Patrima: A Dragon for Christmas (Return of the Dragons Book 5)

by Rinelle Grey

  Yet, it had happened with Hailey without him even trying.

  Was it because she was a human?

  Maybe he should keep his distance?

  It felt like he was playing with fire. And if he continued, chances were he’d get burnt.

  Somehow, he wanted to.

  Chapter 9

  Hailey stared at Patrima, her heart thudding painfully in her chest.

  She struggled to get her brain to think. To focus on what he’d said.

  But it made no sense. He couldn’t possibly be a dragon. Dragon’s didn’t exist.

  The truth she had believed all her life warred with the evidence in front of his eyes. His hand had transformed into a dragon hand. She’d seen the scales and claws. She hadn’t been hallucinating… had she?

  It would have been almost easier to believe that she had.

  But everything that had happened in the last few days had been pointing in that direction. Malcom’s comments at the canyon, Patrima’s strange eyes...

  Not to mention the way she’d felt when he’d touched her…

  That certainly hadn’t been normal.

  For a moment there, it had almost been as if their hearts were beating in time. Even now she was no longer touching him, her heart didn’t feel like it was quite her own. It felt like it was beating with the wrong rhythm. Or like it wanted to still be connected to him…

  She gave herself a shake. This was nonsense.

  It had to be.

  Right?

  But she couldn’t convince herself.

  Instead, the only thought that filled her mind was if she let this go, she’d regret it for the rest of her life.

  And he’d kissed her.

  That fact wouldn’t leave her mind. It heated her blood every time she remembered it. It kept trying to push everything else aside, as though nothing mattered except that fact.

  The electricity she’d felt when they’d touched had been nothing compared to that.

  What was she doing? She was at work. She had a job to do. She couldn’t let herself give in to this.

  He stood there waiting, not pushing her, not saying anything. Giving her time to take it in.

  “How… Where… What…” she stammered, completely articulate.

  Patrima laughed, but not at her. The soft, warm, almost growl of a laugh was sympathetic.

  “It’s a lot to take in,” he said softly.

  “You really are dragon?” Hailey probed, needing to hear him say it again. As though that would somehow clear her mind of the fog of disbelief clouding it.

  He flashed her a smile. “I’m an honest to goodness dragon. I’d show you, except…” he looked around the station and smiled, “it might be a bit cramped in here.”

  Hailey felt her eyes widen. Oh she wanted to see that.

  Maybe later.

  Chapter 10

  Patrima stayed quiet as he followed Hailey around the building to a small, green car. Not the one they’d been driving around in earlier. The early morning sun reflected off the windows.

  Once they were inside, and the doors closed, Hailey said, “Well, I suppose I’d better take you to the hostel.” Her voice was wistful, and it just made the ache in Patrima’s heart grow. This was goodbye. He knew it.

  It was the way it had to be.

  He was a clanless dragon. He had nothing to offer her, even if she was as interested in him as he was in her. He needed to let her go.

  But that didn’t mean he had to agree to go with her. “You can’t take me to a hostel, you know that, right?”

  She stared at him for a moment, and he was sure she was going to protest. Then her shoulders slumped. “I can’t just dump you on the side of the road with nowhere to go. I just can’t.”

  “I’ll be fine,” he said, with more certainty than he felt. “I’m a dragon. I’m pretty tough.”

  He meant it as a matter of fact statement, but she turned to him with a frown. “Even when you’re wounded?”

  He hid a wince. Most of his wounds were already healing under the bandages, he could feel that. The one on his chest worried him a little. It had a dull ache setting in. He needed to check it. When Hailey wasn’t around.

  “Even when wounded,” he said with more confidence than he felt.

  Hailey frowned. “You may be a big, tough dragon, but you’re not fooling me,” she said flatly. “I’m not letting you… just wander off…” she waved a hand towards the window, “until I know you’re going to be all right.”

  Her words filled Patrima with a warm glow.

  He should keep insisting he’d be fine, but he could see Hailey wasn’t going to take no for an answer. “What do you see as an alternative then? I won’t go to a hostel. There’s too much risk of someone finding out I’m a dragon.”

  Hailey stared at him for several long moments, her eyes wide.

  Suddenly, Patrima could almost sense her heartbeat, as though it was still connected to him through dragon magic.

  “You could stay at my place,” she said in a rush.

  Patrima’s heart gave a leap. It was just what he’d hoped for.

  Yet still he hesitated.

  He liked Hailey. Really liked her. He wanted to get to know her better.

  But he didn’t want to pressure her or rush her. Especially not after how she’d reacted when he kissed her.

  “Are you sure?” he asked softly. “I don’t want to be an imposition.”

  “You won’t be,” Hailey said quickly. “I just can’t let you go when you have nowhere to go.”

  She felt responsible for him. She’d said that last night, and this morning she’d told her boss she would take him to a hostel. That was all it was. Patrima glanced away from her, out the window, trying to hide his disappointment.

  Maybe the hostel would be a better option after all. He didn’t have to stay once she’d left. That would relieve her mind of her responsibilities, and he could get on with his life.

