by Juniper Hart
“Hello, Nylyrias,” a sultry female voice cooed into the phone.
His jaw clenched tight, grinding his teeth before growling, “Mylora. How did you get this number?”
“That’s not what’s important right now, is it?” she chuckled. “Did you get a chance to talk to him, or did you run away like a little girl?”
What in the hell is she talking about? Nyle thought. But as soon as the thought formed, he realized what she meant. Mylora was behind the man following him.
“You did this?! What the hell, Mylora? Get him off my ass,” he demanded.
“Is that any way to talk to your future wife?” she pouted.
“I already said I’m not marrying you,” Nyle stated firmly. “Idle threats aren’t going to work on me.”
“Oh, believe me, it isn’t idle. You think I only sent one to do the job?” she questioned with a falsely honeyed voice. “I suggest you get back to your apartment so we can talk about this. If you don’t, I won’t call them off, and you can only run so long with that little human before you have to go to daddy, or surrender.”
An angry snarl passed his lips, his eyes narrowed in anger and nostrils flared. He couldn’t believe she was doing this, and more importantly, Nyle couldn’t believe he had gotten himself into this situation.
“Fine, I’m coming. Now get him off my ass. I don’t want him following me home. They don’t have my address, do they?”
“Of course not.” Mylora retorted.
He hung up his phone, slamming it into the steering wheel.
“God-fucking-damn it!” he cursed.
Daisy flinched from his outburst.
Nyle ran a nervous hand through his hair before finding her hand and squeezing it. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you; that’s the last thing I want to do. I just… I really didn’t want to drag you into this kind of mess. Yet, it’s already too late.”
“What’s going on? I don’t understand,” Daisy asked with a wavering voice, her nerves getting the best of her.
“Mylora, that woman who came by the apartment this morning, sent that guy to follow us. Just to intimidate us,” Nyle grumbled, trying his best not to get worked up all over again.
It was getting hard to control his temper, his body temperature already rising.
“Guess it worked,” she said with a deep frown.
Nyle sighed. He hated that she was frightened, but frankly, she was supposed to be. How else could she really feel? There was so much Daisy didn’t know but needed to know.
“We’re going back to the place,” he informed her in a low tone, his hands gripping the steering wheel.
“Isn’t that dangerous if they’re following us?”
“She’s going to call them off. Mylora’s doing all this just to make me talk to her. I’m assuming she wants to blackmail me into marrying her,” Nyle grumbled.
There was silence in the air, torturing Nyle with every empty moment that passed as he sped toward the apartment.
“Blackmail you with what?” she finally whispered.
“With you,” he answered honestly.
“With me?”
Nyle let out a heavy breath, feeling that it was harder and harder to control his temper. If he didn’t calm down, he was going to be forced into a shift. He ran a hand over his face and brought his mind to a peaceful place before placing his hand back on hers.
“I promise you that once I’m done meeting with her, I’ll explain everything. Okay? Let me get through this meeting, and then we’ll talk,” Nyle practically pleaded with her, needing her to be patient a little while longer.
He couldn’t have the whole I’m a dragon-shifter-and-the-reason-you-are-a-problem-is-because-you’re-human talk with her in the time span he had before meeting Mylora. He wanted to tell her the right way—not in a rushed situation when he would have to leave her alone with her thoughts right after telling her.
His eyes gazed over to her; Daisy’s stormy eyes were wide, and her brows lifted with concern. It was clear on her face that she wanted to protest or to leave the situation entirely. As terrible as it was, though, he couldn’t just let her go at that point. If that Elemental had gotten a good look at her, they could track her down. And if they got to her when he wasn’t around… Nyle couldn’t finish the thought.
“Okay,” Daisy finally let out, relief instantly washing over him.
Nyle didn’t give a damn about the speed limit, ripping through the city streets as fast as he could, his eyes continuously going to the rearview mirror. Eventually, the black car was gone from sight and didn’t return. He pulled into the private garage at his building and got out of the car. Daisy joined him at his side as they walked over to the elevator. Nyle placed his fob over the sensor, and the elevator ascended to the penthouse.
