Achilles sighed, but otherwise kept up the pace. "There's a woman."
"There always is." Brock nodded knowingly. "One you want to keep around, or one you want to ditch?"
He grimaced, not knowing which of those was true when it came to Dakota. She was complicated, that was for certain. He both didn't want to lose her, and didn't want to lose his heart to her. It was an impossible situation to be in. And not one he relished.
"Ah, get rid of it, it is."
"I didn't say anything," Achilles protested.
"You didn't have to. No one stays that silent over a woman they want to keep."
A part of him wanted to argue that wasn't true, but without revealing he was a shifter, that paranormals existed, and the complications that fact caused, he couldn't make a convincing case.
"Does she know where you live?" Brock asked.
"No."
"Then ghost her. No matter how she contacts you, just ignore her. Not even an okay."
"And that will really work?" He didn't want it to. The thought of doing that to poor Dakota actually pierced through his heart. But he had to put their safety first. He owed it to himself, and he owed it to her. A false mating would ruin them both.
"She can't get her claws in if she doesn't have any interaction with you," Brock said proudly, almost as if he'd done this to a hundred women and nothing had ever gone wrong. Maybe he had. He seemed like the type to pull that kind of stunt and not care about it.
"Alright, I guess I'll give it a go." He knew he'd hate every minute of it, but he'd already let it go too far. This was the easiest way. The one with the least heartbreak for both of them.
11
Dakota
One week since she'd seen him, and not a word. The last thing out of his mouth was a promise to message her, and yet he hadn't, at all. The pain inside her heart grew stronger with each passing day, and she knew what it meant. It was impossible not to. She'd been right the whole time and Achilles really was her mate. And now, he'd abandoned her.
And there was nothing she could do. There was an off chance she could go before the Witch Council and ask for them to intervene, but that wouldn't do anything except make her shame widely known.
Dakota, the witch who couldn't even keep her mate with her.
Rhi chirped and pushed under her arm. Smiling despite the pain, Dakota scratched her familiar's head, receiving an odd keening noise in return. Suddenly, even Rhi's shape made more sense. If her mate was a dragon, it made sense that her familiar was too. Which just made it worse, now she had a constant reminder of that. Life just knew how to make her feel great.
A text flashed up on her screen, and she grabbed her phone from the kitchen table within an instant.
Come out with us tonight.
Ah. Only Rosie, and she was trying to convince Dakota to leave the safety of her house. Again.
It's a Sunday night, Dakota responded.
That's not a no...
No. She couldn't afford to go out drinking again. She knew if she did, she'd have too much and end up exhausted tomorrow. She couldn't face that on top of heartbreak when she needed to focus on her work.
Dak, please. You've been cooped up in your house all week.
And I like it here.
It's not good for you, Rosie sent back.
Dakota sighed and dropped the phone back down on the table. She didn't have time for Rosie's pity or need to get her back on her feet. She was sad, and just wanted to be left alone to be sad. It was a way for her to process things. And a little bit so she could stay in denial about what had happened. She didn't want to be the abandoned mate, and her friends would look at her that way even if they said they wouldn't.
Her phone buzzed again, and she picked it up despite knowing that it would probably just be Rosie again, no doubt still trying to change her mind.
We miss you at MatchMater. Did you find your mate?
"Argh!" Dakota screamed, almost throwing her phone at the wall.
Rhi jumped and disintegrated into the air. Even better, she'd managed to scare away her familiar. That took something really special. Guilt welled up within her. She'd apologise when the magical being returned.
In a moment of pure impulse, she clicked on the notification, taking her to the same page as before. This time, she didn't hesitate, and clicked on the word no. Even if she had found her mate through the app, it meant nothing when he'd decided he didn't want her.
We're sorry to hear your date with Achilles didn't end in mating. Click here if you'd like to see more potential mates in your area.
With nothing to lose, she clicked on the link, taking herself back to the list of paranormals.
She swiped through, knocking so many people left for the silliest of reasons.
Hair too brown.
Nose too straight.
Sprite.
Wolverhampton fan.
"You've got to stop this," she muttered to herself. "Just pick one and go on a date with him." She wasn't going to get any other kind of relationship, she might as well try and find someone who would give her some kind of affection, even if it was just for an evening and in the hope of an easy lay.
There.
Ted. Twenty-Six. Half-fae.
He'd do. And she'd heard that the fae weren't quite as bound by the mating rules. Hopefully, that was true and she might even find herself someone to start a relationship with.
Whatever happened, she had nothing to lose, and swiped right. Obnoxious hearts filled the screen again, just like they had when she'd matched with Achilles. At least that meant he liked her too.
Hey, I'm Dakota, would love to meet up. She hit send before she could chicken out, knowing there was every chance that she would.
Hi, Dakota. Lovely to meet you.
She waited a moment, wondering if her heart would skip a beat at the excitement of what was to come. Nothing happened. She didn't really want this, and was just forcing it to make herself feel better. The worst part was that knowing that didn't actually make her want to stop.
