She knew some people thought she was just stupid, but she wasn’t. Sometimes she could be incredibly sharp. Like in situations where she didn’t have to feel or fight back strong emotions, like at school when she was teaching.
But at other times, it was like life was just a snow flurry, passing her by while she watched it with a vacant expression on her face.
So when confronted with a problem like Dmitri, she’d created a delusion that could help her. And since it had hurt him, she needed to clear it up. Being hurt didn’t give her a right to hurt others.
She gave Starla a quick smile and then slid off the stool to go retrieve Dmitri for a second time.
He was in the middle of a group, looking much less pleased than Luka by the situation. Chelle ignored the girls scowling at her as she pushed past them to get to her friend. She’d crawl under their legs if she had to.
Luckily, it wasn’t necessary. Once Dmitri saw her coming, he froze, then pushed forward so she could reach him.
She grabbed him by the hand and pulled him over to a quieter corner, ignoring the angry shouts of the other girls.
They could have Luka.
“Want to dance?” Chelle asked, putting her hand out. Dmitri hesitated, raising one thick eyebrow, but didn’t pull back when she grabbed his hand and pulled him onto the edge of the dance floor. A slower but catchy song started, and she took his other hand so they could sway awkwardly together.
“I owe you an explanation,” she said. “I’m sorry for thinking you were gay.”
He just shrugged, clearly still hurt and angry.
“I… I can’t give you what you want. I’m just broken.” She felt her voice crack and prayed she wasn’t going to cry right here at the club.
Instantly, Dmitri was wrapping his arms around her, pulling her in against him, protecting her from the rest of the club. “It’s okay.”
“I just want to be friends with you,” she said, wrapping her arms around him. “But you bring so many feelings up for me. It would have been easier if you didn’t… like me.”
Dmitri was quiet, just listening as he rocked her back and forth. It felt safe, soothing, and she wished she was the kind of person who could just accept everything that Dmitri had to give.
“I just didn’t want it all to happen again.”
“For what to happen again?” Dmitri asked.
She opened her mouth to say the truth but couldn’t tell him, so she just buried her head into his chest. So muscular, and he smelled amazing. “Mmm. Dancing with you really is nice, though.”
He laughed, and she heard the vibration through his shirt. “I’m glad you think so. Listen, Chelle, why do you say you’re broken?”
“I know everyone thinks I’m a dumbass, but I’m not. I mean, sometimes I am. But there are things people don’t know about me. Things I don’t want to explain.”
Dmitri pulled back to look down at her and took a second to wipe her tears away with the pads of his thumbs. “You don’t have to explain anything. I can wait as long as you need me to.”
She pulled back. “I don’t want you to wait. I’m not going to date anyone. I’m not going to marry anyone. That’s not the life for me.”
Dmitri’s jaw dropped. “Why? Why do you come out clubbing, then? Talia says you used to go almost every night.”
Chelle put her back to him, drawing his arms around her as she swayed back and forth, enjoying the feel of his strong body behind her. If only they really could be more than friends. She hummed to the music, enjoying the moment. “I go out to not be alone. To forget.”
Dmitri swayed gently behind her. She wouldn’t blame him if he pushed her away, but he didn’t, simply listening to her.
He was truly unlike anyone she’d ever met, and now that she was forced to lower her walls around him for a moment, she could feel the potent attraction between them.
“Why did you want me to be gay?” He turned her around in his arms so she’d have to face him.
“So we could be friends. So I could keep you,” she said honestly. “I would have helped you with Luka or other girls.” She frowned. “Though, a part of me was still jealous. A part of me hates that you were dancing with Missy or whenever you’re with someone else. But a part of me also knew I wouldn’t interfere in it, because you deserve to have whatever you want.”
He looked down at her softly. “You know what I want.”
“Yes,” she said, turning her back to him again. “And that’s why it’s difficult.” She moved in close so their bodies were melded. “I love watching movies with you. Living with you. Having you and Luka around, it pushes away the dark. But I really didn’t want you to fall for me. I wanted things to just go on as normal. I want you to be part of my life.”
She felt herself becoming aroused and let the guilt that always came with it flow through her. Just for a second, she’d allow herself to feel.
Dmitri was so handsome, so strong. So protective. God it was amazing just being next to him, taking in the music, the lights, the slight buzz of alcohol. Knowing that he was the most beautiful person and also her friend.
And that everything could just go horribly wrong.
She slowly pulled away from him, looking up to see a lustful look in his eyes that was echoed in hers. She wanted him. He wanted her.
She looked over to Luka to see he’d finally made it to the bar for a break.
Dmitri reached for her again, but she broke away from him, brushing her hand over his as she did.
“I… Are we going to be okay at home?”
He moved forward, pulling her in against him, and she froze. But he simply gave her a hug, resting his head on hers lightly. “I want you, Chelle, and I can tell you want me, too. But as I said before, I’m not taking anything. I can see now there is something you’re dealing with. Until you’re ready to come to me, I’m not making another move.”
She felt relief wash over her as she nodded. “Okay. Okay, I get it. So you aren’t going to push me?”
He shook his head.
“Not until I’m ready?”
He nodded.
