Page 19 of Fated to the Grumpy Dragon
“Emma,” I said, turning and placing a hand on both of her shoulders.
She looked at them then at me, her eyes still blue and bright. Much of the color had returned to her cheeks though she was still pale and definitely not energetic. The healing process wouldrequire a lot of energy. Which meant food. I could give her that … if she would just come with me.
“You can trust me,” I said, meeting her gaze and not looking away. “I amnotgoing to hurt you.”
Her soft pink lips pursed outward. I wondered what they would be like to kiss. So soft and gentle. Would she—
I cut that thought off with a vicious mental chop. Now wasnotthe time for that. In another section of my head, my dragon bared its teeth. It thought now was perfect. Of course, it was a brute animal and had no concept of dignity.
The reply I sensed more than thought could have easily been translated to What dignity?I chose to ignore it. Like an adult.
“I …” Emma said, blinking rapidly, likely trying to decipher my wild stream of emotions.
I felt bad for her. It was all coming so fast and without any explanation.
“You can feel it,” I said. “I know you can. If I wanted to hurt you, I would have just let you dangle from the side of the boat like a jacket on a coat rack.”
She couldn’t help it. She snorted laughter through her closed mouth. “That’s mean.”
“I’m serious. You were just hanging there like a tassel on the end of a bike handle.”
“Stop,” she giggled, a very high-pitched girlish sound.
I inhaled sharply as blood surged between my legs.
“What was that?” she asked in a sharper tone.
“Nothing,” I said tightly, fighting down the sudden urge to take her right then and there that was burning in me like the heat of my flame. “Just … we need to go.”
“Why is that making you so anxious?” she asked. “Everything’s okay. Except for the boat owner’s harpoon, I suppose. Yet you’re so uncomfortable.”
My heart was racing for multiple reasons. “I’ll explain it alllater. I just need you to trust me. Please.”
She touched the scale. My eyes narrowed as I saw her fingers trembling. A moment later, a wave of panic and shock washed through me, strong enough to sway me backward.
I kept my feet. Emma didn’t.
“I should be dead,” she repeated as the weight of it all came crashing back down.
Before her eyes had even rolled back into her head, I was moving, scooping her up in my arms and holding her tight to my chest as she fainted.
Without a second thought, I turned and headed for the shoreline, ignoring the crowd that had formed. Eyes were wide, watching me as I approached, flicking up and down, noting the blood drenching both of us.
I set my jaw, and the crowd parted, sensing I did not want to stop and talk. Which was great because, at that moment, I wanted to be the one doing the fainting.
What had I been thinking?! A scale? On this woman?
Idiot. Idiot. Idiot.
There was no other explanation. I’d panicked in the heat of the moment, and in saving her life, I’d done possibly the stupidest possible thing I could. I was sure Emma would confirm that once I explained all the consequences of the scale to her.
In full, vitriolic detail, no less. I was in for it.
But first, I had to get us out of the city and back up the bluffs. There we could get clean, eat, and relax, at least.
“Rhyse.”
Oh, come on.
