Page 89 of Dragon's Honor

“I think we’re both having a hard time. Between my connection to Grey…”

“Yeah, Gavin mentioned something about that. What happened?”

“I don’t remember much. I was a little girl in an alley. It was raining. I’d been mad at my mom and lost her in the crowd on purpose. I saw things… A dead body. And then this man, who it turns out was Grey, cornered me. He was really charming and then all of the sudden he was a monster. He grabbed me, bit my arm while he pinned me against the wall of the building. I tried to scream, but I couldn’t. Eventually, he stopped, and he told me he would find me again and just like he was gone.”

Pru shook her head. “That’s awful. I can’t even imagine.”

Finley let out a low sigh. “I spent a lot of my life trying to figure out if what I saw was real or not, because everyone kept telling me I’d made a pervert human into a monster because it was the only way I knew how deal with being attacked in the alley. They told me I cut myself on something in the alley. No one believed me. Olivia was always supportive, but even she didn’t believe me. Now I know it was real, and I think that’s so much worse than thinking I’m crazy.”

“Reality is always worse than the stuff we can make up. I’m sorry that happened to you. But it would seem that you were always going to end up here.”

Finley chuckled. “When you put it like it like that…”

Gavin had a tray of food and drinks. He set everything down. “Eat,” he said as he sat down.

“Where is your heartstone?” Gavin asked looking at her naked wrist.

Finley drew her hand against herself, rubbing her wrist. She didn’t like the absence of it either. “I left it with Ash. If the heartstone can protect you…”

“What’s protecting you?” Gavin snapped.

Pru stiffened in her seat. “Gavin…”

He looked over at his mate. “I’m calling Ash. The two of you need to work this out. You’re both being dumb and putting each other at risk.”

Finley shook her head. “I’m going to go sit with Olivia. I just want her to be safe. I just want this to all be over with. There doesn’t seem to be an end in sight.” She stood up and gathered her stuff. “Please show me where Olivia is.”

Gavin took a couple of seething breaths. “You human females are a menace.”

Pru smirked. “He says that because I’ve caused him plenty of stress and heartburn over the course of our relationship. In fact, it took him a long time to court me and claim me.”

Gavin snorted and leaned back in his seat. “It was amazing I didn’t end up lost to the craze completely.”

Pru giggled. “I came around.”

“It’s Ash who doesn’t know what he wants,” Finley said quietly. “I was open to all of this, but he’s the one who has been yanking me around. He thinks I’m a distraction. He has his duty and he’s committing to it. I’m not going to stand in his way.”

“That’s exactly where you should be standing,” Gavin replied. “It takes two. You took off the heartstone. That’s the same thing as throwing an engagement ring back in his face.”

Finley shifted uncomfortably on her feet. Was that how he was going to see it? “I gave it to him to protect him.”

“You need protection too.”

Finley shook her head. “I’m no one.”

Gavin and Pru both stared at her and then exchanged a meaningful look.

“May I please go see my sister?”

Pru stood up and grabbed Finley’s plate and drink. “Come on, I’ll help you. You really should eat something.”

Finley smiled weakly. “Thank you.”

As they headed down the stone steps into the basement, Finley asked, “How does this place have a basement when it’s right on the beach?”

“Magic. This place has been around for a very long time. It’s a sanctuary for dragons mostly. A larimar dragon was the keeper before Gavin. He was the last of the larimar dragons before they went extinct. It’s secured with larimar witch magic. They’re ancient sea dragons. They know how to deal with water.”

“Makes sense,” Finley replied.

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