by Amelia Jade
Callan had hoped that his honesty and straightforwardness would help ease the tension, but if anything Audrey’s face hardened even further. “She’s not home. Now please go away.”
“You know I can’t do that.”
“You can, and you will, or I’ll call the police. I’d really rather not take that step, but I’m more than prepared to.”
He could tell it wasn’t a bluff. Mrs. Pine was in full-on offspring defense mode, ready and willing to do anything to protect her hurting child. How was it fair then, that nobody would acknowledge that he was hurting? Callan hadn’t done anything with the intent of hurting her, that was for certain. Why would he do that to his mate? It made no sense. Yet nobody could see that, it seemed.
“Please, Mrs. Pine. At least tell me what I did wrong? I never got the chance to even realize something was wrong. She simply left while I was in the shower, without a word or explanation. You must understand how that would feel. To know you’ve wronged someone you care for, but to have no clue how?”
A flicker of compassion crossed the older woman’s face, but her resolve didn’t weaken.
“I’m not letting you in,” she repeated. “I cannot let my daughter be hurt by men like you again.”
The door closed in his face.
Callan closed his eyes, looking down. What the hell had just happened? All his politeness had gotten him nowhere. Should he have appeared angry and hostile, barging his way in?
Of course not, you idiot. How the hell would that have made it any better?
He didn’t know. It seemed like the flavor of the day, him not knowing anything. And what had that last comment meant? Men like him? What could she possibly mean by that?
The most obvious answer was dragons. It was the thing that, as far as he knew, set him apart from everyone else. The only problem about that was that to the best of his knowledge, Kathryn had never met another dragon before. Most of his kind were asleep, and had been for years. So Kathryn had no idea he was a dragon.
As he all but threw himself into the back of the SUV, another thought came to him. Maybe that was the problem. She didn’t know he was a dragon. That they were meant to be, mates destined to be together.
He closed his eyes, speaking to Beatrice’s memory as the familiar guilt welled up.
I’m sorry, Bea. I loved you, you know that. But that’s different than this. My dragon accepted you, but you had my human half, not all of me. I see it now. That doesn’t diminish you, or make you less. It just makes you different. I’ll never forget you, but I need to move on. I need you to let me go so that I can be with Kathryn. She needs me…she just doesn’t see it yet.
The guilt he’d felt growing paused, and then all at once just melted away, leaving him in one giant sigh as his shoulders relaxed. The tension he’d been fighting since he’d started to believe his dragon about Kathryn similarly disappeared. His soul was at ease, having been waiting for that acknowledgment for a long time. It freed him to think about Kathryn, and what he should do there.
You need to tell her the truth. All of the truth. Let her see the facts clearly, and then make her decision.
Trust her completely, and perhaps then she’ll be able to trust you as well and tell you what’s going on.
His course of action decided, there was only one problem left outstanding before he could reveal everything to Kathryn and hope that explained whatever action it was she’d found error with.
How the hell did he get her to talk to him?
Chapter Nineteen
Kathryn
“Shouldn’t you be going to your therapy lesson?”
She glared at the cup in her hand as she lifted it up and over the counter, forced to fill it while sitting.
“Probably.”
Her mom was right; she was supposed to be heading there soon. But she wasn’t really feeling up to it, and all the progress she’d made over the past week had been undone by her malaise over Callan. Moping around the house, on the unfinished floors no less, had sapped her of much of her energy. Now she could barely stand for short periods of time, reduced to using her wheelchair for everything, instead of just trips outside Callan’s apartment.
She lifted the tap, which now conveniently stayed in place and didn’t move or jiggle when she used it. Just like the door to the washroom now closed with ease. Or a dozen other things in the house that worked properly, thanks to Callan.
“You never did tell me why you came home so upset. Did you want to talk about it now, or no?”
“What’s there to say, Mom? He’s another rich guy obsessed with wealth. He likes me now, but in time it’s just going to end up like Doug. You know that. They’re all the same when the only thing they can think of is money. It started off fine with both of them, but I’m not going to fall for that again.”
Her mother nodded, looking out into the common room where much of their furniture was currently placed, covering up the new floors while Brian worked on the other parts of the house. “I understand.”
“I recognize that tone, Mother. You don’t agree.”
“You are a grown woman capable of making your own decisions.”
“And a grown woman, especially one raised by a great mother like yourself, knows that taking advice from others is the best way to make a smart, informed decision.”
She was forced to look away as her mother’s eyes misted just a fraction at the compliment, and the older Pine came to stand near her daughter, rubbing her shoulder in support.
“Katy, you are a smart woman. If you say that Callan is likely to turn out the same as Doug, then you’re probably right.”
She shook her head, curls bouncing everywhere. “I don’t know, Mom. With Doug I stayed way later than I should have. Things should have ended years earlier, truthfully, but I stayed with him because it was comfortable, because I knew what to expect. With Callan I don’t want to do the same thing, you know? He’s so obsessed with money he called it treasure.”