Lovely to meet you too. Want to grab a drink sometime? She typed the words quickly and hit send before she could change her mind.
That would be great. Is tonight too soon?
Never, she answered. In truth, with paranormals, having quick dates always seemed to be the way. Mostly because a lot of them didn't want to waste time with people that weren't their mates. Dating as a paranormal was about as cutthroat as it came.
Never too soon. Do you know the bar on Main Street with the neon sign? She liked to go there, the barman was the kind who'd make sure to watch the women's drinks and let them know if their date was up to any funny business.
Caspers? Love it there. Meet at eight?
Sounds good. I look forward to it. That would be the end of their conversation
She looked back at his photo, making sure to remember what he looked like. Curly hair, a little too blond to be natural, eyes not quite blue enough, and a freckle at the top of his left cheek. She'd have to make sure she didn't end up staring at it too much by accident while they talked.
"And now I just need to decide what to wear," she said. Speaking out loud had become such a habit to her with Rhi around. It made sense to make sure her thoughts could be heard by her constant companion. As far as Dakota could tell, Rhi would be listening even while she couldn't be seen right now. Just because the familiar wasn't visible, it didn't mean Dakota was alone.
She glanced at the time on her phone and jumped up from her seat in response. If she wanted to be ready in time for her date, then she needed to get a move on.
12
Achilles
Another shot followed the first as Achilles did something he hadn't in years. He let the alcohol take over his system, letting his thoughts run wild and his co-ordination go out of the window.
"Are you sure you can handle it?" the barman asked.
He nodded. "Bring on more."
The neon lights that lit up the bar glowed against his sk
in, making his vision dance in a way that he wasn't completely sure was to do with the amount of tequila he'd been drinking.
"Are you alright?"
"Yes." Why was the barman being so inquisitive? Normally, Achilles didn't mind it, but today, something felt off. "I just need to forget something," he added after a moment.
"Drinking to forget something is normally a sign that not everything is okay," the barman advised him.
"Trust me, you have no idea about the situation." No matter how hard he tried, the empty feeling inside wasn't being chased away by the drink. Or by hitting the gym every night that week. Or any of the other methods Achilles had tried to get the damned woman out of his head.
She'd invaded every part of him. Every fibre of his being wanted more of her. The touch of her skin against his, the whisper of her breath against his cheek. He wanted it all.
But he couldn't risk a false mating just to satisfy his own urges. His grandmother had told him what would happen if he mated. Maybe that was what it was all about. He'd have to give up everything because he'd have already fallen in love with Dakota. Maybe they'd moved into her house, get married, fill the place with laughter and memories. And then he'd leave her heartbroken and alone when his true mate came along. She wouldn't be the only one, either. His own heart wouldn't be able to take it and he really would lose everything.
"There aren’t many people about," Achilles observed, mostly to change the subject away from him.
"It's a Sunday night." The barman shrugged. "It's just you, the co-workers meeting, and the couple on a date over there."
"Co-workers meeting?" He frowned. That made no sense.
"I don't know. Maybe they all hate Mondays. They come in most weeks, and never get rowdy. I don't question it too much."
"And the date?"
"They happen all the time. She looks a lot less into it than he does, though. I'm keeping an eye on them to make sure he doesn't try anything on her."
"Do you do that often?" Achilles tapped the bar to show he wanted another drink.
The barman frowned, but poured a shot anyway. "I always try and keep an eye on the dates. I've seen far too many go wrong in my time. Men can be asses. The women too, but not as often."
"So you decide to be your own kind of vigilante?" He picked up the shot and downed it.
"When you put it like that, it sounds lame. But yes, I suppose in some ways like a vigilante. I'm just doing my bit and making sure people get home safe. You hear too many horror stories about people last being seen going on dates."
"Hmm." He resisted the urge to look over his shoulder at the couple. They didn't deserve yet more prying eyes on them.
He did another couple of shots in quick succession, enjoying the buzz that each of them brought him. He shouldn't be so strict about not letting alcohol into his system, this was a lot of fun.
"Can I get the same again, please?" an easily recognisable voice asked.
Achilles spun in his stool, meeting the wide eyes of Dakota as she stood at the bar.
She blinked a couple of times, clearly trying to find the words he was also looking for.
"You're here on a date?" he blurted out, jealousy tinting every single word.
"What do you care?" she bit out. "You haven't text me all week."
"Here you go," the barman said, putting two drinks down on the side and interrupting her accusation. It was probably a good thing, he needed some time to find the right words.
"Thank you. Can you add them to the tab, please?"
The barman nodded, and disappeared into the background.
"Dakota..."
"No." She shook her head to emphasise the word. "You don't get a say in all this. I've spent all week waiting for you to call or text, or just respond to one of my messages. Instead, all I've had is silence and then you lurking at the bar where I'm on my date. Are you following me?" Her voice broke at the last part, betraying the real hurt she was feeling to him.
"No, of course not."
