Page 31 of So I Dared a Dragon

“You’re right.” A chill went down my spine. “Do you have any theories what it might be?”

“Not yet, but I’m glad we’re in this together.” She gave her head a slight shake. “We should head out there.”

The setup brought tears to my eyes. The forest wasn’t safe right now, so Bibi and the crew had found a way to bring the forest to us. They'd brought in trees and flowers to create the scene. Tables were set up under string lights, but they were all bare.

A strong gust of wind blew, and the temperature rose with Aarix’s arrival. There was no mistaking that not only was he a man who belonged to a different world, but he was also insanely powerful.

I was sure I’d enjoy many parts of this episode, but watching this dragon remember who the fuck he was would definitely be one of my favorites.

He didn’t come alone—I’d invited Magnus and Luca to join us. Everything was unfamiliar to them, and they’d just escaped one prison. They deserved better than being stuck in a hotel room.

Aarix wore a black button-down shirt than hugged his muscular frame and accommodated his wings. The dragons probably hadn’t shifted since they arrived in Sunset Springs, but the sun exposure had yet to make them more human.

As much as it hurt my heart, I had to admit it turned me on. But the way Aarix looked at me, with his green eyes sparkling like precious jewels, wasn’t the only thing that gave me butterflies.

It was the element of danger being with him promised.

“Greetings, everyone!” Bibi arrived on set, bright and bubbly, like she hadn’t just been investigating a major security breach. “I’m so excited that this episode is officially underway.”

I hoped no one asked me how I was feeling because I was definitely looking at everything differently after Marissa’s revelation. Her theory that all these seemingly unconnected events very much were intertwined made it more feasible that someone on the crew was the one threatening me.

But why?

“Calista.” I jumped when Bibi said my name. “What will we be doing tonight?”

I was doubting everything. I hadn’t wanted to postpone the date, but seeing these dragons, so trusting…Aarix with eyes only for me, while Luca and Magnus chatted with Bjorn about camera stuff.

The enemy could be right here. Laughing and joking with us.

They wouldn’t get the best of us. I threw my shoulders back and smiled at Aarix. “Have you ever done wine and paint night?”

He shook his head, his gaze never leaving my body. “I like wine, art, and spending time with you.”

Heat rose in my cheeks…and everywhere else. “Good, because we’re doing it our own way tonight.”

“Ooooh, do tell.” Only a dragon could make me forget that Bibi was here. “Calista was always very artistic. Unfortunately, that wasn’t always encouraged in our pack.”

She gave a tight smile, and Aarix furrowed his brow.

“We all had duties, and we were expected to help our alpha realize his plan. Which was always destructive.” I sighed. “I know you can sympathize with that.”

“You never spoke much about your pack,” he said. “I could tell they hurt you.”

“It’s not that they hurt us.” I felt comfortable including Bibi in this explanation. “But they didn’t celebrate our individuality. We were all supposed to serve our alpha on their latest unhinged mission against whatever pack got in their way. We had more alphas than I could count because they had a tendency to get themselves killed.”

Bibi shuddered in confirmation, and I had a terrible thought.

“Have you heard from any of them lately?” I asked.

“Not since I let Declan know you had been found, safe and sound.” She grimaced. “It was a short conversation that only covered the necessities. Why do you ask?”

“Just curious.” We’d have to talk later. I didn’t want to let Aarix know about the latest note. Not tonight. This dragon deserved to have a little fun. I needed to keep control of the narrative before I let something slip. I turned back to him. “I thought it would be fun to see what you’d create. Usually when we do wine and paint nights, we have a facilitator and it’s a paint-by-number situation. But tonight, I thought we might work together and use the mountains as our inspiration?”

“I’d like that.” Aarix said.

“Excellent!” Bibi exclaimed. “This will be your table, and your supplies are right here. I’ll be on the other side of the table, working on my own design, and I’ll occasionally ask some questions. The camera crew will be capturing everything.”

Aarix and I settled at our table, with the easel in the middle. He was so big, his legs hardly fit underneath. It would make painting a challenge. Bibi set up at the end of the table and dove into her supply box.

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