by Riley Storm
They both shared a quick smile at the pun.
“Not that I regret any of it,” he said. “None at all, I just had hoped the evening would have ended differently, you know?”
“I do,” she agreed. “Watching you fight isn’t something I think I’ll ever learn to enjoy. Too nerve-wracking. I just want you to be okay.”
Vlad came closer, taking her hand, putting it to his cheek. “I am okay,” he said. “I promise. I’m fine. No lasting harm. We dragons heal quick.”
“I know,” she said. “Still. I don’t like it.”
“Yeah.” Vlad rubbed the back of her hand softly, then let it fall.
Much as she enjoyed touching him, Ellyn didn’t fight it. The mood was all different now. Things had calmed, she’d had some time to think about everything. She’d not come to any conclusions yet, but she’d thought about it.
That was a start. Sort of.
“I’m sorry,” Vlad repeated. “I wanted to say that.”
“Vlad, it’s okay,” she said. “I’m well aware you didn’t want to do that. Only an idiot wouldn’t be able to see it. So don’t worry about it. I’m not upset at you. I’m fine, you protected me and, well, I appreciate that.”
“I will never let any harm come to you,” he said fiercely, standing up straight.
“I know,” she said, her voice dropping. “I know.”
He nodded.
“We need to just calm down a bit I think,” she told him. “It doesn’t look like I’m going anywhere anytime soon, so we’ll have a chance to talk again.”
If the Cado could find them that easily, then Lex could probably follow them as well. He would have sent someone by now. In the bag of stuff that Vlad had grabbed from the prison had been her cell phone. Until this point she’d been too scared to check it, but if she did, it would probably give her some idea of what Lex was doing.
Deal with that later. Lex might track me to Five Peaks, but I’d like to see him try and infiltrate this place. Ha! I was the best, and I wouldn’t even contemplate it.
“Yeah,” Vlad agreed heavily. “Once we’ve calmed down.”
She could see in his eyes that he was ready to talk about it now. Ellyn wasn’t, however, and she didn’t give him any opening to start the topic up. She needed more time to think about, about him. About them, if she was being completely honest with herself. That kiss hadn’t been just a kiss. It wasn’t based on pure lust.
That was new to her, and she needed to figure out what it meant. Somehow.
“Is there anything else I can get you before we call it a night?” Vlad asked, focusing on her again.
“Um, no, I don’t think so,” she admitted with a shrug. “If there is, I know where to find it.”
“Then I’ll walk you back to your quarters again.”
She gave him a questioning look.
“Not to lock you in,” he said with a grin. “I’m going to trust you, and hope that I’m not making a mistake.”
Ellyn thought about saying no, about telling him she could find her own way back, that the house really wasn’t that complicated after you walked around it a few times, but something in his face told her that Vlad needed this.
He needs to ensure that you’re safe. That you get there safely. It’s not exactly far from his room either.
“Okay,” she said softly, looking past him at the door. “You can walk me back.”
Vlad perked up a little. “Thank you.”
She just smiled and followed him out the door, turning right and heading down the hallway to the intersection and then left toward her room.
“Hey, look on the bright side,” she said, trying to lighten the mood as they paused in her open doorway.
“What bright side?”
She pointed to the bags on her bed. “Tomorrow I get to wear something other than this.”
Vlad chuckled despite his generally foul mood. “I am not complaining. You look…pretty great in that skintight latex.”
“It’s not latex,” she said, rolling her eyes. “It’s just fabric. I don’t even know what it is. Latex is shiny, and doesn’t stretch. This is comfortable, it breathes and—”
“It makes your ass look fantastic,” Vlad finished with a wink.
If he’d tried to reach out and touch her, or kiss her, Ellyn would have had to end the humor then and there. But instead he leaned backward as he said it, giving her just that precious little space she needed. It was like he could read her.
“Thank you,” she said, feeling her cheeks heat, wondering if they were red enough to notice.
“I’m sure you’ll be happy though,” he said.
“You have no idea. I washed it last night and hung-dry it in here, but like, that only does so much.”
“I’ll be honest, I haven’t noticed a smell,” Vlad said with a smile.
She grimaced. “Let’s not go down that line, okay?”
He grinned wider. “Okay. We can do that.”
They both fell silent, looking at one another. It was just like before, in the park. That wire, pulling them tighter to one another. Invisible to the eye, a ghost to the touch. Yet tangible, palpable to the rest of her.
It would be so easy to give in, to not fight it. To give Vlad that opening to leave off where things had been cut short in the park. Except now they had privacy, space to be alone. Where there would be nothing stopping them from going further. Nothing to stop her from—
“Goodnight,” she said with a gulp, rushing through the door, turning the lock and bolting across the room to the bathroom.
She closed and locked that door too, turning the shower and sink taps on to full before sinking down into the corner, gulping down fresh lungfuls of air and trying not to have a panic attack.
This was uncharted territory for her. She’d never let anyone in like this before. Not even remotely, and yet with Vlad it was just…happening.
It terrified her. She’d spent years hardening herself against just this sort of emotional invasion. Creating a battlefield of her mind. Layers of defenses that would annihilate any sort of emotion, leaving her impenetrable.
