If she couldn’t get a grip, then she’d have to leave her job behind, no matter how much she loved him.
19
Eli
Eli didn’t know what it was like for Ava, but for him, being at work with her each day was agony.
He missed her.
He’d had a few perfect days, and then the damned aliens had ruined everything. If he was honest, it wasn’t even the aliens’ fault. It could have happened at any time. Demons could have invaded again. Or another hostile coven of witches could have shown up. Or they could have dated long enough that he simply needed to tell her.
In fact, in some ways, it wasn’t fair to sleep with her and not tell her that any child they conceived together would be a dragon shifter. Having only dated other shifters, that was an oversight on his part.
Fallon, a Fae who was part of the group in the Texas clan, had slept with a dragon shifter during a one-night stand. They’d conceived a child. Fortunately for Fallon, she was a Fae and aware that her infant would have talents and strength beyond that of a human. But what if Fallon hadn’t known? The results were too disastrous to consider.
But Ava wasn’t pregnant. He’d be able to tell if she’d conceived his child. He was glad, but if he’d gotten her pregnant, he would have been thrilled to raise a child with her no matter what.
In the time that he was away from the lab, he tried to keep himself busy. His astronomy equipment had taken on a more crucial role in his life, as he now actually needed to keep an eye out for any unusual interstellar activity.
So far, he’d had zero blips on the radar. The four alien DNA thieves had not resurfaced. But if they did, he’d be ready for them. He’d alerted not only his friends in Ireland but his entire clan and all of the shifters in Texas as well. He’d told his cousin in NASA, too, so he’d agreed to keep an eye out from Houston and even see if he could get some of Eli’s data mentioned to some of the officials without giving away what happened.
But even his monitoring of the skies didn’t take up all his free time. He still had hours where he didn’t have much to do. That had never bothered him before, not before Ava. In fact, he’d soaked up the spare time, happy to be able to do what he wanted in his off-hours.
But now, each moment was spent with a dull ache. His dragon missed her, too.
Mate. Mate. Mate, he’d growl late at night.
But there was nothing Eli could do to make it better for his dragon. He wanted her back, too. But he wasn’t going to push. He was going to give her the time and space she’d asked for. And in a few months, possibly when she’d graduated and received her PhD, then he’d ask her out on a date again. Maybe then, when she was no longer his assistant but a full research scientist, he could ask for a second chance. It was possible that she’d choose not to work in his lab. Any lab anywhere in the world would be lucky to have her on staff.
At this point, he was just glad she was still speaking to him.
Then, everything changed. For the worse.
On a Thursday several weeks after their encounter with the aliens, she came to his office after the lab was closed. She tapped on his doorframe, just like she always did. “Can I come in?” she asked.
“Of course.” His pulse sped up just from the sight of her. She was in scrubs that day because they’d been working with samples. She had her hair pulled up into a loose ponytail, and her cheeks were pink. She’d never looked better to him.
She dropped herself into the chair across from him and folded her hands into her lap. “I have something to tell you.”
Fuck. That was ominous. He nodded. “Go ahead.”
“I’m going to leave.”
His blood froze. This was worse than he’d expected. “The lab?”
“No. The state.”
“Why?”
She looked down at her hands. “It’s time. I’ve overstayed my welcome here.”
His voice came out steady, which was a surprise to him. “You really haven’t. Not at this lab.”
She bit down on her lip. “I need to move on. It’s time.”
What could he say? He could tell her no. That would only make her mad. He could ask her to stay or offer her an incentive. “Is there anything I can do to convince you otherwise?”
“No, I’ve decided.”
No. Mate. His dragon pushed at him, nearly causing him to lose control.
He looked down to see his hands balled into fists. If he wasn’t careful, he’d transform right here in his office.
Stop it, he said to his dragon. You don’t want to scare her.
“Your eyes are yellow,” she said. “Does that mean…”
Well, shit. His dragon had pushed too hard. “I apologize.” He stood up. He wanted her close, but he didn’t trust himself with her at that moment. “Let me know if you need any letters of recommendation. I’ll be happy to write one.” He walked from his office. He had to get some fresh air. It wasn’t possible for him to struggle to breathe, and yet that’s exactly what he found himself doing.
He went quickly down the corridor, ignoring everyone in the hallways. When he reached the front door, he heard Ava’s voice calling out to him.
“Eli!” she said. She grabbed his arm just as he made it to his car. “Wait.”
He looked down at the spot where she was holding onto him, and she let go.
Take her. Mine. Go.
That was exactly what he didn’t need to do. He wasn’t going to take her anywhere. Not when she was trying to cut all ties with him. She was leaving. Moving away—from him. For good. The sound of her words reverberated in his head, bouncing through his skull over and over.
“You need to leave me alone right now,” he said. He registered the hurt in her eyes, but that didn’t matter. Her safety was the most important thing, and he wasn’t safe for her to be around.
“Eli…” Her eyes teared up. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I just can’t do this anymore.”
