No Such Thing as a Dragon - Exclusive

by GRP

  “Maybe you're right,” I said. “I'll pick a new coffee shop.”

  All things considered, it was probably better for everyone that I did. Jessica and Aaron could start their little life together or whatever it was that humans did. And I could move on with my life. I had a job to do, and spending time with the humans wasn't part of that contract.

  I was there to protect them, not get involved with them. I was letting myself get a little too attached and that had to stop.

  So, no more Perky Beans for me. No more. If I felt the overwhelming need for coffee or tea – or to sit amongst and observe those I was charged with protecting – I would find someplace else to do it.

  It was probably better for everybody.

  Chapter Two

  Jessica

  “Look at you go,” my best friend, Chelsea said and laughed as we shared a glass of wine at her place. “So, you finally went for it with Aaron, huh? What about the other cutie you had your eye on? What's was his name again?”

  “Ozy,” I said.

  “As in Osborne?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. “Like biting the heads off live bats?”

  “Oh, he's nothing like that,” I giggled, rolling my eyes. “Think tall, dark, handsome, and built like a football player. But he's really quiet. Like he hardly says more than two words to me at a time.”

  “Mysterious,” Chelsea said.

  “Yeah, I suppose,” I said. “But I don't think he's interested. At least Aaron actually talks to me, ya know? I don't know if I could date a man who didn't talk and just walked around brooding all day.”

  “Sometimes it's nice when they keep their mouth shut and get the job done,” Chelsea teased. “If you know what I mean.”

  Still laughing, I rolled my eyes at her. “I’m not like that, Chels,” I said. “I don't want to just sleep with a guy because he's hot. I want more than that. I want stimulating conversation and intelligent discussions – along with great sex, of course.”

  “Well, if you meet a smart, charming, sexy man who's good in bed, you hold on to him, because that's a keeper,” she said. “But I don't think they actually exist. Or if they do, they're all gay.”

  “Whatever,” I said, still grinning. “I'm holding out hope for Aaron at least. He's charming and witty.”

  “But is he capable of those deep, stimulating conversations?”

  I shrugged. “Don't know yet,” I said. “It's mostly been quips and small talk at the coffee house.”

  “Has he called yet?” she asked.

  “Actually, yeah. He did,” I said, biting my lip. “He called right before I came over. We're getting together tomorrow night for a dinner and a movie.”

  “Well good for you,” Chelsea said. “At least one of us is getting some action. Or at least, has the potential to.”

  Chelsea had been my best friend since high school and we'd been through everything together. After high school, our paths separated, but we were as tight as always, our bond, unbreakable.

  Unlike me, her parents were paying for everything so she didn't have to work and go to school at the same time. Whereas I had to pick up as many shifts at Perky Beans as I could, just to afford school. And since I couldn't afford rent in Los Angeles, I was currently crashing on her couch.

  Chelsea had been great about wanting me to live with her. But I knew I couldn't do that forever. I was impacting her social life – hard to bring a man around with your best friend asleep in the living room. She never said it – and I knew she never thought it – but I hated feeling like a burden on her. I knew the time would come – and probably soon – when I was going to have to make some tough decisions about my future.

  “You'll meet someone, Chelsea,” I said. “You're beautiful, and going to college to be a freaking doctor for God sake. You're just busy right now. Soon, though. I know it.”

  While Chelsea was going to UCLA, I was still stuck at community college. At one time, we both wanted to be doctors – surgeons. But at the moment, I was in a program studying to be a nurse. Because I wasn't sure I could afford college at this rate, much less medical school. I was on the slow and steady path, while Chelsea was going full-time, taking as many classes as she could and spending what little free time she had either with me or studying.

  “So, what does this Aaron guy do?” Chelsea asked. “Is he a student? Does he have a job? I need details, lady.”

  “Well, he's a little older –”

  Chelsea side-eyed me. “How much older are we talking here?”

