Sapphire Dragon (Awakened Dragons Book 2) (7 page)

L
uc was beginning
to think it had been a mistake to leave after making love with Hallie, but he hadn’t known what to do.

He’d gone straight to Zach the night before, so he could explain what he knew about mating, both how to do it and the effects thereof. Apparently, he needed to give her the ring he’d been given at birth, which had powers that would protect her as his mate.

Luc only knew the ring was an heirloom; it had never occurred to him that some of his powers might be bound up within it. But if it protected Hallie, he wanted her to have it.

Once she knew who and what he was.

The thing was telling her that was scary. Almost as scary as hoping for something when that hope could go awry.

What if something happened? There was too much he couldn’t control in this world. But he also knew he couldn’t stay away from her. Or Bastien. Too much was riding on it.

He was getting ready to get into the Volvo to drive himself to the shelter when Zach came out of the house to talk to him, hands shoved in his pockets.

“You doing okay?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Luc answered.

“Okay. Just checking.” Zach looked to the side. “You coming back tonight?”

“I don’t know,” Luc said. “Should I not?”

Zach leaned on the car for a moment, letting the breeze ruffle his long, dark hair. “I think you should consider it. Look, I don’t know what changed you all those years ago, but I do know you’re finally starting to act like your old self. And if I were you, I’d try to hold on to whatever was making me do that.”

Luc nodded. “I know that much. I’m just not sure it’s fair to her.”

“Why?” Zach asked. “You’re the most squeaky clean of the dragons. She’s lucky to get someone as uncomplicated as you.”

“What if I’m not uncomplicated?” Luc asked, not wanting to tell even his friend what had happened. “What if I have serious issues?”

“Then maybe you should tell someone and let it out, rather than letting it kill you inside or keep you from happiness.”

“It’s not killing me,” Luc muttered, folding his arms. “But it does bother me that I’m not who you think I am. Not who the oracle thinks I am. Not who Hallie thinks I am.”

“Just because we don’t agree with your own assessment of yourself doesn’t mean we’re wrong,” Zach said stubbornly, patting the car door as it shut.

Luc rolled down the window. “I don’t know if I’ll be home tonight, but I’ll let you know.”

“Aw, sweet,” Zach teased.

Luc sent him a scowl that probably only amused him and then pulled out of the driveway.

Driving was getting easier, and he allowed himself to actually relax into the chair and pull sunglasses on as he pulled onto the freeway.

Music was playing on the radio, and with the sun shining outside, he truly felt like maybe he was starting to become a part of this world.

A part of him worried he was just convincing himself things were fine, just like he’d tried to convince himself and the other dragons back in the day that it was okay for dragons to intervene.

But it was different this time. There were no little, vulnerable villages and no marauders, and he could protect the people he cared about with his own two hands.

He pulled up in front of the shelter and took a deep breath. Hallie was in there, and hopefully, she wouldn’t be hiding that disappointed look like she had when he’d left.

He hadn’t gone because he didn’t want to stay with her. He’d left because it was all so fast and confusing. And because he didn’t want to make a wrong move

He’d been carefree and ambitious in his other life, and this time, he was trying to be careful, for everyone’s sake. Or maybe mostly for the sake of his own heart.

He locked the car and went in, noticing it was a little busier than usual.

Hallie was in front of the desk, talking to a family about adoption, so Luc decided not to bother her. Instead, he took a look at the outfit she was wearing, black leggings with a pink pullover tee shirt and black flats. He smiled in approval and headed back to clean cages and see Bastien.

He noticed the little cat pop its head up the minute he entered. Despite the work he had to do, he would let himself just see how Bastien was doing.

He unlocked the cage and took the cat out, examining his leg. It wasn’t better, but it wasn’t worse, and from what Hallie had said, that was the best that could be expected. He stroked the cat, enjoying his calming purr, and felt a prickle of unease over his neck as the door opened.

He looked over his shoulder and saw Hallie coming in with a man he didn’t recognize.

He narrowed his eyes, scenting the air. The other man was tall, large enough he could be a shifter, but carrying no scent that would indicate he was one.

