Page 14 of Rejected By Dragons

I waver, tempted. Oh, what the hell. I take it from her and turn to look for the fitting room.

What I find instead is freaking Jasmine.

She's standing right behind me, her hand wrapped around an iced coffee cup. She takes a sip from the straw and sneers. "I didn't know they let people bring their dogs in here."

My face burns with humiliation, but as usual, the fire inside me flares. "Well, they must, or a bitch like you wouldn't be allowed in, either."

Sebastian steps out from behind a pillar, his eyes wide with mock shock. "Oooh, burn."

I glance around and spot a few more of their friends beside him. It's not as big of an entourage as the would-be queen of the Air Kingdom usually has following around behind her, but still enough that I'll be in trouble if this gets out of hand.

Which it definitely seems like it might.

"Now listen, you little shit--" Jasmine takes a step closer, anger rising to her surface. I can almost smell the smoke of her dragon breathing into her lungs.

I take a step forward, too, gripping the hanger of the dress tight enough to hurt my palms. Other than my aunt being xenophobic and weird, it had been a nice day out. It's not that often that I get included in family outings, but Brynn insisted. I'd been having a good time.

But the elites of this town can't let me have a single moment to myself, can they?

I'm ready to tell Jasmine off in no uncertain terms.

Then the bell over the door rings. In walks Fury and a few other of their friends, and fine. Whatever. I was already outnumbered. It's not like it's going to make a big difference, adding a few more assholes to the mix.

Or so I think, until a familiar frame darkens the door. My breathing stops as that unmistakable face comes into view. Those dark eyes and dark hair and chiseled jaw.

Shit.

Storm's gaze meets mine across the length of the shop. My heart takes off, the same way it always does when he's near. But a deep pit of dread opens up just below it.

Storm and Fury are brothers, and he's never tried to hide the fact that sometimes they hang out. It's been ages since I ran into them all together, though.

An impossible hope forms behind my ribs. Maybe Storm will step in. He could intervene and tell Jasmine and Fury to lay off. Maybe they'd even listen.

He darts his gaze around the store, spotting Sebastian and the rest of their friends. His jaw hardens when he catches sight of Jasmine, getting ready to square off against me.

But then he looks to me again. Any hope I might have harbored pops like a balloon, leaving me deflated and sinking. An apology smolders in his black eyes.

He can't do anything to help. Not without exposing himself to the same ridicule. I might be able to take it, but the stakes are higher for a prince. He has too much to lose.

A part of me wants to curl up and die, but I force myself to return my attention to the bitch in front of me. Cruelty sparks in her eyes. She always has been a sadist.

Instinctively, I put my hand to my heart.

The line she scratched into my chest the other day hasn't quite healed. The broken skin burns, but not from the memory of the pain.

It's from the memory of Storm putting his lips to my breast. Looking at the wound and cursing his friends and promising to try to talk some sense into them.

But he's powerless. Trapped.

Just like me.

Refusing to look at him again, I focus my gaze squarely on Jasmine. "Look, I'm just here try on a dress for the Emergence--"

Too late, it hits me. I've given too much away.

"The Emergence?" Jasmine cackles. She cranes her neck to Fury, who's come to join her at her side. "Did you hear that? The reject is going to the Emergence again."

Fury's laugh is even darker. "You haven't embarrassed yourself enough?"

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