“That is odd,” her mom confirmed. “He sounds like a pirate.”
“I know. I immediately envisioned him with an eyepatch, three-pointed hat, and sword at his side.” She laughed bitterly. “And a really big mustache. It was not a flattering look.”
The two Pine women shared a giggle together over that, before becoming serious once more.
“Did I make a mistake about leaving him too early?”
“Only you can answer that one, darling. You often told me that in hindsight, you saw a lot of warnings about Doug. I’d urge you to look at those, see if you can find them in Callan. Compare the rest of the two men. Only you can make that decision, but make sure you think about it thoroughly, is all I can say.”
Kathryn nodded. Her mom was right. She needed to do some more thinking about it. And she knew just the place.
“I’m going to go try and catch the bus,” she said. “I want to go to therapy if there’s still time.”
“Good choice. I’ll pack your bag.”
Her mom was just the best.
***
Callan versus Doug.
It was a battle in her mind that she’d avoided having. Her excuse had been that she didn’t want to start associating Callan with the black hole that was her ex. Truthfully though, if Callan was a good enough person, comparing the two of them should have resulted in her realizing just how different they were. She knew that now, thanks to her mother’s careful nudging.
Callan: Repaired items all over the house, spent his own money on new flooring.
Doug: Constantly criticized the older house and its unrenovated interior, cursing any time anything didn’t work, and all but refusing to go and visit her mom.
Callan: Had gone out of his way to print her more resumes and convince her to go to the mall to yet again pointlessly hand out resumes. It hadn’t resulted in anything, but he’d seemed too eager to help. It was fantastic.
Doug: Berated her constantly for not having a job, for not contributing to the income and in general making her
feel like shit for not making as much money as he had.
Okay, maybe Mom had a really good point about me needing to think this over some more.
There were a lot of differences between the two, that was undeniable. But she couldn’t help but keep coming back to his comments about treasure.
“Once I have my treasure, it’ll be like this all the time.”
Those had been his exact words. Just what the hell did that mean anyway? She probably should have asked him. Callan had been nothing but honest with her, telling no lies, though he didn’t always tell everything. But he never seemed to lie about what he did tell her. It seemed clear he was hiding something, though she wasn’t sure what it was.
He’s going to have to explain everything to me if this is going to work out. That’s non-negotiable.
She finished undressing and started to pull on the legs of the black neoprene swimsuit. Normally she changed at home and just wore it under her clothes, but today she’d been in too much of a rush for that, so she had to change at the facility.
Her arms worked back and forth, lifting one side while she pulled the suit up, and then doing it on the other side as well. Eventually she had it seated properly, and stuffed her clothes into a bag before putting it into a locker and closing it up. She took the key, looped it around her shoulder strap, and then headed for the door, eager to get in the water and start.
The class was already there, and they were starting to warm up. She wasn’t late, but she didn’t have time to spare. Getting to the chair lift, she pulled up next to it and hit the brakes on her chair. The instructor started to bounce through the water toward her to help, but Kathryn shook her off. She was going to do this herself.
Just like she was going to have to make the decision about Callan herself. Thinking back on how she’d left things with the muscular giant left her irritated. Hell, she hadn’t even told him that she was uncomfortable with material displays of affection. That buying her something new every day wasn’t the way to keep her happy. She much preferred the thoughtful Callan, the one with the resumes, or who had accompanied her to her therapy lesson just because.
And don’t forget how good he looked in those swim trunks, either.
She laughed, remembering his joke about wearing an actual trunk, and how serious he’d been when he’d asked her just what it meant. Pulling herself into the chair lift seat, the smile still on her face, she reached over to activate the controls that would lower her into the water.
Instead of encountering metal switches, however, her hand brushed against warm skin, the contact sending pins and needles shooting straight up her hand. Kathryn’s head snapped around in shock to see who it was. The first thing she noticed were rock-hard abs, because that’s what was at eye level. Dragging her eyes upward, she saw the broad pecs, followed by a thick neck and square jaw.
“What are you doing here?” she hissed at Callan, finally latching on to his eyes, the purple undertones standing out brightly next to the light aqua of the pool water.
“Helping you out,” he said, long fingers that she knew from experience were strong and sensuous flicked the switch with exaggerated motion, and Callan stepped back as the chair swung her out over the pool and then lowered her into the water.
“Go away,” she whispered as he slipped into the pool easily, muscles bunching and becoming more defined as he lowered himself in on one side. His arm in particular bulged delightfully, his firm stomach drawn taut while she pouted in the chair at his presence.
Weren’t you just thinking that maybe you’d made a mistake, running away too soon before even voicing your concerns?
That was different though. Kathryn was going to go to him, on her terms, when she was ready. Him showing up here had thrown everything lopsided, giving him the advantage and leaving her out of sync.
“No. I’m still under contract to be your assistant, and if that’s all I get to be, then that’s all I’ll be,” he rumbled, the lower volume not disguising the steel in his voice.
