“What are you talking about? Dak’s real.” But her mom only shook her head and began to cry. “He’s real.”
*****
Three weeks in a coma is what the doctor had said. The rest had been medical jargon that meant absolutely nothing to her. Once, Hailey had caught the word Schizophrenic being tossed around by the doctor and her parents in the hallway. She didn’t talk much after that. They had made their decision that she was a whack job. No use proving them right by asking where the voice in her head had gone.
After the doctor had left, her parents explained that she had a mental breakdown and disappeared for a month. They had been searching for her everywhere, even reported Hailey as a missing person. A man had found her on the side of the road in upper New York. They said she had been covered in blood, stabbed in the stomach, and rambling about dragons.
Except that wasn’t what happened, was it? Everything was so messed up in her head. Mashed potatoes had more structure than her mind at the moment. Hailey wasn’t sure what was reality and what was fiction.
*****
Lia was a woman who owned a pizza shop in Harper, Pennsylvania. When police showed Hailey a photo of the woman, she tossed it to the ground and said they were wrong. Thalia was a goddess and they would be lucky to find any evidence of her existence in their database. The doctor then proceeded to sedate her for the rest of the day.
A woman at a motel outside Harrisburg told police Hailey had stayed there alone for a night several weeks earlier. The woman’s name was Darby. This time Hailey didn’t deny their claims. Instead she just stared out the window.
For every person she had mentioned, they had a logical, non-supernatural person that fit the description. Even Silas was explainable. He was the man who found her on the highway. Hailey had seen him standing outside of her door from time to time. He never came in, but always frowned watching her with concern.
Part of her wanted to talk to him, but she was beginning to suspect her parents were right. She was crazy. The man who found her wasn’t a villain out to kill her; he was an accountant on his way to Cleveland for business.
She stared into the dark hospital room. Light from the hallway illuminated the room somewhat. She had been awake for a week now and had memorized everything in her line of sight within the first day. Every hour that passed, more of her was convinced her parents, the doctors, and the police were telling the truth. And with each part that began to believe them, another part of her felt like it died.
How could someone who felt so real, be imaginary? His face was there every time she closed her eyes. His amber eyes pleaded with her to trust in him, to hold on. Tears trickled down her cheeks, as was her nightly ritual. Every night they came with vengeance along with heartache. It was not the first time she wished her IV held something for the pain in her heart instead of her body.
When Hailey’s mind was numb and her tears exhausted, her body would go into a fitful sleep. Tonight was no different as she rolled over to the dry side of the pillow and closed her eyes.
“Goodnight Dak,” she whispered to the room. “I’ll be at the moat.”
When she woke the next day, a pot of little blue flowers was on her side table. The nurse told her they came during the night along with a stuffed animal. It had fallen off the table at some point. She bent to retrieve it from the floor and handed it to Hailey. The red plush dragon was a surprise but welcome sight.
“Sparky,” she said astonished.
“Someone sure does know how to get a smile on your face. I haven’t seen one of those on you yet. Whoever he is, he’s a keeper.” The nurse finished her charts and left to give her some privacy.
Hailey held Sparky like a lifeline. It was a tangible piece of the story. When her parents came later that morning, she didn’t speak to them. They asked where the flowers had come from but Hailey pretended to fall asleep. The flowers, she found out, were called Forget-Me-Nots. Her mother had commented on how lovely they were.
Hailey cried after they left. The logical side of her brain tried to convince the rest of her that someone was just playing a cruel joke on her. But even if it was a joke, Hailey didn’t care. With the help of Sparky, she had a full night of sleep for the first time since waking from her coma.
*****
Dacea sat on the side of her bed and held Hailey’s hand. He had come to her every night since they found her. Once she was asleep, he would sneak into her room and sit with her. Sometimes when she was sleeping fitfully he would sing her the melody he had back in the car before they were arrested. Dacea wanted nothing more than to wake her up and take her from there.
