Michael’s inner voice writhed in agony at the truth in her words.
“My brother doesn’t even talk to me like that!”
Michael went limp under her claws. She was right; he really shouldn’t have blown up at her like that.
Seeing he had gone limp, Carissa shoved his head away, making Michael roll onto his side. Now she paced, yelling at him. Only she had the voice to do so. “Second—what the hell do you have to be mad about? I just saved your sorry ass!”
Michael lay there, taking his tongue lashing.
“We had to get out of there. My brother was not in a listening mood.” She let out a deep breath and flopped down on the sand. She was perpendicular to Michael’s sprawled form with her nose almost touching his. “We had to go. Give Daniel a little time to work. He was always good at handling my brother when he was in a tiff.” She sounded so forlorn.
Michael shifted so they lay together.
Carissa leaned against him. “I’m sorry that I didn’t warn you before we shifted space.” She let out another noisy breath. “I suppose that was your first time.”
Michael paused for a moment before nodding his head. What did she mean, ‘shift space’? He opened his mouth to ask, but closed it again. There was no point. He snorted again and leaned into her. Goodness, she felt good against him. He was going to miss her warmth when this was over. His inner voice screamed at him, but he smacked it down with a note of finality that silenced it. She already told him he didn’t have a claim to her. He was just going to have to find a way to deal with it.
“Let’s go.” Carissa sighed and pushed her way up from the soft sand. “It’s not far.”
Michael heaved himself up and followed her. Life’s simple truths had left him rather depressed. He was a hunted man, drawn to a woman he had no rights to. As soon as this whole sordid affair was over, she would go back to her world of high society. Hell, she probably had dozens of suitors waiting for her return. She might even have a lover somewhere. That thought depressed him even more. And he, well, he was likely out of a job.
Even if Daniel could clear this mess up, his coworkers would always look at him suspiciously. Then there was the whole split-personality thing. How could he handle missions with a voice in the back of his mind, feeding him commentary? Some of it went strictly against what he needed to do.
Michael let out another snort as he decided. Once this was over and his name was cleared, he’d resign. He’d pack up anything left from his ruined home, hop on his Harley, and hit the road. It didn’t matter where he went, life as he knew it was already over. Surprisingly, the voice in his head remained morbidly silent.
16
The sight Carissa saw when she peeked back over her shoulder confused her. Michael looked so forlorn. The tips of his wings scraped across the ground as he pulled himself forwards. His tail hung limply behind him, and his nose was just barely held above the dirt path. What did the man have to be depressed about? They had escaped unharmed. Daniel believed them. He could convince Kyle of Michael’s innocence. They could then arrest the one responsible, and things could go back to the way they were supposed to be.
But, they couldn’t. Carissa’s mind churned as they walked. Michael was a different person now. Sure, he was adjusting to his new nature, but it would be a while before he had that under control. And his good name had been dragged through the mud. Oh, that could make people not trust him, even if he were innocent. Ouch. She pondered the other changes in his life. His ruined home. That bit of his psyche his instincts had hijacked. What if he had a girlfriend? That thought brought a growl rumbling up from Carissa’s chest. She didn’t like the idea of someone else having a claim on him. Whoever this mystery chick was, she was going to have a fight on her hands whenever this was over. Carissa wasn’t going to let him go that easily.
What? Carissa stopped dead in her tracks as she processed the thought that passed through her mind. Her instincts had just staked a claim on Michael! How could she be so stupid? She had just reprimanded Michael for acting like her mate, and here she was, trying to claim him. In his brooding state, having her reject him like she had may account for part of his overwhelming depression. Her tail thrashed in anger at herself, and the fringy end whapped Michael in the side of the head, knocking him over.
Carissa squeaked as she spun around to check on Michael. His eyes were closed as he lay crumpled in the dirt. All the fight had gone out of him. She hadn't hit him that hard, had she? Shifting to human, she bent over the sprawled form.
"I am so sorry." Carissa felt his side to make sure he was breathing. He rumbled lightly under her fingers but didn't move. Okay, so she hadn't killed him with her tail. He was just giving up on life. That was almost as bad. She was going to have to do something to bring that fire back into him. It hurt her heart to see him so down.
"Come on." She carefully lifted him up to rest against her shoulder. He hung there, limp as a water-starved plant. "It's not that bad." She patted his back as she stood up. There was only a little bit farther to go.
Michael snorted a warm puff of air into her hair.
"Just give Daniel a little time to bring Kyle around. That will solve half the problems." Maybe. "I'm sure the two of them can figure out a way to clear your name with the information we gave them." Possibly.
Michael squirmed against her, scratching her with the points of his claws.
"Shhhh." She petted him soothingly as she headed towards the small cabin tucked away in the woods.
Carissa cuddled Michael to her as she dug out the keys to the cabin. Only she and her brother knew about this place. They had both gone to great lengths to make sure Eternity didn't discover it. It wasn't much, but it had served as Carissa's private getaway for those times when the world had finally gotten to be too much for her. She crossed the small living room to the couch and placed Michael on the center.