Both were silent and completely enveloped in their thoughts. As he stared up at the lights dreading his meeting with Mylora, two slender arms wrapped around his ribs. Nyle glanced down; Daisy hugged him with her cheek to his chest. A warm smile spread over his face, one arm going around her. He felt lucky. Even though she was his soulmate, he was certain many women would have run for the hills after being chased down the second day they knew each other. While she was scared and uncertain of it all, Daisy was hanging in there. Nyle there was something special between them, something that would be worth the trials they had to go through.
The elevator opened to his floor. Much to his dismay, Mylora was waiting for them by his door.
This is going to be a nightmare.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The tension was tangible as the two walked down the hall. The ashy blonde was leaned against Nyle’s door, her arms crossed over his chest and a mischievous grin on her face.
“Did you guys have a nice day out?” she asked.
Nyle glared hard at her, keeping Daisy under his arm protectively as they approached the penthouse door.
“Don’t speak, or even look at her,” he warned Mylora, knowing all too well that female dragons were just as dangerous as the males. She could lash out in jealousy, and that would be the end of Daisy.
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” she cooed condescendingly, playfully picking up a lock of Daisy’s hair as Nyle unlocked the door.
Daisy instinctively shuffled away from Mylora and leaned further into Nyle. Without taking his arms off of Daisy, he picked up the bags of clothes that had been delivered from their day shopping.
Nyle wanted to rip Mylora’s entire arm off for touching Daisy. Hell, he wanted to do a hell of a lot more for what she was doing to them, but he didn’t need a dead Royal in his apartment.
Pushing the door open, he held Daisy back and let Mylora strut into the apartment first. The blonde seductress walked directly to the couch and sat down with both arms on the back of it and her legs crossed. She looked like a starlet in a skin tight black dress that showed more cleavage than necessary. Guiding Daisy through the door, he could see the concern and weariness growing in her expression.
“Go wait for me in the bedroom, all right? Don’t come out until I come for you,” he whispered.
Reluctantly, she nodded, and Nyle gave her a kiss on the forehead before she headed upstairs. He handed her the bags of clothes to take upstairs with her.
He made his way over to the bar and poured himself a stiff whiskey.
“Is that really necessary?” Mylora mused, earning a hardened glare from Nyle.
It is if you want me to remain calm, he thought bitterly to himself.
He took a huge swig before pacing over to her. Nyle plopped down in an armchair next to the couch and dug into his jacket for his cigarettes. Placing one between his lips, he lit it with a snap of his fingers.
His lungs filled with the smooth blend of smoke as his eyes fluttered closed to let the aroma soothe his nerves before speaking.
“What do you want, Mylora? To blackmail me into marrying you, even though I know you’re somehow in cahoots with the Elementals?” he asked with a raised voice as his eyes op
ened slowly.
“I’m not in cahoots with all of the Elementals. Just enough to make your life a living hell,” she grinned. “I struck a deal with a couple of their rogue dragons. In return, when I become queen of the Royals, I’ll give them sanctuary in our lands. They don’t quite follow the Elemental beliefs,” Mylora chuckled.
She stood up then and sauntered over to him, Nyle watched her closely as she reached into his jacket pocket and grabbed his cigarette case.
She placed one between her red lips and smirked at him, “Mind giving me a light?”
“Light it your damn self,” Nyle grumbled.
She reprimanded him, “That’s no way to speak to your future wife.”
Mylora then leaned down over him, with her face just inches away from his. Nyle wanted her out of his face, so he flicked his fingers at the end of the cigarette to light it. She took a deep puff and blew it in his face before sitting back down.
“So, all of this is just for power?” Nyle questioned.
“And money. But they are about equal in motive.”
