“I'll keep that in mind,” he said, turning from the door.
He didn't know how to speak from his heart. That wasn't something he'd been trained to do. He was a warrior, a fighter, a first-line tank. He was the one who took all of the damage in a fight because of his size and his quick thinking. But with a lady, that just didn't work. You couldn't just go barging in and throwing flames around with a woman.
He went to his room and sank in his couch, turning on his videogame. He tried to play for a few minutes, but it just wasn't doing it for him. He walked to his bed and collapsed on the mattress with the groan. Just thinking about her being mad at him hurt his heart so bad. Nothing felt good anymore. Everything he loved sounded terribly boring without her. He wondered if he would ever be happy again.
He had to make it better. He had to make it all right again. First, he had to understand what made the human female happy. Cato had sent him a list of romantic movies to watch when Aria had first arrived at the mansion. He’d only watched a few of them.
He sat up and went to the couch, collapsing in front of the TV. He turned on one of the romances and grabbed a beer from the refrigerator. He sat and watched, confused at first, but by the end, he was crying his eyes out.
“I'm so happy they made it,” he said, wiping the tears from his cheeks.
He hoped that he and Aria would make it too. Everly had told him to leave Aria alone, and he was going to do that. The delicate human female needed her space. And he had some vampire butt to kick at dusk.
Chapter 18
The dragons prepared for their meeting with the vampires as the sun began to tilt to the western horizon. Dax was ready for a fight. In fact, he welcomed it. It was the vampires who had hurt Aria, not him. He had just said the wrong thing at the wrong time. They were the ones who’d kidnapped her and held her against her will. They had planned to drink her blood, not him. He was filled with rage and the need to avenge her. The crew met on the lawn behind the mansion and prepared to take off.
“Activate stealth mode,” Kian said, running his finger over his wrist device.
The other three dragons activated their stealth shields, disappearing from sight.
“Shift on the ready,” Kian said through their mental link.
Dax shifted, his body contorting, growing and reforming into the massive red dragon that was inside him. His anger was boundless, and his heart hurt for his mate. But his mind was filled with the images of the romantic movies he'd watch last night. A deadly concoction of anger, pain, and tender emotions had him on edge.
“Are you going to be okay?” Kian asked him as they flew. “We need your strength, Dax. I can't have you distracted.”
“I'm fine,” he grumbled through their mental link.
They made their way through the air. The meeting place was at a neutral position halfway between the vampire compound and dragon strongholds, exactly where they had met before.
Dax didn't have much hope for reaching a compromise. The only way they would beat these creatures would be if they found a new weapon or fighting technique. But Kian wanted them all to go to this ridiculous meeting in the middle of nowhere, leaving the girls in the mansion alone.
They flew on air currents above the clouds. Soon they arrived at the meeting location and swooped down into the forest, landing on the damp loamy soil. They shifted into their human forms and lowers their stealth shields.
Dax took a deep breath of the crisp forest air, filling his lungs with the smell of damp leaves. The forest was one of his favorite places, besides the beach. Especially when his heart hurt, and he needed time to reflect. He thought about the long walk in the forest he’d taken with Aria, listening to her sing to the forest creatures. His stomach twisted in a knot. Now was not the time to reminisce.
The vampires became visible, stepping out from behind trees and forming a large group of a dozen men and women in black. They stared the dragons down with their deadly red eyes.
“Greetings, dragons of the House of Flames,” Victor said.
Beside him was the other vampire leader, the one known as Marco. They were the strongest of the coven. Dax knew that from the first time they’d snuck into the compound. Something just felt off about all this. But he couldn't quite place it.
“We're so glad that you have all agreed to meet us,” Victor said.
The moon rose overhead, bathing the forest in a blue hue.
“We wouldn't have missed it,” Kian said.
“Marco and I have discussed it extensively, and we’ve decided we do want the girl back,” Victor said.
“We will never give you Aria,” Dax snapped.
He lunged at the vampires, but Kian held him back. Dax gritted his teeth, knowing there was nothing he was could do. He turned away angrily.
“The Dragon Soul is off the table,” Kian said.
“Perhaps if we sweeten the deal,” Victor said. “We know things about this planet, secret things.”
“For example?” Cato said. “There is very little on this planet that I don't already know.”
“You don't know vampire magic,” Marco said.
“What use do we have of vampire magic,” Cato scoffed.
“There are many uses of magic. For one thing, we can automatically identify Dragon Souls. Imagine, you wouldn’t have to settle for one mate, you could have dozens of them. All of the females you could ever desire,” Marco said.
Cato and Aiden laughed. Dax just growled, clenching his fists. Kian put his arm up in the air as if to hush them.
“You don’t know how dragon mating works, do you?” Kian said, his tone condescending at the ridiculous suggestion.
“We have other things you may desire. Power, influence, money.”
“All of those things, we also possess.”
“What kind of magic do you use to identify Dragon Souls?” Cato said.
“A man of intellect and curiosity,” Marco said. “I knew one of you had it in you.”