She let out a sigh of relief she felt down to her soul, as refreshing as light rain. “Then I think I’m ready to go home.”
He put an arm out for her, and she hesitated and then took it. Starla was right. Chelle could trust him to just be her friend.
Eventually, he would realize there couldn’t be more between them. Hopefully, he would be fine being friends then. Move on to someone else, even if it broke her heart.
And she would go back to vacant smiles, nights of clubbing, and trying to find a way to exist in the dark.
* * *
As they walked out onto the sidewalk outside the club to get some air and call for the limo, Dmitri tried to get his bearings about him.
He’d discovered more about Chelle, yet he was more confused than ever before.
Damn, things were complicated in the modern world. He remembered Luka’s words about Dmitri not being the first dragon to struggle to claim his mate, but for some reason, seeing the sad look in Chelle’s eyes when she’d danced with him, he felt he might have one of the hardest battles after all.
The snow was falling lightly, and Dmitri shrugged out of his button-up to put it over Chelle’s shoulders, though she tried to protest. The cold didn’t bother him, and Luka was still trying to extract himself from the women so he could go outside.
“Want to walk for a bit?” Dmitri glanced at the sidewalk that was sparkling with snow. “Or are you too cold?”
Chelle shook her head with a small smile, looking at the way ahead of them. “Do you think it’s safe at this time of night, though?”
“I mean, I would hope so,” Dmitri said. “You’re with me, and I’m not sure what kind of creature could take me.”
She giggled. “True.”
They walked side by side, but she didn’t take his arm this time.
It should have been heaven when she’d danced against him, pressing her warm, so
ft body to his. But he’d been able to feel the pain radiating from her. It was a different Chelle than he’d ever known. A more honest one.
He’d told her he wouldn’t make a move on her, and that was true. But he definitely wasn’t going to just leave things the way they were.
It might take time, but he was going to find out what was hurting her and why it was holding her back, and then he was going to make sure she had all the happiness in the world.
He’d thought she pushed him away because she didn’t like him, but he now saw that wasn’t true. She’d been jealous of Missy. She’d been wanting to press up against him.
Wanting to be safe.
He was going to ensure she stayed that way until she was ready to share her secret. After all, he had a secret, too, but the least of his problems right now was how to bring that up.
There were a lot of things in the path ahead of them, but like the road they were walking on now, it would hopefully be touched by beauty.
He looked up to catch a snowflake on his tongue, and felt Chelle jerk beside him as someone stepped out of the dark and into their path.
“Your wallets and phones.” The man who spoke was wearing a mask and a hood, which obscured all his features. Dmitri stepped in front of Chelle and then noticed the gleam of a gun barrel in the moonlight.
He glanced back at the club, realizing they’d gone farther than he thought. He could call for Luka or security, but he also knew he could handle this on his own.
“Come on. Hurry it up, or I’ll hurt the lady,” the man said, trying to step around Dmitri.
Dmitri let out a snarl as the dragon woke up inside him. The puny gun in the man’s hadn’t wouldn’t hurt him, but it could definitely damage Chelle. They’d both had a tough enough night already, and this was the last thing they needed.
“Here,” Chelle said, holding her stuff out toward the robber. Dmitri turned, too late to stop her, and the robber reached forward and grabbed her hand, jerking her away from the Dmitri and against himself.
Dmitri felt claws threatening to break through his hands. The street was fairly abandoned, but he still couldn’t afford to go full dragon in a place like this.
He looked at Chelle, her face terrified, her blond hair waving in the wind, and her hands grasping the robber’s at her waist.
As the robber kept the gun pointed at Dmitri, he considered his options. He knew he could disarm the man. He didn’t know if he could do it without his powers without the man hurting Chelle.
Dmitri reached in his pocket, as if going for his wallet, but the man seemed to take that wrong as well. He moved the gun to point it at Chelle’s forehead. “I wouldn’t do that.”
“I was getting my wallet,” Dmitri said. “That’s what you asked for.”
“No funny business,” the robber said. His hand was shaking and his eyes were red, and Dmitri didn’t think he could wait any longer. He couldn’t risk his mate. He closed his eyes for a second, knowing that in a bit, Chelle was going to know he was a dragon. Or at least know that something about him was off.
But keeping his secret was useless if he lost his mate.
Dmitri heard the robber pull back the hammer. Chelle had barely started to gasp when Dmitri threw a hand out, aiming it at the robber.
The man froze instantly. Literally. He had no time to see it coming, as his body was covered in frost, rooted to the ground, completely iced over.
Dmitri hadn’t wanted to do it, but the man was clearly evil. Not right in the head at all.
“Oh dear, you’ve killed a human.” Luka was jogging toward them, putting a hand over his mouth. “Did anyone see it?”
Chelle was staring at Dmitri, gaping as if he terrified her as he stepped forward to free her from the man’s icy hold.
“Chelle did,” Dmitri said. He pulled at the man’s arm, warming it slightly so he could free his mate. He wanted to rip the man’s arm off for touching her, but he held himself back.
Luka walked over to the man and made a circle around him. “Not dead, then.” He put a hand up to thaw him, but Dmitri shook his head. “He isn’t safe to release. We need to disarm him, take him to security. Then he can thaw.”