Invulnerable.
But that was all gone now. The walls were shattered, the defenses unmanned. Vlad had wormed his way in. What’s worse, he’d apparently done it without trying. He hadn’t invaded.
I let him in.
That was what scared her the most. Ellyn had voluntarily allowed Vlad to become meaningful to her. She was letting herself be interested. In potentially even caring for him.
It had all happened so fast, before she was really ready for it, and the prospect that it might continue was causing her to have this over-reaction now.
How do I handle this? What do I do?
Ellyn didn’t know what to do next, she was in uncharted waters. Pushing people away, keeping them at arm’s distance, she knew how to do that. It was just, with Vlad, she couldn’t seem to muster that same sort of icy demeanor that would be needed to ensure they didn’t grow any closer.
Her body was fighting her on it. Figuratively, and literally. It wanted him. She knew that, had known that since, well, since she’d laid eyes on him. He was gorgeous, and if it was just for a ride in the sack, well, a girl could do much worse.
But that wasn’t it at all. Oh, she still wanted him. There was no denying that, but with it came other thoughts and emotions. Stronger feelings. Desire born of more than simple lust. Lust she could control. She could use it, had used it, to her own advantage.
Not with Vlad. With Vlad it was different.
It was good. Great, even. He made her smile until her cheeks hurt, laugh until her stomach ached. He was strong, and capable, able to protect her from the rest of the world if necessary. He challenged her mind, and he supported her. He made her body burst into flame simply by kissing her.
Which is why you need to get away from him. He’s making you vulnerable, and you know what happens next.
That was when they turned. Revealing true intentions or motives, the
reasons why they’d been acting like they cared about her. It always went that way, and Ellyn had to convince herself that it was going to be the same now. Why would it ever be any different for her?
Being vulnerable was what got someone imprisoned, or killed. Ellyn had spent years trying hard to avoid either of those outcomes. She wasn’t about to change that now.
Was she?
Staying in his world could get me killed as well. I’d be defenseless against someone like that Liroi creep. Who is still out there, even if he can’t reach me in here.
Ellyn sighed, stripping out of her clothes and tossing them in a heap. She would probably never wear them again after this. Then she got into the shower and sat on the floor, letting the water soak her long hair thoroughly.
What am I going to do?
Chapter Twenty-One
Vlad
He was lying on the bed going over everything that had happened in the past few days when there was a knock at the door.
Not expecting company, he got up warily.
“Who is it?” he called through the thick wooden panel, before moving silently to the side, so that whoever was on the other side wouldn’t know where he was standing.
Just in case they kicked the door in. Old habits died hard after all.
“It’s Blede,” the person on the other side said, pronouncing it ‘Blayd’.
Vlad abandoned his defensive stance and opened the door, taking in the sight of the other shifter.
Blede was one of his few friends outside the guard. They weren’t the closest of friends, but Vlad would put him firmly in that camp. Due to the temporary nature of his return, he’d not sought out anyone yet.
But apparently Blede was coming to see him.
“Pierce put you up to this?” he asked bluntly.
“He told me you were back, since apparently you were too much of a dick not to do so yourself, ya,” Blede growled. “I’m here on my own though. Nobody forced me to come.”
The other shifter was tall, taller than Vlad by a few inches, and he looked down at Vlad now with disdain. “Dick move.”
Vlad shrugged. “I won’t be back for long. It didn’t seem prudent.”
“Fuck you,” Blede said. “That’s some self-centered asshole mentality if I ever heard it. You’re just afraid.”
Vlad growled, suddenly back on the defensive. “I am not afraid.”
“Bullshit.”
“I am not.”
“Then come have a beer with me,” Blede challenged. “Prove that you’re strong enough to talk about shit instead of run from it.”
Vlad wanted nothing more than to close the door in the other shifter’s face. He wanted to be alone with his thoughts.
But he couldn’t do that and not prove Blede right.
“Fine,” he snarled, pointing at the door. “Let’s go.”
“Better.” Blede stepped out of the room and Vlad followed.
They walked in silence. Vlad wasn’t really sure what to say, or what Blede expected him to say.
“Where ya been?” the other shifter asked as they made their way to the kitchen, pulling back one of the wood panels that covered the front of the beer fridge, helping it blend in seamlessly with the other cupboards.
“East coast.”
“Why you back?”
Vlad considered just how much to tell his friend. “Trouble.”
With two twists of his wrists Blede flicked the tops onto the counter, handing one brown glass bottle to Vlad, keeping the other for himself. “Let me get this straight. You’re in trouble. You come here for help. But you don’t come ask me?”
“I don’t want to ask anyone for help,” Vlad said emphatically, trying to get the point across that he did not want to talk about this.
“Right.” Blede didn’t seem to care. “But you need it. So just ask. I’m your friend Vlad. That’s what we’re here for.”
Vlad shook his head. “Can’t.”
Not after what had happened to his last friend. The one he’d left behind in the clutches of the Cado. How was he supposed to ask for more help, and risk that happening again?
“Okay. So what are you doing then?”
“Thinking.”
