Jade

JADE

I am absolutely gobsmacked, uncharacteristically unable to respond to Drekkan at all as I’m torn away from the heat of his body by Gelvira who chuckles to herself as I’m escorted behind the screen at the rear.

“The Sarkarnii likes you, yes?” she asks, sizing me up with an experienced eye.

“I’m not sure.” I feel my cheeks burning because I know what he did like. “I don’t know why he’s buying me clothes. I shouldn’t let him.”

Gelvira huffs. “He can afford it, and besides what Sarkarnii doesn’t like to treat their mate?”

“I’m not his mate,” I say, probably too sharply as she runs a small device over me, checking the display every so often.

“He thinks you are. Sarkarnii fall fast and hard. They rut for their mates, and he is so clearly in rut for you.” Gelvira chuckles.

“I don’t think so,” I say, although the heat sweeps my body, after the way he made it sing yesterday.

Gelvira levels a very scary purple gaze at me. “He ruts for you, little one. You should let him.”

“He’s an arrogant, grumpy, smug Sarkarnii. All they ever do is cause mayhem. I should know, I spent the best part of a year with a whole bunch. I don’t need Drekkan.”

Gelvira’s mouth quirks at the corners. “What if he needs you?”

I open and shut my mouth, completely at a loss for words as Gelvira continues to fuss around me, picking up swatches of fabric and holding them up to my face. I decide there has to be a better subject matter to discuss.

“Do you still have a job opening for me to be your assistant?”

“You won’t need to do any such thing,” Gelvira says as she pulls my baggy top over my head in a practiced movement. “Not with the Sarkarnii looking out for you.”

Without my covering layer, I’m in a long-sleeved top and a pair of leggings which fit to my form and are supremely comfortable. Although, the way Gelvira looks at them, I can tell she isn’t happy.

“You’re dressed in this and you tell me you don’t want the Sarkarnii?” She tuts. “You are with young, little one. You should want to give your young the best.”

“I do, which is why I want a job, any job…” I plead. “I want to feel normal and like I…”

Fuck! I absolutely should not be crying, not here, not now, but the tears are flowing because I’m all mixed up with Drekkan and the new house and now this. I attempt to gulp back the tears and hiccup instead, because that’s so much better.

“Like you belong?” Gelvira asks, quietly. “I understand. We were all lost once, until Kitchik found us.”

“So, you’ll give me a trial?” Hope rises in my breast even as the tears flow. “I don’t expect you to take me on without a trial.”

“If it is what you want, of course.” She smiles at me, taking hold of my hands. “Anything for you, little one, as well as your young. Got to keep both of you happy.” She smiles. “You deserve happiness.”

Tears run freely down my face. It’s the one thing I want, in a sea of change. Gelvira hands me a piece of fabric and I wipe my face.

Just as the screen is torn away by a snarling Sarkarnii.

“Who is hurting you?” Drekkan growls, his stance filled with menace, his mouth filled with fangs, and with a long red, scaled tail thrashing behind him.

Lights flicker on the metal necklace around his neck, along with the natural neon sparks which always flit under a Sarkarnii’s scales.

His jaw goes slack as he takes me in, gaze raking down my body in such a way I can almost physically feel it. Drekkan makes zero attempt to hide either his interest or his arousal. There is a bulge in his pants which makes me swallow…hard.

“No one is hurting me, Drekkan,” I say hoarsely because the way he’s looking at me is having a very dramatic effect on my knickers. “I’m fine. In fact, Gelvira has said she will give me a trial.”

His flaming eyes narrow, and it looks like he might be about to kill her.

“What sort of trial?” he says through very large fangs.

“To be her assistant, maybe.” I furrow my brow.

“You will take as your assistant without a trial,” Drekkan barks at Gelvira, who simply rolls her eyes as if having a Sarkarnii tear your shop apart and make demands is a usual occurrence.

“She will not.” I put my hands on my hips, then realize all it does is draw Drekkan’s attention to my bump, his eyes blazing. Instead, I fold my arms over my chest and glare at him. “It doesn’t work like that. I have to at least show Gelvira I can sew.”

Drekkan blinks a few times, as if the message isn’t quite getting through his fog of lust and righteous, misplaced anger on my behalf.

He snorts out a long stream of smoke and a few embers, some of which land on scraps of fabric, and Gelvira quietly pats them out.

“My mate is to get the best clothing you have, then she may have a trial in order to be your assistant,” he says finally to the tiny elven creature.

“She will get the very best. Now disappear, Sarkarnii. I have work to do.” Gelvira flicks both hands at him in what has to be a universal shooing motion.

Drekkan’s eyes widen, and he looks over her head at me.

“I’ll be right outside,” he intones. “When you are ready.”