He sat in silence, staring up at his ceiling as he tried to think. Back when he first picked out the penthouse, Nyle had an artist come in and do a golden print on the ceiling, just like the one at his parents’. What could he say, Nyle loved his childhood home; he just didn’t like being there.
“If I decide to go along with all this and stage this marriage with you, will you leave the human and I alone?” he questioned.
A sickly smirk was on her face as she took another puff of the cigarette. “My sweet prince, there is no more you and her. I don’t like sharing. She has to go. You can break things off with her, or I can have my men handle her.”
His eyes narrowed. “Why? Neither of us would be marrying for love.”
“We have to make this look legitimate, and we don’t need some human fucking it up. Why does it matter so much? She’s a walking pig,” Mylora snorted.
Ah yes, ‘walking pig’. The oh-so-clever nickname some dragons used to refer to humans.
“You really shouldn’t waste your time on her anyways. Are you trying to hurt her?”
Nyle wouldn’t dare tell her that Daisy was his soulmate, knowing that she would be out for Daisy’s blood. Out of habit, his fingers drummed against the armrest of the chair. He was at a loss; he didn’t have a clear game plan for his next move. Of course he didn’t want Daisy to end up getting hurt, but at the same time, Nyle didn’t want to live without her. She was his, and he was hers. There was no way he was willing to let her go yet, if ever. Was there a way out of this? He needed to seek out the wisdom of a Royal elder. One of them could help him understand the bond he felt with Daisy and how it was possible that his soulmate was a human. He just had to find an elder that wouldn’t run straight to his parents.
A heavy silence permeated the room as he drank his whiskey and finished off his cigarette, still trying to think of any way to get out of the current situation. Why in the hell had his parents forced this evil vixen into his life? He had enough going on without being blackmailed into choosing Mylora the Succubus.
“This isn’t fair…” he said. “I’ve done nothing to you.”
“Oh?” she exclaimed, sitting up in her spot. “Why does there have to be a personal reason behind it? You’ve been on top your entire life, Nylyrias. And while all Royals may have a taste of the good life, for some of us, it isn’t enough. I have the means and the right to be on top, so I’ll do what I have to do to get there. And if becoming queen means ending the life of your little sex toy, then that’s a price I’m willing to pay.”
Mylora stood, savoring the enraged look carved onto Nyle’s face. She put her cigarette out on the surface of his coffee table. “I’ll give you some time to think it through. Have an answer by morning, Nyle. I won’t ask twice.”
She started for the door. Nyle watched with a heavy heart as she left without another word. He remained rooted to his spot, festering in anger and worry.
***
Daisy sat on Nyle’s bed waiting for his return. She tried reading a magazine that was on his nightstand, but she couldn’t concentrate. Her mind was distracted by, well, everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours.
The morning before, she woke up and prepared herself for a day of work, knowing that the pressure would be high because of the size of the contract. She never imagined the whirlwind of emotions she’d experience with greater intensity than she’d ever felt before. The energy she felt coming from him, the deep connection they seemed to have became more prevalent the more they talked and spent time together. Then, she slept with him the night she met him. Daisy couldn’t believe she had sex with him so quickly. Before Nyle, she had only ever had two sexual partners, and each time, it had taken her months to warm up to the man enough to get into bed with him. With Nyle, it only took six hours.
As much as it bothered her, Daisy tried not to get hung up on that. She knew people her age had hookups all the time, knowing people for as little as a few of minutes before having sex. Her encounter with Nyle was entirely different. The deep connection she felt to him made it feel right. She had no regrets, but she was starting to question her sanity. Love—or whatever it could be classified as—wasn’t instantaneous. Why was she sitting in his bed while he talked to another woman who had hired someone to intimidate them? Things were getting so unreal and dangerous.
