’t believe the swapping... He was starting to lose control of himself and when that happens, his dragon form appears.”
“Ooh, okay, Devon is also a dragon?”
“Yes, he is. And a pretty massive one. Like, proper big. He’ll destroy the whole building. And I can usually get him to calm down, but—”
“But you’re here,” Sian concluded, her eyebrows falling into a frown.
“Yes. And Ayra doesn’t know Devon like I do. She could get seriously hurt. Well, I could. And so could Devon. I need to swap back.”
“Okay, okay. How?”
Nervously, I drummed my hands on the counter. “I don’t know, fuck, I don’t know.”
“You have no idea what triggers a swap?”
I shook my head, practically eating my lip in stress and panic. “I don’t.”
Blondie tilted her head and touched my shoulders. “Okay, look at me, Tate. We can figure it out. When have you swapped and what were you doing then?”
“Umm, I don’t know. I don’t know. Fuck.”
“Calm down, relax. Hey, I’m here with you. Take a breath.” Sian’s warm voice somehow managed to stop the train of panic rumbling through my head.
“Right, relax. Relax, relax, relax,” I repeated to myself, trying to stop my hands from twitching.
“Yes, that’s it. Now let’s go over it slowly. What were you doing when you swapped?”
“I was hugging Devon to calm him down, I felt a sharp sting in my head, and ten seconds later, here I am. In your kitchen with you.”
“Okay... Where you touching Devon the other times that you swapped bodies?”
I bit my lip as I tried to recall the previous times. Had I been touching Devon? Had I?
“I can’t remember,” I cried, banging my fists against my forehead. Why couldn’t I remember? Or why couldn’t I control this stupid swapping?
“Hey, don’t do that. Don’t hurt yourself,” Sian muttered, pulling my arms down. “Look at me, Tate. You don’t know Ayra, but I do. She’s strong and she is smart. She’ll know what to do.”
“But—”
“And if Ayra and Devon are like you and me, she’ll definitely get through to him.”
“But—”
“Trust me. Panicking won’t help. And I know Ayra will be fine, and so will Devon. You’ll see.”
I held back a sob as I tried to take in Sian’s words. She was right, panic wouldn’t help me. There was nothing else I could do if I was stuck in Ayra’s body. I just needed to believe in her and in how well she knew Ayra. And in Devon. I needed to trust that Devon would never hurt me, no matter who was inhabiting my body. He wouldn’t...
No, he wouldn’t.
“You’re right,” I muttered, trying to calm the whirlpool of worry and fear roaring through my stomach.
“It’s going to be alright. I know it is. Now come here,” Sian whispered as she touched my face briefly. Without any hesitation, I leapt into her arms and buried my face into her collarbone.
“It’s going to be alright. I’m here for you,” she breathed, embracing me so fully and wholeheartedly, it made my heart ache. She really meant it. All of it. Gods, she really was everything I ever wished for. She could still my worries and calm me down in a way Devon never could. So now I just needed to believe that Ayra could do the same for him. That she could take care of him in a way that I couldn’t. That I never could.
“You feeling a little bit better?”
“Hmm-hmm,” I hummed, breathing in her scent. The freshness of coral danced on my senses and I just realised how much I missed it. How much I missed her.
“You hungry? We were just about to have some breakfast.”
“Breakfast?”
“Yes, and just because of that, I’m sure Ayra is much happier dealing with Devon. Even if he’s enraged.”
“Why?”
She pointed at the two bowls on the countertop. The pinkish hue immediately clarifying what she meant.
“Ayra was going to eat blood?” I asked, surprised. From what I gathered, Ayra hated blood. Absolutely hated it. So why would she be having some of Sian’s special yogurt?
“Yes... I, ummm... I may or may not have told her she had to?” my blonde mumbled, looking rather guilty of herself.
“You did?” That was a surprise.
“Yes... I didn’t want her to get deprived. She needs to take care of herself and...” She diverted her eyes from mine and her cheeks got a shade darker.
“And of me,” I finished her sentence, a new feeling bubbling up in my gut. A much different sensation. Something warm and fuzzy, something that pushed all my worries to the background.
“You care for me,” I stated, drawing a smile to the surface.
“Oh shush,” Sian blushed, pushing the bowl of yogurt towards me. “Eat your breakfast.”
“Yes, teacher,” I teased, earning myself another grin from her.
“Don’t you start.”
I bit my lip, but this time it wasn’t out of nerves. “Alright, alright.”
The first spoonful of yogurt hit my tongue and I almost moaned as the flavour burst in my mouth. Damn, I missed it. Yes, this was exactly what I’d been craving. I barely swallowed my first bite, before I shoveled the rest of my bowl up.
