Page 38 of Dragon's Code

“If he’s a techno fae, then does he want something from me where technology is concerned?”

“Your guess is as good as mine. All I know is that from now on, you’re not going anywhere without someone with you. I’m not going to lose you. This fucker isn’t going to touch you.” I see the silver chain of her necklace peeking out from her shirt. “Whatever you do, always wear the necklace I gave you.”

She frowns. “Why?”

I sigh. “It’s imbued with magic. I asked Syrena to do it for me when you called me to let me know you’d made it to a hospital. To let me know you were safe.”

She pulls the necklace out of her shirt. “What kind of magic?”

“Athena, I don’t really want to…it’s to protect you and it will help me find you if something happens to you.”

“Why did you do that?”

“In case something happened to you again. That way I can come find you, so you don’t have to rescue yourself. I tried to find you. Your father wasn’t doing anything. Honestly, I wanted to burn him alive, but I couldn’t do it.”

There’s a guarded look in her eyes that I can’t quite figure out. “Are you mad at me?”

“Kashton, I don’t understand. Friends don’t low jack friends. They don’t…”

“Best friends do. How many humans do the apps where you can track someone by their phone? Or have systems set up for if something happens? You didn’t know about it.”

“Is that the only reason why you gave me this?” she asks.

I stare down at the silver. “No.”

She looks down at the sealed locket. “Why else?”

“Why does it matter?”

She tucks it back in her shirt. “Because it does.”

“I was a kid, Athena. I gave it to you as a gift because I wanted you to have it. I wanted to do anything and everything to help you realize how special you were to me, even if you didn’t understand.”

ChapterTen

ATHENA

He’s holding back, hiding something from me. This isn’t like when he’s vague about his family or occupation. There’s something he’s keeping from me.

“Kashton, what is so important that you can’t just tell me?”

He shakes his head and walks away from the window and moves toward the opened adjoined door. “I think it would be good for you to meet some of the women here while I go to another meeting.”

“Is part of you not wanting me to be alone?”

“Yes. Are you pissed at me?”

“Not for trying to protect me.”

“Then what?”

“You’re keeping something from me. Not like you’re trying to keep your secrets safe, like how you’re a dragon shifter, but something about me that you’re refusing to tell me.”

It bothers me that he won’t tell me the truth. We’ve always told each other everything. We’ve always wanted to be honest about our feelings, our hopes and dreams, and beyond that we truly wanted to know everything about each other. Except, I guess who we were dating or sex or anything like that. Maybe we’re not the friends I thought we were.

“I promise, it couldn’t be less important.”

My eyes narrow and I purse my lips. My chest feels tight and the pressure I’m putting on my jaw by clenching it starts to throb with pain. “It is important though, I can see it in every part of you right now.”

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