by Leela Ash
“Brookside really isn’t all that bad, Norris. There are many places on Earth that are far, far worse,” Lisa said, studying Norris as her mind struggled to comprehend all he had just told her. He genuinely believed he lived among a group of other Dragon shifters. What was it, a cult? And he thought he was royalty. All of this was ridiculous. Why was she still trying to engage in conversation with him? All the burgers and rental cars in the world wouldn’t make up for it if she found herself so deeply entangled with a crazy person that she couldn’t get back out.
“Please don’t call me Norris, I hate that name. It isn’t the name I was given at birth. And I do not want to go by it any more than I have to.”
“You don’t want me to call you Norris?” Lisa asked. Her mind wandered back to the first impression she had had of his name not fitting his body. Why was it that everything seemed to be stacking in favor of his theory rather than the clear fact of the matter being that he was absolutely insane?
“No, I do not want you to call me Norris. I told you. That isn’t my name. I want you of all people to call me by my real name.”
“And what is your real name?” Lisa asked, almost afraid to encourage him to entertain further delusions about his Dragon shifter ancestry. And yet, she was very curious to see whether or not the name he gave her fit him better than Norris did. What if it felt more proper?
“My name is Vash. That is the name I want to go by. I do not want to be called Norris. At least not with you. You are the one I believe I was fated to meet and spend my life with. I want you to know me by my true name.”
Lisa shook her head in disbelief. Somehow, the name Vash suited him far better than the name Norris did, but that didn’t prove anything. Maybe neither of them liked the name Norris.
“I really wish you would stop talking about me being fated to spend my life with you. It’s kind of imposing. That is something people decide together. It isn’t something that you just tell someone and expect them to do it.”
“Oh, I have no expectations of you. I just have expectations of what the universe expects from me. And what it wants for me. It wants the same for you as well.”
“And what is that?” Lisa asked, studying Norris quietly from behind the glass of water she had ordered.
“It wants us to be happy and serve our purpose. It wants us to have greater meaning in our lives, both with each other and in the family that we may create together.”
Lisa held her hands up. “Whoa. Now you’re talking about having kids? This is moving way too fast. I know so little about you. What I do know, I have to admit, I am not very impressed by. Yeah, you look really good, but I really can’t fathom anything coming of this. Especially, not knowing anything about you. It just doesn’t seem right. Do you understand what I’m trying to tell you?”
“Of course,” Norris said, another handsome smile creeping across his face. “I’m not just going to throw you over my shoulder and drag you home with me like some kind of a caveman. I’m going to let you adjust to the idea. I know it is kind of a lot to take in. If I were in your position, I would probably think I am insane. But, as it stands, I am neither insane nor are you the type to judge me too deeply for telling you the truth. In fact, I have a strong sense that you are going to respect me more for it and it is only going to enhance our relationship in the future.”
Lisa shook her head again in disbelief. He didn’t think she was judging him? If he could hear her thoughts, he would probably be very, very insulted.
And yet, there really was some aspect within her that wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. She wanted to believe what he was saying, and she wanted to be happy with him. Even if it seemed ridiculous and impossible, and it only served to make her feel as if he was insane. No matter what happened between them, there was now an undying curiosity to find out more about this man and whatever she could find out about his claims.
“Here is your food!”
Lisa was startled out of her thoughts by the cheerful voice of the optimistic waitress and soon, the usual was placed in front of her. She gazed at it quietly as she considered everything that had just happened and then sighed heavily, looking back up at Norris. When she did, she had to smile. He had been given a plate full of buns and some various dipping sauces. She hadn’t even heard him order. She had been so lost in thought.
“Well then, now that that is out of the way, let us enjoy this meal!”
Norris beamed and held up a piece of bread in the air as if to toast with it. Lisa smiled and shook her head, lifting a bite from her fork and following Norris’ lead, participating reluctantly in the toast. Whatever was going on, she was going to just have to try and roll with it. Whether she liked it or not, she was interested in this man, and whether they were romantically fated or not, here they were. All she could do was try to stay objective. She didn’t see any other option.
8.
Norris glanced at the woman in the passenger seat of his car. She had been quiet ever since he had told her about his being a Dragon. And he knew it would be a lot for her to process. But he had faith in her coming around and seeing the truth in his words.
Still, maybe he shouldn’t have said it quite so abruptly. If she was any other human, she would have probably run away screaming. That, or probably laughed right in his face. And, in truth, she had said he was insane – and that he was legitimately crazy.
Maybe he had been mistaken after all and could not rely on his intuition to determine who his fated mate truly was. Maybe Gavin was right, and he shouldn’t have made any of the sweeping declarations of this nature until he knew for sure that she was the one who was meant to accept him under any and all circumstances.
“It’s okay. I know you are upset about everything I told you,” Norris said, shifting uncomfortably as he rounded the corner toward Lisa’s house. “I’m sorry for making you feel afraid of me. Or nervous. I didn’t tell you that to startle you. I just told you because I want you to know the truth.”
“You don’t really owe me the truth about anything,” Lisa said, sighing softly.
