by Tully Belle
He rubbed the stubble on his chin and kept the door closed. He would make that decision tonight once he’d thought on it some more. He didn’t want Elle to get on Tessa’s bad side, especially not after Caran deserted her. Elle was putting herself on the line for him. And this was her place, the role she'd chosen for herself. Even if it was wrong, he had to respect her decision.
Lyson paced trying to figure out what Tessa would think. Would she believe he was Elle's prisoner or would her paranoid mind think there was something more going on between them. Perhaps she would think that Elle was falling for him, like Caran did with Ash. Was Elle falling for him? No, it was too soon for that, but he had to admit there was something there, something that went beyond physical attraction and his want to see her moaning his name in pleasure as he bought her body to orgasm.
He could feel the blood pumping around his body as he thought about what she would taste like, how she would smell, and the noises she made as she came.
Lyson shook the thoughts away. He’d have to be careful. If Tessa thought that Elle had in any way betrayed her she was done for. So, he’d play her prisoner for as long as she needed him to. It was one thing for him to punish her, but having Tessa do the same wasn’t something he’d let happen to her.
27
“You bought him here? What were you thinking?” Tessa stood behind her desk and leaned forward, her words ejecting out of her mouth in quick succession, giving Elle no time to respond. “He’s a goddamn dragon shifter. We kill dragons! This is irresponsible and stupid. Do you even know what he's doing in your room? What he's planning? It's a miracle that you're even alive right now.”
“What would you have me do? They had captured me and thrown me into a god awful dungeon. I did everything I could to escape.”
“Really?” Tessa scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest. “Come on, Elle, they wouldn’t have let you escape unless they wanted you too. You’ve been played.” Elle hesitated. Had she? It had been easy for her to leave, the knife in Lyson’s jeans was visible. Did he know that she’d make a play for her freedom like she did?
“I had a knife at his throat, the mark is still there if you want to see it. No one plans to have their lives dangling precariously like that.”
Tessa threw up her hands. “You can't be serious. I assume you’ve restrained him in some way so he can’t escape. Made sure he can't hurt you.”
“Yes, of course,” she lied. “He can’t get out.”
Tessa's eyes narrowed and shook her head. “Then you can sleep in one of the spare rooms tonight.”
“I’m sleeping in my own room.”
“With him?”
“Not with him. He will be in the corner. Far away from me." She deepened her voice. "I need to be there to make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid or try and escape. We don’t have cells like they do. Where else was I supposed to put him?”
“You weren’t supposed to bring him back at all. Now he knows where we are.”
“And I know where they are. I memorized the trip back, every tree, every sharp turn. I know where to find them.”
Tessa finally sat down. She took a deep breath and looked squarely at Elle. "This isn’t like what happened with Caran is it? You’re not falling for him?”
“Of course not,” said Elle. She laughed nervously. “I’m not Caran.”
“Because I know they can be charming. I was fool enough to fall for Mac once, I know how disarming they can be.”
Elle swallowed. “I bought him here as my prisoner, not my lover.”
Tessa narrowed her eyes. “I guess I’ll have to trust you.”
Elle bit her lip and nodded curtly. “I guess so.”
Tessa exhaled loudly. “Okay, then we need to make a plan on what to do now. I don’t have time to organize anything yet, so he can stay in your room tonight.” She turned to her computer monitor. “I can have someone take over at three so you can get some sleep. Then we’ll look at moving him in the morning.”
“I don’t need someone to take over. I can do it.”
“Elle, I’m not playing here. I tell you what we are doing with him. You don’t know them like I do.”
“You know Mac, you don’t know Lyson.”
“I know all of them. They’re all the same, every last one. For god’s sake Elle, snap out of whatever idiotic thought is spinning through your head. I expected more from you.”
The words stung. She never expected Tessa to be judgmental like this and question her actions. She had always been supportive before, helping and guiding her when she needed it most. Hearing her disappointment bit deep and made her question what she was doing with Lyson at all. Had she got everything wrong?
No. Tessa was wrong about them. If anyone could show her that it was Elle. She crossed her arms over her chest. “We need to stop this feud with the Dragonspark Brothers. I know Mac hurt you by leaving, but this has become so much more.”
Tessa narrowed her eyes. “You think this is just about Mac? Elle are you blind? They are dragons. You’ve seen it for yourself, you know they aren’t human. We are doing what has to be done, get rid of them, all of them. You must know it’s not about me, it’s about the whole world and protecting them from the monsters that they are. They aren’t natural.”
