Page 19 of Protector Dragon's Shattered Mate

“Ready?” Levi asked. He held his hand out to her.

“Not one bit,” she said.

“It will be fine,” he said. “Kellan and his brothers are very laid back.”

She nodded. There were really no words that could reassure her that this would work out. “Too bad it’s cold. If you were here in April through October, we’d be having a pool party.”

That would have been a nice distraction. She knew nothing about dinner parties. She’d never been to one. From the few movies she’d seen, she thought she was supposed to take a dish, or a gift like flowers. But she had nothing. She couldn’t even pick wildflowers, because all the flowers already belonged to Kellan.

She didn’t even have any clothes that didn’t belong to Clara, Kellan’s wife. Earlier that day Levi had shown her the pool house which was equipped with a shower. It even had fancy shampoo, and extra toothbrushes. She’d indulged, scrubbing every inch of her body. She’d brushed her hair and let it air dry and then put on a fresh outfit of Clara’s.

She felt more presentable walking into Kellan’s house, even empty-handed. Levi’s hand in hers helped.

She’d pictured a scene from those movies she’d seen, with everyone seated around a long table, with ceramic plates and folded cloth napkins. Kellan’s house was certainly big enough to imply that the dinner would look like that.

But that was not the scene that greeted them. She didn’t even see a table. There were certainly no folded napkins or silverware lined up in a row.

Instead, there was a kitchen countertop absolutely covered in food. Meat, cheese, fruit, vegetables, cookies, and cake. There were drinks everywhere too—iced tea, sodas, beer, and juice boxes. And everyone was standing up and talking loudly. The kids that were there were darting in and out, grabbing grapes and orange slices and cookies in their hands.

“Hey, use a plate,” Quinn said, grabbing one of the kids by the shoulder. The kid laughed hysterically, ignoring Quinn.

“See,” Levi said. “It’s chaos.”

The next morning,they got ready to leave at daybreak. Levi was going to drive them in his truck, because it wasn’t practical for them to go as shifters. Levi couldn’t be seen by humans, and Sofia did not blend in in Texas. Levi appeared to enjoy himself during their dinner, and they’d slept curled up together in the barn. But now that they were driving away from Cedar Lake, he was tense and quiet.

Sofia had no idea what to say to make it better. If she complained, she’d look ungrateful. If she tried to cajole him, she’d look like she was badgering him. It was a lose-lose situation for her. So, small talk was her only choice. She shifted on his plush leather seat. His truck was really nice. “Have you been to Arkansas before?” she asked.

“Yes,” he said.

That was it.

She pressed her lips together and watched the scenery go by. The scrubbier grass got greener and soon the trees were thick along the side of the highway. They got to the Ouachita National Forest by 2:00 p.m.

“We’ll have to go the rest on foot,” he said. “They’ve got their bikes stored nearby, and they’re camping in the woods.” He parked the truck and locked it. “It’s the biggest forest in Arkansas, and the oldest national forest in the United States,” he said.

She wasn’t sure why he was telling her all those facts. Not that she didn’t want to know… But he’d said almost nothing for hours and now he was spouting off like an encyclopedia. “It’sbeautiful,’ she said. And it was. In many ways, it reminded her of the forests in North Dakota where she’d grown up.

They hiked for hours. “Do you mind if I stop and look at these plants?” she asked.

“This is your trip,” he said. “We can do whatever you want.”

He didn’t say it in a sarcastic way, but it still stung. However, itwastrue. They weren’t here because Levi found the forest fascinating. They were here because she wanted to explore a life as a full-time shifter.

When the sun set, Levi paused. “I need to hunt,” he said.

She was hungry too, but she assumed the metabolism of a dragon shifter was even faster than hers was. They folded their clothes into a neat pile and shifted. She quickly found a small brown rabbit and a gray squirrel. Levi found a deer. They ate their quarry, and then rinsed off in a clear stream.

Levi transformed back into his human form and pulled on his jeans. “We’re still a few hours from their camp. We should rest.”

She was not looking forward to any more awkward silence, but he had gone out of his way to come with her, and she didn’t want to be difficult.

“I think I’m going to stay human for the night,” she said. She wanted to be able to talk to him if he wanted. This could be their last night together. Ever. Her throat burned. She didn’t want to walk away from him forever.

“I will too then,” Levi said.

He’d brought a backpack and he laid a blanket out on the ground. She lay down first, and then he joined her, not touching her. They lay there in silence. He rolled to his side, and his back was to her. The trees were so thick that the stars weren’t visible, but she found she only wanted to look at Levi.

If this was the last night they’d spend together, then she wasn’t going to squander it. She inched closer to him. With atentative hope, she put her hand out and slowly let it rest on his shoulder.

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