by Maia Star
His words were mushing together in my head, and I could barely keep up. “But why would you pay for an apartment for me?” I said.
He cocked his head. “What do you mean why? I promised to take care of you, didn’t I? I don’t want my surrogate mother falling to pieces just trying to get by. That won’t work for you, me, or my baby. I’ll also give you some money too, on top of the check you’ll get every month from Hybrid Baby Hearts, so you can live more comfortably.”
My head was spinning, and my heart was thundering. I hadn’t been expecting this drastic action after he asked me a few simple questions earlier. What in the hell was Felix thinking? There’s no way he would go to these lengths just to tease me or pull me along, right? Felix wasn’t that type of guy.
“So?” he asked, bringing out the keys and jingling them in front of me. “Want to head over? We can grab food on the way…”
I couldn’t help but smile and nod. “Okay, fine. Let’s head over.”
I was in over my head with this guy, wasn’t I?
Chapter Thirteen
Hunter
When I followed Lily from her motel room, I had expected to get the jump on her at some point in her journey. She was mine, after all, and my inner wolf was clambering for her.
College had been a long time ago. And ever since I’d imprinted on Lily, she’d been on my mind. I couldn’t take not having her around me anymore! She was mine and mine only!
Stalking her cab, I had changed into my wolf form to briskly stalk them from far behind, becoming overjoyed when I saw them leave the city entirely. I couldn’t help but picture Lily, helpless beneath me, taking me, screaming in ecstasy. I needed her. I wanted her. And no dragon shifter was going to take her away from me.
I could hear my inner wolf whispering in my ear just to kill the dragon. Kill him before he could even shift. It made sense, but that meant I would need to find him first, and that wouldn’t do. Laughing to myself, I watched as the cab came to a stop and dropped Lily off in front of a square house.
The cab drove away, and I ducked deeper into the bush I was hiding behind before it could notice me. My heart thumped harder as I peeked up and saw her alone, trying to press the doorbell. When no one opened the door, I grinned to myself. This is it; this is my chance! I can whisk her away quickly before someone comes back for her, or open the door.
I crept forward, panting, my mind reeling from the idea that she would be in my arms soon. So, so soon. I’d take her somewhere safe, somewhere secluded, and then we’d have fun together, just like when we were in college.
Just when I was about to burst forward and snap her up, I saw the dragon shifter man run up naked to her from the street. I stilled, pure, white-hot anger surging into my veins as I watched them flirt and do double-takes and go inside. My mind had turned to him and him alone. I wanted him dead.
I settled down, ready to wait for an eternity for Lily to come out on her own, to leave him and go back to her motel.
It infuriated me that she was with him again. They were together when they walked into the Fiery Hearts Inc. building, and they were together when they walked out. Why did they even meet there in the first place? They seemed like strangers when that dragon shifter rudely interrupted us. Just why are they still hanging out? Were they matched together?
Shifting back to my human form, I clutched my head and rocked back and forth on the ground. “Just why, Lily? Why would you abandon me?” I began to punch the ground. Over and over and over.
When Lily did come out again, it was through the garage. The hissing of the garage door lifting got me on my feet, peering at both her and the dragon shifter as they cooed over his stupid car. I ground my teeth. Go away, dragon! But instead, he booted up the car and they both climbed in, pulling out onto the street and speeding away.
My first thought is to chase after them, and soon enough I was racing behind them, my only thoughts about when I’d get my chance to snatch Lily away.
Chapter Fourteen
Felix
Gliding into San Francisco in my Bugatti with Lily was the most pleasant thing I’d done all day.
Lily calmed the dragon inside, keeping it restrained and comfortable. Whereas if I drove for too long in any car, I’d normally go crazy and climb out the window in panic, with her next to me, giggling at jokes, I could spend days in this car without ever feeling the urge to leave.
