Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

K ari startled awake and looked around the room. The sun was already starting to set, and a quick glance at the little clock on the table next to her bed told her it was after six in the evening.

She could feel the traces of dried tears on her face, and her cheek ached. She should have taken more pain medication hours ago, and she sat up to look for the bottle at the same time someone pounded on her door.

Unlike the usual sounds of the building, like the fight from the day before, this sound was specific, as if someone was deliberately knocking on her door.

A sharp pang of fear raced down her spine, and she immediately went still.

No one ever knocked on her door—ever—and she couldn't help but wonder if the man from the night before had somehow found out where she lived and come to finish the job. He had seen her ID when he'd pulled it out of her pocket, but he'd been searching for money and had barely glanced at it. Of course, he could have asked some of the other residents.

People would no doubt give up information about her if they thought it would keep them safe.

The knocking came again, and she held her breath and willed the person away. Her door did have a peephole, but if she moved, they would definitely know she was inside, and then they might not ever leave.

"Open the door, Kari. I know you're in there."

Evander!

She couldn't explain the relief that washed over her at the sound of his strong and steady voice, but it was only temporary.The dragon had somehow tracked her down, and that could only mean one thing...

He knew who she was and was going to kill her.

She didn't want to open the door, but he already knew where she lived, and she knew there was no reason to hide. If it didn't happen today, then it would happen tomorrow, or the next day, or the next, and she didn't want to live in fear waiting for him to strike.

She padded across the room and undid the locks on her door, but left the chain. She knew it wouldn't keep him out if he really wanted to barge in, but it gave her a false sense of security, so she decided to hold on to it.

She pulled the door open as far as the chain would go, and nearly lost her breath.

God, he was gorgeous!

You would think someone like him would look out of place standing in her crappy hallway, but he didn't. He looked big, and intimidating, and once again she had the strange urge to wrap her arms around him and never let go.

"Evander." His name slipped out in a breathless whisper, and she inwardly cursed. It made her sound weak and pathetic, as if she were swooning all over him. Which she definitely wasn't. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to check on you," he said, glancing down the hall. He leveled a hard glare on whatever her saw down there before looking back at her and softening his gaze."May I come in?"

The way his expression softened when he looked at her made her pause, but then her brain kicked in. Having a discussion in the hallway, even if he was technically the only one out there would only draw attention to her, and she definitely didn't want that. Everyone in the building would see Evander as a threat, and if for some reason he didn't kill her today, she didn't want to be a target tomorrow for anyone trying to assert their dominance.

She closed the door slightly so she could undo the chain, and then she stepped back so he could enter.

She secured the door behind him, and watched as he stood in the center of the room and looked around. When she caught sight of the frown that marred his face,she tried to see the room from his point-of-view and knew it was seriously lacking. The tiny studio was furnished with a twin bed, a small loveseat, and a small square table with two chairs.She had always considered the place cute and cozy, but with Evander standing inside, it felt incredibly small.

Almost as if the walls were closing in, and it wasn't just because he was big.

She glanced at his clothes—refusing to focus on his perfect ass—which looked brand-new, and then looked down at her own and was suddenly aware that she'd answered the door in her pajamas. It was a simple t-shirt and shorts combo, so she was completely covered, but the outfit was faded and there were a couple of holes in the hem of the shirt.

She cringed when she compared herself to him, and then she felt the dried tear streaks on her face. She realized now that his knocking was probably what woke her up, and she knew herhair must be all over the place. She instinctively reached up and grabbed a strand, and the amount of frizz she saw on that piece made her want to die.

"I'll be right back," she said, rushing past him.

She ran into the bathroom and locked the door, and then looked at herself in the mirror and recoiled.

The bruise on her face was big and dark, but combined with the dried tears and her wild hair, she looked absolutely ridiculous. And Evander had seen her looking like this. It didn't make sense that she cared, especially since she was pretty sure he planned to kill her, but that didn't stop her from washing her face and pulling a brush through her hair. She also brushed her teeth and used the restroom, and though she wasn't perfect, she felt much more confident.

Until she stepped out and saw him sitting on her too small loveseat.

"What the hell happened to your face?"

He stood, stalking toward her, and her fear returned full force as he reached out and gently cupped her cheek. His touch was so gentle that tears filled her eyes, and she felt like an idiot when one slipped free. He used his thumb to wipe the offending water away, then gently held her chin as he tilted her head to look for more marks.

"Any other bruises?"

His voice was softer now, and she shook her head, stunned at the careful way he was handing her. The actions didn't fit with a man that wanted to kill her… Unless he was the kind who wanted her perfectly healed so he knew all the damage done was his own. Another wave of fear washed over her, and he dropped his hand and took a step back.

"I would never hurt you," he said, his voice calm. "That bruise is healing way too slow. Have you been putting ice on it?"

She glanced at the small towel on the corner of the bed, and he seemed to take that as her answer. He grabbed the towel and walked to her freezer, and then started preparing an ice pack.

"Sit down." He growled. "When was the last time you took these?"

She looked up to see him holding the bottle of pain relievers.