He lifted her hand and kissed each knuckle. She hadn’t been well enough to leave, not until now. On the first night after they found her, Lia had stolen her patient records and convinced him with threat of bodily harm to let her stay until she was healed more. He hated to leave her here; she became more detached with every passing day.
Tonight she slept with that ridiculous stuffed dragon he had left the night prior. It gave him hope. For the first time Hailey didn’t look miserable. She looked content curled around Sparky.
“Hey,” Lia whispered from the doorway. “I have good news.”
Dacea looked over his shoulder at Lia. The sun had just risen, which usually meant it was time to leave. Shift change was just around the corner and her nurse would be in soon. “And?”
“It’s time for a prison break.”
“Now?” he asked expectantly.
“Yep. Darby just got here with the getaway car. I’ll keep an eye out for her parents and doctors. You wake her up, ‘kay?”
He nodded and waited for her footsteps to recede. “Hailey.” His fingers traced the curve of her cheek. “Hailey.” Leaning over, he placed a kiss to the same spot. She grumbled and bat at his hand.
“Dad please, not now,” Hailey said groggily.
“Well now, you’ve called me many things, but dad never being one I imagined.”
Her eyes squeezed shut. “You’re not real.” She swallowed as a tear trailed down her cheek. He caught it with his finger.
“Oh Céile, I’m as real as your gummy bear addiction.”
A strangled laugh came from her throat. Slowly her eyes fluttered open and hit him with the most intense gaze. She was pale beyond reason, at least five pounds lighter, and hadn’t brushed her hair in days. But her eyes were the same, vivid yet soft with all of her thoughts swirling at the surface. He smiled because this day was actually happening. He was here in his own form again about to take his Mate away to someplace safe.
Hailey began to weep at the sight of him. Dacea gathered her onto his lap and held on as her body shook with sobs. “There now, I’ve got you.”
“They told me I was crazy,” she shuddered out, “I had dreamed it all.” She lifted her head, tears still streaming down her reddened face. “I don’t want to go back to that life. I can’t be that girl again.”
“Well then,” Dacea placed a kiss on her forehead and looked back into her eyes. “Aren’t you glad I’ve come to rescue you then?”
He wanted to see her smile but instead she studied him. She touched his face, felt his skin, nuzzled into his chest, and heard his heartbeat. He didn’t know or care what she was looking for. He had already accepted long ago that she did things her own way. When she pulled her head back from his chest, she beamed at him.
“Hi.”
Dacea laughed. “Hello.”
“You’re real?”
“I’ve already told you that.”
Her smile faltered. “Yes but, how do I know for sure. I have an overactive imagination and wouldn’t put it past myself to dream this all up.”
“I see. An experiment then, to prove I am genuine.”
“Okay.”
Dropping his head, Dacea feathered his lips across hers. Her hands steeled on his shoulders then softened to a caress. He indulged himself in the taste of her lips when she opened; it was like savoring the sweetest candy. Her moan vibrat
ed across his lips mingling with his own.
She fit against him perfectly, her arms pulling them tighter together as his tongue trace the seam of her lips. He was drunk on her, his Mate. He drew her lower lip into his mouth and teased his tongue with hers. The small nip she gave in response made Dacea smile mid kiss.
As he pulled back, he rested his forehead against hers. Their lips were swollen and breaths shallow. He rubbed the rapid pulse in her neck with his thumb. The pleasure of watching the vein pump furiously was immense and satisfying.
“Hey guys, we have to… oh, sorry. Bad timing.” Lia stood in the doorway looking smug. “It’s just Hailey’s parents entered the hospital and I can only stall for so long.”
“Just give us one more minute. Better yet, we will meet you at the car in five,” Dak told her, his eyes never leaving Hailey’s face. He wanted to know how she felt about the kiss. If she was still interested in that date he promised her. But right now he only needed to know if she trusted him.
“Am I real?”
Hailey smirked “You better be. If not I am welcoming the crazy with open arms.”
Singe
Chapter One
"I don't care who you are ma'am, no one is to enter."
