by Mia Allen
At least not yet.
Not even his closest friends knew of his condition as much as he wanted to tell them. He just figured it’d end up the same as his relationships did: hardship and heartache. All for a brief moment of happiness. All was for not. Even in a city full of people he still hadn’t found her. Just knowing he had each and every opportunity helped keep the burning anger deeper inside of himself and made the sadness all the heavier.
Most people would be frightened to walk this route alone in the middle the night. Especially since there was hardly a passerby. A few streetlamps had gone dim along the way, making it hard to see occasionally. Trevor had walked down this path so many times that the fear that once struck him as he trudged down the street now turned as cold as the air around him. Thanks to his dragon, he knew that nothing bad could happen to him. Even if it did, he’d only need to growl or snarl at his pursuer. He’d seen the looks in previous men’s eyes when they looked at him as a beast. No longer a man himself, he imagined that he looked at them the same way. He looked at them with a gaze that would sway the sturdiest of wills and lower any gun they dared to point at him.
Trevor kept his eyes on the sidewalk watching the passing lines as if they’d help distract him from his thoughts. He knew there was no point in looking up. There was hardly anyone out at this time of night—at least on this block. The crowd he was used to passing by would come around later, so he didn’t have to worry for a while. In a way, he almost wished that he would bump into someone who’d knock some sense into him.
“Help!” shrieked a feminine voice to Trevor’s right.
“Huh?” He froze and looked around, waiting to hear the sound again. Did I imagine that…?
“Ah! Someone help me! Please!”
The dragon in Trevor jumped at the voice and he immediately locked onto the sound, turning his attention to the sound and peering into the dark alley in front of him. He stared into it for a while, looking for any sign of movement as he took a step forward and then another. His movements were stiff—silent as he crept further down the alleyway.
“Shut the fuck up.”
Trevor caught the low growl a few feet ahead of him. Without a second thought, the beast in him came out and he snarled, charging forth to see a man cornering a woman by a dumpster. Trevor towered over the man and shadows covered his face now looking more akin to a dragon than a man. The man slowly turned around asking, “What the hell…?” Before he could face Trevor, Trevor grasped the man at the sides and tossed him to the side.
The woman gasped, and Trevor growled as the man’s knife fell to the ground and he crashed into a scrapheap nearby, creating a loud clamor. The man struggled to get up, trembling as Trevor turned his attention away from the woman and lumbered over to the man. Trevor growled lowly, leaning down to check on him. He didn’t move, but Trevor could hear him breathing—gasping for breaths. He’ll be fine, Trevor thought as he took a deep breath and started to revert back into his human form. When he stepped back into one of the lighter spots in the alley, his face came into view.
She shivered as he came near as Trevor towered over her the same as he did the man who was threatening her before. “Are you all right?” Trevor asked softly, keeping a respectful distance from her.
“I…I think I’m okay…” she replied just as quietly.
“Are you sure?”
She nodded. “Y-yeah… I live another block or two from here, so I think I’ll be all right getting back.”
Why are you looking at me like that? Trevor thought as he stared into the woman’s blue eyes and looked over her long, wavy dark hair. “All right. Take care, all right?”
Trevor started to back away from her, but the woman reached out to him and grabbed his arm saying, “Stop!” He paused. “W-wait… Is that really it?”
“What do you mean?” Trevor asked, still facing toward the entry to the alleyway.
“You…you saved me and we don’t even know each other’s names…”
Trevor shrugged and said, “I figured you wouldn’t want to be bothered by another guy after that. Did I…guess wrongly?” Trevor slowly turned around to face the woman who’d let go of his arm.
She held out a hand and said, “I’m Brenda.”
“Trevor,” he replied as he took her hand, shaking it. “I’m sorry if I seem a bit off… I haven’t been having the best night…” Trevor said as he looked off to the side.
Brenda shrugged, but tried to smile a little as she said, “Don’t worry about it. As you can probably guess… I haven’t had the best night either.”
