Zain narrowed his eyes in disgust. "He gave me one other option besides sleeping with him—to spy on everyone else in the unit and to report back all their weaknesses. Probably so he could blackmail them for something." Ivy remained silent, sensing he'd tell more when ready. After a few beats, Zain shook his head and said, "For about ten seconds, I thought about spying for him. But then inside my head, I decided to deceive him by saying yes and then report it to the higher-ups the first chance I could."
The fact Zain had resisted the corruption, even when it could've dashed his dream or goal of becoming a Protector, raised him in Ivy's esteem. "Did you manage to report him?"
He nodded. "The next day, in fact. It took a little longer for anything to happen—the officers wanted proof via a recording—but I kept my place, and the other male was reprimanded. However, it made the rest of my time inside the army pure hell. A few humans applauded me standing up to him. But many felt the human had been wronged. I was only a dragon-shifter, after all. And I would flee back to my own clan after a short stint. My word shouldn't have mattered."
Not long ago, Ivy would've agreed with that sentiment.
Now, however, she felt anger at the younger version of Zain who'd done what was right, only to be punished in a different way for it. "Then I sort of understand why you're wary of humans."
He shrugged. "Not all humans. Melanie, Evie, Jane, Emily, and even Rafe have more than earned my respect. Plus, I may grumble, but it's pretty hard to hate someone like Daisy Chadwick."
She smiled. "You're a softie for the hyper, chatty girl, aren't you?"
He grunted, and she smiled wider. Then out of nowhere, an image of Zain holding his own little girl in his arms flashed into her head. He cooed and swayed her, with love in his eyes.
And not only that, but the daughter had ginger hair and blue eyes, just like Ivy.
Panic should have rushed forth at the image, but instead, a slow yearning filled her.
At one time, Ivy had thought of having children. However, her time inside the Knights had quashed that dream. Knights who became pregnant were cast into boring, monotonous jobs inside the organization. To advance—and help rid the world of the dragon infestation—she'd focused only on moving up the ladder and shunned any sort of relationships.
Of course, none of the men who had children were punished the same way. The longer she was away from the Knights, the more she realized the faults. They may have all hated dragon-shifters inside the Knights, but it had clearly favored the men's work over the women's, too.
"Ivy?" Zain queried.
She met his gaze again. "I'm here. I just…I sometimes get lost thinking about my past."
"And given how there was angry fire flashing in your eyes, it wasn't about a happy memory, either, was it?"
She should curse Zain's ability to read her so well, but in a way, she liked it. At least for now. "No, it wasn't. But if you can get over what happened to you in the army, then I can focus on the future more instead of the past, and continue to try to make things right."
He leaned forward a fraction, putting their faces about a foot apart. "And just what does this future entail?"
Zain was too close. His heat and scent surrounded her, and combined with the fatherly image she'd conjured up, she wanted to do something ridiculous—lean over and kiss him.
No. Their mating was for convenience, nothing more.
However, she couldn't find it in herself to ignore the dragonman's question. Not after everything he'd shared with her. "I'm still figuring it out. But I'm going to try and be more understanding. I don't know if I can do it all the time, but I want to try to base my feelings, reactions, and responses on the present and what I see instead of what was drummed into me during my time with the Knights."
Zain searched her gaze, his pupils flashing, as he grunted. "From here on out, I'm going to try to do the same when it comes to you."
As they stared into one another's eyes, Ivy's heart rate kicked up, and everything disappeared except for Zain's face.
She was alone with a dragonman, and it didn't bother her at all.
No, instead, it made her want to pull him over and whisper more questions into his ears. Then he'd merely hold her as they talked for hours, exchanging information and learning more about each other.
Could it be possible that this man—no, dragonman—was the one she was supposed to know better than anyone else in the world? Be her partner, and maybe more?
However, Zain cleared his throat, took out his mobile phone as he retreated about a foot, and said, "We should probably go over the questions from my clan members about the data before you get too tired."
And just like that, Zain moved a little further away, and reality rushed back to her.
Unsure of why him moving away should sting, Ivy settled back against her pillows and said, "Then go ahead."
As she answered one question after another, Zain recording them all, Ivy forgot all about her moments of weakness earlier. Maybe with time, she and Zain could be friends. But it was foolish to hope for more.
Chapter Thirteen
As the weeks passed, Zain and Ivy fell into a routine. He'd leave early in the morning to do whatever needed to be done for the Protectors and let her sleep. Around noon, he'd return and eat lunch with her, talking about both the data and the Knights, but also about random things, too.
To be honest, Zain had never talked so much about himself his whole life.
And yet, he now looked forward to his quiet lunches with Ivy. She'd slowly started to do some work with Lucien and Nate in the afternoons, and Zain would help with her physical therapy in the evening.
Ivy would be frail for a while yet, but she had made incredible progress through a combination of dragon's blood injections and physical therapy.
Zain still remembered the first time she'd been able to walk with the use of crutches. Ivy had bitten her lip and moved inch by inch until she'd reached him standing at the other side of the room. Then she looked up at him in triumph, her eyes bright and her cheeks flushed.
