by Jadyn Chase
“Stay away from me! You’re not courting me. You’re not going to form some miraculous bond with my father to manipulate him into forcing us to be together. It doesn’t work that way!”
“Maybe I can speak to your mother then,” he said with a sly grin, “I’m sure she’ll take one look at a handsome young guy like myself and-”
I cut him off, “And she’ll kill you faster than my father would. She despises Onyx Skulls.”
“I could see that. I mean after all, if she’d never met your father, she’d probably be one of our pets,” he laughed.
I’d heard enough and charged him. Full speed and anger guided me into his arms but not fast enough to strike. He caught me and threw me to the ground.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?! YOU THINK YOU CAN ATTACK ME?! I’ll show you your place. Under my foot just like your Anthro mother!” he shouted as he raised his foot to stomp on me. I shielded myself as I waited for the blow, but it never came.
8
Preston
The sound of Lorna’s voice carried over the gusts of winds blowing through Black Harbor as I rode around the city on patrol. Bart was a few clicks behind me as I caught a whiff of her aroma. The stench of an all too familiar Onyx Skull soon followed. Mig!
I raised my hand in the air signaling to Bart I was taking a detour. We headed toward the docks with Lorna’s scent leading me the entire way. I arrived just in time to see her charging at Mig with her full speed. Then he threw her to the ground. That was not okay.
I would have waited to give them time to explain, but with his foot in the air, I grabbed him by the throat and slammed him into the ground.
“Are you crazy?!” I growled at him.
“Preston!” Lorna shouted from the ground. I rushed over to help her up.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
I didn’t have time for her to make up her mind. I needed to make sure this didn’t happen again. Bart grabbed Mig before he had a chance to scurry off.
“You little rat scoundrel!” I spoke through clenched teeth, “What do you think you’re doing with her? Is that how you treat anyone, let alone someone as magnificent as her. She wants you, and you treat her like this!”
“I don’t want him!” Lorna screamed from behind me. “I only brought him here to tell him that it’s all over between us. I don’t want anything else to do with him. He thinks he can sweet talk me into-”
I’m sorry for pushing you down Lorna.” Mig whimpered. “My anger got the better of me, but I’m sorry. I truly am. I want, I mean, I am ready whenever you are to put this situation behind us and start fresh.”
“You’re the liar!” she cried. “We’re not starting anything over! We never had anything to begin with.”
“I think you’d better leave,” I told Mig, “Before we make you.”
“Don’t let this stooge for your father come between us, Lorna. We can work this out!” Mig cried as Bart dragged him away.
Turning to Lorna, I stared at her wondering what to say.
“Thank you, but I had it covered,” she murmured.
“Yeah, it looked handled with you on the floor and his foot about to come down on you. You don’t believe all of that garbage he was talking about right? I’m not under orders from your Dad or mine for that matter. Not this time, at least.”
“I figured that,” she nodded, “You got here too quick. We just got here honestly. He flew to Empyrean to talk to my Dad about courting me.”
“What a slimeball,” I hissed.
“Why? Because he wants to court me?!”
“No,” I laughed, “Because that’s what he is. Any guy would be lucky to have you. Hell, even I was a bit jealous when I found out he was the reason you kept sneaking to Black Harbor.”
“Yeah, that’s not exactly something I want to brag about. Even worse is he didn’t want to give me the time of day until he found out whose family I belonged to.”
“I’m glad you saw him for who he was and what he was trying to do,” I approached her slowly, and turned her around. Her clothes were caked with mud and dirt. “You want to come to the Towers to wash up? I can make you something to eat too. No sense in you going all the way back home on an empty stomach.”
“A shower and you’re going to cook for me. Why Preston Cane, I’m starting to think you have a bit of a thing for me,” she chuckled.
Would you believe me if I said I did?” I smirked.
She stared at me silently for a few minutes before laughing it off, “No you don’t. We’ve known each other all my life. You feel like I’m a little sister or something. Always looking after me, right?”
“Yeah, sure.”
I would have told her the truth that I thought about her constantly over these past few weeks, but she’d just fended off Mig. I didn’t want to put her in a position to confuse how I felt for her. The years had changed us, and even as we rode my motorcycle with her ass pressing against my crotch and her back arched as she leaned forward, I couldn’t deny what she said. I did have a thing for her. I always felt this unspoken loyalty to her and her father, but I’d never tell her that.
There had been plenty of stories I was told of when I first laid eyes on her; I made an oath. It’s seemed to follow me over time. I couldn’t help it. I couldn’t fight it. Whenever Lorna was in trouble, I needed to be there to save her. I just wished she didn’t joke about it. I wanted her to look at everything we’ve been through, especially these past few weeks, and see how much she means to me.
Pulling up to the Towers, I parked the bike and led her upstairs. I was half expecting the regulars to be sitting at my table, but for the first time in weeks, my place was empty. I led Lorna to the bedroom, where she glanced around quietly.
“The bathroom is through there,” I pointed to a doorless room.
Her eyes darted back and forth between the very open shower and me. She shook her head, “So you don’t believe in doors?”