“Then what is natural? Because that person in my room, he breathes just like me. He talks, thinks, feels. He’s as real as I am.”
“Oh god no.” Tessa stood up again. “That’s it, you can’t be trusted around him. He’s soured your mind.”
“My mind is clear. We need to end this war. They aren’t our enemy Tessa, and by ending it, we have a real chance to be free ourselves.”
“You really want to see if he’s your enemy or not? Fine. You’re on your own tonight. You’ll soon find out that no Dragonspark brother can be trusted and they all deserve to die for what they are.”
“And if I can prove you wrong you'll end this fight?”
Tessa laughed. “You won’t. And tomorrow you leave with him. I will not have someone whose mind has been poisoned in my facility. You’re out Elle, I don’t want you here anymore.”
Out? For voicing her opinion. Elle sunk in the chair, trying to comprehend what Tessa was saying. Out? She couldn't meant that.
"Get out of my office, now!"
Elle stood and spun on her heel, heading for the door, her fists tight and ready for a fight. She needed to hit something hard. So hard that her hands would bruise. It was the only way she could release this frustration.
This proved she couldn't rely on anyone. Her friend and mentor, the person she trusted most had asked her to leave. Leave the only place she felt like she belonged. This proved what she'd always known. The only person that Elle could rely on was herself. She steeled her heart so she wouldn't crumble.
Elle headed downstairs to train. If it did turn out to be her last day here, she was going to make sure she was strong, and that meant fighting and hitting something so hard it made her knuckles bleed. It was the only thing that would block out the hurt inside.
28
The first thing Lyson noticed was her hands. Her knuckles were bruised and one had a cut from hitting something bare fisted. Not a person, no, these marks weren’t from a fight, these were from training. She’d had to release her frustration. Considering it was right after her meeting with Tessa, he figured it didn’t go well.
Was he in danger too?
He crossed over to her, bringing her hands up so he could inspect them closer. They weren’t bad, but she would need to clean them up. “Where are your medical supplies?”
“I’m fine,” she said, pulling her hands away from him. “It’s nothing.”
“It’s not nothing. You leave these hands bruised like this and it’ll be a problem. Treat them now.”
“I said, I’m fine.” She stalked across the room and into the bathroom, shoving the door closed behind her.
Lyson followed. He should go in there and demand that she treat them. He placed his h
and on the door. But if he went in there, she’d only become more frustrated and angry. He was hurting her by being here. It wasn’t what he wanted.
By now Mac & Ash would be making a plan to come here and get him. He had to find a way to contact them and tell them to wait. He needed more time. “Elle . . .” He listened at the door. He could hear her, her breath coming hard and fast as if she was holding back emotions from erupting. She was upset and that killed him. “What can I do?”
“Nothing,” she said. Her voice was hitching high, she was on the verge of breaking down. He didn’t like seeing her this way when she wouldn't accept help. “Give me a second.”
He frowned and went and sat down in the corner to wait. He’d give her space when she came out, all the space she needed to get her head back in the right place. He'd do anything to help make things right again.
He heard the shower turn on. Good, the water would make her feel better, if only because it gave her time to think.
She stayed in the shower for fifteen minutes before emerging and thankfully her determination had returned. There was something more too, she was only wearing a towel. It took all his self restraint not to go over there, rip the towel away from her body and lie her down on the bed. Her hair dripped over her shoulder, her skin glistening under the lights. She had to know the effect she was having on him. Oh, he was sure that she did. She knew exactly what she was doing.
Elle turned, walking into her closet and letting the towel slip the floor leaving her standing naked, her back to him. Her ass was smooth and toned, she had a scar above her left buttock that he wanted to touch, run his tongue along. Lyson stayed put. As much as he wanted to go into her closet and glide his hands over every curve, he hesitated.
This was her response to her argument with Tessa. It wasn’t about him anymore. She needed to feel powerful again, and she thought that by giving in to her desires it would give her that strength.
He wanted to. The invitation was right there. He could do everything to her that he’d been tempted by.
Except this invitation wasn’t about him. It was about her, and he knew that by giving in, if they had sex right now, it wouldn’t be because she wanted to. It would be so she could feel needed again, important. But after it happened, she would feel worse. Especially once he left Princess, which was inevitable. No, it wasn’t right to take advantage of her in this state. As much as it pained him to not follow her in, close the door, feel her lips. He couldn’t. Not when she was this upset. She would be using him, and it would backfire on her.