"Then leave me alone." She turned around, taking her drinks with her and heading back to the table.
Achilles leaned over the bar and gestured to the barman. "You said you think the date's going badly?"
"I wouldn't say badly." Indecision warred over his face.
"Then what would you say?"
"Why do you want to know? It doesn't seem like she's interested."
Achilles sighed. "I messed up with her, badly. But I don't want to see her hurt." Truth rang out through his words, singing through every part of his body. The need to protect Dakota overwhelmed everything, even his self-preservation.
"I shouldn't be telling you this..."
Even as the words came out, Achilles knew the barman was going to tell him anyway. Especially if the date was going as badly as he'd hinted at. There was no way he'd let Dakota go home with a man who wouldn't treat her right.
"Every time he leans in to touch her, she flinches away. I can tell she's not as into him as he is to her. He's been getting steadily more obvious with his intentions all night. I'd say he's getting bolder with every drink he has, but he doesn't really seem to be getting any drunker. It's almost like he's not actually drinking them, which is always a bad sign." The barman bit his lip, clearly uncomfortable with the situation.
But Achilles recognised it for what it was. The other man was also paranormal, and he'd chosen not to let the drinks affect him. He just hoped Dakota had too.
13
Dakota
"Are you okay? You seem shaken?" Ted asked.
"I'm fine," Dakota insisted. "Just saw someone I wasn't expecting at the bar."
"The hulking dude?"
"That's the one. Anyway, you were telling me about bonds?" And not the fun kind. The financial ones that no one ever wanted to learn about. Ted seemed to think they were fascinating and had been talking her ear off for a good fifteen minutes about them, all while creeping closer on the corner seat they were sharing. She'd only gone to get drinks for them so she could regain some of her own space.
"No, it's okay. Why don't we get out of here? I have some great coffee back at my place, I'd love for you to try it."
"Erm..." She glanced over at Achilles, but his back was still turned. Maybe he really wasn't spying on her after all. It was possible he'd just come out to enjoy a drink and they happened to choose the same place. Caspers was where she'd been heading when he found her the other night, maybe he liked it here.
"I have some great music you might like too, a jukebox..."
"I think I'd better get home, actually," she responded, her voice shaking. She didn't like the way he was pushing her, but it might just be because Achilles was in the bar and the bond that connected them had taken over her entire body.
Right now, she didn't want to be with Ted, she wanted the dragon shifter who sat at the bar and looked a little worse for wear. She could tell he was letting the booze affect him, though she didn't know why.
"Why won't you come back to mine? I'm not going to hurt you." There was a soft menace in Ted's voice that hadn't been there before. One she didn't like at all.
"I'm sure you won't, but I'm not feeling it, sorry."
She shuffled out of the seat and managed to stand up before a hand clamped around her wrist.
"I said, come home with me."
"And she said, no." Achilles' shadow covered the table, the lighting making him appear bigger than he actually was.
"You're not part of this conversation," Ted told him.
"I think that's up to Dakota. Do you want me here?" he asked her.
She nodded several times.
He turned back to Ted. "I think you should go now."
Relief washed through her. She hadn't even realised she wanted Achilles to come through for her, and yet here he was trying to chase away the man who was bothering her. She should have known better than to go on a date at all. Achilles had her heart, even if he wasn't ready to accept it.
Even if she didn't really want to accep
t it either. The past week had hurt too much for her to want to go back into his arms without some kind of proof he was committed to making this work.
"She was perfectly fine with me until she talked to you," Ted bit out.
"That may well be the case, but she doesn't want to spend more time with you now. Be a man and accept that for what it is." She could hear the threat in the dragon's voice, and hoped the other man had the sense to as well. She didn't want to know what could happen to him if he didn't have the sense to stay away.
Ted rose to his feet and leaned across the table, a menacing look in his eyes. "You don't know who you're messing with."
Scales flashed across the Achilles face.
Dakota gasped. She hadn't even realised that was possible.
"I'd be more worried about who you're crossing." Something dark dropped from every word Achilles said. She wouldn't have wanted to mess with him if she were Ted.
The other man looked like he wanted to punch the dragon in the face, but also didn't dare. She'd laugh, but that would only draw attention to herself, and right now, that wasn't the best idea. Testosterone could bring out the worst in men, especially when alcohol was involved. And even worse, when a mating bond was.
There was no doubt in Dakota's mind what she and Achilles really were to one another. Even if she hadn't already worked it out, the protective streak she was seeing from him right now proved her right. She just had to decide what she was going to do about it. If anything.
Ted grunted. "Fine. She's not that great anyway." He grabbed his coat and stormed off, his anger seeping into the air around them.
"Great, I nearly get assaulted, and I'm left with the tab," Dakota muttered, more to herself than to Achilles.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
She nodded. "I will be. Thank you."
"You're welcome. I'm sorry he was being such an ass."
She scoffed. There certainly was an irony in him viewing it that way considering how he'd been behaving himself.
Reluctant Dragon Mate Page 5