Hm.

He had reddish-orange hair, a slightly smushed-looking face, and was overweight.

Or maybe he was just a really large human. An untrustworthy one. Now that some of his empathy and instincts were coming back, he was remembering just how sharply he could judge people. That would come in handy while protecting his mate.

Shit. Mate. He was thinking it so casually now. So openly.

He saw the man grin creepily from across the room, his hand raised and ready to land on Hallie’s shoulder just before she stepped forward, out of reach.

Luc let out a little sigh of relief and set Bastien back in the cage, locking it behind him. “Sorry, little guy. Can’t play long today.” Then he straightened and grabbed the cleaning supplies so he could work while still keeping an eye on Hallie.

It was awkward between them; he could already tell. She caught him staring, and there was a slight glare on her face when they made eye contact.

He sighed. He’d have to explain everything later. She would just have to trust him for now. He’d never expected everything to go like this, and he was learning as he went.

Still, he didn’t like the guy next to her, and he didn’t know how much longer he could wait before letting her know.

“So you were saying a puppy?” she asked, looking down the rows. “Did you have a breed in mind?”

“No,” he said, following her a little too closely. Luc glared at him, but the man ignored him as they crossed to the other side of the room. “Do you have a boyfriend?”

Hallie turned to him in shock, her gray eyes wide. Her dark hair was pulled into a ponytail that laid over her shoulder, soft and tantalizing. Then again, every part of her was tantalizing.

He tried to read the other man’s thoughts but didn’t hear anything. That was odd.

“Um, that doesn’t have anything to do with adoption,” she said, sending Luc a worried look like she thought he might pop off and cause trouble.

He could, but he wouldn’t. He’d already learned the other night that he could hold off his dragon for her.

Still, the guy better watch it.

“So, Bill, do any of these dogs look like what you’re looking for?” she asked.

The man finally stopped ogling Hallie long enough to look at the cages in a bored motion.

A thought from the creep finally came into Luc’s mind. The man didn’t really want to adopt a puppy. But he would enjoy hurting one.

Luc stood abruptly. “You’re not adopting,” he snapped furiously, walking over to stand between Hallie and the pets and the red-haired jerk.

The man just folded his arms over his massive belly and sneered. “You’re just a volunteer. I think it’s up to the employees to make that call.”

“I…” Hallie looked between them. Then she sighed and took Luc by the arm, hauling him into a corner and lowering her voice to a whisper. “What are you doing? You know we need every adoption we can get.”

Luc shook his head. “Not that one. Trust me.”

“What is it?” she asked.

Luc didn’t know if he wanted to tell her. The thought that someone would hurt animals was a gross one, and he wished he could get the man’s nasty thoughts out of his head. So why share it with her?

“I just don’t like him,” he said.

“Luc…” She sighed. “You don’t have a right to get jealous when we don’t even know what this is.”

“What what is?” he asked, perplexed.

She gestured between them with her hands. “This. You know? We work together, and I’ve only just met you, and yes, we went out on a date…”

“We did more than that,” he said tersely, looking over to make sure the other man wasn’t watching. “I think we did enough that you should be able to take my word for it when I say someone is a creep.”

“Is he a creep, or are you just jealous?” she asked. “Because so far, I don’t have any reason not to trust Bill. He has been a donor a long time.”

Luc’s mouth twisted. “So you’re going to trust him over me?”

“What choice do I have?” she asked, folding her arms. “You aren’t giving me any information.”

“Should I have to tell you exactly why every time I don’t want you around a man?”

She shook her head. “You aren’t my boyfriend, as far as I know, so you don’t get to tell me when you do or don’t want me around a man. Last night was fun, Luc. But it doesn’t give you the right to control me.”

Luc frowned. Something was wrong with the whole situation. She wasn’t being her usually bright, sunny self. She was defensive toward him. “Is this because I left last night?”

She flipped her hair. “Because you left? How about because the second we finished, you literally jumped out the window? That was a big deal for me, and you didn’t say anything. You didn’t—”

He leaned in for a kiss, but she pushed him back. “No,” she said. “You can’t solve this one like this. You can’t just kiss a problem away.” She looked around him. “Besides, I’m at work.”