  “Not much. Maybe a few years?” I said. “He graduated from college about two years ago. Business major. Works in finance – a boring desk job from the sounds of it.”

  “But he makes good money, right?” Chelsea asked.

  Shrugging, I said, “I guess so?”

  “Maybe you can find yourself a sugar daddy,” Chelsea said with a sigh, as if she thought that would be a good thing.

  It was odd to think we were best friends. All things considered, we were two totally different people from vastly different backgrounds. She was fairly well-off, a little spoiled and very much into living the pampered life. She wanted to be a doctor because of the prestige and money that came with the title. Not because she necessarily liked medicine, or even people, for that matter. I, on the other hand, found medicine to be my calling. It was a driving passion in me and every day I wasn't getting closer to that goal, it killed me a little more inside.

  “I still think you should talk to Ozy,” Chelsea said. “Tall, dark, handsome and mysterious sounds sexy if you ask me.”

  There was no question about that – he was sexy alright. With his large build, toned and fit body, and dark hair that fell to his shoulders, he was the epitome of sex appeal. Not to mention, those dark eyes of his seemed to have fire behind them. It was like when he looked at me, if the light hit them just right, they seemed to glow.

  “Hard to get anywhere with a guy who won't talk to you though,” I groaned. “Besides, I don't think he's interested. He's probably married or has a girlfriend already. Or maybe gay – there's this one guy who hangs with him at the coffee house sometimes. Hot guys like him always have someone already, there's no way he's single.”

  “You never know, Jess,” Chelsea said. “Unless you ask.”

  She had a point, but I was already going on a date with Aaron. Might as well see where that took me. Besides, she was right – Aaron probably made good money, had his life together. I got the feeling that what you saw was what you got with Aaron. Not that it was a bad thing. A little stability could go a long way. Especially in a relationship.

  As for Ozy, I knew next to nothing about him, except his name, of course– and even that could be fake. About the only thing I did know for sure was, that he was gorgeous and never failed to make my heart race and my stomach do flip-flops whenever he walked in.

  “I dare you to talk to him tomorrow, Jessica,” Chelsea said. “I triple dog dare you.”

  “Chelsea, I'm going out with Aaron tomorrow, I can't –”

  “He's not your boyfriend yet, you owe him nothing,” Chelsea said. “Besides, aren't you curious? I bet you are. I can see it in your eyes.”

  I was curious – that was the problem. “We'll see what happens, Chels,” I said. “He probably won't even talk to me anyway.”

  “That's why you need to talk to him first,” she said. “Take that bull by the horns, girl.”

  I laughed. “Maybe,” I said. “We'll see what happens.”

  Chapter Three

  Ozaryan

  The next morning, as I walked past Perky Beans, I hesitated, and considered stopping. I glanced inside, the line was as long as usual and there was the familiar redhead up at the front counter, taking orders and flashing that smile that I found so engaging. I noticed that she was there almost every single day.

  I wrestled with the urge to walk inside and order my usual. The pull to step in was nearly overwhelming. But my duty as a Warden
came first and could not be compromised. I looked at her once again, feeling a yearning deep within me, but I gritted my teeth, lowered my head and walked past the shop.

  I'd patrol out in another part of town, away from Jessica. Let her live her life and forget about her. Yes, that's what I'd do. She deserved more. Better. She deserved a life I could not offer her. It would be unfair and selfish of me to impose myself into her world.

  Walking away was better– and wasn't protecting her like that part of doing my job? I could content myself with that.

  As I walked past the shop, I heard the door open, but paid no attention until I heard someone call my name, or rather, my nickname.

  “Ozy!”

  I stopped, turning around to come face-to-face with Jessica. She was smiling and there was a light in her eyes that made my heart skip a beat.

  “Where are you going?” she said, handing me a cup of iced tea. “I had it ready for you this morning and you're just going to walk on by?”

