by Lola Gabriel
Morgan wanted to help Draven. He was her best friend, after all, and until a few moments ago when he had made his request, she would have said there was nothing he could ask of her that she wouldn’t be willing to do for him. But now, she wasn’t so sure. It wasn’t that she didn’t agree with what he was doing—it was more that she was worried she would end up getting hurt.
Morgan had had a crush on Draven for as long as she could remember. He was hot, with his short black hair, his gorgeous brown eyes, and his toned body. But he had never given her any impression that he felt the same way about her, and she had resigned herself to the fact that they would only ever be friends. Over the last few years, Morgan’s crush had become something more—something that she thought was awfully close to love.
It hurt her to listen to Draven talking about finding his one true mate and knowing it could never be her, and for that reason alone, it made sense for her to agree to his plan. To make sure he couldn’t find someone and leave her in a position where she could only watch from the sidelines, befriending the woman. But that made her feel selfish and she wondered if she should try to talk Draven out of this plan. She knew his mind was made up, though, and if she didn’t agree to do it for him, he would find someone who would.
Her main fear was that she would end up getting her heart broken. It was hard enough being around Draven and keeping her feelings in check when they were just friends. How much harder would it be to remind herself that this was never going to happen while they were in the middle of pretending it was happening?
Morgan knew she should say no, and yet she found herself nodding her head and telling Draven she would do it.
Draven beamed at her and pulled her in for a hug. His touch sent shivers through Morgan and she hugged him quickly and then moved back out of his arms. He frowned at her.
“Morgan, are you sure about this? You’re acting weird,” Draven said.
Morgan forced herself to smile as she stood up from the couch.
“I’m sure,” she said. “I’m not being weird. I’m just going to freshen up our drinks. Now that we have this sorted, there’s no excuse to not celebrate your birthday properly.”
“What if they don’t think I’m good enough for you?” Morgan asked for the third time as Draven pulled up outside of his parents’ house.
He cut the engine but he made no move to get out of the car. Instead, he turned in his seat so he was facing her and he smiled.
“For the third time, my parents love you. They always have. And if they give even the slightest hint that they think anything badly about this, then we’ll leave,” he said.
Morgan smiled and looked down into her lap for a moment, avoiding Draven’s gaze. She looked back up at him finally, shaking her head slightly.
“I don’t know why I’m so nervous. I mean, it’s not like this is even real, is it? It doesn’t really matter whether your parents are happy about it or not,” she said.
Despite her words, she did care whether or not Draven’s parents approved of them being together. As much as she tried to tell herself this was only an act, already, only two days after they had discussed the plan in her apartment, she was starting to think that maybe, just maybe, Draven would start to see her as more than just his best friend. And she knew if that happened, she could convince him not to worry about her being used against him. She didn’t need him or his parents to protect her. She was perfectly capable of looking after herself.
“Morgan, seriously, relax. They’re going to be so happy about this that I actually feel a bit guilty knowing we’re lying about it all,” Draven said. “Now, come on, before you worry yourself to the point where you can barely speak.”
He laughed and Morgan laughed with him, although it was a fake laugh on her part. She was already regretting that she agreed to do this. She had obviously known that the whole point of the lie was to fool Draven’s parents, but for some reason, it hadn’t really occurred to her that she would have to parade around in front of them as their son’s mate and pretend like this was all real. She had really assumed Draven would just tell them about it and that would be it. In hindsight, she should have known it would have to be more official than that. If it was going to be that easy, Draven wouldn’t have needed her at all. He could have just given his parents a name and been done with it.
Draven opened his car door and pulled the keys out of the ignition. Morgan followed suit, slamming her door shut a little bit too hard. Draven frowned, but he didn’t say anything and Morgan knew he was worried that her nerves would get the better of her and give away their ruse. She walked around the front of the car as Draven locked it and told herself to shape up. She had agreed to this and now she had to do her best to pull it off.
She walked along Draven’s parents’ garden path, heading up to their front door. She could feel the sweat beading in her hair line as nerves filled her and once again, she told herself to shape up. All I have to do is relax, she told herself. Loads of people think Draven and I are a couple all of the time because of how we are together. I just need to be normal with him, that’s all. His parents have no reason to think we might be lying to them.
Draven opened the front door and gestured for Morgan to enter. She stepped inside. The house was familiar to her—she had spent many evenings here after school when she and Draven were growing up—but somehow now, it felt different. Almost ominous.
She allowed Draven to lead her to the kitchen where his parents sat at the table drinking cups of tea.
“Ah, there you are, dear. What’s this important announcement you have to make?” Joy, Draven’s mom, smiled.
“Well,” Draven said, taking Morgan’s hand and pulling her into the kitchen. “I found my one true mate and I thought you guys might like to know about it.”
Joy and Miller, Draven’s dad, both looked at Morgan and they both beamed. Morgan felt herself relax a little when she saw how genuinely happy they seemed to find out that she was the one true mate of their son.
“Oh, this is amazing,” Joy trilled.
She jumped to her feet and hugged Morgan, taking her by surprise. Morgan caught herself and hugged Joy back.