  Get on with hiding out in a cave somewhere and growing old, alone and bitter.

  “And I don’t want to say goodbye to you and never see you again.”

  Hailey’s voice was small, but it held the same note of desperation Patrima could feel in his heart. He turned back towards her, unable to keep the smile off his face.

  “I don’t want to say goodbye to you either.”

  She smiled over at him shyly, her lower lip trembling ever so slightly. Patrima desperately wanted to kiss away her uncertainty, but he wouldn’t risk the same reaction as last time. Better to wait. To be sure it was what she wanted.

  He didn’t say anything more. Didn’t need to.

  Hailey smiled at him, and started the car before heading out onto the road.

  Patrima stared out the window as they drove through the town. In one front yard, a child played with a shiny new bicycle, his parents watching, holding hands with a smile on their face. A few doors down, two children chased each other with bright plastic water pistols. Patrima could hear their happy squeals.

  Everywhere he looked were more happy children and families.

  Somehow, it just made the ache in his own heart worse.

  He could have had all that. He could be in his clan, listening to dragon children having this excitement.

  If only he’d been able to look past the fact that it was denied to him as a child.

  He remembered Christmas. Remembered the excitement of waking up on Christmas morning and rushing to see what was under the tree. It was never much, his mother hadn’t had much money, but she’d always managed to find the perfect gift. Things he’d stared at in the shops, but had never even told her he’d wanted.

  The only thing that had marred that celebration had been the fact that his father had never been present. He hadn’t understood why. His mother hadn’t told him he was a dragon until they left the human town. She’d been afraid he would accidentally reveal the information to someone who might take advantage of it.

  Patrima bit back a sigh as they pulled up
in front of a small, white house with a green roof. Hailey pulled into the driveway and stopped the car, then stared over at him. “This is it. This is my place.” She told him.

  Lights hung from the gutters, still blinking, their light pale in the early morning sun. Patrima could see the corner of a Christmas tree in one window.

  Looked like there was no escaping Christmas.

  Somehow though, he no longer wanted to.

  “Come on, let’s get inside,” Hailey said with a smile.

  Patrima followed her into the house, watching as she tossed her keys on the counter, then turned to stare at him.

  Somehow though, everything was getting fuzzy around the edges. Patrima felt hot, a sweat breaking out on his brow, then just as suddenly, cold. He stumbled on the edge of a rug, something that wouldn’t normally have tripped him up.

  Hailey frowned. “Are you okay?”

  Patrima took a deep breath, willing his mind to overcome the pain until he could stand without feeling like the world was swirling around him. “Yes, I’m fine.”

  He would be. Somehow.

  Chapter 11

  Hailey stared at Patrima, concerned. He was smiling at her, but she could see the pain in his eyes. “That wound is giving you trouble, isn’t it? Let me take a look at it.”

  Patrima shook his head quickly. “No, I’m fine. I can take care of it.”

  Why was he so stubborn? Or more concerning, what was he hiding?

  Hailey came around the kitchen bench and walked up to Patrima. He stood, staring at her, not moving, his eyes wide. She put a hand on his chest, and could feel the heat emanating from his wound, even through the bandage.

  “You’re burning up.” She stared up at him in concern.

  She could see the internal war on his face, then he heaved a sigh. “Yes, the wound is infected.”

  He sounded very matter of fact, but his words filled Hailey with trepidation.

  “What can we do about it? I mean… will they be able to tell you’re a dragon if I take you to the hospital? Do antibiotics work on dragons?”

  Patrima shrugged. “No dragon has ever tried antibiotics, so I don’t know. We don’t need them.”

  Apparently he was overconfident about the whole dragon race. “Well, apparently you can get infections, so I guess you do need them,” she pointed out.

  For some reason, that seemed to have some effect on him. Patrima swallowed, and stared down at her.

  There was something he wasn’t telling her. Hailey’s heart beat a little faster. “What is it?” she demanded.

  “Dragons have other ways of healing.”

  His voice was low, setting up a reverberation deep in her belly. And she didn’t even know why. Why was her heart fluttering when he told her about dragons healing? She hoped they could. And if he could… “Then why aren’t you doing it already?”

  “We can’t do it alone.”

  Five simple words. But they set her heart pounding.

  She wasn’t sure exactly what he meant by that, but she suspected she was going to find out.

  “Can I help?”

  He hesitated then, looking deep into her eyes. “You could, but I’m not sure it’s such a good idea.”

  Hailey’s heart sank at his words. He didn’t want her help. Maybe it was because she wasn’t a dragon. Of course he’d prefer it if one of his clan helped him, but they weren’t here.

  She was.

  She’d show him she could do just as good a job as a dragon.

  “Why isn’t it such a good idea?” she demanded.

  He hesitated again, the look in his eyes strange. Almost as if he were embarrassed.

  He cleared his throat. “Dragon healing is very intimate. I don’t want to upset you, like I did when I kissed you.”

  Hailey felt her face flush. What did he mean, healing was intimate?

  Before she asked, she needed to clear one thing up. “I was upset because I wasn’t expecting it. Besides, I was at work. Kissing someone there isn’t appropriate.”