“Not my thing, but then again, it’s usually only me up here. Never been one for pets or company,” I admitted.
“Really? But you’re Preston Cane,” she said as if I didn’t know.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“That means, you’re rumored to be the most powerful Black Sapphire Scaler around, and you’re not sewing your wild oats?”
“No,” I laughed, “I have this thing where once I’m bonded to someone, I don’t have eyes for anyone else.”
“Wait,” her eyes dropped, and her voice lowered, “You’ve bonded with someone already? You’ve marked your mate?”
“No,” I told her realizing that I’d stuck my foot in my mouth. So I decided to share a tiny bit of honesty with her, “The person I’m interested in isn’t exactly taking me seriously, and that’s not her fault. It’s more my fault than anything. I think I spend more time trying to keep her out of trouble than I do showing her how I feel.”
I grabbed some towels and my robe out of the closet and tossed it on the bed. She stood there, speechless.
“Go ahead and take a shower. I’m going to put something together for you, and then you can head home whenever you’re ready. No rush,” I nodded and left the room before she had a chance to respond.
I couldn’t believe I just told her that. I’d only told one person what I felt about her and Bart thought I was nuts not to act on it. I guess he was right.
I’d only been in the kitchen a few minutes when I heard Lorna call out to me. I dropped what I was doing to go to her. It seemed that I was getting good at that.
“You needed something?” I asked with my back turned toward the bathroom.
I could hear her soft giggle. Then I felt her hands grip my shoulders to turn me around. Standing there in my robe, she looked radiant. Her hair fell just over her shoulder as she stared up at me.
“I need to thank you, Preston. My mother was right about you,” she said with a glimmer of a smile.
With her arms around my neck, she pushed herself up ont
o her toes. I wouldn’t let her do this by herself, so I pulled her in close, around the waist lowering my head just enough. The softness of our lips touching was something I hadn’t experienced and yearned for more. My tongue hungered for her as it probed her mouth. With the shower running, steaming up the room, I stepped deeper inside, hoisting her up onto the sink.
Lorna’s hand reached down to feel my bulge beginning to grow. A low moan escaped her lips, or it could have been from mine. I couldn’t tell as we surrendered ourselves to the moment. I wanted to take her right there on the sink, but the sounds of someone else in my place interrupted us.
Pulling away from the embrace, I saw the robe opened with her perky nipples ready for me to take them. I growled before moving in to kiss her again and then back away as I heard someone approaching my room.
“Preston!” my mother called.
Shit. My burgeoning bulge went instantly flaccid.
“Yeah,” I replied walking out of the bathroom.
“I’ve been calling you forever. Didn’t you hear me come in?” Mom asked.
Before I had a chance to answer, Lorna stepped out with my robe still on, but it was closed.
“I’m sorry, Miss Elaina, I was just asking him to get me some more towels.”
“Oh,” my mother’s cheeks flushed a shade of red I’d never seen before. She smiled, laughed, and smiled again, “I’m sorry Lorna. I didn’t realize Preston had company. He never does.”
“Yeah, and with my parents and every other Black Sapphire coming and going as they please, she can see why” I joked.
Lorna rubbed my shoulder delicately, “Thank you again, Preston. I don’t know how I’d survive in Black Harbor without you.”
She disappeared into the steam of the bathroom while I led my mother out toward the kitchen.
“You have impeccable timing,” I sighed.
She was giddy as she clapped her hands enthusiastically, but quietly, “I’m so proud you guys finally jumped that hurdle. I can’t wait to see what you two blossom into.”
“Mom, relax,” I told her, “It was just a kiss, not an engagement.”
“But, you two feel something for each other, right? I mean, Preston, I don’t know how many times you have to be her Knight in Shining Armor for her to see how much you care about her.”
“All that says is that I care about keeping her safe. It doesn’t say anything about how I feel. I know Lorna, probably better than anyone. She doesn’t need a Knight. She doesn’t need or want to be rescued.”
Her hand touched my face gently with a warmness in her eyes, “You’re right, and that’s exactly why she needs you.”
9
Lorna
The hot water dripping over my body did wonders to my mood along with the tingling sensations from Preston’s kiss. I wished he would have joined me, but with his mother popping up, that brought everything to an abrupt end. While I never thought of Preston in that way before, him merely acknowledging his feelings made me understand what my mother had told me. He was always there to protect me. I could only imagine how he’d guard my heart.
After I got dressed and stepped out of the bedroom, I realized Elaina had gone, leaving us alone once again. The insatiable lust from before had vanished. He stood over the meal he prepared pushing the food around the plate, heavy in his thoughts.
“Preston,” I smiled approaching him, “Thank you. This looks good.”
“Any time,” he sighed, “Just some deer and a few vegetables. You still like the leafy green stuff, right?”
I realized he was trying to lighten the mood, but it didn’t work.
“What’s the matter? Do you want to eat in a little bit and maybe pick up our conversation from where it left off on the bathroom sink?”
A half grin surfaced and then disappeared just as quick, “Sorry about that. I let my more primitive urges get the better of me.”
