Her Dragon Protector, page 17
part #2 of Black Claw Dragons Series
Standing, she held up her hand when I tried to stand, too. “I need some space. I need to think.”
Something was off with her. She was hurt and confused, but there was another emotion there I couldn’t discern.
“I’m sorry,” Ava said. “I wanted to tell you. Then when you started getting really into Axel, I knew it had to come from him.”
Charlotte nodded. “I understand. I just have to process.” She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes like it usually did. She backed away from the table and out into the hall. “I’ll see you guys later.”
I started to go after her, but Ava put her hand on my arm. “Take my SUV,” she called.
The jangle of the keys off the table by the front door was the only response.
“She took it,” Ava said. “She’ll be okay.”
“I fucked this all up.”
Ava patted my back. “Big brother, you really did.”
I looked at her in surprise. It was the first time she’d referred to me as a brother.
I liked it.
“Thanks, little sister.” I reached out and pulled her into a sideways hug. “Help me fix this?”
She laughed and squeezed me. “Of course. What are sisters for?”
What, indeed?
20
Charlotte
Processing everything I learned didn’t happen that day. I ended up driving the SUV straight to the manor, then locking myself in my room.
Thank goodness the door had a decent lock.
Not that a dragon couldn’t have gotten it open, but still.
A dragon.
My first instinct had been to run, but I wanted to make sure I didn’t react out of shock. I was off the next day, too, and spent it in my room. I ventured downstairs after I saw Axel leave for work and Carla was in the kitchen.
“Oh, honey. I’m so sorry you had to find out that way.” She held out her arms, but I couldn’t.
“Please,” I said. “I don’t want to hug. Nothing personal, you’ve been so kind. But I feel like my world has been rocked.”
She nodded. “I get it. When James showed me…” She broke off and laughed. “I didn’t take it well. I was terrified of him.”
Nodding, I went to the fridge to look for something to eat.
I no longer felt comfortable in the manor. A couple of days before, I would’ve made myself something to eat with ease, at home in the kitchen. Carla had made me feel so welcome. But knowing the big secret she’d kept—they’d all kept it—now I felt like a stranger in a strange land.
Carla tried to initiate a conversation a few times, but all I could manage were polite replies. After a few minutes, she gave up. “I’ll leave you alone, dear. I’m so sorry.”
She put a hand on my back for a moment, but I couldn’t help it. I flinched.
My emotions warred. She’d been so kind. Hadn’t I said how much I cared for her? Why couldn’t I accept her apology? Because she’d gone weeks, welcoming me in her home. Treating me like a damn daughter, and didn’t have the good courtesy to even give me a hint.
I’d been thinking about moving in with Axel, for the love of God!
And once again, I’d made all the wrong decisions. Next time a hot man showed interest in me, I was running for the hills.
That afternoon, I snuck downstairs again to get some food for lunch and dinner. I could’ve gone out, I guessed, but hiding in my room seemed preferable to risking running into anyone in town.
Who else was a dragon? Harley? Carlos? I had no way of knowing. I’d have to go back to work the next day, which would be great. I could focus on that and try to find a way to make peace with this.
And if I couldn’t make peace, I’d move on. What else could I do?
James was in the kitchen this time, pouring a glass of milk. “Hello, dear.”
I risked looking him in the eye, but he didn’t look at me. When he’d had his glass of milk, he smiled, still not meeting my eyes, and left the room.
He couldn’t even be in the room with me. He knew that I knew. Obviously, he wasn’t happy about it.
Damn it. I wasn’t sure I could get past this.
Axel came home from work and tapped on my door. “Come in.” I hadn’t locked it this time. I knew we’d have to talk.
“How was work?” I sat in the middle of my bed with my laptop in front of me. I’d been searching for real stories of shifters all day, but everything that came up was fiction.
“Long. I couldn’t wait to get back here to you.” He sat on the edge of the bed and held out his hand. “Would you like to go get dinner?”
I nodded, only to get more answers from him. “Nowhere far, please.”
He nodded and walked us to his truck with his hand in mine. I used the drive to collect my thoughts and figure out exactly what I wanted to ask him. When we pulled in at the grocery store. I walked in with him, and he went to the deli counter and ordered two subs. After grabbing a couple of sodas and a bag of chips, he checked out and we went back to his truck.
He parked us at another overlook. The breathtaking view didn’t do the same thing for me today that it had a few days ago. I wondered how many supernatural creatures roamed the earth under just the part I could see.
“Is it just your family?”
He shook his head. Once he swallowed his bite, he spoke. “There are many different types of shifters in the world. As far as I know, vampires and witches are a myth. All I’ve ever experienced are shifters.”
My heart froze. “What other kinds?”
“There is a pack of wolf shifters here in Black Claw. They help protect our land in exchange for the right to roam it and hunt. We take care of each other that way.”
I considered the concept of wolf shifters. “Any more dragons?”
“Just my family and Stefan.”
Stefan. Oh, geez. Harley. “What happens if I tell?”
He put a chip in his mouth and studied my face. “Do you think anyone would believe you?”
Damn, that was a good point.
