by Sophie Stern
She chuckled to herself as she slipped on the pajamas, but as soon as the fabric touched her skin, she stopped laughing. Oh, they felt so good against her body. She hadn’t realized just how sore and tender she really was until her pain had melted away in the shower. Declan had saved her, but he’d healed her, too.
She walked around his bedroom looking at the design. She’d only had a quick glance at the first floor before she’d come upstairs, but what she’d seen was pleasant enough. The first floor of the treehouse was a big, single room that doubled as a living room and kitchen. There were a couple of closed doors, and she guessed that they probably led to a pantry and a bathroom. This floor was similar in nature.
Zoa was standing on the second floor of the treehouse, and she thought it was basically just a big bedroom. There was a big, ornate-looking bed in the center of the room. There was a bathroom, which was its own little room, but the main area of the second floor was just one large, open space. There wasn’t a closet. Zoa kind of liked the aesthetic.
The bed in the center of the room had drawers beneath it. The entire thing looked like it had been hand-crafted out of oak wood. Had Declan made this himself? She rather thought he had. After all, he’d said that he’d made the treehouse. Why not the bed, too? It was interesting, really. It almost looked like it was a part of the treehouse itself.
There was also a large dresser made out of the same type of wood. It must have had nearly 20 drawers. There was a big mirror on top of it, and Zoa stood in front of the dresser and stared at the mirror. Once she stopped looking at the furniture, she started looking at herself. The revelation wasn’t good. She looked different now.
Tired.
Worn out.
Had she looked like this before Kellan had taken her? She couldn’t remember. It felt like he’d taken her a lifetime ago. She knew it had only been days, or maybe weeks. It wasn’t really clear. He’d drugged her for a little while, at least until she’d figured out to stop taking the food that he had offered her. Now she looked sickly, she thought, and a little too thin.
What would have happened to her if Declan hadn’t come to the rescue?
The top of the dresser had pictures of Declan and his friends and family members. It looked like he lived a happy life. His brothers were handsome, like he was, but they weren’t identical. Their mom was pretty, too. She always wore that same necklace, but her hairstyle tended to change from picture to picture. Sometimes it was down, sometimes it was blonde, and sometimes she had a little streak of color in it.
What was it like to have a family?
That was something she’d wondered about before. Ever since her parents died, she was alone, but if Zoa was being honest, she knew her loneliness and isolation had started long before that. Her parents had loved her, she knew, but they’d also been very busy and preoccupied with work.
If they hadn’t been so busy, would she have chosen a different career path?
Would they have spent more time together?
Maybe they would have gone on trips together, rather than separately. Maybe they wouldn’t have gone away without her. Hell, maybe they wouldn’t have died.
“Look at me now,” Zoa said to herself.
She was 28, she was in a giant treehouse with a man who could turn into a dragon, and she was wearing pink fluffy unicorn pajamas. It was safe to say that life had turned out to be just a little bit weird. Zoa sighed. She suddenly felt very, very tired.
Declan was downstairs, she knew. He was probably waiting for her. Maybe he’d want to talk to her, or perhaps he’d want to cook her dinner. She was a little hungry, she knew, and he could probably cook. He lived way out in the middle of nowhere. They’d had to fly to get here. Unless he was the type of person who liked to fly around for every meal, he probably cooked at home.
She should go down and talk to him. That would be the normal, rational thing to do. She could thank him for helping her, and together, they could come up with a plan. What was she supposed to do next? She could exactly file police charges against someone like Kellan, could she? She was smart enough to know that guys like Kellan didn’t take kindly to being reported.
Besides, she didn’t have any proof as to what had happened to her.
Kellan might have hurt her, but Declan had healed her.
She looked at the bed again, thinking about how soft it looked. Where was she going to sleep while she was here? How long was Declan going to let her stay? Her anxiety threatened to wash over her and make it difficult to breathe, so she had to get ahead of it. Instead of worrying about what she was supposed to do, Zoa tried to focus on doing what she wanted to do.
“Get in the bed,” she whispered to herself.
That was what she wanted. That was something tangible, something real, and something simple that she could focus on. She couldn’t make the pain go away. She couldn’t get herself a house or a real job or real friends right now. She didn’t have any money or anywhere she could go.
She could get into the bed, though.
She could handle that.
She climbed up onto the big bed and wiggled to the center of it. Then she leaned back on the pillows. Oh, they were so soft. She stayed right on top of the blankets. She didn’t want to get under them. If she climbed under the blankets, it would be admitting that she wanted to go to sleep. As it was, she could simply fall asleep on the bed. That wouldn’t be nearly as big of a deal.
She wasn’t going to bed, though. Nope. Not at all. She was just going to curl up on the pillow, close her eyes, and rest for a few minutes. She thought about how the pillow felt and how soft the bed was. She thought about how nice everything smelled.
It smelled like Declan, and Zoa knew that she was safe.
WHEN SHE WOKE UP, IT was dark outside. The windows that lined the treehouse walls had been filled with light when she fell asleep, but now they were dark. Zoa sat up and stretched as she glanced at the windows.