“I should have seen this coming. You two were always so close. This is perfect,” Joy gushed.
She released Morgan and nodded to a chair.
“Sit down, dear,” she said.
Morgan sat down. She could feel that her smile was becoming genuine as she allowed herself to get caught up in the excitement in the room. Miller was looking at her now, looking almost as excited as Joy. He looked at Draven as Draven took a seat at the table too and Joy began pouring tea for them both.
“I’m proud of you, son,” Miller said. “You chose well.”
“Yes,” Draven smiled. “I really did.”
He reached across to Morgan and squeezed her hand across the table. She felt her skin tingle where he touched her, and heat spread to her cheeks. She wanted to pull her hand away, embarrassed by her reaction, but she knew it would shatter the illusion if she appeared to be uncomfortable with Draven in any way. Once a dragon found their one true mate, public displays of affection were expected as their dragons pushed them to remain in physical contact with one another, especially in the beginning when they began forming their sacred bond.
“What do your parents think about it all, Morgan?” Joy asked.
Morgan was glad of the question. It allowed her to focus on something other than how her hand felt in Draven’s hand, and it was a question she could answer honestly without worrying about giving anything away.
“I haven’t told them yet,” she smiled. “It seemed disrespectful not having the ruling couple know first.”
“Oh, there’s no need for all of that deferential stuff with us, Morgan. We’ve known you since you were five years old,” Miller said.
“I think they’ll be pleased,” Morgan added.
She knew they would be. Especially her mother, who knew she had feelings for Draven. She was really hoping she
could avoid telling her parents about this at all, but she knew if she had to tell them, she would tell them the whole truth. She couldn’t bear the thought of her mother being so excited for her and then having to pretend that she had realized she and Draven weren’t meant to be together after all.
“They’re actually in Europe at the moment, though,” Morgan said. “And I don’t want to tell them this over the phone. I’ll be sure to tell them as soon as they get back.”
That her parents were in Europe was the truth and she really wouldn’t have wanted to tell them something so big over the phone. She hoped that by the time they got back, in just under three weeks’ time, this would all be over and she would never have to tell them anything except that she and Draven had tried being together and decided it wasn’t right for them. Maybe not even that much if they managed to keep their relationship quiet, claiming they didn’t want it to go public until the mating ceremony.
“Maybe that’s not such a bad thing,” Joy smiled. “I know it’s just an old wives’ tale, but people say it’s unlucky to announce these things before the official ceremony, don’t they?”
“Yes,” Morgan said, pleased that Joy had heard that story too. “And I know it’s superstitious nonsense really, but we’ve decided not to tempt fate, haven’t we, Draven?”
Draven nodded.
“Yeah. We think it’s for the best. Besides, it wouldn’t do to have people become offended if they thought other people knew before them,” Draven said.
“Well, personally, I think that the story is just that—a story,” Miller said. “But you’re right about offending people. It should be announced officially to the pack as a whole at the mating ceremony. But seriously, Morgan, if you do decide to tell your parents before then, that won’t be a problem.”
“Thank you,” Morgan smiled, sipping her tea.
“So, have you decided on a date for the ceremony?” Joy asked. “I mean, you won’t need to wait as long as most new couples, will you? It’s not like you two need to get to know each other, is it?”
“We haven’t really thought that far ahead, to be honest,” Draven said. “But it won’t be too far away.”
“Good. I can hardly wait for it to be official. It’s like something out of a movie, isn’t it? Falling in love with your best friend,” Joy said.
Draven nodded, looking down at his cup. Morgan didn’t relish the idea of him being uncomfortable, but at the same time, she was glad she wasn’t the only one who felt bad about deceiving Draven’s parents like this. They were so excited about the news, and their excitement only made Morgan feel worse about this whole thing.
“Oh, you know what?” Joy said. “Your father and I are going away this weekend, Draven. We’re spending a few days at Creely Cottage. You and Morgan should join us. It’ll be nice for you to get away into the middle of nowhere and be able to act like a couple away from prying eyes.”
“Why do we need to get away to act like a couple?” Draven asked.
“Because you don’t want anyone to work out you two are a thing before the official ceremony,” Joy said. “Morgan has just said that.”
“Oh right, yeah,” Draven said, laughing a little self-consciously. “What do you think, Morgan?”
“I’d love to be able to come with you all, but unfortunately, I have pack duties to perform on Saturday,” Morgan said, glad she had a legitimate reason not to go.
“Oh, don’t worry about that,” Miller said, waving away her concerns with a swipe of his hand. “I’ll arrange someone to take over them for you. So it’s settled, then? We’ll all go up to the cottage together?”
Morgan desperately tried to think of a reason to refuse, but she couldn’t think of anything that wouldn’t seem suspicious, like it was obvious she didn’t want to go, and so she nodded her head.
It was going to be even harder to keep up the couple act for a full weekend. She tried to tell herself it would be fine; it was only a few days, after all. But already, feeling like she had been accepted by Draven’s family, she felt a mixture of guilt at the lies and longing for it not to be lies.
