by Rinelle Grey
But he held back. He'd already messed up with that too many times. He needed to wait until she wanted it too. Until there was no hesitation or fighting her reaction to him.
But he savoured the feel of her hand in his as she pulled him through the water raining down around them. She ducked behind to the side of the bar, into the now deserted kitchen, and out through an unlocked back door.
A few people in dark green shirts, similar to the one the bartender had worn, hovered around the exit. They stared at them strangely for a moment, but Karla ignored them, keeping moving further from the building.
Taurian expected her to double around the building, back to the front where the ute was parked, but she went the other way.
“I thought I might find you here.”
The quiet voice almost made Taurian's heart stop, even though he recognised instantly that it wasn't Edtrima.
The bartender stood in front of them, his arms crossed, blocking their path.
Taurian glanced behind them. There was no sign of Edtrima following them, but any ground they had gained would be lost if they didn't keep moving.
“We're just getting away from the fire,” Karla said quickly. “This exit was closest.”
Fire? What was she talking about? How could there be a fire with all that water around?
“Rubbish,” the man snapped. “You know there was no fire. You set that alarm off yourself. I would have expected better from you. I don't know what you're playing at, but I intend to see that you stay here until the police arrive. You can explain the situation to them.”
The man spoke like he knew Karla. But even so, he wasn’t going to try to solve this himself. Seriously, could anyone in this world solve things without the help of these ‘police’?
Taurian could. He lunged forward to grab the man’s shirt, but Karla pulled him back.
“You’re Kim’s father, right?” she said to the man. “I thought I knew you. You used to pick her up after our study sessions. Look, Kim and I were friends, so you probably know I don’t go around causing trouble for no reason. We’re just trying to get away from that man, the one who tried to follow us up the stairs earlier. He's been following us all day, and it's really starting to creep me out.”
The bartender’s expression softened slightly. “If that's the case, why not call the police? Do you know how much clean up there’s going to be in here tomorrow after that sprinkler went off?”
“I did call them,” Karla said quickly. “But they said they couldn't do anything if he was just following us. He isn't committing any crime. Well, I'm not going to wait around until we’re somewhere private and he jumps on us. Too late then, isn't it?”
The bartender hesitated. Karla was part way to convincing him.
Taurian wished he knew what he could do to help her, but he didn't even know where to start. He didn't understand any of the nuances of this world. He feared he’d only get something wrong if he tried to help.
“Please,” Karla said. “I don't know what else to do?”
Frowning, the bartender turned to Taurian. “And what about you? Why aren't you doing something to stop this guy following you?”
Taurian bristled. “I'd be quite happy to take care of the problem,” he said frostily. “But Karla seems to prefer running away over me punching people.”
The bartender looked taken aback for a second, then to Taurian's surprise, he started to laugh. “I hear you, mate. All this talking and solving problems peacefully doesn't always work, does it? Well, I expect to see both of you back to help with the clean-up in the morning, after all this is done.”
That wasn’t going to work. But Taurian could understand the man’s dilemma.
“I can’t,” Karla said. “I’m heading back to England in the morning. But I can pay for the cleaners. Send the bill to my dad’s place, and I’ll see that it’s taken care of.”
That seemed to do the trick. Any hesitation the man had had about letting them go vanished. “I just might do that,” he said. “Get out of here then and don’t get into any more trouble tonight.
“We won’t,” Karla said quickly, “and thank you.”
Taurian could hardly believe it was that easy. He followed Karla out the back gate, glancing back at the bartender watching them. The man gave him a wink and a wave.
They rounded the corner, and the street was lined with cars, but empty of people. Taurian keep watch for anyone lurking in the shadows as Karla walked down the side of the street, peering at each car as they passed.
“The ute is on the other side of the building,” Taurian reminded her.
Karla grinned. “I'm not looking for the ute. Ahh, here it is.”
She stopped next to a little red car and pulled a set of keys out of her pocket to unlock the door. “Quick, get in. It won't take him long to realise we’re not in the crowd in the evacuation area and come looking for us.”
Taurian couldn't argue with that assertion. He slid into the seats, uncomfortably aware of how wet he was making everything, and waited until Karla had started the engine and pulled out into the street before asking, “So, do you keep a second car at this place for these sort of situations?”
She glanced at him. “No, of course not. Why would I…” She shook her head. “Never mind. No, this isn't my car, it's Lisa's. You remember the girl from the shopping centre earlier? She turned up at the pub, and I convinced her to swap cars while I was in the bathroom. She’ll take the ute home, and I'll swap in a couple of days.”
She'd thought of everything, apparently. Taurian was impressed. “So where are we going now? Home?”
The thought was a little disappointing. He didn't mind her father, he seemed like a nice enough man, but aside from being chased by a dragon, he’d been kind of enjoying the day alone with just Karla.
A frown wrinkled her brow in the red glow from the traffic light. “I'm not sure that's such a good idea.” She glanced in the rear view mirror, but the street behind them was empty. The light changed to green, and they moved off. “I don't trust that dragon not to follow us, and Dad’s place is just too deserted. I think we should stay somewhere a little more public until we're sure we're not being followed.”