“Yeah…” Trevor grumbled as his eyes trailed over to the body still at the other end of the alleyway. “Why don’t we get outta here? Who knows what else could jump out at us?”
They walked side by side out of the alley. Trevor looked over at Brenda and asked, “So, how’d you wind up in that mess anyway?”
Brenda scoffed, wrapping her arms around herself. “It’s not a usual thing for me, I promise. I’ve gone home on nights worse than this without a scratch on me, but I guess tonight my luck ran out.”
“I’d say the same if I had any luck to start with.” They made their way down the sidewalk, and even though the winds sent shivers down Trevor’s spine, he found warmth being around Brenda.
“Yeah? What happened to you?” Brenda asked as she looked over at Trevor.
“Just…bullshit.” Trevor shook his head a little as he remembered the anger and sadness he’d felt earlier. “But the bullshit that happened to me wouldn’t be remotely as bad as what happened to you, so don’t worry about it.”
“We have another block if you need to get something off your chest,” Brenda replied, trying to get Trevor’s attention by lightly tapping his arm. “It’s the least I could do after all.”
Trevor sighed, looking into Brenda’s eyes that seemed to plead him. “Fine, fine… I got stood up tonight. That’s it.” Saying it aloud pained Trevor to say more than he thought they would and he could feel his dragon clawing at his heart. The pent up frustration he’d relieved earlier wasn’t enough to keep his dragon at bay and he knew he’d need another excursion to feel whole again.
Before he could dwell on his thoughts, Brenda stroked his arm and said, “Aw.”
“Yeah, I know,” Trevor replied coldly, looking away from her.
“I can’t say that I’ve had that problem recently… Not because I’m taken, unfortunately. It’s just work tends to take up most of my time now, so I don’t have much time for dates.”
Trevor scoffed. “Working from home gives me nothing but time sometimes. That’s what I get for trying to find someone online, I guess.”
“Well, if you wanna look at it another way… If she hadn’t stood you up, I don’t know what would’ve happened to me by now,” Brenda whispered just loud enough for Trevor to hear.
He looked down at her, slightly annoyed at first, but as soon as her words sank in he knew that she was right. “Yeah, I guess so…”
“…Oh, here we are!” said Brenda as she walked out in front of Trevor and stopped at the front door of a large townhouse. Before she reached for the doorknob, she turned around and said, “Um, wait a minute…” She hastily pulled out a piece of paper and scribbled something on it before handing it to Trevor. “If you want… Call me sometime and we can go on that date you missed out on tonight. I think we’d both appreciate getting to know each other under more romantic circumstances.”
Trevor smiled, clutching the scrap of paper in his hand. “That would be nice…”
He expected her to turn, but just before she did, she said, “And Trevor? Thanks.”
Chapter 3
The scrap of paper, now nearly crumpled up into dust, lay on the coffee table across from Trevor. He stared at it as if it’d make a difference between the number he’d been staring at on his phone. His grip grew tighter and tighter around it as his thoughts fought each other. If he was going to take another chance, then he’d have to take it while he had it. �
��When you fall off the horse you’re supposed to get back on, right?” he asked himself in a whisper.
“Dammit!” he growled, throwing his phone into the cushion beside him. “I can save a girl, and walk her home, but I can’t even call her for the life of me!” Trevor dragged a hand down his face, nearly leaving claw marks on his flesh. “Maybe I can just do it quick… Like a band-aid… My brain won’t even know what’s comin’ then.”
Trevor fiddled with his thumbs as he reviewed the idea. Okay, he thought as he shot his hand out and grabbed his phone. He turned the screen on and pressed the green button before his doubts could catch him. After two agonizing rings from the other side, the line picked up and a feminine voice on the other side asked, “Hello?”
“Brenda?” he blurted out with an extra amount of giddiness.
“Trevor?” asked the other end.