Luka nodded, picking up the man as if he were moving an ice sculpture. When they were closer to the club, Luka waved a hand over him, and the ice melted slightly. Not enough for him to move, but enough to make it look like he’d simply been out in the cold a long time.
Luka set the guy down and went in to talk to security. When he came back out, he was running, motioning for Dmitri to follow. “I told them a guy attacked us outside, but I think they’ll probably have some questions when they see him partially frozen. I don’t dare unfreeze him, in case he shoots someone.”
Chelle, who’d been tucked under Dmitri’s arm this whole time, looked up at him, eyes wider than Dmitri had ever seen them. “Oh my God. What just happened? Oh my God. You both are—”
Luka led them down a side street, pulling out his phone to ask the limo to come get them in a slightly different location.
Chelle was still staring at Dmitri. When Luka hung his phone up, shrugging at her innocently, she fainted in Dmitri’s arms.
Chapter 7
Chelle slowly came to, hearing voices in the background. She felt like she’d been dreaming for days and had no idea where she was at the moment. She kept her eyes closed, trying to fall back to sleep again, but no sleep came.
“So that went different than we thought it would.”
“I know, Luka. I didn’t have any choice. Do you think we should tell Alek?”
“Not tonight. We should let him sleep one more night before he knows we blew our cover.”
“What do you think is going to happen?”
“To Chelle or with the club?”
“I don’t want to see it on the news, Luka.”
“I know.”
Chelle recognized the voices and slowly began to remember bits of what had happened before she’d passed out.
A man with a gun, holding it against her, and Dmitri… freezing him?
Luka dropping him off in front of the club.
They’d both done it. They both… were what?
She sat up abruptly, finding herself on the couch. Luka and Dmitri were in the kitchen, pacing, looking as upset as she felt.
Dmitri had frozen someone. That wasn’t supposed to be possible at all. She’d been so caught up in her own drama, in the problem of Dmitri liking her and her not being able to return his feelings, that she’d missed something even more crazy right under her nose.
Something she’d never encountered before. In a way, that was refreshing because it was a distraction from everything else.
Her heart pounded as she locked eyes with Dmitri, who’d just realized she was awake. He was something… not exactly human. Or maybe humans were different in his time. Yet she knew he would never hurt her. He could have if he wanted to by now.
That guy had iced over in a split second. Chelle hadn’t even had much time to fear for her life. Not that she’d truly been that afraid. She’d been afraid when the gun was pointed at Dmitri, but she’d known Dmitri would keep her safe.
The thought made her warm because it was nice that she trusted him. Trusted him and Luka implicitly, no matter what they were.
“There might be those in this world who can alter memory,” Luka said.
Dmitri shook his head, walking over to Chelle carefully, as if afraid she might bolt. “That’s not necessary. I don’t want to introduce Chelle to any more shifters than we have to. Not that we know if there are any in this world.”
“There have to be,” Luka said. “And according to my research, there might even be some in this city. Hell, if word goes around about the dude you froze, they might even come find us.”
“No one knows who we are.”
“They know who Chelle is,” Luka said, sitting at the counter. “Besides, I would welcome it. I need to know more about shifters in this world. I can’t do it from the
outside.”
“Chelle,” Dmitri said, crouching down in front of her, a gentle expression in his turquoise eyes as if he were talking to a wounded animal who could bolt at any moment. “What you saw… I can explain it.”
She nodded. He’d allowed her to explain some things earlier, and it was her turn to listen to him now.
“Do you want my help?” Luka asked.
Dmitri shook his head, and Luka nodded.
“Listen, there are some things we haven’t told you. We weren’t wanting to scare you, and it wasn’t relevant. Yet.”
She bit her lip. “Yet?”
Dmitri sighed. “I mean, eventually, we were probably going to tell you, but we didn’t know when. Can I sit by you?”
She nodded, scooting over so he could join her on the couch. He’d had a hard night, too. He sank into his spot, and she gave him some space between them so she could listen better.
He rubbed a hand over his buzzed head. “What do you know about dragons?”
She let out a nervous giggle. “Are you joking?”
He shook his head.
“Um, well, then I guess I know they are mythical creatures who fly around and hoard treasure.”
“What if they weren’t myths? What if the myths were based in reality? What if, at one point, they existed and they had the ability to turn into human beings?”
Her jaw dropped. “What does this have to do with you freezing things?”
“There are different types. We are ice dragons.”
“Oh no,” Chelle said. “Now you’re just trying to make me think I’m crazy by telling me something outlandish. Do you think if I faint again, I’ll just forget you froze that guy?”
Dmitri frowned.
“Not that I blame you for freezing him. He deserved it. He was going to hurt us, and—”
“I couldn’t help it,” Dmitri said. “The dragon inside me—”
“Look, tell me you’re a wizard or something. That’s fine. But don’t tell me you’re some ancient creature.”
Dmitri stared at her flatly. “But I am.”
Chelle shook her head. “That’s hilarious. I don’t believe it. I’ve lived with you both for weeks. I think I would have known if I was living with dragons.”
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