Daisy felt like she was in a movie because her life was void of drama. She couldn’t even remember the most tragic thing that happened to her. When she was one day old, her father left her mother, but she couldn’t remember her father or him leaving. Daisy’s mom came out of that strong and had done well for herself to support her daughter. Daisy and her mother had lived a simple and happy life. So how in the world did she get involved with someone who seemed to be surrounded by drama? And why was she still there? The woman had apparently called off those guys, right? Why hadn’t she run? Why couldn’t she bring herself to leave?
Before he opened the door, she sensed that he was close. How could she feel his presence without even seeing or hearing him?
Nyle stepped inside, but Daisy’s eyes remained on the magazine she held in her hand. She hadn’t even made it past the first paragraph, having reread it again and again as she got lost in her own thoughts. His presence grew stronger as he approached her, sitting down on the bed and putting his chin on her shoulder.
“Are you enjoying the magazine?” Nyle asked softly, his hand rubbing her arm.
Daisy could only shrug, being at a complete loss of what to say. All she had for him were questions, but she wanted to give him a chance to speak first. Nyle reached in front of her and gently closed the magazine. Daisy looked up at him finally, taking in the sullen expression on his face.
“I’m sorry I haven’t been honest with you, Daisy. It was never my intention to lie to you, but rather to protect you. What I must tell you is going to be hard to believe, and I thought we would have some time to get to know one another before revealing my true identity.” Nyle’s voice was raspy and croaky, clearly overcome with emotions.
Whatever he was trying to tell her actually scared him. The reality of that shook Daisy. Nyle didn’t seem the type to be afraid of anything. What could it be that was so bad that he was afraid to tell her?
“What do you mean?” she asked quietly, putting a hand over his to try and show she wasn’t upset with him. “What could be so difficult to tell me?”
Nyle’s lips deepened in their frown. “In a way… everything, but nothing at the same time. I’ve told you half-truths, or versions of the truth I thought you would understand. Not that I question your intelligence. You’re probably one of the most brilliant people I know, and I’ve only known you a day… I’m sorry, I’m rambling.”
He was only deepening her confusion. How could he lie about everything and nothing at the same time? Versions that she could believe? Daisy felt like she should have been mad at the notion of him lying to her, perhaps eve
n trying to draw conclusions that he had lied to her just to sleep with her. But really, she just wanted to make sense of it all, and understand why he was so upset, and how she had become a form of blackmail.
“Start from the beginning. I’ll listen to everything before saying a word. Just tell me.”
Nyle nibbled on his lip before nodding. “All right. Let’s go out on the terrace.”
He grabbed her hand and gently pulled her from the bed. They walked downstairs together, Nyle stopped to grab a bottle of wine and some glasses, figuring it would help take the edge off for them both. They walked out onto the spacious patio, sitting down in the chairs by the pool. He poured them each a glass of wine and sat the bottle on the side table.
“So, from the top…” Nyle muttered to himself, wringing his hands together. “I need you to keep an open mind.”
Daisy nodded.
With a shaky sigh, he began, “Well, for starters, my name isn’t Nyle Flamme, it’s Nylyrias Flamme. Nylyrias is a name from my culture. I know it sounds made up.”
He’s definitely right about it sounding made up, Daisy thought to herself. She tried to remind herself to keep an open mind like he had asked her to do, though.
He continued, “This next part is going to make me sound insane. I’m… I’m not… human, per se.”
Daisy’s face contorted into a quizzical look, brow arched and eyes dulled with skepticism.
“I’m what people would call a dragon-shifter,” explained Nyle, who nervously looked at Daisy.
She gaped. Had those words really just passed Nyle’s lips? Was there any part of him that thought she would really believe that?
“Come on, Nyle…” she groaned, not at all wanting to play games.
“I’m serious,” he pressed, reaching for her hands, but she snatched them away from him. “Don’t be like that, please. You said you would keep an open mind.”
“Yeah, an open mind to real possibilities,” Daisy corrected, standing from her chair. “I’m not going to just sit here and let you make up a completely unbelievable story to explain the other woman in your life. Do you think I’m stupid enough to believe you’re a… a… dragon?”