She found herself getting caught up in the discussion about the plans for the weekend and she let go of her misgivings, telling herself to just enjoy a few days away with her best friend.
4
“How come I’ve never been here before?” Draven asked as he got out of the car in front of the cottage.
He followed his father around to the trunk of the car and they began unloading the luggage as his mom and Morgan stood beside the car, enjoying the sun for a moment.
“It’s not one of ours,” his father said. “Your mom wanted a change and we rented this place for the weekend.”
“It’s beautiful,” Draven said.
It was beautiful. The outside was painted white, the windows leaded with wooden shutters on them. The roof was thatched and the gardens were immaculate. But Draven wasn’t looking at the cottage when he said it. He was looking at Morgan.
She was wearing a yellow sundress and a straw hat. The hat flapped slightly in the breeze and her hair shifted around her face, looking like gold in the sunlight. Her eyes were closed, one hand holding her hat in place as she put her head back to feel the sun on her face. Draven had never noticed her slender neck before or the almost sensual curve of her collar bone. He caught himself staring and looked away quickly, but not before his father caught him watching Morgan and grinned at him.
“Extremely beautiful,” Draven’s father said with a wink, making it clear he knew Draven wasn’t talking about the cottage.
Draven blushed, but he told himself it was a good thing his father had caught him watching Morgan. It all helped with the act they were putting on. And it was going to have to be a damned good act now that they were all going to be in such close quarters for the full weekend.
When all of the luggage was out of the trunk, Draven and his father loaded themselves up and the four of them all made their way toward the cottage.
“Why on earth did you need so much stuff?” Draven’s dad asked his mom. “We’re only here for two days.”
“And three nights,” Draven’s mom replied with a smile. “I haven’t brought that much.”
They entered the cottage and found themselves in a well-lit little hallway. A staircase headed upwards in front of them and a door opened off the hallway. They went through the door to the living room where Draven put his bags down.
“We’ll take that bedroom,” Draven’s mom said, pointing to a door that opened off the living room. “We’ll let you two take the master bedroom and have some privacy.”
Draven saw Morgan blush at her suggestion, but he figured it was a good thing his parents would be down here. It meant he and Morgan could have separate rooms without his parents thinking it was strange.
Draven’s dad checked his watch.
“Right. We have half an hour before the cab is coming to take us out for dinner. Your mom has booked us all a table. So why don’t we get unpacked and freshen up a bit and meet back here?”
Draven’s mom nodded her head and moved toward the bedroom door. Draven turned and picked his suitcase and Morgan’s up and headed back out for the stairs, Morgan following him. They reached the top of the stairs and saw three doors. Draven put down his bags and opened the first door.
“One of the bedrooms,” he said. “Do you want this one or the other one?”
“I don’t mind,” Morgan said.
Draven shrugged and set his suitcase down in the first room. He opened the next door.
“That’s the bathroom,” he said.
He opened the final door and his heart sank.
“And that’s a linen closet,” he said.
“You mean…?” Morgan said.
“Yup. It’s only got two bedrooms,” Draven finished for her. “Don’t worry. You can take the bed. There’s a couch in there. I’ll sleep on that.”
Morgan nodded her head.
“Okay,” she said.
&nb
sp; She stepped into the bedroom and, after lifting her suitcase onto the bed, she began to unpack her clothes. Draven watched her for a moment and then he started on his own suitcase.
“I’m really sorry about this, Morgan,” he said. “I had no idea my parents would invite us away for the weekend. And I certainly would never have guessed my mom would book somewhere this small for us to stay in.”
“It’s fine,” Morgan said, smiling at him over her shoulder. “We’re here now. Let’s just make the best of it and try to enjoy the weekend, huh?”
“I guess that’s all we can do,” Draven said.
Morgan nodded.
“Do you want to use the bathroom before I go to get changed?” she asked.
Draven shook his head.
“No, it’s okay. You go ahead. I can wait,” he said.
He watched as Morgan left the room, her hands full with her toiletries bag and a garment bag she had pulled out of her suitcase. He finished unpacking, not having brought much. He changed into a pair of clean black jeans and a pale blue shirt, then went to the mirror and ran his hands through his hair. He sprayed a bit of cologne and sat down on the couch to wait for Morgan.
He knew just by looking at the couch that he wasn’t going to have a comfortable night’s sleep. It was barely long enough to be classed as more than a large armchair, and when he sat down, he felt how lumpy it was. He sighed and reminded himself Morgan was only doing this for him. The least he could do was take the uncomfortable couch.
Draven looked up as the bedroom door opened. His jaw dropped and he felt a tug on the inside of his jeans as he looked at Morgan. His dragon stirred inside of him. She was wearing a short, red halter-neck dress and matching heels.
“You’re beautiful,” he said, before he could stop himself.
Morgan smiled and shook her head.
“You don’t have to keep up the act when we’re alone, Draven,” she said.
“I’m not acting. You look…just…wow,” Draven said.
Morgan rolled her eyes, but she looked pleased with Draven’s reaction. He could barely keep his eyes off her as she moved around the room, grabbing a handbag and putting her cell phone and her wallet into it.