"Look Mr. Guard-who-thinks-he's-God, I spent entirely too much time picking out my underwear for tonight for it to go unnoticed. I promise you," she said assuringly, "he is expecting me."
"I hear that many times a day, Ms. Holloway. As I've said before, you need to leave now or I will be forced to call the police."
Hailey let out a frustrated grunt. So far, date night was going splendidly. "Fine. It's your head when Dak finds out why I stood him up for our date."
"Have a nice night, Ms. Holloway." She put her car in reverse and backed out into the street. Two hours of prepping and four different outfits just for her to sit in the driveway; next time he was coming to her.
Tonight was their third official date, the big one that held hopes of a sweaty dragon and tangled sheets. He had a shiny new body that needed to be taken for a drive. Hailey had planned tonight in her head for days. After dinner and their sexcapades, she was going to tell him that she loved him. It was long overdue on both their parts, but it felt right…
Or it did before she was denied entrance to his house.
The annoyingly protective guard ran toward her car. She braked to not run him over. Hailey considered it was her good deed for the week. The window on her car stuck on the way down—like it always did at the most inopportune moments.
"Ms. Holloway! I have orders to let you through."
"Oh really? Gosh, I don't know why. I mean, what would the big bad dragon up at the house want with little old me?" So maybe the sarcasm was laid on a little thick, but the guard's blush was satisfying.
"The gate is open. Please pull around to the front."
With a sweet smile, Hailey gave her thanks and pulled back into the driveway, this time she moved through the gates. The frosty November air poured through her half open window. The button did nothing but make a grinding noise when pushed.
"Gah! Why don't you work?" She pounded on the window. "You worked when I bought you." Hailey had only had the car for a week and a half and it was already falling apart.
"Of course Dak couldn't have a short driveway either," she muttered she pulled her scarf up over her frozen nose and turned the heat on high. It did nothing but mix with the cold air, but at least she tried.
The house was set back on the property so not to be seen from the road. It was in typical Gladwyne fashion, that is, the old money of Philadelphia. Dak had stuck with the classic colonial look. Stone covered every inch of the three-story home. White shuttered windows glowed with a soft light, while the three chimneys puffed out smoke. It was beautiful and warm, not like many of the other architecturally stiff modern homes in the area.
Out front Dak waited. He wore a black, button down shirt, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, with the top few buttons undone. He was disheveled, or as much as he could ever be. Hailey loved when he didn't look polished and perfect. His fingers were a blur as they flew across the screen of his phone. But as her car came chugging along, his head lifted and a piece of his dark brown hair fell from it’s carefully pushed back position. His eyes lost their frustrated blaze as his amber gaze tracked her progress. Pocketing the phone, Dak walked around the car and leaned down over the open window.
"You're late." His voice said pissed, his face said amused.
Hailey stuck up her favorite finger while she turned off the car. He had the door open and a hand ready to help her out. To his surprise, she accepted his hand.
"You are frozen too."
"And you happen to be a living breathing heater." Hailey wrapped her arms around his waist and snuggled into his chest. A sigh of utter contentment echoed through her mind. He was warm. He was always warm. She missed having that warmth right inside her but loved the feel of it in her arms.
"Should we go inside or would you like to stand out here by your sad excuse of a car all evening?"
"Well, aren't you the sweet talker."
"Only for you," he laughed.
The foyer was gloriously warm. She unwound the scarf and pulled off her gloves. Dak tugged on the ends of her hat and smiled. It had two braided ties that hung down with pompoms on the ends and one giant fluff ball right on top. He removed it, which left her hair flattened and static-y.
"Ah, there she is. I was beginning to wonder how many more layers you had on till I found my Hailey."
She went a bit gooey inside with the way he said "my Hailey." To distract him from the goofy grin on her face, she pushed the coat into his hands and piled it with all her extras. "So, nice place you got here."