“What is it you want?” he asked. “I feel like I’ve done something wrong, and I have no idea what it is.”

“Look, Luc, I really like you. But you need to decide what you want. What we are. Because I can’t do things like we did last night and watch you disappear through the window. I need someone who is going to stay.”

He blinked, too stupefied by what she’d said to notice she was walking back to Bill, the douchebag. Then he did notice.

She was talking to him again, and she saw Bill reach up to put his hand on her arm. She drew back politely, and Luc slumped on a bench, looking at Bastien.

Bastien raised his head, looked in Bill’s direction, and hissed, and Luc grinned.

“I’m with you, buddy. He’s gotta go.”

H
allie was discussing
adoptions with Bill in the front waiting room when the door opened with a clang.

Luc strode through, and she put a hand to her forehead as she realized he was coming straight for Bill, who was currently holding an adoption application.

“Do you do home studies?” he asked, giving her a look with his dull green eyes that he seemed to think was flirtatious. “I’d love to have you over. Tell me if my place is right for a dog.”

She frowned. “I mean, we don’t typically, but—”

“I told you you weren’t adopting,” Luc roared, and Hallie gasped as the man was hauled off his feet and literally dragged to the door and tossed out on the sidewalk.

They all watched as Bill clambered to his feet, fuming, stormed away from the shelter, and got in his expensive car, driving away without a word.

It had all happened in seconds, and the waiting room was dead silent.

Luc let out an angry breath, staring at the place where the man had been, and then turned on his heel and paced back in with the cages as if nothing had happened.

Oh, no you don’t.

She chased after him, giving a look to the other workers that told them to get things moving again, to make people forget the scene that had just taken place.

“What was that about?” she snapped, when she found him standing in front of Bastien’s cage.

Luc looked over his shoulder, his blue eyes cold. “I told you he shouldn’t adopt.”

“And I told you that wasn’t your call.”

“Can you read minds?” he asked arrogantly, standing at his full, intimidating height. It was odd to see him cocky, because usually he was so quiet. “Maybe if you can, you can tell me what you saw in him that made you want to let him take an animal.”

She sighed in frustration, clenching her hands into fists. “Of course I can’t see into everyone’s minds. There is always a reason to judge people, but I need every adoption I can get. Many people aren’t perfect yet can still take care of a pet.”

“So that’s it. You think I threw him out because he’s not perfect?”

“I think it’s because you’re jealous,” she said, marching over to him. “And I’m beginning to think you’re impulsive. Do you think about what you do, or just do it?”

“When I know it’s right, I just do it,” he said, his voice a low growl. “I don’t know why you’re harassing me instead of thanking me for throwing out that creep.”

“Thanks to you, I have to call and apologize,” she said. “And hope he doesn’t sue us.”

Luc looked a little stymied at that but shook his head. “He shouldn’t be anywhere near this place. Trust me on that.”

She threw up her hands. “I want to trust you, Luc. I really do. But you don’t tell me anything. You make love to me and… ugh!”

He took her by the arms and turned her toward him. “So this is what it’s really about. You’re mad I left.”

“I’m mad you just walk in here like nothing happened. I’m mad that I feel used. I’m mad that you didn’t even text to say you got home. You don’t just get to make love to a woman and hop out the window!” Her chest heaved, and she tossed her hair again, looking like an angry, glorious Amazon.

But her words struck him. “We didn’t make love. All the way.”

Her face went stormy, her gray eyes darkening to the color of rainclouds. “Oh. I see. You stopped it midway so you wouldn’t have to feel guilty.” She started to stride away, but he caught her gently around the waist, pulling her against him.

“Wait,” he said, feeling her body respond to his heat.

She shook him off, and he let her go, astonished. “No, Luc. You’re so damn persuasive. And sexy. I get that. But I need more than that. I can’t have someone so volatile around. You can’t just throw people!”

“So is this about throwing people or about you feeling rejected because I didn’t sleep over?”