  I stared down at our hands and noticed that they came ever so close to touching. I longed to see if her skin was as soft as it looked and fought the urge to reach out and touch her. I tore my gaze away from our hands and looked back up at her and into those emerald green eyes.

  “I ummm, well, I'm late for work this morning –”

  “What do you do?” she asked.

  No one had ever asked me that question before and I was taken aback by it. To be honest, I wasn't even sure how to answer it. I couldn't tell her I was the Dragonborn Warden over her territory and that I was protecting human-kind from evil creatures of the night. Not unless I wanted to sound like a stark-raving mad lunatic.

  So instead I said, “Security.”

  “Security?” she asked. “As in like – a security guard?”

  “Yes,” I said. “Just like that. Exactly.”

  She stood there a moment longer, staring up at me as if she wanted to say more, but neither of us said anything. The silence between us became awkward and I honestly wasn't sure what to say to fill that void. I wasn't exceptional when it came to social interaction to begin with and we had so little in common.

  But as she stared up at me with those large, beautiful eyes, I could tell she wanted to keep our conversation going. She truly wanted to keep talking to me.

  “How do you like it here? At the coffee shop?” I asked.

  “Oh, it's fine I guess,” she laughed. “It pays the bills, anyway. How do you like your job?”

  Again, no one had ever asked me how I liked my job. It was a position I'd trained hard for. I'd had to undergo and pass a series of trials – mental and physical – that were more grueling than anybody in the world of man ever had to endure. The trials themselves could kill you – had killed a number of would-be Wardens.

  It was not something to take lightly or do on a whim. Anyone who trained to become a Warden had to have a burning passion for it, otherwise, they wouldn't make it. Being a Warden was an honor; the greatest honor of my life. I knew that some became Wardens simply for the prestige of the title and the perks that came with it, but for me it was more than that. It was deeper. For me, it was visceral.

  Even if I were free to explain it to her though, how would I go about doing that?

  “I like it well enough,” I said. “I suppose.”

  “That's good,” she said. “I'm only working here until I finish up with school. Which I'll hopefully do. Someday.”

  “Oh, that's good,” I said.

  I racked my brain, trying to come up with something to say because really had no idea what to talk to her about. I was lost. I felt sure she wanted me to ask more about her, but I had no idea where to start. Yeah, there were a million little things I wanted to know about her, but I was having trouble putting to words everything that was in my head.

  I opened my mouth to say something when the door opened again and this time, a man who usually hung out in the back, stuck his head out and glared at me.

  “Jess, we need you inside, please,” he said. “Break time is over.”

  “That's my boss,” she said, rolling her eyes so only I could see her. “I guess I better go back in.”

  I reached inside my pocket to hand her the cash, but she stopped me.

  “No, Ozy. This one's on me,” she said with a smile that was warm and genuine.

  And for a moment, I forgot where I was. I stared at those lips, her dimples and wanted to kiss her. But I hesitated, knowing it would be wrong.

  “Thank you,” I said and when she turned to go back inside, I stopped her. “Jessica?”

  She looked back over her shoulder at me. “Yes, Ozy?”

  A million things went through my head in that moment. I wanted to ask for her phone number, ask her to possibly meet up later. I wanted to spend time with her. Wanted to talk to her. Get to know her. But I knew I couldn't do any of those things.

  Sure, we could sleep with the humans if we wanted to – casual sex with our charges was generally frowned upon, but were always overlooked. It was pretty much expected that Wardens would have human lovers, though it was something that wasn't talked about or discussed. It was like an unspoken tradition. The only hard, fast rule was that there could be no children born of a union between Dragonborn and human. That sort of indiscretion carried consequences.

  Taking a lover was one thing. It was casual, free of emotional entanglements. But I knew that with someone like Jessica, I'd be in trouble. I couldn't just sleep with her and leave it at that. I knew me well enough to know that I'd fall in love with her. And if that happened, I'd be in deep trouble.

  “I probably won't be coming around much anymore,” I said. “So, no need to make my tea for me ahead of time, though I do appreciate it.”