“I’m not upset, but my instincts are a little hard to control right now.” Just admitting that much was humiliating. Eli had always had an iron grip on his instincts, even as a hatchling. When the other children had been too rough, or too impulsive, or too destructive, Eli had maintained his composure. Even at five years old, he’d been able to apply logic to his problems and make the most of any situation. His rational mind had always prevailed.
But not now. Not when it came to Ava.
She took a big step back. A single tear rolled down her face. Every cell in his body was screaming for him not to leave her, but he had no choice. If he stayed near her, he would end up hurting her. Either with his words or with his dragon’s strength.
He nearly ripped his car door off. No. He didn’t need to be on the road with other drivers. He slammed it shut. “Do you need a taxi? I don’t want you driving if you’re upset.”
“I’m fine. I’ll go back inside the building. I think I’m going to have dinner with Ashley.”
“Good,” he said. Then, he took off into a small strip of trees behind the lab. They were in the middle of Portland, so he wasn’t going to be able to shift and fly, not here. But if he walked, he’d cool off, and then he could get outside the city and hike down one of the mountains. Or better yet, drive home and go to the beach and swim.
If it was more secluded, he’d try swimming in the Willamette. But it was always packed with sailboats and kayaks and dinner cruise boats.
Once he’d walked several city blocks, passing countless cars, bikers, and pedestrians, he kept walking. When he was close to the edge of the city, he got a taxi.
“Mt. Hood, please,” he said.
“That’s an hour and a half away, buddy,” the driver said.
“That’s fine. I’ll pay up front.” He handed the driver double the amount needed, and the guy shrugged and took off.
Eli let his mind wander at first. Then, he texted Jackson.
Ava is leaving.
Nearly as soon as he’d hit send, his phone rang. The cab driver had his h
eadphones on, so Eli answered the call.
“What the hell is going on?” Jackson said. “You come home a few weeks ago and tell us that aliens do exist and that your girl handled it all perfectly well. Then, I don’t hear from you for two weeks until you send me a bullshit text.”
“You’re right, I’m sorry.” Eli felt like he’d been saying that a lot lately.
“Where are you?” Jackson asked.
“Almost at Mt. Hood.”
“What are you going to do there?”
“Hike.”
“Why the fuck didn’t you come home?”
“I need to think,” Eli said.
“You can think here. Get your ass home and let us help you.”
“I’ll come this weekend.”
Jackson sighed. “Have you told her yet? That she’s your mate?”
“No.”
“Dammit, Eli. Why not?” There was a rustling sound, and then Jackson’s voice was softer. Gentler. As if he was being careful with Eli. “Look. I know you didn’t ever plan to have a human mate. But you do. And she needs to know.”
“Why does she need to know? So I can guilt her into staying with me? That’s no way for a person to live. I won’t do it.”
“You wouldn’t be guilting her. I know you. You’d just be giving her information. Don’t you think she’d want to know?”
“No, I don’t think she would.”
“I haven’t met her, but from everything you’ve said and what Nora and Niall have said, then yes, she’d absolutely want to know that you’re her mate for freaking life and that you won’t ever have another.”
Jackson had the kind of passion in his voice that had led him to do plenty of crazy stuff when they were kids. It had always been Eli who held him back from making some really dumb decisions. Now that they were responsible adults, Jackson had been a hero to both humans and shifters, and didn’t need to be talked down so often. But he still liked to meddle. “Don’t interfere, Jackson. I mean it.”
Jackson cursed a blue streak. All kinds of words spewed from his mouth, some that Eli didn’t even know. Finally, he was done. “I won’t,” he said.
“You swear?” Eli asked.
“Yes. Because Helena made me promise.”
Now that made more sense. “Tell her I said thank you.” Jackson’s mate was a powerful female with the blood of a demi-god coursing through her veins. Not many people crossed her.
And Jackson, for all his insistence that Eli tell Ava the truth, did not understand. Jackson’s mate was not human. She had grown up with Zeus as her great-grandfather and Ares as her grandfather. She’d walked the halls of Mt. Olympus as a child. There was no way for him to understand what it was like for Ava to face life with a dragon shifter, something she hadn’t even known existed until a few weeks ago.
Eli got off the phone with Jackson. He did feel better after talking to his friend. Now his phone was buzzing again. He looked down and saw that the screen read, ‘Garrett.’ Eli rolled his eyes.
He had no doubt that Jackson had called his cousin and asked him to talk some sense into Eli.
And maybe he would talk to Garrett about it at some point. He and Eli were very different, but at least Garrett would understand what it was like to have a human mate.
He sent Garret a text saying he’d call him later.
A text popped up from Garrett that said, Don’t give up. You’ll regret it.
Well, that was less than helpful. He shoved his phone in his pocket. They’d arrived at the mountain. He got out of the cab and it sped off. He had nothing with him but his wallet, but he didn’t need any equipment to hike.
The view, even from the ground, was spectacular. The top of the mountain was snow-capped, and the rest was a vivid green. Little yellow flowers sprang up from everywhere.
Eli went off the beaten path. A few rabbits skittered away as he walked. He held his arms out, letting his fingertips skim over evergreen boughs as he passed. He stepped over the small, scrubby bushes, purposefully leaving his mind blank.