“Wow, you really are being an obtuse sonofabitch today, aren’t you?” Blede snarled. “Fine, I’ll play.”
“What are you thinking?”
Vlad glared at him, but Blede wasn’t backing down. Eventually Vlad sighed and leaned on the counter, picking out the little black lines throughout the slate gray granite.
“I’m thinking about packing up and getting Ellyn the hell away from here,” he said at last.
“Why would you do that?”
“Because,” Vlad said tightly. “I brought them here. The Cado followed me. They’re after us, not anyone else. I can’t risk any of the others getting hurt because of my choices, my actions.”
Blede softened his aggressive stance slightly as Vlad finally opened up. “That’s an admirable goal, Vlad.”
“Thanks.”
“For an idiot.”
Vlad snarled. “I’m getting real tired of you calling me an idiot.”
“And I’m getting tired of you acting like one. You’re not responsible for anything. The Cado act the way they want to act. You don’t get to influence that in any way. They’re evil.”
Vlad noted that Blede didn’t seem surprised by the mention of the criminal dragons, which meant either Pierce had informed him, or word was spreading. Either way, he was sure the others would start to blame him for the Cado’s presence in the city. Even if it was just limited to Liroi. One was enough.
“I knew how they would react when I stole something from them, Blede. That’s obvious. What I shouldn’t have done, was lead them back here. Which is why we should go.”
“And do what?” Blede challenged softly. “Keep running, Vlad? For how long? The rest of your life? And what about the woman, is she just going to run with you as well, never settling down, never living?”
Vlad was quiet. He didn’t have an answer to that, and Blede very well knew it.
“Stay,” Blede urged. “Stay here, with us. Let us help you. We’ll fight them together, like clanmates should. Like friends should.”
“I can’t do that,” Vlad said in the same tone. “I can’t let anyone else risk themselves for my decision. It was my choice to fall in with the Cado, however shortsighted it was. I can make all the excuses in the world about how I wasn’t in a good place, but in the end, I was the one who did it. Not any of you. This is my fight to deal with.”
“It’s not,” Blede countered. “Can’t you see that? You’ve got friends here, family. This is your home, Vlad, and we deal with things together!”
“It’s not my home!” Vlad all but shouted, nearly slamming his beer down on the counter in frustration. “It hasn’t been my home since the day Viko threw us from the Gate Guard. I stopped being a welcomed member, and started being an outcast. A misfit. Everyone treated us like we were useless. Sache and I—” He cut himself off abruptly, not wanting to say any more.
“That’s not true,” Blede said. “It’s not true at all. Nobody was treating you like that Vlad. You just tho—”
“I can’t deal with this right now,” Vlad said, interrupting his friend. “I just can’t. I’m sorry Blede.”
He turned and headed back toward his room.
“Family doesn’t give up on one another,” Blede called from behind him. “We’ll be here when you understand that.”
Vlad stiffened, but never stopped walking.
We don’t give up on family.
So how come Vlad was the only one that had come back to Five Peaks?
Perhaps it was time he put Blede’s words to use. Sache needed help, and Vlad was the only one who could provide it.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Ellyn
The locked slid open without a noise, and she crept into the darkened room beyond.
Deep rumbles that weren’t quite snores
came from the bed, confirming that he was asleep.
She paused to look at him from across the room with a wistful sigh. In another world, perhaps things could have ended differently between them. But this was the world she lived in, and Ellyn had to play the hand that she’d been dealt.
Which meant that staying with Vlad simply wasn’t an option. She couldn’t take the risk that he would end up like everyone else in the end, betraying her and leaving her with nothing. It was the way of the world, and so she was going to leave before anything else happened.
To do that, I’m going to need some supplies.
She’d gathered a few things from her room that looked valuable and snuck them down to the truck, but there was one crucial element missing. The keys. His truck was a new model, and the electronics were beyond her ability to steal, without tools she simply didn’t have on hand. Tools and time.
That made her plan a hell of a lot riskier. Potentially insane levels of risk. But her burgeoning feelings for Vlad had backed Ellyn into a corner, and when she was trapped, any way out was better than simply sitting there and waiting for it to happen. Besides, she was adept at moving silently, and he was asleep. Combine the two and she should be just fine.
Should be.
Of course, the sound of her heart in her chest had to be louder than the bass at a dance festival. There was no way that it wasn’t going to awaken Vlad, no matter how silently she moved. Ellyn would have sworn the entire house could have heard it.
But Vlad remained sound asleep as she moved step by step toward the bedside table where she expected the keys were. Hoped, really, she hoped they were there.
Ellyn took her time, spacing out her steps over the span of several minutes, so that any shifting weight was minimized, in hopes that the floor wouldn’t squeak at all. So far her efforts to be stealthy with Vlad hadn’t panned out very well. But this time she was going to succeed, dragon powers or no dragon powers.
She was leaving.
Aha! Gotcha.
The keys were next to his wallet, just as she’d hoped. Moving carefully, Ellyn placed a layer of cloth over them to help muffle any sound. Then, just like with her steps, she took a painstakingly long time to lift the keys from the table. Her arm was straining with the effort of being extended for so long, but there was no discernible sound as the keys lifted free of the table.