Her entire demeanor had changed after the conversation at the restaurant, and she had become very withdrawn and pensive. He was a little bit worried that he had gone too far. What if she decided never to speak with him again? What was he going to do with himself? He had been so convinced that she was the one for him. He hadn’t even considered the possibility that he was wrong. Not even when Gavin had gently tried to remind him that feelings were fallible.
“Of course, I owe you the truth about everything. I feel I owe the truth to everybody I meet. But, so far, you seem to be the only person who I believe is willing to accept it. Or is going to accept it, anyway. And I’m afraid to lose you because of that. It is so extremely valuable to me to know that you are willing to go above and beyond even your own personal feelings to try and be patient with someone who you think is completely out there.”
Lisa sighed. “Just because I’m patient doesn’t mean I am doing this because I believe you or want things to work out between us.”
Her blue eyes were deep with emotion, and she turned her gaze back to her hand. He could tell she was upset about something, but he wasn’t sure what he was going to do about it.
“I understand. But I am willing to do whatever it takes for you to accept me.”
Norris already couldn’t imagine his life without her. The longer she was near him, the more difficult it became for him to hold back his feelings. The Dragon within him was responding to her. Intensely. And the Dragon blood within her was clearly responding back, though the whole situation was probably incredibly strange and confusing to her. He needed to be patient. He couldn’t just force something like this. Love was like a delicate flower, as Gavin liked to say. It took special conditions for it to flourish.
“I don’t want you to feel like you have to change for me or something,” Lisa said, her tone exasperated. “Like I told you, you don’t owe me anything. We are just strangers. You can believ
e anything you want to believe in, it isn’t going to change my reality. I’m not going to judge you because, honestly, I have no real reason to care. We are not in any sort of relationship. We are not fated to be together. That’s all a delusion, and there is no such thing as fate tying us to be with one another for the rest of our lives. At least, in my life. And you are going to have to accept that. I don’t believe in it because, to me, that just isn’t the way things are.”
Norris accepted the words quietly and nodded. He already knew that much. Lisa hadn’t exactly hidden her feelings on the matter. And he wasn’t going to get bent out of shape about it. He had anticipated that much. Good things took time, and he was willing to wait for them to come to pass. Even though, in a way, it hurt like hell to hear her denying what seemed so obvious to him.
“I don’t feel like I have to change for you. Because I know that you are going to accept the reality of the situation. Maybe not now, but at some point, you’re going to see that what I tell you is true. And you are going to feel very ashamed of yourself about it. But I will forgive you. And I will always forgive you.That is what you do for the person you are meant to take care of.”
They had reached Lisa’s driveway now and Norris pulled in, gazing quietly at the woman as she took all of this information in. She was doing pretty well. She hadn’t run away screaming yet, at least. That was a plus.
“How do you justify believing that you are meant to take care of me when, actually, meeting you has done nothing but make my life more miserable?” Lisa asked, turning her face toward him.
Her beautiful eyes were narrowed in a grimace, as if the entire subject was just far too painful for her to articulate. He knew she didn’t fully believe her own words. They felt hollow. She was just trying to make sense of all this. The connection was there. He could feel it. It was only a matter of time before it was something they could act on. He couldn’t push her or pressure it into happening. He knew better than that.
And she had an intense attraction to him that neither of them could deny. Still, he wasn’t going to throw the fact in her face. He wanted to make her happy, not make her dread any conversations with him they might end up having with one another.
“Really? You feel more miserable after meeting me?” He studied her for a moment and then took a deep breath. “Because I don’t know about you, but you have been on my mind day and night since we met. Something in me tells me I’m not the only one this is happening to. Because it is fated, and you and I both know that something about this is beyond normal comprehension. I can’t just let myself believe all of this has happened for no reason. And I’m sorry you feel as if I make your life harder. But that is why I’m trying to make up for it.”
“Shit,” Lisa said, leaning back in her seat and letting out a deep exhale. “We forgot to stop by the rental agency. They’re probably going to be closed by now anyway.”
“That’s okay,” Norris said, a little thrown off by the change in topic. She clearly wasn’t ready to deal with these emotions yet. How could he blame her for that? He wasn’t really sure how to approach it himself. “I can stop by tomorrow if you’d like. We can do it then.”
Lisa pursed her lips, her face falling. “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea anymore, honestly… all of this is a bit much. You know? We probably shouldn’t be spending too much time together. I will manage on my own. I have so far.”
Norris nodded quietly. “You don’t want me around.”
Lisa hesitated and sighed again. “It’s just…”
“You think I am weird. Or insane. Or both. And I don’t blame you. The things I am telling you really are weird and insane by human standards. I am not going to be offended by the fact that you are disturbed and cannot comprehend any truth in what I am telling you. In fact, I think I would probably be worried if you took me at my word. It’s very important to me that you are honest about how you feel. I will accept it.”
Lisa hesitated, her beautiful eyes full of emotion. When she turned them back on him, his heart stirred. She was perfect. He wanted to take all her pain and resistance away. But it would take time.
