by A. K. Koonce
But I also can’t help but like the way he still watches me even after all the space I’ve put between us.
In the pettiest way possible, I give a nice, long, happy stretch as I slip from my bed the following morning. The night before, I told Chaos he couldn’t sleep with me. He sits in the chair opposite of my bed and watches me now with tired eyes as I push the soft sheets off my body. When I stand in only my lace panties and bra, I arch my back with my arm rising above my head, showing off every inch of sun-kissed skin as I pretend to stretch once more.
Rime and Kain sit at my kitchen table, and they exchange a look among themselves. I pass by the poor pup near the foot of my bed, and just as I’m about to walk by without a second glance, Chaos’ warm hand pushes across my hips. He pulls me back to him, forcing me to acknowledge him. I have to remember he’s just another beautiful beast in my life.
You’re not supposed show weakness to a crying puppy.
And so, I don’t show my emotions to Chaos.
My arms fold slowly across my chest, and his attention slips to my breast for only a moment.
“I don’t really understand any of this.” His tone is quiet as he tries to make sense of what’s happening here. “Are you mad at me?”
My lips part as I try to find a gentle way to tell him we’re just friends. Kind of. We’re almost just friends.
Before I can speak, Rime cuts me off.
“She’s trying to tame you, Dickless.” My gaze shifts to him, and I find that the two of them are finishing off the cake I bought. The bag that the bread and deli meat were brought home in just days ago lays empty and crumpled on the floor.
“Did you guys eat all of the food?”
Rime glances down at the last chunk of white cake before picking it up with his fingers and pressing it slowly into his mouth. He keeps fuck-you eye contact firmly in place the entire time.
And with all the confusing thoughts in my mind, it’s just enough to make me lose it.
“Get out of my fucking house.”
Rime continues his slow chewing, his legs spread wide as he gives my statement little interest.
Kain looks to his friend, his hands rising just slightly as if he might apologize.
Of course, he doesn’t.
“I think you’re overreacting.”
“I said get out!” My shriek is accompanied by the smallest of thuds as my bare foot stomps against the floor.
A smile pulls at the corner of Kain’s lips as his gaze dips to my breasts when they bounce slightly, and I suddenly realize I’m throwing the world’s least threatening temper tantrum while standing in only my underwear.
He stands, and the two of them take their sweet time exiting. The door clicks softly closed behind them.
And there I stand, defeated and shaking with anger. But I stood my ground. I won. This is what winning feels like. I’m sure of it.
Chaos’ words cut through my pathetic celebration.
“So … you’re not mad at me then?”
I give up.
***
I do compromise though. I think if I continue to work with Chaos, he’ll be the bigger person and do what’s right and let me keep my deal with the Prince. I’ll just stay on his good side, and he’ll stay on mine, we’ll form a bond of sorts and, if I ask him nicely, he’ll go with the Prince to keep my word—and, more importantly, my money. Then he can leave if he likes. He doesn’t have to stay, but he does have to make it appear like I’m not a crook.
Because I’m most definitely not. I keep my word.
Until then, I need to play nice.
I lift my dress as I trail through the woods after the three men. Heat rolls through the forest, making sweat drip down my neck and back.
They’re looking to meet up with their source. Kreedence. Fear twists through me but I smoother it out with the reminder of my plans. Today will have to be a rather careful day. A plan is in place. I will just have to stick to it.
“How much farther?” It’s the first time I’ve asked it, but it’s step one in the plan.
“We’re meeting him at the canyon about a mile north of here,” Kain says as he pauses to look back at me.
I wipe at my brow a bit dramatically as I lean against a small oak tree. The bark bites against my skin.
If I didn’t know any better, I’d think he was pitying me.
I must be a dainty looking thing right now. My hair is pulled back from my neck, my skin glistening with sweat, my long legs on display just for his viewing pleasure.
“My head is pounding, and these dizzy spells keep coming and going.”
I’m a terrible person. Too many lies and bad decisions make up my life.
But it’s my life. And I have to survive it.
Kain cocks a brow at me.
“Did you drink anything today?”
I’ve had about four glasses of water.
“A little. I was just so hungry that I didn’t really think about water. I guess I haven’t eaten or drank anything all day.”
Because of you. Because you ate all my fucking food. Hint, hint.
Now, he does pity me. And if I’m not mistaken, there’s a tiny little ounce of guilt there in his pretty eyes.
Good.
“Fuck.” He trails back to me. His fingertips skim along the side of my face and his closeness makes me shift. I don’t think I’ve been this close to him in his human form without any angry words filling the space between us. I don’t think I’ve seen him look this caring either. “Okay. You shouldn’t go any farther.” Worry lines his face, and he tilts his head to the side to look over his shoulder. “Rime, stay here with her. Make sure she doesn’t pass out. We’ll go ahead and get the details and find her some water.”
I’m much more likely to have a sensible conversation with one of them one on one. Of the three, Rime is the quietest, and I know it’s not because he’s shy. It’s that age-old saying, if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. Unfortunately, there’s so much un-niceness within Rime, it makes him almost mute.