“It’s alright,” I touched his hand slightly, but he pulled away. I didn’t get it. What could have possibly changed from then and now?
“What’s the matter, Preston?”
“Nothing,” he shook his head, still avoiding eye contact with me, “You should eat and get back home before your Dad gets worried and comes here looking for you.”
“He knows I’m here,” I told him, “I want to know what’s wrong with you.”
“Nothing is wrong. Sit down and eat before you go.”
“Are you kicking me out? Do you have somewhere else to be? Am I stopping you from being somewhere else or with someone else? This is very confusing from just a minute ago you’re all over me in your bathroom and the moment your mom shows up, it stops, which I completely understand, but it’s like you wish it didn’t happen.”
“I have to be honest with you Lorna, I wish it didn’t.”
Hearing those words knocked the wind out of me. I sat down to catch my breath and stop my emotions from pushing those tears down my cheeks. He came to sit next to me.
“I need you to understand,” he said tipping his head forward to look up at me, “I meant everything I said to you. For a while now, things have been changing between us, but lately, your mind has been elsewhere. I don’t want to move into a space that’s still occupied by someone else.”
“I’m done with Mig. I want to know what you want from me.”
“I don’t want anything from you, Lorna. I want you to be honest with yourself about what you want and why you want it. Have you ever stopped to wonder why you went after Mig in the first place?”
“I have. I liked that he didn’t treat me differently. I liked that he treated me…”
He cut me off, “He treated you like one of his fans, and once he found out who you were, it changed right? Well, he’s never changed. Mig has always been Mig. He’s always going to be that conniving little twerp who’ll do anything to get in a position of power. He’s using you, and if you haven’t seen that yet, then I need to pull back until you’re able to see who truly cares about you.”
“I have to go,” I told him abruptly. Having him essentially call me out for being oblivious to things right in front of me left my lust for him dead on the floor.
“You don’t have to rush,” he sighed, “I didn’t want to lay that all on you. Like I told you before, this thing I believe is between us is on me to show you. I should have said something before this whole Mig thing, but I didn’t. I was too late, and now we have this.”
“No, we don’t,” I told him shaking my head, “Maybe you shouldn’t have said anything at all. I have to go.”
I took off out of the building, scaled, and flew home. I didn’t have the strength to read between the lines with Preston. I just wanted some peace, and I knew that’s what waited for me back in Empyrean. The palace was quiet for the most part. I wasn’t sure where all the guards were. Dad wasn’t skulking about, yelling, or ordering anyone around. Mother was milling around her chambers, putting up new flowers when I poked my head into her room. She didn’t even need to turn around to see it was me.
“So, is that young man coming back to ask for your hand in marriage?” she laughed.
I walked in and plopped onto her bed. Falling back looking up at the ceiling, I couldn’t help but laugh myself.
“No, I don’t think Mig will be coming back up here anytime soon. Did you see how Daddy treated him? The guards would probably kill him if he came back here.”
“I don’t doubt that,” she giggled again.
“Where are they anyway? The place seems empty.”
She moved from the large vase by her window to another one next to her closet. It was her personal space. While they shared his chambers, she enjoyed keeping a private area just for herself. She tossed a few lavender petals over me as she moved around the room. It made sense they’d be her favorite flower. She told me it wasn’t until she moved up here that she’d even known they existed.
“Argos took a few of the guards out flying and for some good old-fashioned fun. Things have been a bit tense around
here lately. We all needed some fun time.”
I sat up, “And is this fun for you?”
“It’s about as much fun as I want to have. So what happened down there? Did you get rid of that Onyx Skull once and for all?”
“Yeah, I think so. I had a bit of help,” I mumbled with thoughts of Preston rattling around in my head.
“Preston?”
“Yeah.”
“And what’s going on between the two of you?”
“You were right about him,” I admitted, “But he’s pulled back and thinks I still have unfinished business with Mig, the Onyx Skull.”
“Do you?” she asked sitting next to me.
“I don’t want anything else to do with him, but I have a feeling because Preston keeps showing up to save me from him, he thinks it’s more Preston’s decision than my own. I think one last conversation will probably end it.”
“So not once and for all,” she giggled, “And what about you and Preston. What’s happening? Is that something you even want?”
“I’ve counted on Preston for so long that it’s become an afterthought. I know that any time I’m in Black Harbor, he’s gonna be around. I never pictured him being around for anything more than protecting me or annoying me.”
“Sounds like you have a lot to think about.”
I did. So I left my mother in her chambers to go and get some rest. Laying down with my mind all over the place, I wondered what my life would be like with Preston being more than my protector. It wasn’t something I’d thought about beyond these past few days. He was right. Mig had taken up so much of my waking moments along with my desperate need not to be the daughter of Argos Ornopolis, that I completely ignored him and his feelings. He had to have feelings for me to show up as often as he did. Even the guards around the palace didn’t show up as often as he did.
The moon was high in the night sky as I drifted in and out of sleep. The soft crumble of pebbles falling onto my floor woke me completely. The image of someone making their way into my room forced my nerves to tingle and my talons to come out. That blonde hair flowing in the wind no longer held any sex appeal.
