Page 13 of Wild for the Wyvern

She stares up at me. “I think the keys are still in this thing.” She pants and swallows. “I’m just going to drive myself back and you can do whatever.”

My heart hurts as if it’s being ripped from my chest. A roar breaks free.

Holding her ears, she crouches behind the vehicle.

I shift back to a man and shake off the change. “I can drive you back.”

“No. I. I’m sorry. I’m sure that whatever you are is fine. I’m. It’s. I’m not wise enough to know what this is between us. I can’t…” She shakes her head. “My life has had enough drama. This,” she gestures to me, “is too much.”

“I’m a man and I’m in love with you. Nothing, not even you rejecting me, will change that, Kori.” She should know the truth, and I pray it’s enough to keep her from running away.

She opens the SUV door. “Don’t say that. You can’t love me. I have a job in the city and a weird little life where nothing interesting ever happens. It’s enough. I’m sorry.”

I want to stop her and tell her that everything is going to be alright. I long to comfort her, but she’s terrified of me.

As she drives away, I shift and fly overhead to make sure she gets back to the resort safely. When she parks in the long lot tothe west of the main door, I land and shift under the cover of the trees. Stepping into the light of the streetlamps, I say, “Please, Kori. I just want to say a few things before you run out of my life forever. Please.”

Tears streaming down her face and makeup smeared in rivulets of black, she stops and lowers her gaze to the pavement. “I can’t stay with you. Even if that was what I wanted.”

Now I know what heartbreak really feels like. I suppose I never thought it would feel so literal, but my chest is on fire and so tight, it might explode. “I understand. This is a shock. I’m not human and you have other notions about what the man you’ll love will be. We only met yesterday, and all of this is too much too fast.”

“I’m sorry,” she says for the third time.

“Please stop apologizing. None of this is your fault. I’m long past the year when my mate should have crossed my path. I thought it would never happen to me. I thought the nymph would suffice for a life partner. Nothing prepared me for you. I should have found a way to give you more time. Yesterday when we made love, the knotting almost happened and then it would have been harder to turn back. I had to show you what I am, but now you’re afraid of me.” My guts are in pieces. How do people survive this? “My mother tried to tell me long ago that when a monster meets his or her mate, it’s like lightning come to life and striking a million times. I thought she was being dramatic. “It is me who should apologize. I didn’t do any of this right. I hope you’ll remember some parts of the last two days as happy memories. I know that I will always hold you in my heart, Kori.”

Turning, I walk into the shadow of the woods.

Her soft crying is the last thing I hear before shifting and flying into the night sky. Once I see her hunched form enter the building, I head for my mountain.

Six

Kori

It’s been a week since my life turned upside down. I go to work and stay past my shift. I come home so exhausted that I pass out on my couch so I don’t have to think about Drayce. It’s supposed to be my day off, but I can’t risk the thinking time, so I walk into the restaurant.

Walley rounds the bar. He’s a burly man of six feet with a heart of gold. It’s rare for anyone in the New York restaurant business to continue to be kind when the world we live in is so cutthroat. He waves his hands at me and points toward the door. “No. Go home, Kori.”

“I’m fine, Walley. I can help Lydia with prep for tonight.” I don’t like the whine creeping into my voice.

He puts a hand on each of my shoulders and looks me in the eye. “I don’t know what happened while you were on vacation, but I’m here if you want to talk about it. Otherwise, you need to get out of here. You can’t work doubles every day and then come in on your day off.”

What would I tell him? I fell in love with a gorgeous man who seemed to adore me, but he turned out to be a wyvern shifter who thinks I’m his true mate. Um no. I can’t say that to anyone. They’d throw me in Bellevue faster than I can say wyvern.

“Just let me work a few hours, please.”

“What happened upstate?” His eyes are full of sympathy. “Did you fight with one of those friends of yours?”

“No. I’m fine,” I lie, but I tell myself, it’s only half a lie.

He nods and draws his lips into a thin line. He’s not buying it. “Good. Go home or go out, but you cannot work today or tomorrow and if you keep showing up when it’s not your shift, I’m going to make you take another week off.”

“Ugh, why are you doing this to me?” I turn and head for the door.

“Yes, I’m the worst.” He laughs.

Going back, I give the greatest boss in the world a hug.

“If you won’t tell me who did this to you, go find your friend Dean and talk to him. You can’t keep things all bottled up like this.” He walks me to the door and shows me out.

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