Anticipation sped the rhythm of his heart. A night alone. Without being followed by a dragon. Despite his excitement, Taurian tried to keep his voice neutral. “That might be best. Do you have any idea where?”
“There aren't too many hotels here, we don't get enough tourists for them to stay in business so it's the standard motel unfortunately. Probably really dodgy rooms, but hopefully it's the last place Edtrima would look for us.”
When he saw the room, Taurian was inclined to agree with her assessment. The double bed had a dingy brown cover, probably to hide any stains. There was barely enough room for the small table and two chairs at the end of the bed and the carpet had seen better days. But it was clean and dry, and there was a shower. And towels.
Edtrima would never find them here. He wouldn’t suspect for a moment that Taurian would be caught dead in a place like this. That thought, along with the fact that the only room available was this double, was enough to silence Taurian's objections as Karla paid for the room up front.
“I'm sorry, it's probably not what you're used to,” Karla apologised once they were alone in the room.
“It's fine,” Taurian said quickly. “You're right, no one will find us here.”
Karla sat down on the edge of the bed. After all her confidence and decision making for the evening, she looked lost. “No, I guess you're right,” she said slowly. “We should be safe enough here…” Her voice wavered on the last word, and she looked up at Taurian, her eyes asking him for reassurance.
She was looking to him to tell her? Throughout the whole day, she’d been the one with all the answers, the one to save them when it seemed like there was no way out, and now she thought she needed him?
What did she think that he could do to help her? There was nothing left to do.
Bu
t he couldn’t ignore the plea in her eyes. If she thought she needed him, he was damn well going to be there for her, especially after everything she’d done for him today.
He came across and knelt beside her. He hesitated about touching her, but figured she probably needed it as much as he did right now, so he put his hand over hers where it rested on the edge of the bed. Just a small touch, but he felt it deep in his core.
“Yes, we’re safe here. He’s gone. You did it,” he assured her. Even as he spoke the words, he hoped they were true. And resolved to double check later when she was asleep. Watching over her while she slept was the least he could do.
She looked up, and her eyes met his. “We did it,” she corrected.
Taurian appreciated the thought, but he had done nothing but stand by and watch in admiration as she out manoeuvred the dragon skilfully. “You were the one who got rid of Ultrima in the shopping centre, the one who beat Edtrima in chess, the one who found a way to evade him at the café, and orchestrated our escape from the pub.”
“I couldn’t have done it without you, Taurian.” His name sounded like silk on her tongue. He fingers laced themselves with his, deepening the connection, letting her warmth seep into him. “I may have come up with the ideas, but I couldn’t have done it on my own. That dragon scared me to death, and if you hadn’t been around, I would have been cowering in a corner. You were so in control and calm, you helped me to be calm too. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to do any of the things I did today.”
Her touch was making it hard to think. But he knew he wanted to do more. He was pleased that she was glad he had been there, but it wasn’t enough. He needed to be stronger, to be able to protect her against anything the Trima dragons could throw at them.
His heart ached at the knowledge that he couldn’t do that without sleeping with her. And she’d made it clear she wasn’t willing to accept that. She’d still been refusing even when they’d had no other option. The chill in his heart at that thought pushed back the warmth he felt from her.
But they had found another way. Put off the threat for another day at least. If they could keep doing that, then eventually, they would make it. Even if it wasn’t the path he would have chosen himself. “I’d feel better if I’d been able to at least punch him.”
Karla gave a half laugh. “I would too,” she admitted. “But it probably wouldn’t be better in the long run.” She hesitated for a moment before asking, “Do you think he will find us again before you are fully regenerated?”
Taurian shrugged. “We’ll have to wait and see. If we stay indoors at your father’s home, hopefully not.”
Not that it mattered. Eventually, Taurian knew he would have to face Ultrima, once and for all. And in reality, he had little chance of beating the lightning dragon on his own. Not if Ultrima had backup, which he had already proved he had.
Karla didn't know that though. The thought hadn't even occurred to her. And why should it? Once he was fully recovered, the Mesmer bond would be broken. There would be nothing to tie the two of them together, and Ultrima and Edtrima would no longer be her problem.
She’d return to her lifemate, across the sea, and he'd never see her again.
This battle was his to fight. Alone.
Chapter 19
A feeling of warm contentment filled Karla as she slowly slid out of the depths of sleep. She hadn't even realised she'd been itchy until now the itch was completely gone. What a relief. She snuggled in closer to the warm body in the bed next to her. This was exactly where she belonged.
“And you were worried about me staying on my side of the bed.”
Amusement and affection coloured Taurian's voice, and reminded Karla of where she was. And who she was with. Adrenalin flushed through her, burning in every place Taurian's body touched hers. And considering she was snuggled up to him as she usually snuggled up to Bruce, that was quite a few places.