There was a sneer in his voice, and it made her want to throw dog bones at his stupid head.

She was a patient person. She tried to give people a lot of leeway. But yes, if she put aside everything else, she was hurt. She’d been hurt the moment he’d left, because she’d been looking forward to somebody holding her for the first time in a long time.

And he’d gotten what he’d wanted and just left.

“You didn’t look mad when I said I needed to go,” he said, frowning. “I didn’t think you’d mind.”

“I didn’t want you to stay if you didn’t want to,” she said.

“Then I don’t see what the problem is.”

She curled her hands into fists again. A wave of pain went through her. “I don’t have time for this. I need my meds. And you need to go home and think about how to be more professional.”

He narrowed his eyes as he put away the cleaning supplies, shaking his head. “I just don’t get what you want from me.”

She gritted her teeth together, feeling like she shouldn’t have to explain. Did she really seem like the type of girl that would do that with a guy she didn’t care about? Someone she just wanted to kick out after?

But for him, it must have been casual. Disposable. She’d been dumb for thinking this was a fairy tale and not another guy using her.

Ugh, she hated she’d been dumb enough to get swept off her feet.

“If you didn’t want me to go, you should have said so,” he said, walking past her, a look of frustration on his face.

“If you didn’t want to stay, why would I make you?” she retorted, turning her back as he exited.

She heard his footsteps pause at the door and glared over at him.

“Can we talk later?” he asked, hesitant. Damn, he was so handsome he took her breath away. And he really didn’t seem to know what was going on. But did that make it okay to just toy with her feelings?

She tapped her foot a few times. “Not tonight, okay? I need some rest.” She put a hand on her back. “And some meds.”

He opened his mouth as if to offer something but then shut it. Which was good. She didn’t want him trying to do anything nice right now.

“You aren’t really going to call that guy, are you?” he asked.

She sighed. “Thanks to you, I have to.”

“What do you mean thanks to me?”

“Look. You may be from another planet, but I live on this one. And we need money. Donations. And not to be sued. And when someone physically hurts another person, there are consequences.”

“Well, if you had listened to me, I wouldn’t have had to throw him out.”

“And violence is always the answer for you, is that it?” she asked.

His eyes went deadly cold, and he turned away from her, silent.

“Look, this is just… We’re both tired. Clearly, we both need space. And you don’t need to worry about my work. I’ll handle it, as I always have.”

He said nothing, just walked out the door and let it shut behind him with a loud, resounding clang.

She sat on a bench and looked over at Bastien. “Dammit, what should I do?”

Bastien didn’t say anything. Just curled in a little ball and looked over at the door like he missed Luc.

She did, too.

* * *

L
uc paced the living room
, anger unfurling in him as he stomped angrily over the now frozen carpet.

“Can you stop that?” Erin asked, leaning back in her chair and watching with mild annoyance. “Zach, make him stop.”

Zach was perched next to her and shook his head. “I don’t know if I can. Sapphire is strong.”

“Ha!” Luc let out a bitter bark. “Strong. Strong is useless with women.”

“What happened?” Erin said. “If you just calm down and tell us, maybe we can help.”

“There are evil people all over this fucking planet; that’s the problem,” Luc said. “And my human won’t listen to me and gets mad at me when I protect her. That’s the other problem.” He pulled at his hair. “I mean, how am I supposed to do this if she won’t even listen?”

“Hallie has always seemed like a reasonable woman to me,” Erin said thoughtfully. “So I don’t know what you mean.”

“There was a guy at the shelter today. A complete creep. Coming on to her, touching her.” He ran his hand through his hair, messing it up further, knowing he looked ridiculous, but not caring as long as he and Hallie were fighting. “And he wanted to adopt. But he was thinking about hurting puppies.” He glared at nothing in particular. “How evil can you get?”

“Wait, so is this about the puppies, or is this about the guy hitting on Hallie?” Zach asked.

“Both. I don’t know,” Luc said, waving a hand. “What it’s about is she doesn’t trust me. She’s angry with me, and I have no idea why.”

“What happened on your date?” Erin asked. “I don’t know a lot of details, but Zach said it went well.”