“Yeah, it’s me,” Trevor replied, feeling a smile forming across his face.
“I was wondering when you’d call. Did you want to take me up on that date?” Her voice sounded lighter than Trevor remembered, but it made the butterflies in his stomach settle a little knowing she might be feeling the same as him.
“I… I, um… Yes. I would. I mean, if that’s okay with you…” Trevor could barely choke the words out of his mouth and he smacked himself on the side of his head after he’d uttered the last word.
Brenda giggled quietly on the other end before replying. “I’ve got a pretty busy week ahead, so is tonight all right with you?”
Are you kidding me? It’d tear me to pieces if I had to wait any longer! “Yeah, yeah… That’s perfect for me too, actually. Should I pick you up, or…?”
“Don’t think I can get there on my own, huh?” Brenda teased.
Trevor’s muscles tensed at the question and he hastily blurted, “No! I mean… I just meant, uh…”
She giggled again. “I’m kidding! Meet me outside my place at six and we’ll walk to a restaurant that’s nearby. You remember where I live, right?”
How could I forget? “Yeah, I remember. I’ll see you then, Brenda.”
“See you!”
Trevor hit the red button to end the call and flung his phone onto one of the cushions nearby. “Here’s hoping they won’t be having the same hostess tonight,” he muttered to himself.
***
Trevor took a deep breath and hesitantly pulled his phone out to send the text he’d gotten ready nearly an hour prior. As much as he wanted to surprise her with something new, he didn’t have better clothes than the ones he’d wore when he met Brenda, so he hoped that she wouldn’t mind or take notice. Air filling his lungs to their fullest, he forced himself to send the text that said, “I’m here.”
As he stood outside the townhouse, he did his best to shake off the doubts, but one question hung in his mind, Should I tell her?
Before his thoughts could come to a conclusion, the door before him opened, revealing the same blue-eyed, wavy haired woman he’d saved not long ago. “Wow,” he whispered in a gasp. Trevor couldn’t take his eyes off the dazzling green dress that hugged each and every one of Brenda’s curves perfectly. If he didn’t know any better, he’d think that the dress was custom designed just for her. “You look…amazing,” he said louder than he’d intended, making Brenda giggle as streaks of red accented her cheeks.
“You really think so?” she asked as she walked down the steps and offered Trevor her hand.
Trevor took her hand into his, giving it a soft squeeze as she brought the rest of her to him. “Yes, yes I do,” he nearly purred with every syllable. For once his dragon was completely silent—allowing him to enjoy the moment. I’ll tell her when the time is right, he thought as she smiled at him warmly and he couldn’t help but return it.
“Ha, you flatter me, kind sir,” she teased, pulling him forward a little. “Come, my knight. Your queen requires your full attention.”
Trevor blinked twice at the sudden change in tone, but found himself laughing out of nervousness. “Where did that come from?”
Brenda shrugged. “Well, when you’re dressed up like that it reminds me of how you tossed that guy and came to my rescue. Kind of like a knight saving a queen, don’t you think?”
“Oh, okay. It’s just the knights are usually saving princesses,” Trevor replied as he reached back and scratched the back of his shaggy hair covered head.
“Wouldn’t you want someone a little classier to take you out for dinner?” she asked confidently, leading him down the sidewalk by the hand a little further before letting go of him.
Trevor missed the warmth of her small, soft hand, but he didn’t reach out to hold it again, remembering his respect. “You’re right. I do. So, where is my queen leading me then, hmm?” he asked with a raised brow for Brenda to catch as she looked back at him.
She slowed down a little to walk beside him, keeping some distance so the two wouldn’t get in the way of the occasional passerby. “We’re going to a little Italian place just across the way. You like Italian, don’t you?”
“Of course I do!” I’m a dragon. I’ll eat anything. The thought started to make him contemplate telling her again.
“Great! I know you’ll really like it then. I think they’ve got the best pasta in the whole city.” Her words were so infused with enthusiasm that Trevor couldn’t help but get excited to taste the pasta himself.