How long had she been asleep for? Had Declan tried to wake her? She was a little embarrassed that she’d just straight-up gone to sleep, but nothing could be done about that right now. She hopped out of bed and went to the nearest window. She placed her hand on it and looked outside.
The stars were out, and the moon was bright. It really was a beautiful night. There was a balcony that lined the exterior of the second floor, and she was tempted to walk outside. She didn’t, though. She would play it safe and be careful, at least for now. She could explore another time.
Zoa went to the ladder that led downstairs and carefully started climbing down. When she reached the bottom rung, she hopped off and turned around to see three sets of eyes blinking at her, watching her.
“Um, hello,” she said.
Declan was in the middle. The other two men with him must have been his brothers. They looked taller than they had in their pictures, but no less handsome.
“Did you have a nice nap?” Declan asked. The three men were standing in the kitchen area. It looked as though they’d been cooking. The treehouse smelled really good, but she didn’t see any food. Apparently, she’d missed dinner. Maybe they weren’t cooking anymore. They were probably just cleaning up the cooking mess. She spotted some suds in the kitchen sink. It looked as though they’d been washing plates.
Men who did dishes? How nice. Apparently, shifter guys really were different.
Zoa glanced around the room to see what else she had missed while she was asleep. The main floor looked pretty much the same except for the additional men in the treehouse. All three men were wearing sweatpants without shirts. So, they’d probably flown over in their dragon forms and then just pulled on pants when they arrived, Zoa figured. She tried not to stare at any of them, but it was pretty hard.
Although she definitely found Declan to be the most fantastic of the three brothers, the other two were no less beautiful. It was a strange sort of feeling, she thought, to be standing amongst such beautiful creatures. If she didn’t know better, she would say that these men must be im
aginary. She’d certainly never met anyone like them before.
“Yes,” Zoa finally said. “I had a nice nap. I’m sorry that I fell asleep.”
It was a little embarrassing that she’d been rescued and then immediately passed out. She hadn’t slept much at Kellen’s. Anytime she fell asleep, she had nightmares. The few times she’d cried out in her dreams, someone had come into the room to hurt her for it. The rule at his place was that she had to be quiet at all times, even when she was unconscious.
“Never apologize for sleeping,” Declan told her. He looked at her carefully, considering her. “Sleep is an important part of the healing process. It shouldn’t be rushed. Ever.”
“I agree,” said one of the other men. He nodded, and then he took a step forward and held out his hand. Zoa stared at it. “My name is Brian.”
“I’m Zoa,” she held out her hand, too, and they shook. She was trying to remember her manners, but suddenly, everything felt wildly difficult. She thought she was doing okay. She was blending in. She was watching herself.
When you met someone new, you told them your name, and then you shook your hand. That was what you did. That was how people acted when they knew what they were doing.
Did Zoa know what she was doing?
Maybe.
“And I’m Christopher,” the last brother said. He stepped forward and, just as Brian had done, reached for Zoa’s hand. He shook it, and she nodded, and then the man stepped back.
“Have a seat, Zoa,” Declan said. He gestured to one of the sofas. There were two big couches in the living room. The kitchen area, although still in the same room, was off to the side. There was a little table beside the kitchen.
Zoa didn’t think she had it in herself to argue with Declan. He had been so kind to her, and he was obviously trustworthy. She could count on him, she knew. He’d saved her from Kellen, after all. He’d rescued her from what could have been a terrible fate.
She found herself considering both of the couches. One of them was a deep red velvet and looked very soft. It had several throw pillows on it. The other sofa was a deep black that looked sleek and sophisticated. She looked over at Declan to see that he was watching her carefully. He was amused with her. Interesting.
She wasn’t offended at the idea that he found her funny. If anything, it was nice to know that she had the power to keep his attention.
“Declan?” She asked.
“Yes, doll?”
“Which one is your favorite?”
“My favorite?”
“Yes.”
“I like this one.” Declan walked over to the red sofa and sat down. Then he patted the cushion beside him. It was an enticing offer. He wanted her to sit beside him. They were going to talk. She knew that. His brothers had come to see him, and there could only be one reason for that. They wanted something. Either that, or they were going to help him.
Zoa had a feeling she knew what it was.
The dragons were different from what Zoa had imagined. They seemed a bit unpredictable and a bit wild. It was quite wonderful, she thought. Although she could sense their animal nature deep within them, she didn’t feel afraid of them the way she had felt afraid of Kellen.
Still, she was a bit scared to sit beside. Declan. He was a big, strong dragon shifter. He was fierce.
She was just...her.
Zoa let her eyes wander to the other two brothers. They, too, were watching her. Did they think she was weak? She didn’t want them to think she was weak. She might have gotten herself into some trouble, and she might have been a victim, but she didn’t want them to view her as weak or pathetic.
Zoa steeled herself. She had a choice to make. She could wuss out and go sit on the opposite couch, or she could show these men just how brave she was. She stood up a little straighter, pushed her shoulders back, and walked over to the red couch.
“Good girl,” Declan murmured when she got close. The words surprised her so much that she seemed to trip over nothing at all, and she landed right in his lap. The dragon let out a tiny growl as he looked at her.
Oh yeah.
