“Wait,” she said, resisting mildly. “I didn’t mean to. Don’t be mad—”
“I’m not mad,” Chadwick said, a little sharper than he meant to. “I just need you to come with me into the house.”
She tried to stop him again. “But I can just—”
A sharp glare from him silenced her on the topic.
Chad just tried not to think about how soft and warm her hand was.
And how glad he was that she wasn’t hurt. And how relieved he had felt when he learned she hadn’t accepted Boreas’s offer.
Chapter 8
Isabella had done it now. She’d been in a panic when Boreas came to her door.
He’d said words that were too familiar. Words she had heard before.
It all brought back painful memories. Things she wanted to forget. Things that brought blackness to her mind if she tried to remember.
She’d had the presence of mind, even as her heart was pounding, to tell Boreas a polite no, but it didn’t stop the fear immediately after.
The window had been the only escape, and no amount of telling her body she wasn’t actually in danger could make her stop moving toward it.
She’d just been lucky Chadwick had been out for a stroll.
Then again, maybe not so lucky now that he was pulling her along, a stern look on his face.
The beautiful, strong hand holding hers was the same that had held her, stroked her, earlier in the pool.
She badly wished for more of that kind of distraction. When Chadwick made her feel that kind of amazing sensation, there was no time to think of fear or pain.
But she wasn’t going to tell him that.
She was just going to get through this, then aim to forget.
After she got through whatever tongue-lashing he’d reserved for her.
He opened the front door, pulled her in, and closed it before shoving her toward the kitchen.
That was an odd place for a lecture or punishment or whatever he had in mind for her.
“Sit,” he commanded, pulling out a chair at the counter.
He was a big man, she realized every time she was close to him. He was just so calm and well-mannered that he always seemed to be minimizing himself to make other people more comfortable.
In reality, he’d stand out in a crowd due to his height and face. He was about as tall as most of the fae when they were suppressed, a few inches over six feet.
But there was a quiet strength around him that made her wonder just how strong he was as a dragon.
And whether he could ever stand a chance against a fae monster.
He was currently pulling containers out of the cupboard and bringing down what looked like fancy chocolate bars.
“What are you doing?”
“Hush,” Chadwick said. “You’ll wake the others, and I don’t intend to share.”
She frowned as he moved to the stove, humming to himself as he began to put things together into a pot, which he stirred.
Suddenly, a delicious smell lit the air, rich and dark. “Chocolate?”
He nodded, expression neutral as he served some into a mug and set it in front of her. “For you. You must have been cold on that ledge.”
“What?” She stared at the mug for a moment, then the wrappers on the counter, the pot still on the stove. “Did you seriously just make me hot chocolate?”
Chad grabbed a mug of his own and leaned on the counter across from her. “I did.” He took a sip, watching her with those amazing purple eyes that currently weren’t hidden by glasses.
“You wear contacts?” She held her mug, just enjoying the steam from it, the warmth against her hands.
He shook his head. “I wear glasses mostly outside, to obscure my eye color. Purple is a little hard to explain to people. Then it became a habit.”
“Ah, that’s interesting,” she said.
His eyes stayed on hers, and his expression grew pensive. “Drink your chocolate, because I can think of something more interesting to talk about.”
So there was a catch. She took a sip of the hot chocolate and then sighed because nothing had ever tasted so good. “What do you want to talk about?”
He stood, setting down his mug, his face serious. “Why you were so afraid of Boreas you would put your life in danger when we both know he wouldn’t hurt you.”
She sighed. “I don’t owe you my entire history.”
“Fine,” Chadwick said, leaning against the counter where he’d prepared the chocolate. “Then give me some of your history so I know just how often I should wait outside your window to catch you.”
She took a deep breath, then let it out in defeat because he did have a point. If she wanted to keep something secret from those around her, she would need to make sure it didn’t affect them. “I won’t do anything like that again.”
“Can you really say that for certain?” Chad asked.
She sent him a glare. “Just drop it.”
“Fine,” Chad said. “For now. And only because you seem to have been through enough for tonight.”
Her relief felt almost as good as drinking more of the chocolate. So soothing after being out in the cold. “Thank you.”
She realized, as he watched her flatly, that she really owed him one for more than just the chocolate.
For letting her be in his home and worrying about her and saving her from falling.
“Chadwick—”
“Don’t say it,” he said, eyeing her warily. “I was just doing my job, nothing more.”
A sudden thought occurred to her. “Why were you outside my window, then?”
It was Chad’s turn to flush as he turned to the side, still holding his mug. “I often take walks at night.”
“In the dark? Outside?”
He raised an eyebrow. “I’ve never been unsafe doing it.”
“Ouch,” Isabella said, taking another sip of chocolate. “Wow, this is amazing. I should have known you could cook.”
“Why?” He looked genuinely puzzled.
She waved a hand. “Because you just have everything together. You run this place like a machine. You’re nice to everyone. Nothing’s out of place or dirty. Everyone respects you.”