He'd nearly lost his self-control in that instant. Never in his life had he wanted so desperately to pull a female close and kiss her.
Yet he'd managed to resist the temptation. Not only was Ivy still weak, the doctors hadn't figured out a complete antidote for her condition.
To kiss or sleep with her could infect him. And neither Sid nor Gregor had any idea how the bloody thing would affect a dragon-shifter.
And that was something Zain needed to remind himself of over and over again. Especially since today was the day Ivy could finally leave the surgery and move into a cottage with him.
His dragon grunted. It's only a matter of time until Sid and Gregor cure her. Then you won't have a flimsy excuse to hide behind.
Ignoring his beast, Zain headed down the hall toward Ivy's hospital room. It'd been bloody hard staying away the whole afternoon to allow the doctors time to do their final examinations and tests, but he'd managed it.
In less than an hour, he finally could take his female home and show her a life outside her hospital room.
Zain nearly missed a step and frowned. Ivy wasn't his female, not really. He'd protect her, of course. That was his duty as her mate, nothing more.
His dragon snorted but said nothing.
No doubt his bloody beast was up to something.
He'd just managed to clear his mind of any other thoughts but taking Ivy home when he knocked on her door and entered.
Ivy sat on the edge of her bed, her feet on the floor, wearing a simple blue dress. It was less formal than the one she'd worn the day of her first trip to the school, but the color made her eyes blaze. When her gaze met his and she smiled, his heart skipped a beat.
It was hard to remember how the female used to be a Dragon Knight. Especially given all the stories Ivy had told him of sneaking out and exploring her neighborhood as a child. She'd had a wild spirit at one time. Maybe it'd come out again soon. Then maybe one day, he could ta
ke her up into the air in his dragon form and show her the world from a new perspective.
Of course, he shouldn't be planning so far into the future. After all, Zain hadn't even been allowed to show her his dragon yet.
His beast growled. Then do it today. If she's well enough to leave the surgery, she's well enough to see us.
Zain wished he could agree. However, Ivy's constant struggle of progress and setbacks regarding her health had made taking her outside her room difficult. And so anything that could upset her had been banned for a short while. Unfortunately, Sid had included showing Ivy any dragon-shifters in their dragon forms as part of that edict.
Sensing his dragon was about to speak up again, he moved straight for Ivy and smiled down at her. "Ready for the big day?"
She snorted. "I think I can do without staring at a beige, windowless wall ever again. If you tell me the cottage has a room like that, then either you're painting it a different color or I'm never setting foot inside it."
A stray tendril of hair fell over her cheek. Before he could think better of it, he tucked it behind her ear, lingering there a few beats. Her skin was always so soft, and warm, and no female had a scent quite like hers.
Zain was very nearly addicted to it.
And before he could stop himself, he took a quiet, deep inhale. Her female scent was one that haunted his dreams, so sniffing was probably not the best idea. But he couldn't help himself. He answered, "No beige walls anywhere. If anything, it should be the complete opposite of here."
She raised her brows. "Oh, the complete opposite, huh? Well, I'm not sure living in a glass house would be an improvement."
He chuckled. "Of course it's not a glasshouse, bloody woman. You'll just have to wait and see what I mean. After all, you need some motivation to get up and walk all the way to the cottage."
"I suppose," she muttered. "So we'd better get started. It could take me a while."
He reached for her forearm crutches but didn't hand them to her. "As soon as Sid brings the release papers, I will."
Ivy shook her head. "Never in a million years would I have pictured dragon-shifters doing paperwork."
"This is Britain. To not do paperwork to an excessive degree would be a crime."
She raised her brows. "Then violating that crime might be worth going to prison."
Since prison for dragon-shifters was exponentially worse—it was torture to keep their beasts drugged silent and contained for any period of time—Zain changed the subject, not wanting to ruin Ivy's big day. "Are you sure you want to walk the whole way?"
Ivy bobbed her head. "I'm strong enough to do that much, at least. Besides, I don't want the clan to see me in a wheelchair again if I can help it. I'm tired of everyone who doesn't hate me treating me like a delicate porcelain doll."
A female's voice—Nikki's—came from the doorway. "You do sometimes sway on your feet. So it's not like we're being overprotective hens for the sake of it."
Ivy sighed. "Even if you all gang up on me, I'm still going to try walking to my new home."
Zain may be concerned, but a sense of pride washed through him at Ivy's desire to be strong. "Just know that at the first sign of swaying, I'll be carrying you."
"And that's not worse than being in a wheelchair?" Ivy muttered.
However, before anyone could reply, Dr. Sid walked in and stopped next to Ivy's bed. She said without preamble, "You remember your instructions, correct?"
"Yes, yes, check in twice a day via phone and visit the surgery at least twice a week for in-person examinations. And at the first sign of wooziness or anything else that seems off, I'm to call you."
Sid grunted. "Good. I'll be making surprise visits as well, although you've really taken to the healing power of dragon's blood. More than a lot of other humans, which is a good sign."
It was ironic that someone who had dedicated her life to eradicating dragon-shifters recovered faster than most with their blood.
His dragon huffed. That's not who Ivy is any longer, and you know it.