"Why don't you shift back while I go find something to wear?" Carissa turned from him and headed back down the hall. She didn't mind being naked around him, but Michael's depression had triggered her protective instincts. She just wanted to cuddle him close and make sure he was okay, and that would work a whole lot better if they were both dressed. Although, staying naked was one surefire way to break him out of his funk. She considered it for a moment as she pulled out clothing, a flowing gown for her and one of her brother's robes for Michael. Then, if things did turn hot and heavy, there wouldn't be much to get out of the way. Wow, she really needed to get her mind back up to a civilized level and stop thinking about ways she could distract Michael from his problems. Carissa pushed that thought away as she slipped into her dress.
“The only men’s clothing I have is my brother’s,” Carissa said as she came back out with the robe. “He’s about your size, so I think it will fit.” Her eyes fell to the little, white lump on her couch. “Now come on.” She came over and sat on the couch next to him. “I know things look bleak, but that’s no reason to give up.” She rubbed her hand down Michael’s back. When he didn’t respond, she lifted him up, forcing him to look into her eyes. “I know you’re innocent.”
Michael rumbled halfheartedly and let his head drop down, away from her eyes.
Carissa let out a sigh and leaned back against the sofa. She set Michael down so his head rested on her shoulder and his body draped down her chest. “It may not matter to you, but I want you to know that I do care what happens,” Carissa confessed as she caressed his back. “I won’t let them railroad you for something you didn’t do.” She paused, thinking about his situation. “If worse comes to worst, you can stay here. Only Kyle and I know about this place. Eternity won’t find you here. I promise, no matter what happens, I won’t abandon you.” She would find a way to convince her brother to do something to help him. Hell, she’d beat it out of him if she had to.
Shifting into the corner of the couch, Carissa relaxed back under Michael’s weight. She ran her fingers over him, taking in the texture of his scales and rubbing in all those litt
le spots that she liked to be rubbed. It wasn’t long until he vibrated with a silent purr, and the tip of his tall flipped back and forth, showing signs of contentment. Good. He might still be somewhat depressed, but he wasn’t scraping the bottom of the barrel anymore. Carissa sighed and sat up, holding him against her.
“If you’ll excuse me, I need to go take a bath.” Carissa slipped Michael down on the warm cushion. “I’m rather overdue for a good soaking.” Making sure he curled back up, she scratched his head one last time. “If you feel like changing back, here are clothes,” she said and dropped her brother’s robe over the arm of the sofa, “and there is food in the kitchen if you get hungry. I’ll just be in the other room if you need me.” She looked at him for a moment before dropping a kiss on his head and walking out. It had been a few days since her last bath, and she was dying for a good scrubbing.
***
Michael curled into the warmth Carissa had left behind as he watched her head down the hall to the bathroom. Man, what a fantastic view.
See, you do have a chance, Michael’s peanut gallery poked at him. Now it decided to speak up.
Yeah right, Michael pushed back. She’s way out of my league.
But Mine! said she wouldn’t leave us.
She’s not Mine!, Michael growled. How many times did he have to tell that wayward bit that he didn’t own her?
But, she could be, it pushed back.
This made Michael pause. She did say she cared, and she had just spent a fair amount of time rubbing on him. His scales still tingled from her gentle kneading. How did she know just where to touch? Her slow caresses had worked out most of the bitterness he was feeling towards the world. He let out a puff of air, conceding the potential. His inner dragon danced with joy.
Ignoring the giddy spot in the back of his brain, Michael looked around the small cabin. It was sparsely furnished in a rustic way, but there was a touch of femininity that softened the edges. Very comfortable. The only things that weren’t sparse were the bookshelves. They covered nearly every open wall and were jam-packed with books and scrolls of every type. Michael had never seen so many old books together outside of a library. What was this place?
The sounds of running water drew Michael’s attention, making his dragon perk up. The thought of Carissa stripping out of that flowing dress and dipping into bubble-filled water made him squirm. He fought with the desire to go investigate. He would not go spy on her all wet and naked.
Is Mine! safe? his peanut gallery piped in.
Of course Mine! is safe. And her name is Carissa, not Mine!, Michael snapped back.
Are you sure?
Michael paused in his quick comeback. Carissa was safe. She had to be. This was her place. And she said that no one but Kyle knew about it. A loud bang came from the bathroom, freezing Michael’s heart. Mine! was safe, wasn’t she?
Driven by sudden apprehension, Michael slipped off the couch and scurried down the hall towards where Carissa had gone. He paused at the open door, debating. He couldn’t see anything in the center of the room. Only a white bathroom mat. Should he continue? The dragon part of him pushed him on. Mine! could’ve fallen in the tub; she could be bleeding out even as he debated. The thought of her dying pushed him forwards into the room.
An old, claw-footed tub took up one entire side of the room. Mine! sat waist-deep in bubbly water, fussing with what looked to be a shelf on a pole. Several bottles floated in the water as she secured the end of the pole to the edge of the tub again. Michael let out a deep sigh of relief as the tightness around his heart eased. Mine! was safe. Before he could shift back to human, she finished with the shelf and started gathering up the bottles. Michael relaxed down to the rug and watched her move. So elegant, so smooth, so perfect. He would do anything for her.