Instinct kicked in, and Karla scrambled to the other side of the bed, as far from Taurian as she could get without falling on the floor. “Me? What makes you think it was me who ended up on the wrong side of the bed?”
Even as she said the words, Karla knew they were a defensive argument. She had been on Taurian’s side of the bed. He could easily argue with her, and be right too.
He didn't, though his eyes danced as he watched her.
An itch started in her shoulder blades. Great. That wasn’t going to go away until she touched him again, was it?
The smile faded from Taurian's face, to be replaced with a serious look. “You can feel it too, can't you?” he asked quietly.
“Feel what?” Karla asked, not wanting to admit that she knew exactly what he was talking about. Not wanting to admit how strong it was.
Taurian's face fell.
Karla felt guilty for pretending. She heaved a sigh. “I can feel it too. And I'm guessing it only gets worse?”
Why did she ask that? Did she really want to know?
“I don't know,” Taurian said. “I've never done this before.”
Karla raised an eyebrow. “You've never needed healing like this before?” Why did that surprise her? For all his lack of knowledge of the world, Taurian didn't seem that young. But then again, maybe dragon age didn't work like human age.
“No, I've been through the Mesmer many times. But every other time, I've mated with a dragon within hours of waking.”
Oh. Of course that's what he meant. Karla ignored the effect his matter of fact words had on her insides. Her mind searched for something, anything, to say. But nothing came to mind.
The corner of Taurian's mouth twitched.
Damn dragon. Did he have any idea of the effect he had on her? It wasn't fair.
Last night, when Edtrima had been so close, and they had run out of ways to evade him, she had been so tempted. Hell, she’d almost hoped there would be no other way.
Concern for Bruce’s feelings was only partly what was holding her back. Even stronger was her fear of getting involved with this dragon. And not because of the danger from his enemies, but from the danger she could see in his eyes every time he looked at her. She could quite easily fall for him, and quite easily have her heart broken. Or worse, spend the rest of her life following him, then die with regrets of things she’d never done.
She needed to get in control of this feeling.
No, this wasn’t her feeling this way, it was the Mesmer bond, the same one that made her shoulders itch every time she left Taurian. That was all.
Even as she thought the words, she knew they weren’t true. Not completely. The Mesmer bond, which seemed to be totally about sex, couldn’t account for all the things she was feeling. There was more going on here. Feelings she shied away from examining.
How could she go home to England and Bruce feeling this way?
It hit her like a bag of bricks. She couldn’t. It wouldn't be fair to either her or Bruce. Because if she felt like this about Taurian, then she wasn't in love with Bruce.
The realisation slid through her, bringing sadness and acceptance. She never had been in love with him. Not like that. She cared about him, and would always value the time they'd shared, but she didn't love him. Not enough to marry him.
To make sure, she tried to imagine a wedding with a big white dress and walking down the aisle to Bruce waiting at the other end, but the image just wouldn’t gel. It was fuzzy and indistinct, and instead of making her feel all happy and warm inside, she felt like the image in her mind wasn’t really her.
Slowly, she let the image go, along with that version of who she’d thought she was.
So how did she feel about Taurian?
Her mind shied away from that thought, refusing to focus on it. And how could she know how she felt right now anyway? The magical connection between them made it impossible to tell what was real. She might ache to feel his body close to hers, but that could just be the Mesmer bond. The fact that she enjoyed talking to him and hearing about his world could mean something more
, but was that anything more to base a relationship on than what she’d had with Bruce?
And even if these feelings persisted, he was a dragon! His world consisted of people chasing him, wanting to kill him, long held grudges and wars, and who knows what else. Could she have any place in a world like that?
Did she want to?
They had hopefully ditched Taurian's dragon enemy, for now at least, so if they could just get home and hide out there for another week or so, hopefully Taurian would be fully healed, and the Mesmer bond would dissolve.
What would be left then? Well, they'd have to wait and see. She needed to tell Bruce it was over before she even considered that anyway.
“We’d better get home,” she said briskly. “Before there are any more chances of that dragon reappearing.
Taurian's expression sobered and he nodded. “You will feel safer once you're back in your house.”
Would she ever feel safe again? How could locks or security cameras or doors keep one safe when there were fire breathing dragons out there? Being chased by a dragon certainly changed one’s perspectives on these things.
As did realising things were over between her and Bruce. He had been her rock, her shelter, her safety net. Without him, she was alone in the world with no warm arms to return to.
A shiver ran through her, and the temptation to not say anything, to retreat back to that safety, rose up in her.
“I'll feel safer once all this is over, and I don't have any dragons chasing me,” she said roughly. “But for now, getting home will have to do. Come on, let's get moving.”
Taurian stared at her, his eyes seeming to see far more than she was willing to share, but he didn't say anything, just nodded, following her down to Lisa’s car.
The sky above them was dark, and the sharp wind that swept through the street was a sharp change from the summer heat. Karla stared up at the clouds, but they were all black, no hint of green that might indicate hail. She shivered as she slipped into the car, pulling the door closed to shut out the wind. She hoped they made it home before the rain hit.