He might be a scientist, but he was a dragon shifter, too, and being out in nature helped center him.
When he finally reached a secluded place, he sat down on a boulder next to a waterfall. The sound of the rushing water was calming.
Was he doing the right thing? Ava had said she loved him. But then she had asked for space. So, why had she cried today when he left? It made no sense to him.
He’d always assumed he was destined not to understand females because none of the females in his clan had ever understood him.
But Ava had understood him. She’d been a true partner to him.
But now she wanted to go? Why? What had he done to drive her away?
Was it possible that she’d expected more from him? A bigger apology? A more intense declaration of love? His last ex had told him that he sucked at being romantic. When she was angry, she’d wanted him to chase after her. When she was sad, she’d wanted him to coax her out of it. When she was feeling affectionate, she’d wanted him to initiate.
He’d told her that she needed a mind-reader, not a boyfriend.
Ava would never make those demands. But what if she felt like he didn’t care?
He recounted their conversation again. She’d said, ‘I can’t do this anymore.’ That had to mean something important. That had to mean that she was just as tormented by their distance as he was.
But why wouldn’t she just say so?
Eli, you haven’t said anything either.
Maybe what he needed was a grand gesture. One last demonstration, on a grand scale, to prove that he loved her. And then, if she was receptive, he’d tell her that she was his mate and explain what that meant.
He jumped up. Now he’d decided, and he was ninety minutes away from her, out in the middle of the wilderness. He had the urge to fly back, but the sky was a bright, clear blue.
He called a taxi and made his way back.
As it drove, he started planning. But first, he sent his best friend a text.
I’m going to try again. Thanks for listening.
Jackson sent back several crude emojis that really weren’t appropriate for anyone to see, and Eli laughed in spite of himself.
When he wondered what would mean the most to Ava, Eli immediately knew it would not be anything glitzy or glamorous. She had grown up with money. She had grown up traveling all over the world. Tickets to the opera, the symphony, or the theater weren’t going to impress her.
What he needed to do was show her how serious he was about her.
Taking a woman to meet his family might not seem like the most exciting date in the world, but Ava had not met his family. He’d had to keep them from her before she knew his secret. And afterward, she’d asked for space.
Taking her to his home was a show of faith. It might be too much. It might overwhelm her. But at least he would know he did everything he could.
He was going to end today with the biggest show of faith of all—an engagement ring.
He was going to propose.
That might seem like madness to some, but Eli knew it was time to go big or go home. When he saw her crying in the parking lot, he’d realized he must have missed some signals. If she said no, he’d cope.
He’d be devastated, but at least he’d know.
Now, he needed a ring. He wasn’t going to rush into a department store and buy the first thing he found. He was going to put his own time and energy into it.
As soon as he was back at his house in Portland, he jumped in his car and drove to his home in Cape Meares. He had a lab there; he could make her a ring.
On the way, he called his parents and let them know what was going on. They were thrilled. He also called Jackson and then he called Garrett, and after that, he even called Niall and Nora.
He told Nora everything from start to finish, ending with how Ava had told him she was leaving but that she’d been upset. Somehow, it was easier to talk to her than it was to the guys. For one thing, she
wasn’t bossy. She just listened.
“Oh, Eli,” Nora said. “I am so happy for you.”
“I don’t know that she’s going to say yes. Hell, I don’t even know if she’ll say she wants to date me.”
“I don’t know what she will say, but she loves you.”
Shit. He hadn’t even called her yet. He had to hope she was still with Ashley. “Thank you, Nora. For everything. I’m going to owe you forever.”
She was still laughing when he hung up.
He dialed Ava’s number next.
“Eli?” she said.
“Hi. I know this will seem weird, but I was wondering if we could meet tomorrow.”
“Meet?” she asked. In the background, he could hear music, people chatting, and the sound of dishes clinking.
She didn’t sound like it was an automatic no, at least not yet, so he kept going. “Yes, I’d like to spend some time with you before you leave.”
“Oh.” He could hear her swallow. “Okay.”
“Great. Can I pick you up around noon?”
“Sure,” she said, still sounding dazed.
“Great. I’ll be at your apartment then.”
Okay. That was good news. She could have dismissed him or said she had plans. Next, he had to actually make the ring, but he never got that far along because, after hearing about his plans, his grandmother showed up with her platinum gold wedding band.
Eli was so touched that his throat burned. He took the ring to his workshop and heated it, and then on the inside, he engraved the word ‘partner.’ He meant to show Ava that they would be partners in everything—life, work, and family.
He planned their day out. He was going to show her his home and the surrounding land, introduce her to his family and members of his clan, show her his lab and his workshop, show her the beach and the cliffs where he spent his time as a dragon, and then take her to dinner.
It might sound boring to an outsider, but to him, it was a really big deal.
The next day, he arrived at her apartment at exactly noon. She was standing on the sidewalk waiting for him. He hoped that was a good sign.
Scientist Dragon's Assistant (Irish Dragon Shifter Brothers Book 9) Page 11