Callan wasn’t going anywhere.
“Fine,” she snapped, more angry at being surprised than anything. “Let’s do this.”
She was already feeling more energized. It was time to get fit.
Chapter Twenty
Callan
Let’s do this.
She wanted him to join in? Very well, he could do that, though whatever reasoning she had was beyond him.
The class started out slowly, and Callan had no trouble following along. It seemed like it was the same exercises as last time, though organized somewhat differently. The instructor also introduced a few new ones, judging by the time she took to go over it with the class. Callan’s body warmed as he moved, and eventually he found himself bobbing and bouncing, turning and lifting along with everyone else.
It wasn’t that bad until he didn’t turn in time, and happened to make eye contact with Kathryn. She was looking pissed.
“What?”
“What the hell are you doing?” she whispered, trying to keep her voice down, but the anger in it made it hard.
“Exercising?” He looked around. The class was still ongoing, and he started to go with it, but a hand reached out and pulled his arm back down.
“Why?”
“You said to.”
Kathryn’s face exploded in surprise. “I told you to?”
He nodded. “You said ‘Let’s do this.’ So I’m doing it. Why are you mad about that?”
The confusion was immediately replaced by frustration. “You oaf! That’s not what that saying means. It’s just a pump-up for myself to do the class, especially while having to put up with you.”
Callan winced. People were starting to glance at them over their shoulders—thankfully they were at the back—and even the instructor was looking frustrated.
“This is a class for elderly people and those coming back from injuries. You’re mocking everyone in the program by doing it yourself.”
His jaw dropped open. “What? No, that’s not what I was trying to do. I just…” Callan cursed himself silently. What an idiot he’d been. Of course she would be pissed at him.
“I just thought I was doing what you wanted,” he said dully, hanging his head in shame.
Things were not going the way he’d hoped they would. His initial plan had been to show up, be there during class but not say anything, and hopefully get a chance to speak to her after. All he wanted was a chance to know where he’d gone wrong, and how he could make it up to her. Was that so hard to ask for?
Kathryn shook her head at him, brown curls wet and plastered to her face. She wasn’t wearing her cap today. “You should go.”
“I can’t do that,” he said stubbornly.
“Why not?”
The class had come to a stop behind her, everyone looking, watching.
“Because I need to know what I did wrong.” He paused for a fraction of a second before saying the words that he’d spent long hours rehearsing in the mirror, ensuring that they fit, that he was ready to say them. That he meant them. “Because I…need you.”
Kathryn didn’t react. Nothing. Her face stayed immobile, her body still. If it weren’t for the slow rise and fall of her chest, he would have assumed she was a statue of some sort.
“Oh.”
“Please.” He was all but begging now, and it bothered him. A dragon like him shouldn’t have to do that, should he? Even for his mate, it felt…wrong. But Callan was out of options, and when it came to Kathryn, if he needed to say please a dozen more times, then he would. It was a small price to pay to have her in his life.
“This is not the place, Callan.”
“I know. I tried to come and talk to you, to sit down and figure out what was going on in a reasonable manner, but you wouldn’t answer your phone and your mom wouldn’t let me in. I had no other choice.”
Kathryn looked away as he called her out on avoiding him and the issue.
“I was hurt in the past,” she said at last. “Betrayed b
y someone that I trusted, because they had different priorities. Because I wasn’t one of their priorities. All they wanted was money. Treasure.”
Callan rocked back, water moving away from him in tiny waves as he gained some sudden insight into what was bugging her. “The gifts,” he said, shaking his head ruefully. “I started to buy you everything I could, day after day.”
“I’m not about that lifestyle, Callan. I can’t be. Not after what happened. You need to understand that.”
“I do! It’s not like that with me, Kathryn. I promise. I only want my treasure back because I’m a—”
He caught himself just in time. Callan had been just about to spill everything, to confess to her that he was a dragon, and that his treasure was for her. That the reason he was so obsessed with getting it back was so that he could give it to her, his mate. To ensure she had whatever she needed. He didn’t want it for himself, other than to admire the shiny colors. But his hoard was hers. Theirs. He had no need for more wealth; the piles of his treasure would last them a thousand lifetimes.
“What, Callan? You’re a what?”
“My word.”
“You’re a word?”
He shook his head. “I’ve given my word, Kathryn, that I will not hurt you. I think you know how much that means to me.”
Watching her eyes carefully, he saw the truth of his claim in them. The brown so dark it was hard to distinguish from her pupil lightened ever so much, the only sign he got that she agreed with him.
“You’re still not telling me everything. You’re lying to me.”
Callan shook his head, trying hard not to let the hurt show on his face at the accusation that he would lie to his mate, that he would purposefully and knowingly mislead her. “No,” he said softly, leaning in close. “I’m not lying. There is more, you’re correct. But I can’t show you.” He looked past her at the rest of the class, who were all milling around, looking over at them. “Not here at least, not around others.”