Of course I do.
He put out his hand. "Then let me help you up and we can get on our way."
What he didn't say was that there was a surprise waiting for Ivy at their new place. One his nephew and his friend had come up with.
Ever since Daisy's mother had accidentally set off a mate-claim frenzy with Blake Whitby, mated the male, and moved to Stonefire, Daisy was always at Freddie's side.
Trouble was sure to follow. And yet, he hadn't been able to say no to the pair about welcoming Ivy to her new home.
Ivy placed her small hand in his, and he instinctively curled his fingers around hers. She smiled at him, and his heart skipped a few beats again as time stilled.
His mate was beautiful, strong, and clever. And he still couldn't have her.
Not wanting everyone in the room to notice his attraction to the human, he lightly tugged Ivy to her feet, and she balanced with one crutch before releasing his hand and grabbing the other one.
He nearly tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow and ordered her to use him as her other crutch, but resisted. He knew how important it was for his human to make this trip on her own two feet.
Nikki gave him a long look before saying, "Are you sure you don't want me to come along with you two, Ivy? I don't have any duties for a few hours yet."
Ivy shook her head. "I'm fine. Come visit me tomorrow, though, like we planned. Maybe you can finally bring Rafe and Louisa by."
Nikki sighed. "Maybe. If Rafe could put Louisa in a glass container and keep her protected from every little thing in the world, he would."
Ivy smiled. "I still say there must be a dragon-shifter way, way up in his family tree, even if it was only an adopted one."
The shifting gene was always dominant, so it was impossible for Rafe to be part dragon. But merely the fact Ivy could tease Nikki about it confirmed to Zain how much the human had changed since first waking up.
Sid cleared her throat. "As much as I hate to interrupt, it's time to leave, Ivy. This is the least crowded time of the day on Stonefire, and it'll be easier for you to make your way to your new home."
And to avoid unwanted glares was left unsaid.
As Zain had predicted, some people had turned on him and never made eye contact.
But he didn't care. There was so much more to the female than a few years of her past, and one day they'd realize it, too. Especially since she, Nate, and Lucien were getting closer to decoding all the data. That would make the Protectors, and all of Stonefire, that much nearer to destroying one of their enemies.
Zain placed a hand on Ivy's lower back. "Come on. There's a lot to show you, and I want you to stay awake long enough to check it all out."
She narrowed her eyes. "I can stay awake almost all day now, thank you very much."
"And I can stay awake for several days in a row if need be. So I win."
Ivy muttered, "It's not a matter of winning."
Nikki laughed. "You two really are a mated pair, aren't you?"
Zain felt Ivy still beneath his fingers. Then she relaxed and shrugged. "Hatred won't help either of us. Besides, Zain is fun to tease."
Sid motioned toward the door. "Go, or I will find a wheelchair and have Zain forcibly remove you."
While Sid knew about Zain's surprise and was ushering them out for that reason, he didn't want Ivy to think the doctor couldn't stand her. "Work on your bedside manner a bit, Sid."
Sid raised her brows. "I'm doing you a favor here. Now, leave."
Ivy looked between them, but Zain gently pushed her forward. "Fine, fine, we're leaving."
As they walked down the corridor—Zain kept his pace slow to match Ivy's jilted walk with the forearm crutches—Ivy frowned and asked, "What favor was she talking about?"
"It's a surprise. And since you like them, I'm not going to tell you what it is."
She stared at him another few seconds before sighing. "Fine. Then I'm going to walk a little faster."
His dragon spoke up. You get too much time with her. When will it be my turn?
Soon enough, dragon. But if we don't get her home and let Freddie and Daisy give Ivy their surprise, we'll never hear the end of it.
His beast snorted. Look at you, afraid of a pair of children.
Not afraid, but I'm all for avoiding nuisances. Besides, it'll make Ivy happy.
His dragon fell silent. But Zain barely noticed as he watched Ivy move carefully down the main path toward their cottage, anxious to show her their new home.
Ivy did her best not to keep looking at Zain despite the fact she could feel his gaze on her face.
Over the last few weeks, she'd grown comfortable around the dragonman to the point she trusted him the most out of anyone on Stonefire.
But it wasn't just trust. Ivy loved how he teased her, and they could talk about anything. Zain had been worse during his childhood than even her. Apparently, when someone could change into a flying dragon, there were so many more ways to get into mischief.
And then there was the fact that any time he touched her or leaned close, she wanted to close the distance between them.
At first, she'd tried to say it was because he'd taken care of her, spent the most time with her, and even had mated her to protect her.
However, she'd grown close to Nikki, too, and Ivy had no desire to kiss the dragonwoman or rip off her clothes.
Still, Ivy had been able to keep her feelings mostly hidden from everyone but Dr. Rossi. And at least that information was protected because of her patient-client privilege.
The situation would change as of today, though. No longer would she be in a bland, boring hospital room, constantly surrounded by staff. No, she'd be living alone with Zain in their own cottage. Without anyone else around, could she keep herself calm and rational enough to not act on her desires?
Persuading the Dragon (Stonefire British Dragons Book 12) Page 12