  Her face fell, and I could tell that bothered her. Maybe even hurt her. Had I said it in a rude way, maybe it would have made it easier for her to brush me off and never think about me again. But I hadn't and that seemed to open the door for her.

  “Why's that, Ozy?” she asked softly. “Everything okay?”

  No, everything isn't okay. I'm a Dragonborn Warden who's meant to protect humans, not fall for them. But I screwed up. I'd let myself get too emotionally invested in you.

  “I just think I'll be busy, that's all,” I said. “Maybe check out some other places.”

  She nodded. “I understand,” she said, her voice dripping with sadness. “If I don't see you again, Ozy, have a nice life, okay?”

  “You too, Jessica,” I said quietly. “You too.”

  Chapter Four

  Jessica

  With Ozy apparently a non-possibility now, I still had my date with Aaron to look forward to. I tried to push the strange, but mysterious dark-haired man out of my mind. The entire conversation with him had been – weird. But then, what in the hell had I expected?

  The guy never said two words to me otherwise, and there I was trying to chat him up out of the blue. Maybe he thought I was stalking him or something – which would seem to explain why he no longer wanted to come into the shop.

  But again, Aaron, seemed like a nice, put-together guy. He appeared to have his life together and all. After all, that's what I needed, what I wanted.

  I wore a slinky black dress – one that showed off a little skin without going overboard. I didn't want him to think I was coming on too strong or was going to be easy. But I did want to look sexy as hell. It had been so long since I'd gone out on a date I'd almost forgotten how to do it.

  My hair was pulled up in a sleek twist, with tendrils around my face. And proving that I was going all out, I even wore makeup. I was surprised to find that I still had any, but there it was, in one of the boxes I'd tucked away in a corner. Most of it was old, but still appeared to be in pretty good shape. Plus, Chelsea helped me out a little in that department so I could have a fresh face, thick lashes and shimmery eyelids.

  When Aaron knocked on the door, my heart skipped a beat. I was nervous as hell and f
ought the tiny urge inside of me to not answer the door. To just pretend I wasn't home and avoid going out on a date altogether.

  But I gave myself a mental kick and forced myself to walk to the door. This was it. I opened the door for Aaron and smiled. He looked cute, as he always did, with his sandy blonde hair and baby blue eyes. Typical boy next door. My mother would love him, I thought. Anyone's mother probably would, honestly. On the surface, he seemed to be the dream son-on-law in every way – at least from what I could tell.

  “Come on in and let me grab my bag, we can leave in a bit,” I said, ushering him into our freshly cleaned apartment.

  Chelsea had gone out for the evening, letting me have the place to myself. I'd told her it wasn't necessary, but she smiled, winked, and said “Just in case.”

  “You look – wow,” he said, and I blushed as he looked me up and down.

  “I don't look quite the same as I do in a Perky Beans uniform, huh? I actually have a figure!” I teased.

  “A very nice one, I might add,” he said, then blushing. “I mean, not that you're just your body, it's just that I mean – okay, I'm going to shut up now.”

  Laughing, I told him, “It's fine. It's nice to be noticed sometime. So, thank you.”

  We talked for a few minutes before leaving, and headed to dinner at a cute little Italian restaurant. The food was fancier than I was accustomed to, but eventually, with the wine flowing, we started talking. And I had to admit – it was nice. Very nice. And we ended up losing track of time.

  “Oh no,” Aaron said, looking at his watch. “The movie starts in four minutes – and we have at least a ten-minute walk to get there. Interested in seeing anything else?”

  “Honestly?” I said. “I'd be happy just to find somewhere nice to sit and talk some more.”

  I considered inviting him back to my place, but I was afraid that might sound wrong. I didn't want to come off like I was offering up sex. It had been a little while, but I wasn't about to have sex on the first date. Things were going well – better than I imagined they would. I was enjoying his company and saw potential there. I didn't want to screw things up by moving too fast.