Maybe she’s even mate worthy, I said to myself as I smiled and listened to her talk. She was waving her hands wildly, attempting to spin a story for me. I glanced at her, and my heart swelled with love and desire. She’s someone I could settle down with. She’s someone I need to settle down with. No one else compares.
I began to grip the wheel tighter as my mind spun off, trying to think about my life with her after I claimed her as my own, wondering how raising our first child together would be.
“Are you listening to me?” Lily said from the passenger seat. She was blinking rapidly at me, a smile still on her face.
I grinned. “Of course I am. You were talking about how you and your friend tripped down some stairs and rolled down in unison, nearly creating an avalanche of people, right?”
She raised a brow and whistled. “Wow, you’re a great listener.”
“Of course I am. I’m great at everything, honestly! Driving, being rich, writing award-winning novels, picking up gorgeous women, making sure those gorgeous women have an awesome time with me.” I winked at her again, but this time she didn’t shy away like an innocent schoolgirl. But she still did blush, and I nearly lost it right then and there. I loved how her cheeks reddened at the things I said. “I could go on and on about my glory, but I’ll allow you to continue your story now.”
She laughed. “You’ll ‘allow’ me? You’re crazy, Felix.”
“Crazy awesome!”
“Now that’s just cheesy.”
I drove deeper into the heart of San Francisco, climbing up and down the steep slopes of the roads. Lily hung on for dear life every time I was forced to stop at a light on one of those massive inclines. “Don’t worry; we’re almost to the place.”
“Seriously? This apartment you got me really is in San Francisco?”
I nodded. “It hurts when you doubt me like that, you know?”
She laughed.
Soon enough, we rolled onto a level street and I parked in front of the address I had in my phone. To our left was the apartment, a three-story place with a garage on street level. Massive vertical windows allowed us to see inside, and with the sun beginning to set, the outside lights that were attached all over the front of the apartment turned on, creating cool shadows and making the building look even more modern than ever. It wasn’t exactly my taste, but when I gazed at Lily, I saw her gawking.
“You like it?” I asked.
She gulped. “This is it? Oh, wow! It’s amazing! How did you find this place so quickly?”
“I have a good agent.” I put my car into park and climbed out, motioning for her to follow. Follow she did, climbing out and walking around to the curb, all while never taking her eyes off of her new place. “I can give you the grand tour! Not that I know what’s inside, but it can be an adventure, huh?”
She nodded absently, a smile forming. I held out my hand for her, and she took it without another word. I led her inside.
“My agent said she’d leave the key under the doormat. So it should be…” Leaning down, I reached under the doormat. “Here! Alright, here we go.”
Unlocking the door, we stepped into a foyer. Clutching her soft hand in mine, I made a conscious effort not to crush her fingers as I began to point at random things. “As you can see, this is the foyer! There’s a high ceiling with a fan above, and on this wall is a giant mirror, so that way whenever you come from after going out for some drinks, you can see exactly how hammered you are.” She laughed, so I continued. “On the left is a door that leads to a tiny office—uh, actually, just kidding! It’s a closet.”
We flowe
d from room to room, me guessing at what was behind every door, and Lily gladly following along. The farther in we got, the more my eyes strayed to her, and the more my inner dragon tried to overcome my senses and pick her up in my arms and embrace her. I wanted to touch her, smell her hair, kiss her delicate skin. Her smile was turning me on like nothing ever had before. My heart went wild with lust, and soon enough, we found ourselves on the top floor, where a bedroom awaited us. I brought her in, standing shoulder to shoulder, our hands still clasped together. I pulled her forward and spun her around.
“And this is your new bedroom. A little small, but it’s got a big enough bed. Seems like it’ll be a good place to be for a while.”
“I just still can’t believe you rented this for me,” Lily said breaking away from me and going to stare out the window. She crossed her arms, joyful tears welling in her eyes. “I mean, I know you won’t be paying for the rent the entire time, but…”
“No, I will be paying for the rent,” I said, stepping closer to her. Placing a hand on her shoulder, I spun her around, staring deep into her green eyes. There was a moment of silence between us. “I want to be here for you. I will be here for you, Lily. For whatever you need or want.”
