Page 24 of Ditching the Dragon (Fated Dates)

I’ll give her a minute to collect herself.

She’ll come to realize this is what’s best.

Chapter Seven

Annie

Wick’s intense scrutiny is like having his hands on me. His warmth transfers to me as I pass by him.

My mate wants for nothing.

Mate.Who does this asshole think he is?

Mate my ass. He’s a fucking dragon and I’m human. That’s impossible.

No, the best thing I can do now is escape and figure out my next move.

Dragons are obsessive with objects they consider part of their hoard. If Wick somehow thinks that includes me, I need to escape before I’m forced into a dungeon and chains.

I don’t know much about shifter society. They’re among us but also insular. I don’t even know how dragons group together. A pod? Clutch?

He stared at me like a prized possession. The thought still gives me chills.

Instead of heading to the bathroom, I meet Violet in the abandoned employee lounge.

“Here,” she says and trades her keys and debit card for my cell phone. “He’ll never guess you’re in my car. Like you said in your text—lay low a few days and we’ll regroup.”

The keyring includes my spare apartment key, but he’ll look for me there. I need somewhere to go, to hide until the whole thing blows over.

“Thanks, Vi.”

“I already sent Milton the message that your grandmother died. I’ll use my spare key to drive your car and phone to your apartment, then come back. Your pussy must be 24-carat gold if he thinks you’re mated,” she tells me with a laugh.

“Very funny. I just need to get away from him for a little while. He’ll get bored and move on to the next shiny object.”

“I don’t know about that. Dragons are known for their steadfast obsessions. You sure you don’t want to go home with him? Might be nice to be pampered.”

“And become a forced shut in? No, thank you.”

“Suit yourself. Buy a burner and check in with me, yeah?”

We hug, and then she lets me leave first so it isn’t obvious.

Sitting in my best friend’s car, I have no idea where to go. My love of boutique coffee shops pays off, because a lot of them are in or near smaller hotels.

Plans formulate in my mind, organizing and rearranging the options.

To a library first, where I use the public computers to transfer several thousand dollars to Violet from my account.

Now, I need to max out a few ATMs until I’ve got a comfortable cash cushion to run with.

I’ll hole up in a hotel for a week and ride out my dragon’s misguided focus.

After several hours of driving in circles as a precaution, the fourth hotel I go to gives me a room without a credit card on hold.

The woman behind the counter gave me a grim smile when I asked to pay in cash for a week in advance. She didn’t even flinch when I provided a name for the reservation that was not on my driver’s license. She probably thinks I’m running fromsomething awful. I’m a thousand percent certain she broke a rule—or five—for me, but I’m not about to get her in trouble for it.

With my room key in hand, I move Violet’s car to the lowest level of a parking garage a half mile and several hotels away. A quick stop at a convenience store and a neighboring bookstore, and I find my way to my room with a giant bag of snacks, a burner, a few romance and puzzle books, and a lighter mood.

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