With a cursory glance in the mirror, she nodded at herself and grabbed her purse. She dug through it for her keys and stepped out of her apartment, careful to lock everything up before she left.
The drive over was short and sweet. She could have walked it, but she wanted to get this show on the road. She didn't want to dawdle today, especially not with Gregor tagging along.
Ella pulled into the driveway of Sara's house, turned off the vehicle and bounded out of it. Since the dragons had arrived, Sara and Daegal had boosted their security. They would know she’d arrived if all of the cameras were working. Ella was still creeped out by all of it, but after Sara's infant son was stolen right out from underneath their noses, she started taking insane precautions. In her words, if Ludovic was still out there, none of them were safe.
She wrinkled her nose at that. None of them wanted her to move out, but she was tired of the cramped quarters and living that close to Gregor was making her want to shed her skin. Ella loved being with people, but he was a little bit too intense for her taste.
She raised her hand to knock, but the door opened and her friend stood there with her baby on one hip. She wore a tank and a pair of purple yoga pants. Her hair stood up around her head like Medusa, but she was smiling.
"Sorry! I haven't had time to tame the beast." Sara pointed to her red hair. "Keanu made sure of that." She plopped a kiss on top of her son's head and held open the door for her to walk in. When she was inside, Sara closed it and walked back into the kitchen.
"Gregor is changing again for what I swear is the five hundredth time." Sara rolled her eyes. "It's adorable. You should see him. He's like an anxious dad or something."
Ella stared at the balcony. Three of the dragons were standing there, bare-chested and glorious. And they were currently beating the crap out of each other.
"How in the world did we not get a noise complaint?" Ella wondered aloud.
Sara snorted. "I asked the same question. Apparently, it's some kind of weird dragon juju they do. It contains the sound within the house. No one else besides us can hear it."
The sounds of grunts and fists hitting skin made Ella wince. "Did you ask if they can contain it just to themselves?"
Sara shook her head. "I did but Daegal, and I quote, said, 'If we keep the sound of our fight to just us, the womenfolk in the house cannot hear what glorious warriors we are. So this is our gift to you.'"
Ella burst out laughing. "How do you even live with that guy?"
Her cheeks colored prettily. "It's a daily effort."
Ella knew she was lying. She'd never seen her friend happier.
The sound of a soft throat clearing made her turn. Ella's mouth dropped open.
Gregor stood there wearing a pair of jeans that hugged everything good the gods had given him. He wore a white button-down shirt neatly tucked in with a brown belt and matching loafer shoes. Gregor looked delicious. Like a hot dad dressed up for a parent-teacher conference or something.
She shot a look at Sara who stood there with her mouth slightly ajar. She blinked in surprise. "Well," Sara murmured. "Who would have thought?" She winked at Ella and turned away.
Ella stood there for a moment before she smiled. The least she could do was offer a compliment. "You look really nice," she said.
Gregor shifted on his feet, his brows drawn together. "I feel ... odd."
"Odd?" Ella asked.
Gregor pulled at the crotch of his jeans. "These are quite restrictive. I like underwear. They keep everything from shifting when I'm fighting, but I do not know if I like this second layer of material."
A muffled laugh came from Sara. Today might not go well. Ella strangled the laugh that threatened to bubble up. "You'll get used to them. They appear to be the right size." She had to look at his crotch to tell and wished she hadn't. Gregor's eyes warmed as they noticed where her gaze had gone to.
"Be careful, Ella. Too much attention and it might want to come out to play."
A bark of laughter escaped Sara. She waved at them and took Keanu into the back.
Probably to keep him from hearing his Uncle Gregor talk dirty to Aunt Ella.
She glared at him. "That's not the way to start our excursion, Gregor."
His hand fell away from his crotch. "Staring at my gods-given parts was not the way I expected it to start either. I'm merely responding to an environmental stressor."
Ella's lips twitched against her wishes. Gregor was a man who was good with words. "Let's start over?"