We ate in silence while I considered the fated mate thing. “Does everyone have a fated mate?”
“No. It’s rare and seems to be getting rarer by the year. Though, Ava and Maverick were fated. Maybe it’s something in the water up here.” He chuckled, but I didn’t.
I wasn’t convinced he’d care about me if not for whatever it was in him that made him think he was supposed to be with me.
“What if I’d been horrible?” I asked. “What if I had a terrible personality, and I was mean-spirited?”
He stared at me, without an answer. “But you’re not.”
“That’s my point! Maybe I am. You don’t know. You could only love me because of some magical rule that says you have to.”
I shook my head. I wasn’t buying this fated shit. How was a person supposed to know their true feelings? It wasn’t right. “Take me home, please.”
He sighed and nodded. As he drove, I snuck a glance. His jaw was set and hard. Pissed.
I couldn’t help it. I couldn’t stop feeling doubts and fears.
My parents always said there was something wrong with me. They’d told me countless times that nobody would want me unless I changed. Got more serious about my future. Acted more responsible.
Maybe they were right after all. I’d spent my entire adult life running from that judgment and each time I tried a relationship, it ended in flames. Maybe because they were right about me all along. Something about me was fundamentally unlovable.
A dark cloud settled over me. I didn’t say anything else to Axel as we pulled up in front of the house. Later that evening, locked in my room, I texted Jury and arranged for him to take me to and from work. At least I’d still feel safe from Logan that way.
I sent Axel a message to let him know he didn’t need to worry about taking me, then shut the phone off. I didn’t want to read his reply.
He was at work when I left the next morning, and I managed to avoid him for the next three days. I went to work, had Jury stop for some fast food or grabbed something from the cafeteria, then locked myself in my room. I still didn’t want to dip into my savings if I could avoid it, and my first paycheck was due today.
Sure enough, my supervisor handed it to me. “You can cash it at the credit union downstairs.” I’d never worked in a hospital big enough to have its own bank inside. “Or deposit in your account.”
I didn’t have an account anywhere nearby. I hadn’t seen the national bank I had my savings at around Black Claw, so I stopped in the credit union on my lunch and cashed the check.
If I needed to run, now I could. It was enough money to keep me on the road for a couple of weeks, if I slept a lot of nights in my car.
I’d have to head to a warm climate.
I still wasn’t sure I wanted to leave Black Claw. I loved my job. But I considered moving to the next town over. It was closer to the hospital, anyway. Then, I’d still be close to Ava. And Harley.
Jury drove me back to the manor as I mulled over my options. I could get a hotel room while I searched for an apartment. I’d have another good paycheck in two weeks. Better than this one, even.
When I walked into my bedroom, Axel was sitting on my bed. I froze in the doorway.
“Hey, can we talk?” he asked.
I nodded. Like I had a choice. “Sure.”
“Why are you avoiding us?” he asked pointedly.
I set my purse down on the dresser and crossed my arms. “Why wouldn’t I avoid you? This whole thing is insane!”
“We made a mistake. I made a mistake keeping it from you for so long.” He threw up his hands and stood. “But you’ve had a week to come to terms with it. Surely by now you’re making some peace with it.”
As he walked around the bed, I moved as well. I didn’t want him in my bubble, convincing me with his gorgeous eyes. “What am I supposed to say? I’m hurt. I feel betrayed. I can’t just get over it like you dropped my favorite plate and broke it. You lied to me for weeks all the while romancing me!” How could I be sure he ever planned to tell me?
“I’m so sorry I hurt you.” True pain crossed his face. But he was a good liar. Maybe he was a good actor, too. I’d been burned by men who seemed sincere before. “But it wasn’t done maliciously. We didn’t do it from a place of trying to deceive you, like some villains in a TV show. We just have to keep the secret until we’re sure. I’ve been sure, but I didn’t know how to tell you.”
I nodded. “Part of me totally understands that. But, Axel, I’ve been hurt so badly before, by men who didn’t turn into monsters.”
He drew back. “Asher isn’t a monster. He’s intelligent and proud.”
“I’m sure he is. But I think you’ve convinced yourself you love me to fulfill some fated mate obligation you have. It’s rare, so you think you have to give in to it.”
His face darkened more. “Will I ever be able to win? Will you ever let me prove to you that I’ve fallen head over heels in love with you?”
I didn’t answer. The only thing I knew to do was to give it time, but he was pressuring me to make a decision and make my heart do what he wanted it to do.
“I’m doing the best I can, but it’s like you don’t want to meet me halfway. I shouldn’t have to fight alone for our relationship. Are you willing to fight, too?”
I was, but that decision teetered. “I need time.”
He sighed. “It’s been five days. I’m not like your ex-boyfriends. I’m not a player or a user. My emotions are my own, fates be damned. You’re letting your old hurts ruin something beautiful.” He stopped pacing and held out his arms. “I won’t fight for this relationship alone. I’ll fight to hell and back with you, but not alone.”
My heart finished splintering. This hurt a thousand times more than when Logan beat the shit out of me. This was my heart breaking, not my skull. “Then stop fighting,” I whispered.