“I can’t wait.”
Chapter 4
Trevor toyed around with his last meatball, pushing it around with his fork. Brenda idly sipped on her drink across from him, trying to sneak a peek at the bill laid on the table. Every time she tried to see the total, Trevor pulled the receipt away from her and made a disapproving noise. “Since when does the lady pay for the date?” he asked in a genuinely confused way.
Brenda shrugged, putting her small, silver purse on the table. “I never was one for being conventional.”
“No, from what you’ve told me… That’s probably the last thing you are…” Trevor looked around at the other tables spread around the small, mostly dark red and black dining room. Dim lights were the only thing that made it possible to see Brenda’s face, but even that was troublesome sometimes due to his dragon’s vision kicking in.
“Should I be saying sorry for being such an open book, mister secretive?” she teased, throwing her credit card down on the receipt.
Trevor sighed, knowing his defeat. I guess this is her way of paying me back… Maybe now would be a good time. “N-no, not at all. It’s just… I don’t meet too many girls like you. In person, I mean.”
“Is that so?” The waitress came by and took the tab’s tray while Brenda leaned forward.
“Yeah… It takes a bit to get more than a peep out of me in person, actually. I guess you’re kind of…special. In a way.” Trevor could feel his cheeks getting warmer with every word he spoke and he turned away from Brenda as if it’d make her disappear.
Brenda smirked, tracing a finger around her jawline. “What would you say if I wanted to get more than a ‘peep’ out of you?”
Trevor’s eyes widened as he slowly brought himself to look at Brenda again to ask, “What?”
“It’s…something I’ve been thinking about since you took me home, actually. You’re such a big, strong man. Hell, I’ve never even seen a guy as big as you!” Brenda said the last few words a little louder than the others, bringing some attention to our table. She didn’t seem to mind as she went on to say, “Come to think of it… You might’ve been a little bigger at first glance, but you know… It’s all the same to me now that I’ve got you to look at up close.”
“I…” Trevor was at a loss for words, but even if he had them he didn’t know if he could ever say them. One part of him knew exactly what he wanted to say, however. The way Brenda was looking at him was different from how she looked at him before, somehow. It wasn’t just admiration in her eyes anymore—there was a glimmer. A glimmer of hunger—lust. Or was that just the dragon playing tricks again?
“F-fine with me…”
***
The minutes seemed to fly by between Trevor and Brenda leaving the restaurant and Trevor walking Brenda back to his home. Along the way, he felt bad since he didn’t have a car, but Brenda reassured him countless times that she preferred to walk anyway. It was the reason she wore sneakers instead of heels. “Goes with my lack of convention, doesn’t it?” she asked him with a smirk.
Minutes gradually turned into an hour and the entire time Brenda had been idly pawing at him with her words. She would make allusions to things, but when Trevor was ready to ask her about them—she’d go quiet and talk about something else. When he walked through the door of his apartment, he didn’t know what to think. As he led her inside and motioned toward the couch, he didn’t know if she’d start another game with him or otherwise. He loved being around her, and did admit to himself that the games were fun, but his balls were starting to ache from the constant teasing. His dragon wasn’t hard to get going.
Trevor turned around a moment to gesture to the kitchen saying, “If you get thirsty, I’ve got some water in the fridge and…” He turned back around to see her standing right behind him, a smirk wedged in the corner of her lips. “Uh, what are you doing…?”
“There’s something different about you, Trevor,” Brenda said as she reached out and walked two fingers up Trevor’s chest. He stepped back a little, unsure of what to think, but didn’t manage to step out of Brenda’s reach. She went on to say, “I can’t quite place it, but… I will admit that I have an…attraction to you…” Brenda took a few seconds to stifle a chuckle, blinking. “I’m sorry for messing around earlier… I was playing with the idea while I wasn’t sure what I wanted, but now… Now I know…”