Chapter 10

THE DRAGON

“She’s up to something,” the fae commented, staring after our little mate. She’d been shifty and evasive which led me to the same conclusion. “Her exhaustion must be from the stretched-out bond. Now that we’re back together, she needs to crash and sleep off the effects of being separated.”

Now he rubbed in my face that they’d bonded, and I was left out? It fucking stung like what I imagined being burned felt like. I wanted to be Maya’s.

The vampire fidgeted. Here he was, mated to her, yet upsetting her like a little bitch.

“I’m more concerned about what you said to upset her, vampire.” I flattened my palm on the kitchen island, battling the urge to launch myself over it to pound his face in. Sliding my hand over the cold counter, I approached the fucker. If he thought of upsetting her, he would become a crispy vampire.

Smoke plumed from my nose, and I grinned at him.

His lips twitched into a sneer, and he straightened to full height. The fucker would need to rely on his speed to escape me if he wanted to best me.

Tanner sighed and slipped in between us. “This is the last thing she needs,” he said, exasperated. I knew she shouldn’t be dealing with petty shit, but the vampire didn’t seem to be getting the memo and pounding his face in until he did sounded like a great plan.

“Just a friendly warning.” I slitted my eyes at him.

“You have a peasant definition of ‘friendly.’” He hissed.

What was this motherfucker’s deal?

“Peasant?” I drawled, a muscle bunching in my cheek. “You’re calling me names now, fangs?”

“I believed we were over this.” Tanner sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Enzo has a point, Elliot. We don’t have time to handle whatever crisis you’re going through. Have you guys noticed the way Maya’s avoiding our eyes?”

With a final lingering glance at the fanged fucker, I turned to Tanner. “She’s behaving unusually submissive,” I agreed with a grunt.

Beckett chuffed from his wolf maw.

“Attention span of a gnat,” the vampire muttered, and I bared my teeth. “Shut it, little bitch,” I spat at him.

“Anyway,” Tanner said loudly, lifting a gloved hand. “If you two are done, we need to discuss Maya.”

A rumble vibrated my chest and with a final glare, I leaned on the island. “She’s obviously feeling guilty,” I added, at least useful to the conversation, unlike the vampire.

“Agreed. She’s letting the shit we did go because of it.” Tanner fixed his gaze on Elliot. “This means we need to be on the same page. Us not getting along affects her so spit it out, what’s bothering you.” Were we about to have a counseling session for the vampire?

His nose flared and he scowled, dragging his hand through his hair. Resolve smoothed his expression.

Fuck, we were.

“I didn’t fuck with her life or mistreat her, but she looks at you three like—” His teeth clicked together, cutting off the bitter retort. A breeze would’ve snapped the vampire in half with how stiff he stood.

“Jealousy.” I chuckled. I should have known. His eyes almost sparked with violence. He wanted to tear into my throat.Where Maya was concerned, I understood that much.

Maya wrung every emotion from me with her dainty hands. I used to resent the feelings she wrought; I’d lashed out at her because of it, harsher than was warranted. I’d masked it with the intention of driving her away for her safety, but I’d taken it too far. Watching Elliot suffering with the emotions I used to grapple with made it clearer to me that fighting and lashing out was stupid. I should have taken the opportunity back then to scoop her up and disappear with her.

“Don’t fuck up. Your tantrum is pointless, and unless you’re prepared to leave her, figure your shit out.” I rolled the circular brow piercing between my thumb and pointer finger. Enough of this bullshit. I’d just gotten back to Maya; I wasn’t leaving her to sleep alone.

“Look at you, all mature and shit,” Tanner murmured.

“Shut the fuck up.” My boots thudded on the tile and softened when I stepped on the worn brown carpet. The dragon murals interspersed through the home were an overkill. A smokey dragon smell coated every surface. Being around the scent put me on edge, especially since Maya’s sweet fragrance was intertwined with an unfamiliar dragon.

The stair creaked under my weight.

Beckett loped up, and I kept pace with him. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be standing here. They’d all been bonded to Maya. If I’d been killed, I wouldn’t have returned to her as Beckett had since he was bonded. It was a tough pill to swallow.

He nudged her door, and I turned the knob. Maya sprawled with her legs and arms across the mattress, taking up the bed like a starfish on a stone. The way she sprawled out never changed. I’d missed sleeping under her legs.

Clothing no longer littered the ground, instead they lay in the corner haphazardly piled on each other like she’d tossed everything in a hurry.

I sifted my fingers through her hair, tugging at the strands that stuck in the caress. Her nose twitched, and it squeezed my chest in an unimaginable way. She was mine. I finally had her close, something that had seemed like such a far-off desire. Nothing could take her from me now.

My pretty girl would have to be wrenched from my lifeless claws; even she would not convince me to give her space.

The bed groaned under my weight as I settled on my side. Beauty marks never caught my attention before, but the fleck above the side of her lip demanded my attention. Cute, just like her.

Holding her in my arms would no longer be something I took for granted. Nor would her happiness. The others filled me in on everything that had happened before they’d come for me. She’d sacrificed herself . . . for me. The thought still floored me. How could someone as pure as her love me? I shuddered, hovering my palm over her forehead.

Maya rolled toward me, her arm flopping over and curling close to her chest.

Sleep was impossible, so I’d watch Maya until it claimed me.