He liked her.
A lot.
Chapter 5
He knew that he should lift her up and move her. She had been planning to sit beside him, after all, but that wasn’t what Declan wanted. What he did want was for the human to stay right where she was, nestled properly on his lap. He liked this a lot. Oh, he liked it much more than he should have. He loved having her here with him.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“Don’t be sorry.”
“Should I move?”
It was a question. She didn’t want to move. She was asking him whether or not she should leave because she wanted permission to stay.
How interesting.
Wasn’t that just the littlest bit wonderful? They’d only been together for a few hours, and already the little human was quite charming. Already, she was the kind of person who could make Declan feel warm and fuzzy inside.
“No,” Declan said, stroking her cheek. “You shouldn’t move.” He grabbed her and tugged her closer to him. Her shoulder was pressed against his chest, and his arms were wrapped around her protectively. His brothers wouldn’t do anything to harm her, but she didn’t know that yet. She didn’t know anything about any of them except that Declan had stolen her away.
He’d kidnapped her from the kidnapper.
The irony wasn’t lost on him.
Perhaps he should have thought twice about stealing her away. What if he had been wrong? What if he hadn’t been rescuing her, but actually kidnapping her again? That would have been horrible. He knew, logically, that wasn’t really what had happened. Still, he couldn’t help wondering if he was, on some level, a sort of villain in her eyes.
“Well then,” Christopher chuckled and strode across the room. He sat down on the opposite couch and crossed one leg over the other. Then he leaned back and looked at Declan and Zoa. “This just got interesting.”
“I think she likes you,” Brian agreed, walking over. He sat beside Christopher and looked at Declan and Zoa. Brian eyed them both carefully, looking them over. He was the one in charge of their company. Oh, they all shared the organization, but it wasn’t a secret that Brian was the big man who took control. When there was a problem, he was the one who handled it. When the company had dramatic things to deal with, Brian was the one who softened everything. That was just his nature.
He was guarded.
Now, he looked over Declan and Zoa. Declan knew what his brother was doing. He was trying to figure them out. He was trying to decide whether this was a pairing that would work, and perhaps most importantly, he was trying to decide if Zoa was good enough for Declan. Oh, she was. She was definitely good enough.
“Be polite.” Declan’s voice came out like a growl, but he didn’t mean for it to. He just didn’t want his goofball brothers to scare her. They were professionals, yeah, but they were still a little rough around the edges. He didn’t want his brothers to make Zoa feel uncomfortable. She was a guest in the treehouse, after all.
“We’ll be the politest dragons you’ve ever seen,” Christopher winked. Declan could scent Zoa, and he could tell that she was calming down. She was relaxing. Whatever charm Christopher and Brian were working on her, it was effective.
“You seem polite,” Zoa whispered.
“We are,” Brian agreed.
“Okay,” Christopher rubbed his hands together. “As much as I really, really love flying out into the wilderness to hang out with my brother, he called us here for a reason.”
“You’re in trouble,” Brian said, as though Zoa didn’t know. To her credit, Zoa didn’t visibly cower or react to the news. She just nodded slightly.
“They’re going to help us,” Declan explained carefully. He didn’t want Zoa to feel like she was being ambushed or like her life was out of her hands, but he needed this to be clear for her. The dragons were going to get rid of Kellen. He was a threat to other shi
fters, but he was also a threat to other humans. He didn’t get to decide that he would just capture a human and keep her as a pet. That wasn’t the way the world worked.
Kellen might think that since he was a shifter he was somehow “above” the laws of man, but he wasn’t. No matter what your species was, abducting someone against their will was wrong. Capturing someone was wrong. Taking a human being away from where she lived and holding her hostage was wrong.
Zoa looked at each of the men in turn. She seemed to be doing more than just casually glancing at them. Declan almost felt like she was checking their souls. Were they good men? Bad men? She seemed to want to know. He wished there was a way for him to show her just how much he wanted to save her, to help her. He supposed his word was going to have to be good enough.
“How will you help me?” Zoa whispered.
“We’re going to go back to Kellen’s place,” Brian said. Declan could tell that he wanted to stand and start pacing, but to his credit, he stayed still.
“Why?” Zoa asked. “Isn’t that like going back into the lion’s den?”
“Sort of,” Declan agreed. “But it’s necessary.”
He didn’t say what they were going to do. They were going to kill Kellen. They were going to make sure that the asshole never hurt another shifter or another girl as long as he lived. They wouldn’t stand for it. Zoa seemed to know without him saying anything, though.
“You’re going to kill him,” her voice came out strong.
“Yes,” Brian agreed, nodding.
“We all think that’s for the best,” Christopher spoke up.
“And you?” Zoa turned to Declan. She nuzzled her cheek against his and then pulled back. She had a look of surprise on her face, as though she couldn’t believe she’d just done that. “Do you agree?”
“I agree,” Declan said tightly. His entire body suddenly felt like it was on fire. He was a dragon, so he always ran hot, but this was different. This time, he felt hot because of her. Zoa was having the craziest impact on him. When she was close to him, he felt needed and strong. He felt powerful. Perhaps strangest of all, he felt protective.