Page 27 of Surge of Heat

Deciding to get back at him in the best way I can, I turn on the shower and do everything I can to scrub his scent off of me andoutof me. I know he likes it when I smell like him, but not any longer. He doesn’t get to just try to do anything he can to ruin things between Aydan and I. That’s not his right.

Evander and I are dragons. So much between us is simply because we’re dragons. I can’t even seem to separate anymore what my dragon is feeling versus what I’m feeling. Some part of me isn’t even sure I’d like, or trust, Evander without the biological component of all this. But Aydan? I know I love him. I can’t let Evander ruin that for me.

As I turn off the water, I look down and watch water running down my stomach. I touch my flat stomach, getting an image of a big pregnant belly as I think about all the unprotected sex I’ve been having lately.The birth control shot should still be working for a few more months. I just hope it works against dragon babies.

It has to, right?Right. I have enough to worry about.

I dry off, then try to find something to wear that will hide my marks, but there’s absolutely nothing. So, I put on a tanktop and steel myself for what’s about to happen. For Aydan’s reaction.It’s not going to be good.

And the worst part? I understand it. I understand that the man I love, who loves me, doesn’t want to share me with someone else. He doesn’t want to be turned away from my door with another man in my bed. This thing with Evander is just going to keep hurting him until I come up with a solution.

A solution that seems impossible.

I have a sinking feeling in my gut as I head toward the cafeteria. I try to think of possible excuses for my throat to have fresh marks, but I’m not going to lie about something so obvious. Aydan is simply going to find out that after we had sex, I had sex with Evander. What he chooses to do with that information, I have no idea.

The doors to the cafeteria slide open, and I freeze in the doorway. At one table, Granger and Aydan are eating. A few tables down, Evander is there with his own breakfast. There’s no one else in the cafeteria.

All eyes turn toward me, and I make a beeline for the buffet of food, even though I’m not at all hungry with the weight of all the stares on me. When my plate’s piled high, I turn and start to head toward Granger and Aydan but pause when their gazes move to my neck. Knowing there’s about to be a fight, and that I don’t want any part of it, I stop at the closest table and set my plate down.

Aydan is on his feet in an instant, storming toward me. Granger is at his heel, like he honestly thinks there’s something he can do to stop Aydan when he gets like this. I just wait, knowing the storm is coming, and also that there’s nothing I can do about it.

“What the fuck?” Aydan growls, gaze glued to my neck.

“Listen,” I say, holding up a hand. “I know. I’m sorry. But I did tell you things were complicated–”

“He did that to you?” Aydan asks angrily. “Did you fuck him too?”

Evander’s smug voice comes from behind him. “Several times, non-boyfriend.”

It’s like the air is sucked out of the room as Aydan whirls around. Every muscle in his body is tense as he storms toward Evander. The other man slowly rises, like he doesn’t have a carein the world, but his calm demeanor is deceiving. He’s expecting a fight. But more than that, he’s been waiting for a fight.

“Aydan!” I call after him, rising to my feet.

“You’re nothing but a piece of shit. She doesn’t want you. It’s just biology!” Aydan shouts, inches from Evander’s face.

Evander smirks. “I don’t really care as long as her biology keeps her begging for my dick.”

Aydan punches him. Evander barely moves, because he’s a damn dragon now. We’re stronger. We heal faster. This is not an even playing field.

Almost faster than I can follow, Evander punches Aydan, and he goes flying, slamming into a table, snapping it in half, and leaving Aydan on top of the broken table. He’s grabbing his face as blood runs from his cheek, and I run to his side, kneeling down beside him. His face is twisted in pain, and he’s breathing hard, but he struggles to get up.

“Stop! Don’t! You’re hurt!” I say, practically begging him to stay down.

“I’m f-fine,” he grits out, climbing to his feet.

But this time, I stay between them. “Stop. Seriously. It’s enough!”

“If he wants to try to hurt me, let him,” Evander taunts.

I whirl around. “You’re a dragon! You’re stronger than him, you know that! What you’re doing right now is cowardly and wrong.”

“He hit me first,” Evander says, eyes flashing.

“You were taunting him.” I turn back to Aydan and grab his arm. “We’re leaving. Now.”

“You’re not going with him,” Evander says, sounding truly surprised.

Looking back at him, I glare. “Try to stop me.”

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