“We have our own means of identifying Dragon Souls. I'm just curious how you do it. I assumed it was by smell.”
“Perhaps. And perhaps there is more to it than that.”
“And how would you teach us this magic?” Cato asked.
“If we can come to a treaty, we might agree to teach you our spells.”
“And what would you ask for in return?” Kian asked. “We will not bargain with the girl.”
Dax was getting tired of listening to this. He felt like they were giving them the runaround. They already knew how to identify Dragon Souls. What did they need with vampire magic? Dragons couldn't wield vampire magic anyway.
“We would ask that you leave us to our own devices. Stop entering our compound. Stop taking our food. Stop interfering with our lives.”
“We won’t allow Dragon Souls to be fed upon,” Kian said.
“I believe that we have an offer you cannot refuse,” Marco said.
“What is that?” Kian asked.
“We will leave your women alone, if you leave us alone.”
“How can we possibly believe that?” Kian asked.
“This isn't accomplishing anything,” Dax growled, growing angry. “I'm going home.”
“Dax,” Kian warned.
But Dax didn’t listen. He jumped into the air and flew away. He heard Cato's voice over the mental link, but he didn't want to hear anymore. He was done with this ridiculous time-wasting meeting. He should be back at home, trying to woo Aria and convince her he didn't want to use her or her magic for anything. All he wanted was to love her and give her everything her heart desired.
“We'll have words later,” Kian said over the mental link.
Dax disengaged the link, wanting to be alone. This was the first time he had ever disobeyed his commander, and he knew there would be a price to pay. But he wasn't going to stand around and listen to the vampires try to make a bargain that would never pan out.
He needed to go home to Aria. Not letting vampires waste his time. He felt hi
s mating impulse growing stronger all the time. Now that Aria wasn’t speaking to him, his inner dragon could barely be contained. He felt as if all of the progress they've made together was destroyed because of one stupid thing that he'd said. He could barely think straight, let alone stand in front of the vampires without attacking them and trying to bring them down with his bare hands.
It was better for everyone that he’d left. He flew home and arrived soon after, the moon still high in the dark night sky. He slipped through the elevated security and landed on the back lawn of the mansion. He disengaged his shields and shifted into his human form. Striding into the house, he was determined to find Aria and convince her to give him another chance.
He would do whatever it took. He had been learning how to speak from the heart from the movies and books he'd been reading about human romance. He was getting better at using his own words all the time. At least, he hoped he was getting the hang of it. It was worth a shot. If he didn't win her heart soon, his inner dragon was going to tear him apart.
He made his way downstairs into the hallway that led to the safe room. There were ten times the security shields around the safe room as there were around the rest of the compound. He knocked on the door and stood there waiting. A moment later, Everly answered.
“Dax, what are you doing here?” she asked.
“The vampires were just wasting our time, talking in circles. I had to get out of there. Is Aria in here? I need to talk to her.”
“I'm not sure she wants to talk to you.”
“Can I at least come in?”
“Well, I can't stop you,” Everly said. She opened the door and allowed him inside.
Aria sat on an overstuffed couch with her legs tucked under her, reading a book.
“Are you all back already?” she asked softly.
Her eyes were red as if she'd been crying. The sight of it made Dax's heart clench. The idea of her crying made him want to tear whoever was responsible limb from limb. But he was the one responsible. He growled at himself for being so stupid. When would he learn how to treat his delicate, fragile human woman? He was a blundering oaf who didn't do anything right.
Then he caught himself and remembered that getting down on himself wasn't going to solve anything. He had to find a way to do the right thing. To make his words come out the way that he wanted them to.
“It’s just me,” he said.
“Where is everyone else?” she asked.
“Probably still there.”
“Why aren’t you?”
“I had to leave. They were giving us the run around.”
“Oh,” she said, staring at her book.
“Aria, I need to talk to you.”
“There’s nothing talk about.”
“But…Aria. I…sometimes I just don't know how to say the right things.”
“Look, I get it,” she said, giving him a sideways look. “You're an alien from another planet. Of course you don't know how to talk to a woman.”
Her tone was dismissive, and she looked back down at her book.
“Aria. Please let me apologize,” he said, walking across the room.
She gazed up at him as he towered above her. He knew he must be imposing, blocking her vision, so he sat beside her on the couch. He wanted to reach out and touch her. But he couldn’t dare do it. He felt so huge compared to her tiny form that he was afraid he might crush her with the intensity of his desire.
“I only want to protect you,” he said. “It is my deepest and only wish. My love for you is so strong, I can't control it. I don't know how to keep it inside. Sometimes it just comes spilling out. When I said that the vampires kidnapped you because of your power, what I really meant was that you are such a good and bright soul, and that your light shines so intensely, that it's impossible not to see it.”
She glanced up from her book, tilting her head. She watched him curiously.
“Your light is so beautiful, everyone who sees it wants to reach out and touch it. I know I do. When I said the dragons could use that power, I just meant that we are fighting on the same side. The side of goodness and light.”