  He stared at her for a while, then a slow smile spread across his face. “Well, the dragon healing process involves entering a sleep like state that we call the Mesmer. But the process is difficult, and involves connecting with another person on a very deep level.”

  Hailey’s heart beat a little faster. “What do you mean?”

  Patrima hesitated. “You remember back at the station when you put your hand on my chest and…” his voice trailed off.

  Silly her, she’d thought he meant something similar to kissing. Not that the connection she’d felt with him when she’d touched him hadn’t been intimate, just… a different kind of intimate. It had been very strange, as though her heart was… well… connected to his.

  “Is this… Mesmer…” she tripped over the unfamiliar word, hoping she was pronouncing it right, “…like that?”

  Patrima nodded, his face serious. “Part of the process involves syncing our hearts, breathing and brain waves. That enables me to draw on your energy to help me heal my wounds. But don’t worry, it doesn’t have any lasting effects on you at all.”

  It sounded a little tricky, she wasn’t sure how they were supposed to sync their brain waves, but not difficult enough to account for his hesitation. “I’m sure I can manage that,” she said.

  His expression didn’t change. He just stared at her, and this time, she was sure his cheeks were a little red, though it was hard to tell under his tan.

  “What is it?” she prompted. “Is there more?”

  Patrima cleared his throat. “Well, entering the Mesmer is just the start, you see. Once I wake, I will be very weak. The connection between us will help me gain strength, but…” He trailed off, and stared into her eyes.

  For some reason, the look he gave her stirred something deep in her stomach. A flutter of excitement started, and grew. “But what?”

  “When I wake from the Mesmer sleep, I will form a Mesmer bond with the first person who touches me. That person and I, will feel an intense desire to mate.”

  A shiver of excitement and nervousness ran through Hailey. She hadn’t been so far off after all.

  The thought was enticing.

  It wasn’t like she hadn’t thought about sleeping with him. Especially after that kiss. What would it feel like to make love with a dragon?

  His eyes were a dark silver now, his stare intense.

  But there was also an element of uncertainty in his expression. Was he worried about her rejecting him?

  “Should we? Mate I mean?” Hailey found herself tripping over her own words and blushing. “I mean, will that help you heal faster?”

  “Mating will return me to my full strength, so in that aspect it is beneficial, but it’s not necessary. Just being close to you will work, it just takes longer.”

  “I want to,” Hailey said quickly, even though her face was burning. “I want to help you.”

  “Is that the only reason?”

  Hailey couldn’t tell what he was thinking from his expression. It was reserved, as though he were holding back, hiding something.

  She didn’t blame him. Putting it out there, saying you were interested in someone, especially someone you’d only known for such a short time, was scary.

  She took a deep breath. “I…” The words escaped her. So instead, she stepped forwards and pressed her lips to his.

  It was as though her action had unleashed something in him, because his arms went around her and he pulled her up against him, hard. His lips were hot and demanding, sending desire coursing through her.

  Seemed like he got her message.

  After a few moments though, he faltered.

  Hailey pulled back, seeing the pain written on his face.

  “We need to heal you,” she said firmly. “Now.”

  He desperately needed it. She could see that. But still he hesitated.

  “What is it?” Hailey asked impatiently. “I’ve said I’m good with it. All of it.”

  “I…” He c
leared his throat. “I’ve had some trouble entering the Mesmer before. I have not been able to sync with other dragons easily. It may be more difficult than it should be.”

  He held himself stiff, and she could see that the effort, both of admitting his difficulty, and of remaining upright, cost him.

  “We can do it together,” Hailey said softly. “It doesn’t matter if it takes a while. I have nowhere else to be.”

  Her words weren’t technically true. Her parents would be expecting her for Christmas lunch. But that was hours away yet. And if she didn’t show up… well, she’d deal with that later.

  He stared at her for a moment, then it was as if he relaxed. His shoulders returned to their normal position, and he gave a small wince as they did so.

  Hailey slid in under his arm and pulled his arm around her shoulders. “Come on, let’s get you somewhere more comfortable.”

  “I can walk without assistance,” he protested, but he did lean on her as she led him into the bedroom.

  She wished she’d taken a few minutes to straighten the covers on her bed and pick up some of her clothes and books before she’d left for work last night. But there was no way she could have predicted she wouldn’t be coming home alone.

  He’d just have to live with the mess.

  In reality, he didn’t even seem to notice as Hailey eased him onto the edge of the bed. His eyes were a little glassy, and his expression vacant.

  “Are you okay?” she asked in concern. “An infection shouldn’t be getting worse this quickly.”

  What if he became worse before they could do this Mesmer thing he talked about? He’d said he had difficulty with it, what if he was already too sick?

  “Dragons heal faster than humans. Unfortunately this also means that an infection can progress faster. I will be fine as soon as I enter the Mesmer.” He put a hand on her arm. “You’ll help me, won’t you, Hailey?”

  She didn’t even hesitate. “Of course, anything.”

  She wasn’t even thinking about sleeping with him now. She just wanted him to be okay.