I leaned in closer and pressed my lips to hers.
The moment was magical, setting my heart and inner dragon on fire. My inner dragon roared in triumph, never wanting this moment to end. I touched her hips, remembering that first day we slept together. I wanted to recreate that: slip off my clothes and hers, sneak into her new bed, and sully it with our love.
But it wasn’t that simple. Nothing ever was.
Lily pushed us apart quickly, her hands on my shoulders and her arms outstretched. We both breathed hard.
“Lily…”
I brushed a piece of her hair out of her luminous eyes, wanting to lean in again, but she didn’t waver.
“We shouldn’t get too close…” she muttered, eyeing me. “You know what it says in the contract.
“I had the feeling you might want to ignore it,” I said, looking down at her. “What’s wrong with breaking the rules of that contract? So what if it breaks Fiery Hearts’ near-perfect record?” She softened a bit, and I leaned closer, my breath so hot, flames licked my tongue. “I want to break it. There’s no one I’d rather be with right now, and I’m not just saying that because you’re going to give birth to my kid.” I pressed my forehead to hers, causing her to suck in her breath at the heat of my skin. “Become mine, Lily.”
But she faltered, getting her heart stuck in her throat. “I want to...but this might be going too fast. This...all of this,” she waved her hand around. “This is all so much. It’s barely been a month since I signed those divorce papers...and to suddenly bump into you, and be matched with you to have your baby...I know I signed up for it, but adding romance too is complicating things.”
I frowned. “Then what do you want to do? I think I’ve made myself very clear.”
“I want to take me time. Do you think you can do that, Felix?”
I bit my lip, staring her down. My instincts were telling me to claim her right then and there, not to give her a choice, but that wouldn’t make her happy. My desires included giving her an amazing life and time with me, not making her miserable.
Stepping away, I let go of her, flexing my fingers and licking my lips. Suddenly, I felt the urge to shift again and turned away from her. “Either way, I’ll still be paying for your rent, and I’ll send you money every month too. I’ll go now, but make sure you call me whenever you want.”
She nodded, and I stalked down the stairs, knowing full well this game wasn’t over yet. I would claim her, just not yet.
Chapter Fifteen
Lily
When Felix hurried away from me, I knew I had made a mistake. I saw something akin to frustration flash across his light brown eyes. I saw longing in there too, for me.
All I wanted was some more time to think, but did I even have that? There were so many factors to our relationship now: we were under a contract, I was carrying his dragon baby, we’d only known each other for a month. Hell, I hadn’t even seen him shift yet!
“Ugh!” Wanting the world to stop for a few moments, I sat on the edge of my new bed and put my face in my hands. “Why can’t this just be easy?”
I wondered how Felix was feeling. Had he given up on me for good after I just rejected him there? Was he just frustrated that this wasn’t going as fast? Did he not care because there was still a chance he might be leading me on just for the hell of it? Or was he still thinking of me, of creating something meaningful between us?
Sliding my fingers apart, I peered between them to stare at the mirror in front of my bed. I hadn’t noticed it before. But I took in the natural blonde of my hair, my green eyes peeking out from my slender fingers. And I was all alone on my bed, making myself go crazy just by thinking. If Felix were still next to me right now, I wouldn’t need to think about what to do next. He’d help guide me along.
Sighing, I rose from my bed and made for the stairwell. I guessed the next move was to grab my things from the motel and move it all.
But then a knock at the door came, and suddenly those plans were out the window.
Felix is back.
Feeling my heart hammer in my chest and my legs go wobbly, I held onto the railing as I walked down each step. From the window, I could see him hunched over the front by the front door, but I couldn’t see much else than his back. From what I could see, he was shirtless too.