"As you wish, my lady." Gregor gave a shallow bow.
"Don't do that today," Ella instructed. "People are going to think you're weird."
"So far there hasn't been a day upon this Earth where people haven't thought it," he said. He walked over and banged on the window.
The men outside didn't slow even an inch to Ella's eyes, but they all yelled their farewells between blows. Gregor raised a hand and turned back to Ella. "Shall we go?"
Oh man, Ella thought. Here we go. "Yes," she said, her voice a touch too bright. "Let's go!"
4
Gregor
Gregor hated cars. He had no idea why humans preferred these tiny metal death traps. His wings itched to escape from his back, and he wanted to tear the roof off and soar.
Sweat began to bead on his forehead.
Ella looked over at him in concern. "Gregor?"
"I'm fine," he said, his teeth clenching together as he spoke. "How far of a drive is it?"
A frown creased her pretty face. "About thirty minutes depending on traffic. We can turn around if this isn't comfortable for you."
Gregor pretended he didn't hear the slight hopeful note that crept into her voice. She was uncomfortable. She always was around him.
"No," he said. "I am not built for transportation this way," he admitted. "I will get used to it." Gregor had avoided the human mode of transportation for over a year. The other dragons hadn't liked it, but they'd all gotten used to it. They'd all been surprised when Gregor flat out refused to go anywhere if he couldn't walk or fly. Daegal had pulled him to the side months ago and addressed his concerns.
Gregor was the one who always fit in everywhere. No matter how awkward or strange, he was usually able to emulate the behavior of others and wing his way through it.
Cars, trucks, and public transportation were quickly proving to be his undoing.
His hands white-knuckled the contraption Ella called an "oh shit" handle. He had no idea what that meant, but it was a comfort to be able to hang on to something just in case they careened off the side of a cliff.
Ella seemed to be completely comfortable. She drove like she'd been born doing it. He admired that. It was taking every effort for him not to scream like a teenage girl. He winced every time a car pulled up beside them, every time Ella pressed on the brakes, and every time she changed lanes.
"You're breathing like you're in labor," Ella said. He did not miss the sparkle in her eyes or the way her mouth twitched to keep from laughing.
He so rarely saw her laugh, the discomfort was almost worth it.
"Deep breathing is calming," Gregor said between breaths. "I read it on the internet."
"So is Valium," Ella said. A chuckle escaped her lips.
"I do not know what this valium is, but if it helps next time, I would like some."
"You'll have to visit a doctor for it," she said as she changed lanes. Gregor winced. How in the world did she know it was safe to get over?
Even flying here was sometimes a challenge. Humans had something called airspace. It meant that the government owned certain territories and if you flew in them, it meant their jets could shoot you down if you didn't retreat.
Gregor had shaken his head at this concept and scoffed all the same. The notion of someone owning what the gods created was laughable and, yet, the humans persisted.
The history in this place was appalling. The government was usually at the front and center of it, taking something from someone.
He'd never seen a plac
e that fought more wars than this new Earth. At home, war was only necessary in cases like Ludovic's. One man tried to claim too much power and persecute another. This was it. People were free to live wherever they liked, do whatever jobs they wanted to, and marry whomever they chose.
Life was simple back then.
This ... whatever this new life was. It was complicated.
So far the only thing he enjoyed about this place was Ella. There was the thrill of the hunt in his pursuit of Ludovic, but Ella was the one constant in his life, even if she did her best to avoid him.
Gregor was intuitive enough to realize she wasn't avoiding him out of dislike. It was self-preservation. He could tell she'd been through deep hurt in her life. Gregor never pried. It wasn't in his nature. But he'd bet his gold someone or something had wounded Ella in her life.
"Tell me a story," Gregor bit out. His hand was starting to ache due to the death grip he had on the handle above the window.
Startled, Ella cut a quick glance at him before her eyes turned back to the road. "A story?" she echoed.
