Page 65 of Don't Fae With Dragons

He laughs bitterly, grabbing my legs tighter as I try to wriggle out of his grip. “Nope. Next time you’ll think before snapping at me for no reason, hm?”

I growl again and wriggle around in a futile attempt to get down. I briefly consider trying to fly off to escape, but with the vice grip Cory has on my thighs, I think it would be pointless. Mymind centers on the feeling of his thick arm around my legs, and I briefly flush with heat before I remind myself how irritated I am.

As we near the town courtyard, I tap Cory’s back,begginghim to put me down before the neighbors see me. I don’t think it would be great for morale (or the shifters’ reputation) for Cory to be seen carrying me around despite my protests.

“Cory, come on! Please put me down,” I whine.

“Don’t think so,” is all he replies.

Port walks beside Cory, so I can’t see him, but I swear I hear him laughing. I’d like to make some snippy comment about it, but I figure that would make my predicament worse. Instead, I just sit as Cory walks me all the way across the town courtyard. We pass Halenius and his mother, Helennia, and I smile apologetically at them as they stare, bewildered.

Finally, long after I’ve suffered enough humiliation, we arrive at my cottage. It’s early morning, so I anticipate that Aurora will just be going to sleep. I say a silent prayer that she’s inside the cottage and doesn’t see Cory carrying me around town.

Cory arrives at the front gate and I wait for him to let me down, but first he says, “Are you going to be nice, now?”

“Oh, don’t lecture me,” I groan.

“Fine, then. We’ll just wait out here all day. Do you mind, Port?” he asks. I can hear his grin in his voice, and it charms me as much as it irks me.

Port shakes his head and replies, “I’m not in any rush.”

“Don’t encourage him!” I gasp, shocked at his indifference to my plight.

Then Port walks around and kneels on the ground below me so we’re eye level. He smiles up at me, and I roll my eyes, a smile blooming on my face despite my efforts to stay annoyed.

“What, Port?” I grumble through my grin.

“Don’t you want to see your friend, Aurora? I don’t think Cory’s going to let you down until you promise him to behave,” he whispers, faux-conspiratorial.

I scoff. “I will if he will.”

Port shrugs, beaming. “That sounds like a decent compromise. Cory?”

“I don’t take orders from faeries,” he growls.

I roll my eyes and Port bites back a laugh, but he stands and claps a hand on Cory’s shoulder amiably. “I think it’s a polite request, my friend. What do you say?”

Cory sighs loudly, but sets me down. I dust myself off dramatically, making sure he sees me quietly rolling my eyes. He smirks at me, though, and I know he’s had as much fun teasing me as I expected. I bite my lip as I gaze up at him, helplessly enjoying the sight of his effortlessly confident smile and his hair shining in the rising Sun.

“I quite liked the view on that walk.” Port comes over to whisper in my ear.

I gasp and spin to face him, flushing immediately at his suggestiveness. He shrugs, smiling warmly, and I step close to him in hopes of getting him hot and bothered, too.

Then a door creaks faintly and a voice rings out, “Mili?”

I whirl around to face the front door, where Aurora is standing with an unreadable expression on her face. She has one hand on the doorknob, and her knuckles look white from strain.

“Oh, Realm’s Mother,” I breathe out. “Aurora.”

Despite all my reservations to see her, I realize I had hoped we’d have some sort of warm reunion. I didn’t want romance, or anything, but it would have been nice if she seemed at least a little happy to see me. Relieved, at least –I vanished without a trace for weeks, didn’t I?

Instead, Aurora simply sighs heavily and walks back into the cottage, letting the door hang open behind her. Apparently, that’s all the invitation I’m going to get.

I turn to Port, who’s wincing empathetically. “Should we wait out here for you?” he asks.

“I guess that might be best,” I murmur. I turn to Cory, then, and he brushes a hand over my furrowed brows to smooth them out. I sigh and force myself to relax with his touch, which seems to bring him some relief. “We’ll wait right outside the door.”

“You can go back to town, if you want?” I reply, confused at his seriousness.

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