"Hold that thought." Dak retreated to another room with her belongings and was back within a second. His hands rested on her waist and pulled her towards him. A devious smile sent naughty thoughts to her girly bits. "I never got a proper greeting." He kissed her like he always did, in a way that left her breathless and wobbly. She held on to his shoulders and accepted what he gave. His heat enveloped Hailey through the kiss and warmed her down to her toes.
"Hellooo Nurse," Hailey mumbled out a wolf whistle when her breath was her own again.
"Pardon?"
"Animaniacs."
"Gesundheit?" he asked with a grin.
"Hah. When I sneeze you will know it. Animaniacs is a cartoon and when I have to explain it all, it loses its fun. So, moving on." Hailey grabbed his hand walked down the hall. She had no idea where she was going but she couldn't stop now. At the first set of doorways, she chose left and went into the kitchen. Something in the oven gave the air a warm season of oregano.
"Mmmmm, Italian?" Hailey asked while she sniffed the air and wished she could eat it.
"Lasagna. Care for some wine? I thought we'd eat, then I can give you a full tour of the house."
"Works for me." Hailey settled herself on one of the barstools. To her surprise, Dak was comfortable in the kitchen; he moved around it with ease. The fact that he cooked for her was in itself beyond astonishing. None of her previous boyfriends had ever done anything like that. The closest she got to a cooked meal was a frozen pizza or a box of mac and cheese.
Hailey frowned at the bottle of red wine he set on the counter next to the wine glasses. She was not a fan of red wine. It gave her headaches. But as Dak pulled the cork from the bottle, his arms flexed in way only a woman could appreciate, and Hailey forgot all about her dislike of the red wine variety.
Sometimes, when she looked at him, she still couldn't believe he was real. Two months earlier she had saved Dak by inviting his essence into her. It was purely unintentional, but the best accident she could have asked for. They were Mates, and after a rough start, each of them had accepted their fate. One she wouldn't trade for all the cookie dough at Tollhouse.
"You're quiet. Something wrong?" Dak poured a glass of wine and corked the bottle.
"No. Just admiring."
He switched the bottle with a white and gave her a wink. Smartass, she thought. After her glass was poured, he came around to her side of the counter and took the stool next to her. His hand rested on the chair back and tugged on the ends of her hair.
"What do you think of the place? I know you haven't seen all of it yet, but of what you've seen, do you like?"
"It's beautiful. I especially like the wood beams." Hailey looked up to the dark exposed beams that ran across the ceiling. They paired well with the cabinets of the same wood. Everything was so natural and rustic. "It's so warm and homey. Not what I expected from this neighborhood."
Dak sipped his wine and watched her. Hailey always felt so exposed when he did that. His eyes penetrating her so deeply, she could feel their gaze on her heart. "I'm glad you like it," he finally said. "Why don't you go set up in the living room. We can eat by the fire." With a quick kiss, he was back on the other side of the counter to pull the lasagna from the oven.
Hailey took their wine glasses into the next room. Two big, oversized green chairs opposed an equally large couch. She pictured herself sitting sideways in the chair with her feet hanging off of the arm, a slipper bouncing along with her foot. Her tea would be on the coffee table and every so often she would pat the table until she found her cup of warmth, never letting her eyes leave the page of the book she was reading and sip until she was warm both inside and out.
"I see you've found your spot." Dak kissed her neck then moved past her with two plates. He set the food down on the coffee table and tossed a few pillows on the floor. Hailey got the idea and sat closest to the fire on the floor.
The food was delicious. The surroundings were cozy. The company was sexy as hell. Hailey leaned back into his chest as he told her of his day. The search for Silas was still on, but not as high on the list of shit to do. Lia's sister, Chloe, had shown up with Detective Dane earlier that day. The dragon was not nearly as dead as everyone had previously thought. Chloe had taken him to a healer in Olympus but ran into complications getting him back out. Dane had told him that they would have sent word, but keeping him alive was more important. Hailey couldn't agree more and it's not like they would have been able to do anything with the knowledge anyway. Dak had set him up in one of the guest houses out back. Apparently, he had two.
The Hailey Holloway Complete Series Page 18