"This morning. Really early. I should have taken more at noon."

He nodded, then grabbed the glass on the counter and filled it with water from the tap. She was sure a man like him only drank bottled water, and once again, she felt completely inadequate.

She had no idea why he was in her space, taking care of her instead of killing her, but she liked it way too much. Deep down, she knew it was only because of all the sad thoughts she'd had before falling asleep earlier, but that didn't change her feelings. It had been years since anyone had done anything remotely close to taking care of her, and once again, her eyes started to water.

God damn!

She couldn't remember the last time she'd cried so much, but apparently this week all bets were off. She blinked rapidly, willing the tears away, and she was glad that they were mostly gone by the time Evander approached her. First, he gave her the pain meds and hovered as she finished the glass of water, and then he handed her the ice pack.

She was sitting on the edge of the bed and was grateful that he didn't try to sit next to her as she put the cold pack against her face as if by rote. She still had no idea what was going on, but when hesat on the edge of the sofa directly across from her, taking up more than half of the small piece of furniture, the way he watched her so intently almost made her wish he'd sat beside her instead.

"Who hurt you, sweetheart?"

"I don't know. I've never seen him in the building before."

"It happened here?" His face hardened. "Last night?"

Was this some sort of test? Was he working with her attacker to see if she would give a description of him or something? She didn't think that was the case, but she still had no idea why Evander was in her apartment. Maybe he didn't know who she was at all, and just wanted a reason to kill her.

"Yes. I... I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings, and he attacked me in the stairwell. He wanted money, and after searching my pockets, he punched me and then let me go."

"Did you call the police?"

"No," she barked out a humorless laugh. "They hardly ever come down here, and... The punch was a warning. He told me not to say anything, and I don't intend to."

He nodded, but didn't press her. At least not about that.

"You're afraid of me," he said, his face softening. "Why?"

Was this why he'd come to kill her? Because he could sense her fear?

She glanced at the door, but even if she tried to escape, she knew she'd never make it past him. She was a shifter, too, but he was a dragon, and they were bigger and faster—and more lethal—than wolves.

"You're a dragon," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, "and I don't want to die."

E vander stilled and studied his mate.

She thought he would kill her? That he could somehow harm her in any way? Her words hurt, but he knew he couldn't hold them against her. She obviously had a different worldview than he did, and with every word, he was sure that Petra was right.

Something was making Kari afraid—besides this fucking building she lived in—and he needed to figure out what it was. Every instinct told him to stop asking questions, scoop her up, and fly her to the castle now, but he knew he couldn't. She would be safest there, but herfear was real, and acting like a barbarian would only widen the distance between them.

"You think I will kill you?" His voice was surprisingly steady. "Why?"

"Dragons kill," she snapped. "They burn everything around them withoutthought or provocation, includingpeople. That's how my family died.Dragons showed up one day and just wiped them out. The flames were so hot therewas nothing left but ash. It was as if they never even existed."

Pain replaced her fear, slamming into him like a Mack truck. More tears filled her eyes, and he ached to hold her in his arms, but he knew his touch wouldn'tbe welcome. Her fear—and maybeeven some underlying hate—for his kind was a tangible thing, and he knew he needed to tread carefully.

"Not all dragons are like that," he said, keeping his voice low. "I'm sorry thathappened to you, but we are not all the same, just like all wolves are not the same. I would never hurt you, nor would anyone in my clan. In fact, like all shifters, most dragons will just leave you alone."

"I guess I don't know the same shifters as you do, because I've been attacked in my wolf form by other shifters plenty of times."

Fuck!

The fact that she'd experienced any of this made his dragon edgy, and both the animal and the man wanted blood. He also wanted to mark her so that every shifter would know she belonged to him. His mark was almost a guarantee that no other shifter would come near her, but like all things, it wasn't foolproof.

Let anyone try to touch her and see what happens.

A low rumble escaped from his chest, and her eyes grew wide.

"Once I mark you, I doubt that will ever happen again, but if it does, then they will answer to me."

"M-mark me?" Her voice cracked on the words, and he didn't miss the way she inched closer to the door."What are you talking about?"

"You're my mate, sweetheart, and it's my job to take care of you."

"Mate?" She shook her head, as if willing his words away. "I can't be your mate. You're a dragon, and I..."

He was glad shedidn't finish that sentence, because he was sure he wasn't going to like the ending.

"I know you're afraid, but I am your mate," he tried a different approach, "and you're mine. You don't feel any connection to me at all?"

She was quiet for so long that he considered it a victory. She might not want to admit it, but she felt something for him, even if she didn't understand what exactly it was.

"I... I might have felt something, but you're a good-looking man. I doubt there's a woman alive who doesn't feel something for you. That doesn't mean that we're mates."

Beneath the surface, his dragon sat up taller, and he couldn't help but tease her just a little.

"You think I'm good-looking?"

"Oh geez," she rolled her eyes and dropped the hand holding the ice pack to her face. His humor immediately died, and another rumble escaped. This time, though, he didn't sense any fear. "What's the matter now?"