Luc shook his head. Should he share that with her?

“Go ahead,” Zach said. “I’m okay with it.”

“It went well, I think,” Luc said. “I mean, I got in a fight to protect her and showed her some things I can’t really explain, but I felt like she accepted me for me. And we… did stuff. Good stuff. I mean, I care about her. But I don’t know what mating entails and didn’t want to screw up, so I left.”

“Oh,” Erin said.

“And she said it was fine,” Luc said, whirling on his heel. “I mean, she looked slightly disappointed, but—”

“Wait, you slept with her and then left immediately after?” Erin asked.

“You didn’t tell me that,” Zach said, putting a hand over his face. “Dude, not cool.”

Luc raised an eyebrow. “What was the problem? She was a temptation, and I needed to get far enough away that I could think things over. And plus, I knew we would be seeing each other the next morning. Why should one night matter?”

“Because you’d just been intimate,” Erin said, looking aggravated. “And to a girl, that really means something.”

“It means something to me, too,” Luc said. “It means I care enough to be careful and not lock her into something she didn’t want.”

“Have you explained that to her?”

“No,” Luc said. “I thought she would trust me.”

“Doesn’t sound very trustworthy to me,” Erin said. “I mean, you’ve been trying to spend all the time you can with her ever since you met her. You took a job there, for Pete’s sake. And then you get her in the sack and just can’t run away fast enough? I can see why she doesn’t trust you.”

When she put it that way, Luc had to admit it sounded bad.

“And then with this guy, she said it wasn’t my business because I wasn’t her boyfriend. As if I even know what that means.” He kept ranting.

“Oh,” Erin said. “So that’s what she wants.”

“Huh?”

“Some girls really want commitment,” Erin explained. “I wish the two of you had been more upfront with each other.”

“Commitment?” he asked. “I’m committed. Committed as hell. I want to follow her everywhere and make sure no one touches her.”

Erin cocked her head. “Well, I guess that kinda means what humans call a boyfriend.”

“So I am one, then?” he asked hopefully.

“If you want to be, you’ll need to ask her,” she said. “I don’t know. What happened today when you went in?”

“I sort of… threw the guy out of the shelter because she wouldn’t listen, and he was evil and he was touching her…”

“So you’re sending really mixed messages,” Erin said.

He threw his hands up. “I don’t think so. I took her on a date. I kissed her. I protected her. I took space so I could keep her safe even from myself, and I showed up the next morning to see her again. Then I did what I needed to in order to get filth out of her way. All of these are the same message to me,” he said stubbornly.

Erin looked at her mate, exasperated. “Zach, can you handle this?”

Zach stood, brushed off his legs, and walked over to Luc so they were face to face.

Then he hauled back and punched Luc through the face, sending him spinning.

When Luc regained his balance, he lunged at Zach, knocking him to the ground.

He heard Erin gasp but just grabbed Zach by the collar, raising a fist.

“That’s right. Fight back,” Zach snarled. “I’m so sick of your bitching and whining. Fight back and be the person you were. No, be a mix of that person and this one. But stop just bottling it up and exploding. Just for once, fight.”

Luc sagged back, letting Zach go. Zach brushed off his hands and crawled out from under him. Then he sat a couple feet away, staring at him.

“Look, I know it’s easy to fight evil guys. I get you can just throw people around. But that’s not why you’re here.” Zach poked Luc in the chest. “You’re here to fight this. To fight the fear that keeps you running from the kind of life Hallie can offer.”

Luc sighed. “I’m more worried about the kind of life
I
can offer.”

“So you hate yourself,” Zach said. “Well, fight against it. It does no one any good. Square off with what’s hurting you and let it go. And move on. And be happy. And now that you know what will and won’t mate someone, you don’t have to run from your woman.”

Luc put his hands over his face. “I don’t know what I want. I mean, I know, but I don’t think I deserve it.”

Zach put a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “I wish you would tell me why.”

“I can’t,” Luc choked out, memories flooding him. He’d been a good person once. He could remember a time without guilt, a time without self-hatred.