She sighed, and her face softened.
“You make me a better man, Aria. Just to be near you. I’ve never been trained in talking. I spent my life on the front line in battle, fighting the vampires with tooth and claw and fire. And I still do the same. Please give me a chance to make it right. I would never use you for anything. All I want is for you to be happy. If that means getting away from a big oaf like me, then I will be happy just knowing that you are safe and happy without me.”
“Dax,” she said. “I just need some time to think. It hit me yesterday, when you found out about my power, that I've been letting things just kind of sweep me up. I let other people make my decisions for me. I know that you aren’t trying to use me. It's just that I came here after being kidnapped by the vampires, and it wasn't my choice any more than being taken by them. Now, you tell me I’m your mate, and I'm supposed to just accept that. I haven't made a single decision for myself. Maybe in my entire life. And it's time for me to start doing that. I need to stop letting other people make decisions for me. Just give me some time to figure things out. Okay?”
“Okay,” he said.
She stood with her book and walked out of the safe room, leaving him alone with his confused, roiling emotions. Everly picked Ember up out of her chair and shrugged.
“That went better than I expected,” Everly said. “You should probably do as she's asked. She's in a very sensitive place right now. Pressuring her is not going to make it better.”
“I'll do my best,” Dax said. He just hoped that his best was good enough.
Chapter 19
Dax went upstairs, feeling glum and unhappy. He knew that the rest of the crew would still be angry with him, but he didn't care. Everyone was angry at him. He went outside and pulled off his clothes and jumped into the pool. The moon hung high overhead. He needed to cool off. Swimming laps in the pool was the best way to do that.
He pumped his arms and legs, shooting through the water like a bullet. He came to the other side of the pool, flipped around and shot back through the other side. He did four laps before he flipped around and nearly slammed into another body in the water. He stopped mid stroke and came up for air, looking at the person in front of him. Aria stood before him, wearing a sly smile on her face and black bikini over her delicious curves.
“I thought I would join you. Hope you don’t mind sharing the pool.”
“Oh, please. It’s my pleasure,” he said.
He wasn't sure how to take her coming down here. He wanted to believe it was because she wanted to make up with him. But he was still going to give her space like Everly told him to. He kept swimming toward the end of the pool and then circled back to where she had hopped out. She sat on the edge, kicking her legs back and forth in the water. He came up beside her and rested his hands on the ledge. He looked up into her eyes as they reflected the moonlight.
“I'm really sorry about yesterday,” he said. “I never meant to suggest that any of us would use your power or you. That's the last thing I would ever say.”
“I understand, Dax,” she said with a sigh. “Sometimes I don't always say the right things either.”
“I've been studying human romance, and I think I'm starting to get the hang of it.”
“You have?” She giggled. “What have you learned so far?”
“That human women are sensitive and tender. You have to be careful with them.”
“So, you think I'm fragile?” she said, raising an eyebrow.
He bit his lip, had he said something wrong again? He just couldn't win.
“I'm just teasing,” she finally said, letting him off the hook.
Aria was growing more confident all the time, learning to trust Dax as a man and not just as her savior. She’d grown comfortable with the idea of him as her boyfriend and was even ready to believe they could truly be mates. He let out a d
eep sigh of relief, his shoulders relaxing. He gazed back up at her.
“Honestly, I am kind of fragile. It’s not your fault, I’ve let life beat me down. But I’m stronger than I seem, and I’m getting stronger all the time.”
“I know you are,” he said. “I just want to take care of you. I want to help you. I want you to be happy.”
“I think I can be.”
“Is there anything I can do?”
“To be honest, I wish I could leave the compound. I don't like being cooped up all the time. I wish I could go back to work at the old folks’ home. I miss helping people. What is this power for if not to heal the sick and comfort the wounded?”
“You are a good and kind soul,” he said, placing his hand on her knee.
She stared down at him and bit her lip. He removed his hand, realizing that maybe he had crossed a line.
“I'm sorry,” he said.
“Don't be sorry,” she said. “I've been kind of a jerk to you the last couple of days, and you don't really deserve it. I have to get used to people knowing about what I can do. I’ve never told a soul, you see. And I'm still kind of traumatized from getting kidnapped. I don't like not having control of my life.
“As a kid, I never felt I had control. We moved from place to place all of the time. Then finally I had a chance to be in one place as an adult; I’d found somewhere I felt I was truly making a difference. But now I don't know what I'm doing anymore.
“I can help you find a new direction. I just hope that direction is toward me.”
“Maybe it can be,” she said, slipping into the water.
Everything in him wanted to gather her in his arms and claim her mouth. But he held back, giving her space. It was torturous and took every ounce of his willpower to do it.
Instead of flitting away from him, she drew closer. She ran her hand up his arm and slid her arms around his neck. He couldn't hold back anymore. She was sending him very clear signals. He gathered her up in his arms and held her close, cupping the back of her head.
He growled and instantly grew excited. He kissed her mouth, sliding his tongue between her lips. She groaned against him, their tongues lashing.