So, I don’t know how well my little plan is going to work.
Chaos passes me a long look before trailing after his friend. I can’t help but stare at his broad shoulders as he saunters off into the thick woods.
I wish our lives were different. If things were different, I’d explore the feelings that press into my chest every time I look at him.
Unfortunately, I won’t be around long enough in the near future to explore anything.
The forest is very much alive today. Birds sing a crying song, like ravens giving way to warning. Leaves rustle in tune with every curious creature that runs through the long limbs that stretch high above.
“You’re a good actress.” Rime’s words are spoken low and pointedly.
I shift on my heels, my thin dress catching on a vine of thorns for a moment.
“What makes you think I’m acting?”
He leans against a tree, his arms folded, his head tilted in a studying way as he looks at me through cruel, narrowed eyes. It’s hard to believe this one was ever my favorite.
“It’s easy to see. Your posture when you spoke to him changed into a defeated and helpless look that I’ve never seen. Your voice, which normally grates against my every nerve, was a sweet and breathy sort of sound. I actually liked that sound. You should sound like that all the time.”
My jaw clenches, but I have to put real effort into forcing a friendship right now.
Even if he is a giant, insufferable dragon dick.
“What did this mage do that has you three so adamant about capturing her for your friend?”
What brought these dragons to a man like Kreedence? He stares at me for a moment longer, just long enough that I think he won’t answer at all.
Until he does.
“He isn’t our friend. We owe him. We’re doing him this favor because we owe him. And so does the mage. This mage owes him money or an irreplaceable object of some kind. She owes him
something important, and instead of delivering, she skipped town.”
She owes him her soul.
The way Rime talks about me … he hates me and he doesn’t even know it. Pain stings my heart. It’s not that I care. I don’t know these men at all, but there’s something completely awful about being hated and not having a thing you can do to change it.
I’m not an idiot. I know I’m a terrible person. I feel it deep within myself. I feel the twist of guilt every time I think about the things I’ve done. I just … I think I could be different if given the opportunity. If I could just get to where I’m going. If I could get to that place of safety that’s waiting for me in my future, I know I could be different.
His pretty eyes are so pale they match the morning skyline in the clearest blue I’ve ever seen. The sun shines against them, catching against his irises and magnifying them into a harsh color of cruelty. His glaring gaze drifts away from me, just over my shoulder, and the interest he shows makes me turn slowly.
And then I see him.
That pain in my heart pivots until it’s stabbing through my stomach with sinking fear.
I’ve been a drifter for five years. Drifter sounds carefree, and beautiful. Even if it’s not. I wasn’t always a drifter. I was once a woman in love. Blinded and foolish.
I literally fell in love with a demon. It was a twisted and controlling form of love. My mother always warned me against hellacious men. She probably never thought I’d give my heart to a literal demon though.
To say I could do better is a bit of an understatement.
It’s terrifying to see the man I fear standing next to the men I’ve started to care about.
Suddenly my past is standing right before me.
Chapter Thirteen
Faking It
Kreedence, nods as he walks side by side with Kain. The two men are opposites in every single way possible. There’s a violence in the simple way Kreedence walks, like he’s lashing out at the forest itself. While Kain walks with care, his steps thought out. Like he knows exactly where he’s going in life. Chaos trails behind them as the two men speak. Before any of them can even spot me, my feet start off in a sprint as if the fear in me is urging me on before my mind has even thought about the magic I’ve saved up just for a moment like this.
At the last second, Rime grips my arm in a painful way and throws me against the tree he was just leaning against. Power stings through my fingertips. I refuse to hurt any of these men. They got caught up in the middle of something much bigger than they ever realized.
My heart is slamming and pounding against my chest, demanding fight or flight. And my magic, it’s burning through my veins, preparing to use what I’ve hidden carefully away for too long.
Rime’s gaze shifts quickly across my wide eyes. I don’t know what he sees there, but it seems to turn his always aggressive features into something similar to concern. It’s a softer look that makes him look younger. Sweeter.
It’s like he’s familiar with the fear in my features. There’s this sympathy in him right now that makes me question everything I think I know about him.
He holds me firmly in place before whispering low.
“What’s wrong?”
I don’t look away, but I can feel Kreedence’s dark energy closing in. It’s this suffocating thing that snuffs out the warm summer breeze and turns it into a humidity straight from the bowels of hell.
Discreetly, I lower myself, hunching down until Rime’s wide shoulders hide me completely.
“That man, he isn’t who you think he is.”
“And how the hell would you know, My Little Tamer?” His head tilts just slightly, but he oddly keeps his stance, hiding me entirely.
I don’t know why he isn’t tossing me at the feet of the demon. It’s confusing, but I find myself suddenly liking Rime for the first time since the three men were revealed to me.
I have to have an excuse though. If I confess I’m a mage who very much does owe that demon something, then he’ll shove me into the danger I’ve avoided for five years.
I need a lie.
“He’s a demon, Rime. I’ve seen him in my dreams.” That’s not really a lie. My nightmares are more like it. His eyes flash with interest. “If he finds me, he’ll kill me. I just know it.” Also not a lie. Look at me being the epitome of honesty right now.