He stepped backward, stunned. Then he blinked several times, before turning and walking out of the room, closing the door behind him with a soft click.
I went to the closet and pulled out my biggest suitcase. I packed everything I’d need for a couple of nights. Ava could help me come back and get the rest.
Once I made sure I had work clothes, toiletries, and a couple of books to keep me company, I carried the suitcase downstairs. I’d parked around the back, so I had to go through the kitchen to get out of the house.
Axel was alone, sitting at the table.
He raised his eyes and looked at me. He’d been crying.
I rolled the suitcase around the table and toward the back door, but he didn’t say a word.
I’d thought my heart was completely broken, but it shattered more when he didn’t stop me.
If I wanted him to stop me so badly, why did I tell him to stop fighting for us?
Because it would never have worked. I was too broken. Too screwed up. Add dragons to my story and it was nothing more than a tale for the loony bin.
After a split-second pause at the door to give him time to stop me, I slammed it behind me and ran to my car, then threw the suitcase in my back seat.
Axel opened the back door before I got in the driver’s seat. My heart soared. He’d decided to try again. To give me time. “Logan is still out there. Don’t be surprised if you see someone trailing you when you’re not at work.” He shut the back door and pulled the shade.
Effectively locking me out. For good.
I sobbed and drove toward the hospital. There was a hotel beside it that had good reviews online.
Every few minutes I had to dash tears from my eyes as I drove, but I made it safely to the hotel. Checking in was no problem, and soon I was face down, clutching a pristine white pillow, sobbing my heartache out.
I must’ve fallen asleep, because the next thing I knew, someone pounded on my door.
Axel. Oh, thank goodness. I’d made a horrible mistake. I needed time, but I could’ve had time while being near him and not rejecting him. He’d been wonderful to me, as had his family.
I hadn’t reacted well to learning shifters roamed the planet and that he noticed me because of some stupid fate.
But I didn’t want to stop fighting.
“Axel,” I cried as I opened the door.
Except it wasn’t Axel.
It was Logan.
“Who the fuck is Axel?” he snarled and shoved his way into the room.
As I stumbled away from him, I remembered the huge knife.
It was still in the bedside drawer.
At the manor.
21
Axel
I’d walked out the back door when I heard her car going down the driveway out front, but not in time to stop her. I should’ve been faster, backed off sooner. It wasn’t until the sound of the engine faded to nothing that the anger faded and regret kicked in.
Damn it. I’d messed everything up. She’d just asked for a little more time to come to terms with the fact that her entire world, the fabric of reality she understood, had been irreversibly altered.
I could’ve given her a few more days for that.
My heart pounded painfully. I sat on the back porch, staring out at the snow until the cold seeped to my bones. It must’ve been a couple of hours because it took a long time for a dragon to get cold deep inside. The fire that lived in Asher lived in me, coiled in my gut, able to spread and warm.
It stayed banked. Asher was forlorn and worried.
We should’ve claimed her.
That would’ve been worse, whatever he believed. If we’d claimed Charlotte, bitten her without warning or consent, she would’ve disappeared without a trace. At least this way, all of her belongings were still here. She had to come back at some point. And when she did, we would do whatever we had to do to make it right.
Ignoring the cold, I sat still on the back porch, even after I decided to do whatever I had to do to make things up to her. I argued with myself back and forth about whether or not to try calling her cell phone.
The best course of action was to give her time as she asked for. But I needed her to know that I wasn’t done fighting for us. I forced myself to wait, not try to contact her yet, let her calm down. She was probably down at Ava and Maverick’s right now anyway. Safe.
Snow began to fall, drifting gently down and settling on my shoulders. After a few minutes, it stopped melting. “What are you doing out here?” Maverick’s voice cut through the peace of the night. I hadn’t even heard him open the door.
“Charlotte left.”
“When?” Maverick grabbed me under one of my arms and hauled me to my feet. “You’re freezing. Come on inside.” He all but carried me into the kitchen and pushed me into a chair. “What happened?”
“I told her it had been enough time for her to come to terms with what she learned about us.” I hung my head. What a fool I was.
“Are you an idiot?” He threw a hand towel at my head. “Dry your hair.”
“Of course I’m an idiot.” I stared at Maverick as I put two and two together. “She’s at your place, right?”
He shook his head. “No, I’ve been calling your phone, and when I couldn’t get you, I came straight up here.”
Worry washed over me. At least before, I’d been hurting for making such a mess of things, but I’d been sure she was safe. “I told Stefan to stay on her tail. Where’s my phone?”
After I’d texted him, I’d set it on the counter. It was still there. I grabbed it and checked my missed calls and messages as I toweled my hair.
Four missed calls and three texts from Maverick. “You’re a worrywart. What if I’d just been asleep?”
“I saw Charlotte’s car go by. Alone. I wanted to check. After a couple of hours, I figured it had been long enough.”
Stefan had sent three messages.
Found her. Following her now.
She’s at a hotel. The one by the hospital.
I smelled my way to her room, but so many people being around here made it hard. She’s in 312 and from the sound through the door, she’s asleep. I’m waiting in the car. Parked beside hers.