"Where my people come from, we share stories. Over the fire, over dinner... " He smiled. "There is always an opportunity for a story. This is my culture. Our children grow up with them and repeat the stories their elders told them."
A frown crossed her pretty face. "I don't know any stories," Ella insisted.
Disappointment filled him. He rarely got Ella to open up to him. He knew as much about her today as he did over a year ago. Not much. Last night, he thought he might have discovered a new side to her. After Sebastian broke her shelving, she'd retreated. He'd seen the devastation on her face before she masked it.
"You like books?" Gregor asked stupidly. "Tell me your favorite," he said, recovering quickly.
"That's a terrible question to ask a bookworm," Ella said, though there was no rancor in her voice.
"Tell me one that made you cry," he amended. They were on an open road now, and Gregor's fingers relaxed a little. The traffic around them was dying down and the lanes were getting a little larger. It wouldn't last for long, this was Hawaii, after all, but he'd enjoy it while he could.
The silence stretched until Gregor thought she wouldn't answer, but just as he was poised to ask her another question, Ella let out a short breath.
"Code Name: Verity," she said softly. "It broke me."
Gregor turned and studied her profile. The stubborn tilt of her chin, the deep blue of her eyes, the high cheekbones. Those, among many others, were the things that broke Gregor. He itched to reach out and touch her, but she was like a nervous cat sometimes.
"What was the book about?" he asked. He turned his face away so his perusal wouldn't make her uncomfortable.
She paused for a moment. "Friendship," she said after a moment. "It was about love during impossible circumstances and how we have to make terrible choices to save those we care about the most sometimes."
The air was heavy with unspoken words, and Gregor shifted in his seat. His nostrils flared as he scented Ella's pain, an acrid scent that overwhelmed him. Whatever happened to her affected her to this day.
"Love is a complicated emotion," Gregor said. His next question was weighted. "Have you ever loved someone enough to make a terrible choice?"
A humorless smile flitted across her mouth. "Every day," she said. She flicked something on the car that made a click click click noise and turned. "I love myself enough to know I shouldn't regret the choices I've made."
Gregor, in all his infinite wisdom and formidable vocabulary, could not respond for a time. He simply couldn't find the words.
The noise of the road whirred around them. Ella's hair blew gently away from her face as the air conditioner worked overtime. She had it cranked up so high it was making Gregor's eyes dry.
"It is good we know our worth, Ella," Gregor said softly. "Rare is the woman who knows how high she can fly. Common is the sparrow who shares space with the unworthy."
Ella shook her head. A laugh escaped her. "Your words... " she said. Her voice trailed off. "You could be a poet, Gregor. Did you know that?" She kept her eyes on the road, but there was a tension to her slim frame. She was paying him a compliment.
Today was a rare day, indeed.
"I do not hang my hat on the written word. I prefer the sing of the sword or the orange-violet of a sunset over the mountains. I speak only the truth. If it comes out poetic, then you should know, I really mean it."
Ella's smile faded. A deep sigh racked her thin frame.
Moments later, she turned into the parking lot where an enormous building loomed. Gregor blinked in surprise. His mouth fell open, and he leaned closer to the dash so he could stare up at it in wonder.
"How many humans in this country need furniture?" he wondered aloud.
A snort escaped Ella. "You'd be surprised," she said. "Maybe they all have Sebastians running around breaking their things."
Gregor growled at that one. "Sebastian is an oaf. He also told me to tell you how sorry he was for the damage he caused." He turned to look at Ella as she expertly whipped into an area with two yellow lines where cars were carefully lined up. "Also, he will be reimbursing you for the cost of the repair." He’d already told her this, but he wanted to make sure she understood. If Sebastian balked at whatever the cost was, he’d beat him senseless.
Ella turned off the metal contraption. "I don't know if it can be fully repaired. But I'll definitely try." She shot Gregor a wolfish grin. "Especially now that's he's paying."