“Well, I told you. This is all kind of a lot for me to handle,” Lisa said quietly. “And I’m really not sure that I’m going to be able to see you anymore. It’s just way too weird.”
“I understand,” Norris said quietly. “Maybe you need some more time to adjust before we speak again.”
“No. No time,” Lisa said, her voice strained. The topic was paining her. She had a lot of mixed emotions about everything that was going on and it made Norris feel a little bit concerned for her peace of mind. Maybe he should listen. Maybe this really was all just a huge mistake and a big misunderstanding.
“No time,” he repeated, attempting to process her meaning.
“Do you understand what I’m saying? It’s too much. I don’t want to deal with this any longer. It isn’t fair. I don’t want to hear any more. And everything just kind of ends up leading in that fate or dating direction.”
“Many people believe in fate,” Norris pointed out gently. Lisa let out a groan of frustration.
“Yeah, it’s a normal thing for normal people to consider, but you’re not even a normal guy! You’re supposedly some sort of Dragon shifter? I don’t even know what that means. I just need something stable and normal. I need to focus on making my life better for myself,” Lisa said, her tone desperate. Her whole energy was that of pain. Disappointment. Confusion. Why couldn’t she just embrace the truth and be happy? Why couldn’t he take her pain away instead of adding to it? “I can’t try to accommodate crazy people anymore. It doesn’t make me happy. It just makes everything around me feel even harder than it has to. Does that make any sense to you whatsoever? I just can’t tolerate it. I have to create something real for myself. That does not include allowing space for imaginary creatures like Dragon shifters.”
Lisa’s rant went on, and her feelings fluctuated. She was speaking lies to him; lying to herself and lying to Norris about her feelings. Sure, she might have had thoughts on the matter that masked the reality, but it wouldn’t change the fact that the Dragon simply knew the truth. And he knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that she was having a lot of conflicting emotions. She needed time to sort it out. That made a lot of sense.
And really, Norris was doing his best to be sympathetic and understanding, but when Lisa said she wanted something real, a small part of him snapped. What could possibly be more real than running right into your soul mate on the street? What could be more real than having fate decreeing that you are in the right place at the right time with the right person and having everything just fit so seamlessly together? How could she say such a thing to him? It was callous and shortsighted. If she wanted real, he would give her real.
“This is real,” Norris said, his voice uncompromising.
“But…”
Suddenly, his lips were on hers, and she let out a soft gasp of surprise. He could feel her resistance immediately slipping away and waited to deepen the kiss until he was certain that Lisa was receptive to his attention.
It happened almost instantly, and the depth of his longing was gratified by the sensation of her skin against him. She felt better than he could ever have possibly imagined, and he held her closer to him by the waist, their seatbelts the only thing keeping them from sticking together like their souls wanted them to. Lisa blissfully yielded to the strength of their passion before finally pulling away and looking at him in disbelief.
“Why did you do that?” she exclaimed. The Dragon within him could hear the hammering of her heart; smell the scent of her impossibly tempting arousal. “I told you I wasn’t interested.”
But the flush on her cheeks and the incredible attraction that she clearly felt for him was unmistakable. She couldn’t hide anything from him. And somehow, on some level, he was sure she knew it.
“I did it because I knew it would feel right. I’m sorry if you aren’t very happy about it. But I really was
n’t sure what else to do. I guess I’ll just go home now. If you truly feel that way, then all of this was just a huge mistake.”
He turned the ignition and waited for her to get out of the car so he could leave. Instead, she lingered for a few moments with her hand on the door handle. She looked like she was ready to leave, and he kept his eyes straight ahead, refusing to look back at her. He waited patiently for her to get out of the car and head into the house, but before she did, he felt a gentle stroke on his leg. Lisa had reached out tentatively to touch him, and a hot flood of arousal instantly ignited within him. The Dragon was awake, privy to the nearness of his fated mate, and he was ready to take her for all she was worth.
When Norris looked at the woman, the Dragon’s gaze was piercing her through his eyes and Lisa let out a soft gasp of surprise. “What…?”
But before she had a chance to continue her comment, Norris was out of the car and had come around to the other side, opening her door and helping her out. She let out a quiet cry of surprise when he pulled her into his strong arms, but she didn’t fight him.
“It’s okay if you don’t want this,” he murmured, though the Dragon within him was prowling around in anticipation. He wanted her to know she had a choice though. She thought he was crazy. She should probably think hard about getting emotionally or physically invested. Especially, if it meant she would resent him and inevitably conclude that they were making one of the biggest mistakes of their lives. “I only want you to do what you know you want to do.”
She surprised them both by answering with her body. Lisa stood on her tiptoes to reach Norris’ lips, her hands small and sensual against his back, and soon, they were kissing passionately, their bodies alight with the deepest desire Norris had ever experienced in his life. He wanted so badly to take her right then and there, but he knew that human courtship rituals took time and he didn’t want to scare her away any more than she already was. Besides, it was rude to do things like consummating love in public. Gavin had made that much very clear to them all early on in their days on Earth.