Chad was quiet for a moment. Then he nodded. “I have worked hard to build a reputation others can trust.” He set down the mug, then faced her again. “But I don’t have everything together.”
“Oh?” She scoffed. “Like what?”
He sighed. “I don’t have a mate yet. Every other dragon in my territory does, including my partner, with whom I would have shared a mate. Some would call that a failure.”
She blinked. “Is that Trevor? What happened with that?”
A dark look came over Chad’s face, but he shook his head. “It’s none of your business.”
“But isn’t he coming back here? Why do you look like you want to kill something?”
Chad ran a hand through his hair. “I’m not mad at Trevor. I’m mad at the situation. I’m mad at having far too many things to deal with. Now I have to figure out how to find not only a mate, but a dragon to partner with. It’s going to take time.”
She ignored the tiny bites his words about finding a mate made to her heart. He wasn’t for her. She’d known that from the beginning.
It was part of what made him… safe.
“It’ll be worth it, though, sounds like,” she said somewhat nervously. “Seems like you really want a mate.”
Chadwick glanced at her. “Don’t you?”
She shook her head. “Maybe a husband. In the human world. When I can be normal again.”
Someone she could finally share everything with once the bad things had been erased.
“Isabella,” Chad said softly. “You may never be normal again. Even if you forget, do you think your enemies will?”
She peered up at him. “What makes you think I have enemies?”
He folded his arms, making the muscles bunch. “The fact that you’re running away from our world.�
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“It’s old history,” she said, though her heart tensed, betraying her. Even talking about it made it hard to breathe. She needed to think about other things. She grinned at him. “I’m more interested in talking about what’s happening between us.”
“Us?”
She smirked deeper. “Yeah. Like in the pool. Or whatever made you creep outside my window. Wait, did you see Boreas or something, since you walk around at night?”
Chad didn’t say anything, but Isabella had her answer in the shocked, guilty look on his face.
“You did!” She laughed, flushing as she looked down at her hot chocolate.
Chadwick looked unamused. “Teasing me is a lousy way of saying thank you for rescuing you.”
She met his eyes, slowly running her tongue over her lower lip. “I could think of a better way.”
Chadwick’s eyes widened, and he pressed back into the counter as if afraid of her. Perhaps afraid of his own instincts.
There was hunger in those purple eyes. They were amethysts at the bottom of a mine, sparkling in darkness.
“We can’t do that, and you know perfectly well why,” Chadwick said, pushing off the counter to walk away from her and out of the kitchen. “Enjoy your hot chocolate. I hope it makes you feel better. I’m going to bed.”
“Wait!” She got up and went after him, grabbing him by the arm.
He stopped easier than she thought he would, given how large he was.
She didn’t let go of his arm as he turned to face her, leaving them in close proximity in the near darkness of the hallway outside the kitchen. “Don’t go.”
He swallowed thickly, the tension between them rising by degrees every second that ticked past with them close together.
“Wasn’t it amazing in the pool together? Didn’t it take away your stress? For a moment, everything that was bothering you, didn’t it go away?”
He raised a hand to her hair, the movement almost tender as he stroked it away from her face. “That’s not a good enough reason to make love to you.”
“Then what is?”
He sighed. “If what we have could go somewhere. If you were a dragon heart or interested in staying in my world.”
“And not just lust?” She squeezed his arm lightly, noting the way his body tensed at even the slightest touch.
She affected him. She knew that much.
His eyes closed as he thought about it, but when he opened them, she knew he’d made up his mind. “No. That’s not enough. You deserve better, Isabella. And I’m not someone who plays around with someone in my care when I can’t do right by them.”
“Oh my God, do you think we can’t have sex outside marriage?” She sighed. “People have needs, Chadwick.”
He stared at her flatly, only making her feel more rejected and frustrated.
It was his right to say no, but he was denying them both something amazing.
And yes, maybe she was lying to herself a bit about how easily she could do sexual things without getting feelings, but she was going to forget anything that happened.
Even if she fell for Chad, which she might have already done, she would be able to walk out of his life easily.
And forget how protective he’d been. How handsome he was. The heat of his touch.
If she could have all of that before she had to forget, then what was so wrong?
Eyeing the stubborn tilt of his head only made her more irritable. She could tell he wanted this as much as she did. He was just acting like it was easy for him to walk away.
Still, she knew one way to provoke a response.
“Fine,” she said. “You’re right. I don’t want to make things uncomfortable for you. Now that I know how you feel, if I get in the mood again, I’ll be sure to ask one of the fae. They’re really interested in bonding.”
She pushed past him as he froze for a second, then grabbed her arm to stop her from leaving.
His eyes were almost black in the darkness. Black with violet sparkles. “You said you didn’t want anyone else to touch you.”
She shrugged. “For now, but that may change since the one I want isn’t interested.” She pulled her arm away, and he let her go with a frustrated look of resignation.