They walked side by side, companionably. Gregor was still in awe at the hulking store in front of him. Back home, furniture was merely ... there. He couldn't recall a single time any of them shopped for it. If they needed something, they built it or they took their parent's furniture with them when they finally moved into their own place. He knew Daegal had more luxurious tastes than he did, mostly because he was a prince, but he'd never seen Daegal shopping either.
This new Earth was strange.
The doors opened and Gregor stepped into what seemed like an entirely new world. Stunned, Gregor turned in a complete circle, his gaze drinking in all the sights.
Ella tugged on his arm. "Come on. This is just the beginning. We still have three floors to go."
Gregor blinked in surprise and allowed himself to be led away.
Humans were so strange.
How many beds did one person need? Gregor stared in awe at the selection in front of him. There were small beds, medium beds, large beds, beds that were stacked on top of each other, and even beds that looked like they belonged in a harem. Ella stood beside him, her arms crossed against her chest, patient as he examined almost everything in the store. They even had things to match.
"This is one of the strangest things I've ever seen," he mumbled.
"I can assure you, there are bigger furniture stores out there," Ella said. She gave her cell phone a surreptitious glance and Gregor realized she still hadn't looked at anything she needed.
He reluctantly pulled himself away. "What do you need here?" he asked.
Her shoulders slumped with relief. So Ella didn't love to shop. At least, here anyway. That was good to know.
She led him down an aisle he didn't see until she turned into it. His fingers itched to touch everything, but Ella seemed to be in a hurry.
She turned again and stopped in an area full of desks. Gregor frowned and watched as she went to each one of them and inspected the wood. She tapped on it, looked underneath it, opened all the drawers, and then would stand there pondering. Gregor had never been so infatuated.
"What are you looking for?" he asked.
Her gaze flicked up to his. "I need a larger top area because I work with dual monitors."
He had no idea what that was.
"But I also need to be able to put a platform on it to convert it into a standing desk."
He had no idea what that was either, but he liked the way words looked on her lips, so he merely nodded and watched her.
"Custom?" he questioned. "What's that?"
"Hmm?" she asked, her eyes on one of the desks again. "Oh. It's where you tell a craftsman what you're looking for and he makes it just for you."
"So like a blacksmith?" Gregor liked blacksmiths. Some of his favorite weapons had come from a man named Leo. He was missing two fingers, but it hadn't hindered his weapons-making ability any.
Her lips curled in amusement. "Sort of. But this would be with wood." She tapped a finger against her chin. "It would cost a lot." Ella walked around to all of the other desks, but Gregor could tell she wasn't satisfied.
"If it's what you want, wouldn't it be worth it?" he asked. She brushed past him and the scent of lilacs tantalized his nose. He wanted to reach out and take her hand in his, to brush the stubborn lock of hair that kept falling into her eyes away. Gregor's nostrils flared in annoyance. And if he did any of that before he earned her trust, he would lose her.
She waved at him. "Let's go look at the shelving," she said and turned to leave.
Gregor followed her, his gaze touching on everything. "Is this to replace your bookshelf?"
"No," she said, the word curt. "It's irreplaceable."
Gregor winced at her words. "I will find a way to repair it," he said.
She sighed and shook her head. "I'm not sure you can." A smile touched her lips. "You weren't the one to break it."
"But it hurt you," Gregor insisted.
Her gaze flashed with an emotion he couldn't place. "It did," she agreed, "but it was my sentimentality. Not yours."
"We shouldn't regret loving something, Ella."
Her face went hard, and she turned from him. Her attention fell on the shelving units in front of them. Gregor frowned, but he dropped the subject.
This place was making his head hurt. How many varieties of shelving did one person need? It seemed really wasteful to house all these things when one system should do it. He shook his head. There was a lot he didn't understand about this world.
The Alpha Dragon's Mate (Dragon Shifters of Kahului Book 2) Page 4