“Woah, woah, slow down, you’ll choke,” Sian grinned as she pulled up an eyebrow in amusement.
“I’m just hungry,” I defended myself, practically licking the bowl clean. But that probably wouldn’t be very elegant. Although, me inhaling my yogurt wasn’t very ladylike either. Hmmm... Oh well. At least I got the sweet taste dancing on my pallet. And it was sensational. Ugh, so good.
I wondered if I could ask for a second serving. Would that be too greedy? Or inconsiderate because I should be worrying about Devon and not about if I could get another plate of breakfast?
Guiltily, I pushed my empty bowl away as my thoughts travelled back to my dragon fiancé. Would he be ripping apart the walls by now? Was my body lying lifeless in a corner? Or would he be calmed down to the point that Ayra could explain what was going on?
Sian said Ayra wouldn’t spill the secret, but under these circumstances, she just might? Maybe she’d get through to him and make him understand what was happening. Maybe.
But that still didn’t solve all my problems. Even if he believed me, I still needed to have the talk with him.
I needed to break-up with him. For him, for me, and for Blondie.
“Huh?” I muttered, squinting my eyes. Why was everything blurry? I pressed my eyelids shut again, hoping to clear my vision.
But instead, I was greeted by darkness. Ah, my old friend.
“Si—” I tried, hoping to alert her I was slipping away from her. But to no use. Like sleep, the darkness took me and I couldn’t resist. I had to answer her call. Time to go back to my own body and find out the damage. Dear gods, I hoped I wasn’t coming face to face with Devon’s dragon form. I tried to cross my fingers, but to no avail. My body, this body, wasn’t listening to me. It wasn’t mine to control anymore. All I could do, was return it to its original owner.
I hope you are okay, Ayra.
Chapter 17
My eyes fluttered open and the walls of my own bedroom danced in front of my eyes. Fuck. Even though we had had a couple of swaps, the actual thing kept taking me off guard. It was strange.
Wait. Bedroom walls.
My house had still walls. Which meant, no dragon that mowed everything down. No dragon, no angry Devon. So that meant that Ayra managed to calm him down?
Or was I deluding myself? Did he burst through the ceiling?
“Devon?” I hesitantly called out, afraid to look around.
“Yes?”
A human voice, thank goodness. No angry dragon destroying our flat. I swallowed the lump in my throat, almost afraid to face him. He seemed relaxed, but what did I know. I had no clue what
Ayra said to him or how she calmed him down. And asking about it might just set him back off. And who knew for how long I’d be here.
“Are you... Okay?” I asked, studying his face. The scales had retracted and the darkness lifted from his eyes. That was a good sign. He was definitely back in control.
Go Ayra! Not bad. Not bad at all.
“Yes, I am.” He tilted his head and his eyes bore deep into mine. “You’re Tate, right?”
“Umm, yes?” I raised an eyebrow. Who else would I be?
OH.
“You believe me?” I asked in a soft voice, seriously wondering what the hell Ayra had told him or done to convince him. Damn, that girl has some proper dragon taming skills.
“It’s hard not to when the evidence was standing right in front of me. And not just standing...” he muttered, looking rather guilty.
“So you and Ayra talked?”
“Talked, yes, we talked. Lots of talking. Talking, talking, talking,” he blabbered, quite out of character. He must be on edge. For a different reason than anger.
“So... Talking?” I smiled, tilting my head.
“We kissed! I’m so sorry, it just happened. She was pressed against me and she kissed me and first, I thought it was you, but then she she kept kissing me and, and—”
“It’s okay, Devon. Don’t feel so guilty,” I chuckled, somehow amused by how ashamed of himself he looked. I really should be feeling jealous that my fiancé was kissing another woman, but I wasn’t. Devon felt about Ayra the same way as I felt about Sian.
“But I do. I love you, Tate.”
Uh-oh.
“Devon—”
“No, listen. I’m not going to lie. Ayra... She’s... Something. Definitely something. But she’s not you.”
I shut my eyes, hoping it would stop what he was about to say. Of course, it didn’t.
“I love you. I promised I’d marry you, I promised your parents I’d marry you. I don’t know this, this... Ayra,” he rambled, but I could hear his voice soften as he mentioned her name.
“Devon, hang on—” He didn’t let me finish.
“Yes, yes, it will be hard to resist her, but I can do it. I will do it. For you. No, not just for you. For us! Tate, look. I love you, I love you so much, and I won’t let anyone come between us,” he continued, taking my hands in his and staring at me with his deep blue eyes. But I could already tell, something had changed within him.