I wondered what would happen when I opened up the door. Would Felix just barge inside, scoop me up, and rush back up to my new bedroom to sleep with me? Was his inner dragon making him wild with desire for me? I grinned like a fool. It had always been a fantasy of mine, though until a month ago, I hadn’t ever expected it to come true.
Getting myself ready for this make-up sex, I breathed in and out and braced my body to feel Felix’s strong arms around me. I wanted to tell him I was sorry about before, that I wasn’t thinking straight, that maybe there was a chance for us to take this faster than I thought we should.
I heard him pound his fist on the door. I rushed forward, opening it, waiting for him to rush in and hug me. And he did, stepping inside quickly and embracing me tightly—so tight I could barely breathe.
“Hello, Lily…”
My heart lurched into my lungs when I realized the man holding me wasn’t Felix.
“Hunter,” I said, my knees wobbly again, but for another reason entirely.
My wolf shifter ex-boyfriend never let up on my holding me. His arms were just as strong as Felix’s, and he used his heel to close the front door. I gulped, my eyes wide, panic beginning to take over my mind. I tried to slip out from his grasp, but he only tightened his grip, causing me to wince.
“Don’t...don’t,” he said, breathing in my ear. His breath made my body prickle, and my limbs seized up. “It’s been too long, don’t you think?”
“Why are you here?” I asked.
For a moment, I thought he would never let me go, or at the very least never ease up on his painful embrace, but luckily for me, he decided to pull his head back, but leaving his arms very much wrapped around me. He stared at me, his eyes wild and red, his lips parted and cracked, and I realized as I stared at the tuft of brown fur on his shoulder that he was completely naked.
Hunter pressed his body closer to mine, brushing himself against places that made me want to squirm and shove him away.
“I’m here for you!” he said, grinning wide. His teeth looked sharper than normal. It felt like at any moment he could go wild and chomp down on me. “Why else would I visit the love of my life?”
I tried to shake my head, sweat beading at my forehead now. “Hunter, please, I’m not the love of your life. You need to stop doing this...and you need to let me go. This isn’t right. You can’t just stalk me and then hug me like this.”
His eyes twitched, and his nails dug into my back, making me yelp from whe
re I stood. He licked his lips and brought me closer. “What are you talking about? You’re my mate, Lily! We’re supposed to be together. Now, kiss me!”
I screamed as he tried to press his lips to mine, managing to get my arm free and smack him across the face. He roared out in anger, picked me up, and tossed me back. I slammed into the floorboards, gasping for air as I scrambled to get back. He began to punch the walls and tear paintings, kicking holes through them. I tried fumbling for my phone, but I realized I must have left it upstairs.
“Hunter! Get the hell out of here!” someone shouted from the front door.
Joyful tears welled in my eyes as I recognized Felix. He stared Hunter down now, glancing at me briefly. “Do you know how close I am to tearing you apart right here and now, wolf? Touch her again, and I’ll make sure you never leave this house.”
But Hunter wasn’t having it. He roared and hurled himself at Felix, catching me off guard. Felix was prepared, though, opening his arms and catching my ex like it was nothing. While Hunter clawed and punched and kicked, Felix heaved him back through the door, sending Hunter to bounce off the pavement and into the road, where he was nearly run over by a van that swerved around him. The driver rolled down his window and yelled at Hunter.
But Hunter stood up and immediately shifted, going into a battle stance, waiting for Felix to come out and challenge him.
When I finally stood up, I stumbled to the front door after Felix, who marched out. I watched the van driver freak out, roll up his window, and drive off in a hurry.
Hunter howled at Felix and charged him from only a few feet away. I screamed for Felix to get out of the way, but he didn’t listen. Instead, he shifted so fast I could barely blink before he was fully formed. Felix became a copper-scaled dragon, and before I knew it, he swiped at Hunter, and Hunter soared away, bouncing and rolling down the sloping street ahead. Felix roared at him, and then Hunter bolted away.