Twigs snap and I know he’s closer. Probably only a few yards separate me from the hell I once knew so well.
“Please?” The shaking way that words slips from my lips has his strong hands caressing me instead of gripping me. My whispered plea makes his eyes flare with a bright color. It’s like watching the ice thaw on the coldest day of winter. The pale color turns to a deep blue and my lips part from the sight of it.
In an instant, his big palm leaves my arm and grips firmly beneath my thigh. He brings it up high until I’m locked around his lean hip, my core aligned in a sensual way with his hips.
“I’m just going to assume you’re spectacular at giving a fake orgasm. You look like the type.”
His words make my brows pull together with confusion, but he doesn’t give me time to feel insulted. Hard and grinding thrusts have his hips pushing just perfectly against my clit.
My breath catches and I still don’t know what he’s doing.
“Rime, what the fuck are you doing?” Kain’s outrage makes me tense even as energy coils tightly within my core. “Fuck, I’m sorry, Kreedence.” Kain’s apology is quieter but it doesn’t mask his annoyance.
I can’t tell how close they are to us, but Rime dips his head lower to mine. His temple rests against mine, his breath fanning against my lips as his hard cock rocks against my clit once more.
“That’s your cue, My Little Faker.”
I pause for less than half of a second before a loud and shaking moan is forced out of me. I give a breathy little sigh at the end that makes him smirk.
My head tips back against the rough bark at the sight of his smile, his hips still rocking firmly against mine. He’s really sexy when he smiles. His sharp features are normally so cruel and calculating. But when he smiles, pure sinful sexuality.
“That was the worst fake orgasm I’ve ever heard.” The teasing sound of his voice almost deters the building tension within my sex.
My palms push against his chest before my fingers sink into his corded biceps. Just slightly, I shift my hips, meeting his thrusts enough to make my lashes flutter. His jaw tightens as a low groan shakes from his lips.
“Maybe you should be worried about why you have such extensive knowledge of what a fake orgasm sounds like.”
Once more, he gives a smile like alluring danger and desire.
In this moment … I don’t completely hate him.
His head tilts until his lips skim against the curve of my neck. Hot flicks of his tongue have my breath shaking, and I have to force myself to keep my eyes open. I don’t know why he’s going the extra mile in this performance, why he’s kissing the sensitive spot at the base of my neck but he’s helping me, and I can’t bring myself to question it. I lean up until I can see over his shoulder.
Only tangled vines and wide tree trunks surround us. The smattering shades of green leaves are all that can be seen.
Kreedence is gone.
The fear—that I had nearly forgotten about thanks to Rime—leaves me entirely.
“They’re gone.” My fingers skim up his throat, my palm settling against his sharp jawline as his pulse pounds against my touch. “Rime, it’s okay, they’re gone.” My lashes flutter once more as he grinds himself hard against my clit.
A real moan hums over my lips, and he pulls back just slightly to meet my gaze. His breaths come in rapid heaps, and I can’t help but hope he won’t stop.
The curious attention in his gaze dips low until he’s studying my lips. Static energy sparks between us for several seconds. It’s like nothing I’ve ever felt. It’s an energy that tingles between him and I and it’s all I can think about.
Until he pushes off abruptly from the tree.
I swallow hard as my thighs rub together, already missing his strong body against mine.
“For the record, I’ve never been good at faking it.”
“Mmm, but you have faked it.”
I take a deliberate step closer to him and, just to piss him off, I smooth the wrinkles from his cotton shirt, just around his strong arms. I fuss about it for a few seconds.
“Some men,” I meet his eyes with my own look of cruel amusement, “are impossible to tame in any situation.”
His eyes narrow on me before he steps away from me once more.
“Consider that the last favor I do for you. There’s very little kindness within me. Don’t expect it from us. Dragons are not pretty pets. And we are not ones to be tamed.”
My arms fold across my chest, and just to push him a little harder, I decide to ask what I intended to ask Chaos.
“Actually, there is another favor I need to ask.”
His head turns quickly to pin me with an astounded stare. The iciness of his eyes has returned. They’re no longer a deep blue but the coldest frost I’ve ever seen.
“You seriously have the balls to ask me for a favor after I just gave you the best fake orgasm you’ve ever had?” He doesn’t smile as he says it, but I can’t help but smirk at his words. A warm feeling spreads all through me. Even his sarcasm is … different. Less teasing and too serious for me to really get a feel for how he’s feeling.
He’s not going to be joking when I ask him what I need to ask him.
“Next week, I need one of you to let me take you to the Prince. He’s given me half down. I’m willing to walk away from the other half, and you’ll never have to deal with me again. You can even have my shack while you look for your astoundingly beautiful mage.”
“Fine.” His arms cross, mirroring my stance even as surprise strikes through me at how easily he just gave in. “But we’ll go tonight. I don’t intend to waste a week with you, My Little Tamer. The faster you’re out of my life, the better.”
My stomach knots around itself as I realize he not only hates the mage he’s been told about, but he also hates me. There’s no misleading reasons for why he dislikes me.