“I guess we’ll see,” he said as she walked up the stairs ahead of him.
She hated that they weren’t both headed back to the same place.
She could feel him following her when she took the turn down the hallway to her room, and he waited against the opposite wall as she unlocked her door.
“Thanks again,” she said. “For everything. I’ll be respectful of your space from now on.”
“Great,” he said, but his face didn’t seem too happy about that.
“And I won’t let the fae practice on you again. Since you didn’t like it.”
He frowned. “So you’ll let them practice on you?”
“Would it bother you if they did?”
He was caught there, and his brow furrowed before he turned around to stride out of the hallway.
“It doesn’t matter if it bothers me, Isabella,” he called back to her. “But think of an activity we can do with the fae outside the mansion. I think we all need a little fresh air.”
Then he was gone, and a few moments later, she heard his door slam behind him from the other side of her floor.
Isabella slowly went into her room, wishing things had gone differently.
They could be each other’s fresh air, if only he could see that.
Chapter 9
“A club?” Chadwick asked Bella as they walked into the dark room in front of them, which was pulsing with bass-heavy music and packed with people. “Why are we bringing the fae here?”
“You told me they needed to get out for fresh air,” Bella said, shaking her head at Chad as she slipped her arm through his to keep hold of him in the crowd.
Chadwick had to admit he didn’t mind the feel of it.
But he didn’t like that their first outing was to such a crowded, dangerous place. He led the way to the bar and made sure the fae were following him.
Bella had helped them choose clothing, and the four of them all looked almost human as they came to sit on the stools beside Chadwick.
“Interesting,” Ivar said. “So crowded.”
“So sexual,” Tynan said, glaring at the sea of moving bodies. “Are humans this familiar with any stranger?”
Isabella snorted. “No. Why, are fairies prudes?”
“Aren’t you supposed to know?” Boreas asked. “You were in our world.”
Isabella sent him a glare. “I was only a prisoner in your world, remember? With wolves. So yes, I know some things, but it would help if you just told me the rest instead of constantly asking what I know.”
Boreas, for once, looked slightly put in his place, and he pouted, his handsome face pointed to the side.
“We are not prudes,” Flint said, sidling up next to Isabella to put his arm on the bar casually. “We just don’t do things the same way.”
“I want a connection,” Boreas said. “I need to resonate.”
“You need to blend in with humans,” Ivar retorted, pinning him with pale-gray eyes. “And learn to get along with them.”
Boreas looked nonplussed. “I sense no resonance. There’s no point to this.”
“Come on. We need the practice,” Flint said. Then he grabbed Boreas by the arm and jerked him off the chair, much to Boreas’s annoyance.
They headed into the dark crowd, and Tynan and Ivar followed, with Ivar turning at the last minute to send Isabella a little salute and big smile.
He looked so hopeful.
All four of them were gorgeous enough to stop traffic, but at least in the dark they should blend in more.
Isabella felt proud of herself and her work. They looked practically human, and she’d started with men that didn’t even understand jeans.
“They’re doing well,” Chadwick said, sipping a drink the bartender had already brought h
im as he watched the fae eagerly pulled into the group by human women.
Boreas looked like he was trying to extricate himself from four or five of them at once.
“A bit more of a response than I expected,” Isabella said, narrowing her eyes at them, glad for Ivar’s white hair in the dark. “I mean, is that normal?”
Chadwick sipped his drink again, then pushed a pink drink toward Isabella. “What’s normal anymore? We have fairies in our world.”
“Yeah, we need to figure out another name for them,” Bella said. “Fairies is going to conjure the wrong kind of connotation.”
Chad stared at her flatly. “But it’s what they are.”
“I know,” she said. “But we should come up with codenames or something. Also, we really need to work on human names for them.”
“Right,” Chad said. “Though they seem to be doing just fine without them.”
Flint appeared to be dancing with one woman wrapped to his front, while another at his back tried to push her away.
He looked at Chadwick and Isabella over the crowd with an apologetic expression, then shrugged and went back to dancing, looking a bit stiff.
Isabella had showed the fae dancing. They were extremely coordinated and took to it easily, like everything else. But one thing they didn’t seem to do well was cope with crowds and unwanted touching.
Boreas looked downright offended. Tynan looked like he was ready to fight. Ivar was utterly surrounded.
“We better go help them,” she said, fighting back a smile.
“Nah,” Chadwick said. “Let them suffer for a while. We deserve a break.”
Isabella flushed. “We do?”
He eyed her carefully, pushing back his thick chocolate-brown hair. “You do, especially. I know I’ve been a jerk, but when I saw them getting ready tonight, I realized you deserve a lot more credit for how far they’ve come.”
“Thank you,” she said with a smirk. She held up her glass. “A toast?”
He nodded. “To the fae?”
She clinked her glass against his. “To the fae.”
They heard shouting break out, and it looked like Boreas was getting up in some dude’s face, who appeared to be angry his girlfriend was grinding on Boreas.
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