Page 21 of Awaken the Dragon
He would have to let her go. Those words rolled around in his head, sparking a memory from far away, one he’d much rather forget. They hadn’t wanted him to go, she’d said so, and he’d felt his father’s rage but Theo had made up his mind; there’d been nothing left for him in the Far Realm.
He dropped his hands from Shola’s bare arms and took a step back. When she’d slipped her feet into her slippers, he walked toward one of the doorways to this room, the one facing the back of the house.
“Where are we going?”
“This way will get us to the west wing faster.”
“This place is like a maze,” she said, falling in step beside him.
“I guess it could be to those who aren’t familiar with it.”
“Do you even let people become familiar with it? I mean, do you invite people here to socialize?”
The question wasn’t as odd as it should have been to him. Humans socialized. They worked and built connections and formed families, lives, etcetera. All things that he’d decided his human half would never need.
“No. The Towers is the building I own in downtown Burgess. That’s where I host all business meetings.”
“So why is that building called the Towers and this one called the Office? Seems backward to me.”
They were nearing the stairwell, passing through a narrow walkway where the cool stone walls glistened with moisture. He stopped and she stared up at him. There was no way he was telling her that naming his home the Office was an attempt to throw off anyone or any being that may suspect who and what he really was on this realm.
“I thought it was clever,” was his reply and he hoped it would satisfy her curiosity.
She shrugged.
“I don’t get you, Shola. Why you’re here, why you’re marrying a man you obviously know nothing about, how this is all going to turn out for you. I don’t get any of that.”
“You are not supposed to.” The words were spoken softly just before her tongue skated over her lower lip.
His gaze followed the action before he forced himself to look into her eyes once more. She was engaged to another man. Above all the other issues that came with her, that was the biggest. Poaching was not a trait he indulged in.
“Tell me what I’m supposed to do, Shola. I’m a little confused here. You, this job, nothing is as it seems.”
He was pleasantly startled when she lifted a hand to touch the side of his face. “You are not as you seem. Your eyes—”
Shit! Theo blinked and turned his face away from her touch. He stepped back, only to slam into the wall behind him.
“I’ll take you to your room.” The words rushed out of him and he started up the steps. She was dangerous for more reasons than tracer demonics or some man that probably didn’t deserve her.
They didn’t speak again until he was turning the knob and pushing her door open.
“I would offer to tuck you in but—”
“I can do it myself.”
She took a step into the room and Theo grabbed her arm.
“What else can you do, Shola?”
Theo knew she was different. He’d even been entertaining thoughts that she was magickal, but his questions were taking him in circles. He needed her to tell him.
She lowered her head and stared down at his hand on her. “Not this,” she said and shook her head. “My purpose is bigger than this.”
He watched as she eased out of his grip and stepped farther into the room before closing the door. Theo lifted a hand, touching his palm to the door where he could not only hear her heartbeat, but now felt it vibrating through the wood.
She had a purpose for being here.
And she acknowledged “this,” whatever it was brewing between them.