"That bruise should have healed already. When was the last time you ate?"

"Um," she glanced at the door again, though he wasn't sure why. "Last night at work. Around six, I think."

"That was over twenty-four hours ago."

Shifters healed fast, but the process slowed way down if they weren't taking care of themselves, and not eating or sleeping enough were the two biggest culprits. He got up and walked to her fridge, already knowing what he would find inside. There were a few things on the top rack, including a half-gallon of milk that hadn't yet expired, but nothing to make her a proper meal.

Without thinking, he pulled out his phone and texted Anton. His friend would get Eron to make her something, or make it himself, and bring it to her door, because there was no way he was leaving his mate right now.

"What are you doing?" She asked, her voice full of alarm.

"Taking care of you," he said, sitting across from her again. "You don't have any food, so I texted a friend to bring us some. You haven't healed yet because you aren't eating or sleeping enough. Probably both, so we're going to start fixing that right now."

"What are you talking about? Bruises don't go away overnight. It's usually days before they are completely gone."

So she was used to going without. Deep down, his dragon rumbled again, but this time he didn't let the sound escape. For some reason she was talking with him instead of throwing him out, and he didn't want to scare her again. Hopefully one day she would learn to like the noises he made, but today wasn't going to be that day.

"You're a shifter, sweetheart. Shifters heal fast. That bruise should have been gone within a few hours."

"Oh."

He expected her to ask more questions, but when she didn't, he decided to push her a little.

"How old were you when your family was killed?"

"I was ten," she said absently, then hardened her voice."Evander, what are you doing here?"

She'd been alone, or at least without her family, for fifteen years, but the pain was still there. No wonder she was afraid of dragons. Not only did they take her family away, but they'd left her alone in the world when she was just a child.

"You're my mate, and I want to get to know you. After I realized you left last night, I tried to follow you but lost your scent about halfway to your place. When I stopped by your work today, they told me you called in sick, and so here I am."

"My boss gave you my address?"

Her voice was full of alarm, and he hated having to admit that he'd basically stalked her. He wasn't sorry, though. It was his job—his honor—to take care of her, and she needed his help. Even if she wasn't ready to admit it.

"Uh, no. I'm really good at finding information, and I heard the bartender calling your name last night. After that, it was really easy for me to find your address."

"You found my address just by hearing my name?" She asked, incredulous. "My first name?"

Her fear was back, but it was laced with something else. Surprise maybe, but he wasn't quite sure.

"Like I said, I'm really good at finding stuff. Not everyone has those skills, though, so don't start thinking anyone can track you down."

She nodded, and then, "What else did you find out about me?"

"Not much. Your name, address, and birthday. A previous address and a cell phone number, but nothing else. No links to any relatives or assets. Sometimes my job is easy, but it was really challenging to find information about you."

"That's good... I guess."

She looked away from him then, and he wished she would tell him what she was thinking. He got the feeling his findings made her sad, but he wasn't exactly sure why. If he had to guess, it was probably something to do with having no relatives. He wished he could take her pain away, but he knew that might not ever be possible.

It didn't mean he wasn't going to try, though.

When she looked back at him, the look on her face told him she was gearing up for a fight.

"Who was that woman you were with yesterday?"

"That was Petra. She's my Alpha's mate."

She was also his Queen, but he knew he had to tread carefully with Kari. She would probably understand the title of Alpha, but if he told her that Alric was his King, he was pretty sure she would start to panic.

"You take your Alpha's mate shopping for lingerie? That's... odd." She paused. "Isn't it?"

"It is," he laughed. "And it's not something I usually do. As part of the Guard, it's my job to protect the Alpha and his mate, and she wanted to go shopping without him. He conceded, but only if she had an escort. So, I was tasked with the job under very strict conditions."

"What kind of conditions?"

"No going into the store with her, and no asking to see her purchases. Which honestly, wasn't a problem. I don't want to see anyone's lingerie except my mate's."

She startled at his declaration, and then looked away again.This time it was sadness, and not fear, that was rolling off of her, and he had no idea why, but that was a question for another time. His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he pulled it out to confirm that Anton washere.

"My friend is here," he said. "Do you want to meet him?"

"No," she stood, shaking her head while backing away from the door. "I'm not..."

"You'll always be safe with me, and anyone from my clan. Anton is more like a brother than a friend to me, and I trusthim withmy life. He would never hurt you."

"It's not that." She cast a quickglance around, then met his eyes again. "Well, it might be that a little, but... I don't want him to see my place."

Anton had lived in a cave for fifty years, and he definitelydidn't care about Kari's living conditions—except to help her get out of them—but he understood her fears. He didn't want to leave her, but he didn't want to make heruncomfortable, either.

"If I step outsideto meet him and grab the food, will you let me back in?"

One of her hands was holding on so tight to the other he thought she might bruise herself, but eventually she nodded.

"I need you to say the words, sweetheart."

"Yes." She visibly swallowed, and though her fear wasn't nearly as strong as it had been before, he understood how hard this was for her. "I will let you back in."

"That's my girl."