Michael’s breath slowed as he processed his train of thought. Had that come from his rampant dragon part, or from someplace else? His peanut gallery laughed and shook its head at him. That part would have served her from the moment it saw her, so this new revelation hadn’t come from it. Was Michael, the man, actually falling in love with her? Or, was it just hormones?
Mine! let out a deep breath, drawing Michael’s attention away from his thoughts. From his point of view, all he could really see was the profile of her face where she relaxed back into the water. Her eyes were closed, and she breathed softly through parted lips. Oh, those lips looked so kissable.
Turning from that heavenly sight, Michael slipped from the room, unseen. The last few days had been hard on Mine!, and she deserved to relax a little. Maybe he should see about scrounging up something to eat. Michael jumped up to the couch to shift back to human form. His exploration would be easier that way. Then he could make Mine! something nice and offer to scrub her back, among other things. He let his mind go, but that tickle of magic that came with shifting didn’t start. Michael shook his head, clearing away thoughts of Mine! writhing under his hands and concentrated on being human. Nothing! Of all the times his dragon could chose to be stubborn, why now?
This was not an uncommon event in the life of dragons. Every now and then, a dragon would find that his parts were too far out of sync to transform. There were support groups set up to help those individuals find their balance. Having worked with the solitary dragons list, Michael had taken more than one unfortunate dragon in for help. He knew the process, but he had never thought he would ever need to use it.
Drawing in a deep breath, Michael pushed his front legs forwards and his back legs backwards. He extended his wings out as wide as they would go and straightened his tail, stretching all of his muscles. Relaxing into the cushions, Michael searched inside himself for the feel of being human. He should know it. He had been human most of his life.
The reptilian part of him laughed at him.
And what’s so funny? Michael asked it.
You need to explore your dragon side more, it laughed.
Michael snorted. As if he weren’t already exploring his dragon side. He needed to get back to human so he could explore that side with Mine!. He pushed the snickering voice away and thought about all the things that made him human. It was hard to concentrate with scales rubbing against the back of his mind. No wonder some dragons had a hard time shifting back when they got stuck.
Not going to work, his insides teased in a singsong voice.
If he could have, Michael would have pounded that smirk right out of that wayward bit. That type of commentary was not helping. Ignoring the taunting voice was not getting him anywhere closer to human.
Fine! Michael let out another snort and turned his mind to that voice. If it wanted to speak, he would listen. Until he discovered what his instincts wanted him to know, there was no way he would be able to change back.
17
Being clean is magnificent! Carissa sighed as she pulled the wet towel from her head. She had kind of hoped that Michael would have come in to join her. She had left the bathroom door open in hopes that he would catch the hint, but he hadn’t. Carissa slipped back into her dress and went to find him. She smiled when her eyes spotted the white mass stretched out on the couch. Michael covered two full cushions on the couch. Man, he was long for his size. But what did she expect? Both she and her brother were long in dragon form.
“Hey there.” Carissa spoke softly as she approached. “Did you have a nice nap?” Her fingers slid over his wings.
Michael cracked an eye and looked up at her. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He seemed frustrated by this inability to respond.
“It’s all right,” Carissa reassured him as he tucked in his bits. “How about we see about some food?”
Michael nodded at this.
Carissa scooped him up and placed him on her shoulder before heading to the small kitchen space. “So what do you feel like?” They perused the refrigerator. There wasn’t a lot of fresh food, but the freezer was well stocked.
“This looks good.” Carissa pulled out a couple of frozen steaks and some broccoli
with cheese.
Michael nodded heartily.
Good. A couple of minutes in the microwave, and it should be thawed enough to broil. “Why don’t you sit here?” Carissa moved Michael to the counter next to the stove. “That way, you can help with the seasoning.”
Michael carefully circled on the counter so his tail was tucked up out of the way.
Carissa busied herself with thawing the meat. A loud bang from the front of the cabin drew both of their attention.
“Carissa!” a loud voice bellowed as the door swung open. Kyle stood, seething, in the opening.
Carissa whipped around to face him, but she shifted over so Michael was out of sight. Apparently, Daniel hadn’t been able to handle her brother. But, at least he’d had the good sense to show up dressed.
“Brother!”
“Where is he?” Kyle stormed into the room, looking around for Michael. “I want that no-good son of a bitch!” He stopped a few paces away from Carissa, eyes searching the living room area. “He will pay dearly for what he has done!”
Oh, this was not good.
“Did you talk to Daniel?” Carissa tried to use a soothing voice on her brother.
Kyle glared at her. “You’re protecting him, aren’t you?” he growled. “How could you, after what he’s done?”
“Did you talk to Daniel?” Carissa asked again, less calm than she had been. Kyle’s attitude was starting to tick her off.
“What the hell does he have to do with this?” Kyle yelled.
That did it. “Did. You. Talk. To. Daniel?”
“Yes, I talked to Daniel!” Kyle threw his hands up and turned away from Carissa to prowl around the living space.
“Did he show you the file?”
On the Accidental Wings of Dragons (Dragons of Eternity Book 1) Page 12