Page 26 of Prince of Tides
Angrily, I put on sweatpants and a sleeveless shirt, then paced through the penthouse suite, growling and shaking my head, trying to figure out what I should do. Part of me wanted to race down after her and make sure she couldn’t leave. But was that therightthing to do?
“Stupid mirror,” I snarled at nobody in particular, irked at how little it had shown me before sucking me through and putting me in a situation that benefited nobody.
She’s engaged? Why is my mate engaged to someone else?
True, I was pretty certain the engagement was over, but then again, people were always doing dumb things in the name of love. I had no idea if she would end up reconciling with him. Not that she should, nor did I want her to. Now that I’d had a taste of her, a tease, I wanted more. Not just one night.
I wanted a lifetime with her.
Spinning around, I stared at the door. The fingers of my right hand curled and uncurled half a dozen times.
“Is this the smart thing to do?” I asked the air hypothetically. “No, of course not. Not at all. She wanted to get away from you. You scared her off. She just slept with you hours after dumping her fiancé. Her mind is probably a mess. You chasing after her is probably not going to help the situation.”
I took in a breath.
“But you’re going to do it anyway, aren’t you?”
Yup.
I tore from the suite like a demon, but instead of turning right to the elevator, I went left. The door to the stairs somehow stayed on its hinges as I barged through it. I didn’t bother with the stairs. They were too slow.
Instead, I hopped over the railing and dropped down the center of the stairwell. Levels flew by far faster than an elevator could go. I whipped past several people going down who yelped as the bottom quickly approached.
Once I reached the last few levels, I darted my hand out and steadied myself on the concrete, slowing my progress. I still hit the ground hard enough that I had to drop to one knee and concrete cracked under my fist, but I was up and moving in seconds, hurrying into the parking garage.
I just had to hope I hadn’t waited too long.
Sucking in air to bellow her name, I stopped as I saw the ongoing struggle by her car door.
“You’re mine,” Eric hissed, my ears easily picking up his voice.
A red filter dropped over my vision.
His? She washis?
I thought not.
Gliding forward through the rows of parked cars, I approached like death’s silent wings, making no sound. Scales like the aquamarine depths of fabled ocean waters glittered into being on my arms, rising up my neck.
Only when I lifted a hand did I notice what was going on. Cursing, I ducked behind a car, working to control my fury. Neither of them knew I was a dragon, and for the moment, I intended to keep it that way. Which meant not showing up covered in dragon scales.
“Letgo!” Laurie cried.
It was followed by awhackand a yelp.
I was on my feet in an instant, scales gone, but I no longer cared if they came back. I noticed that Eric had recoiled and was holding his face while Laurie was shaking a hand.
It was with that feral grin on my face that I made my entry, inserting myself into their interaction with authority. One moment, Eric was there, and the next, he was skidding across the concrete and slamming into a support pillar.
“Did you hit him?” I asked, staring into the car at my mate.
“Yes,” she said, hissing in pain. “That shithurts.”
I let out a single bark of laughter. “Feisty. I like it.”
Laurie looked up, her eyes wet and wide but still full of vigor. That changed to anger as she looked past me. I heard Eric moving as he stood up.
“One moment,” I told her casually, spinning to face Eric as he approached me, his arms slightly wide like a gorilla with his fingers curled into fists. His face was hardened with fury, and he was all but foaming at the mouth.