He stayed exactly where he was.
Elle returned in shorts and a loose sloppy tee. She wasn’t wearing a bra, her nipples straining against the cotton fabric. He had to look away or he’d lose his resolve. God, all he could think about was rolling one of her nipples around his tongue as she arched her back, breathing his name.
He could smell the soap she’d used. Something fruity and delicious.
She sat on the bed, her legs crossed as she waited for him to say something. What could he say? Everything sounded lame in his head. He had to lighten her mood, make her forget the problems that tormented her. He wanted to make her smile again. “So when’s dinner?” he finally asked.
“Is that all you can think about?” She glared at him. “After everything that’s happened, you’re thinking about food.”
He wanted to tell her that he was thinking about a whole lot of other things, things that involved her in the throes of multiple orgasms. “We haven’t eaten since we got here. It’s about dinner time, isn’t it. Do you, like, have a kitchen or something?”
“Right, so I can just walk you out into the dining room, is that it?” She hissed and shook her head. “If that's all you want I’ll order up.”
“Cool,” he came over and sat next to her on the bed. “What’s on the menu?”
She narrowed her eyes and picked up her phone. “Yeah hey, Elle, room 1103. Large pizza, supreme.”
“Has anyone ever told you that you have good taste in food?”
She didn't answer. But at least she didn't glare at him again.
29
Either he was ravenously hungry or she'd read the signals wrong and he had no interest in her. It didn't make sense. Everything that had happened up to now indicated that at the first chance he got, he’d be stripping her down and having his way with her. Yet, when she gave him a clear signal that she was ready, all he could think about was food.
She watched as he bought the last slice of pizza to his mouth. His strong lips surrounding the slice, biting into the crust. She didn't care about the late night talk show they'd put on the television while they ate. It was a strange situation, here, in her room, watching TV like an old couple. Except they weren’t a couple. She was a dragon assassin, and he was a dragon shifter. He was her prisoner, not her date.
It was all so messed up.
Perhaps it was better this way. If she did take a chance and sleep with him, it could be a disaster. It could be the biggest mistake she’d ever make and ruin any chance of staying at Princess.
Right now everyone was angry and tensions were running high. She had a dragon shifter in her room, for god’s sake, no wonder Tessa was furious.
Yet not once in that meeting was Tessa scared that Lyson would harm Elle. Why was that? Why wasn’t she concerned what Lyson might do to her? He was in Elle's room all alone. He could do anything to her, yet Tessa wasn’t worried about her safety? All she cared about was Mac finding out where they lived.
Which meant Tessa didn’t believe that Lyson was a threat. All the stories about how dangerous they were exaggerated for her own benefit. Because if Lyson was so dangerous, then why didn’t Tessa have security here. Tessa was annoyed, not scared.
Lyson wasn’t dangerous and Tessa knew it.
Elle frowned as she watched him. She'd already figured out he wasn't dangerous. The past few days since she'd met him, not once did she feel threatened. Not seriously, anyway. And now, it felt like they’d know each other forever.
Now she craved a physical connection with him. She wanted him to kiss her again. When the time was right, she was going to make it happen. If only, so she could get it out of her system and see what she felt afterwards. Until then she needed to be on her game.
“Tell me about what you do here?” he asked. It wasn’t an intrusive question, more an inquisitive one. “I mean, apart from trying to kill me and my brothers.” He grinned a lopsided grin.
“There’s not much to tell,” she said. “We train, we kill.”
“Have you killed?”
“Not exactly. Nearly.”
He looked thoughtful. “And before that. How’d you get here?”
She laughed. “You don’t want to know that. It’s not a pretty story.”
“All the more reason to know it. Ugly stories are the best kind.”
She tilted her head the side, leaning over to wipe some tomato sauce from the side of his cheek. “You go first, dragon boy.”
“Okay.” He scooted up the bed and rested his hands behind his head. “Our mother left us when I was young. I don’t remember her much, but Mac does. We stayed with a nice family and had a regular childhood since we didn’t start changing until we turned eighteen. Although we did get into a lot of mischief. The dragon blood is the reason Lyson thinks mom put us up for adoption, but I don’t know.” He looked wistfully away. “Mac doesn’t think so, he thinks there's another reason, and I want to believe him.”
“And your dad?”
Lyson shrugged. “Don’t know anything about him. Since my mom is full human, I’m guessing my dad must be responsible for our dragon abilities, but I don’t know a thing about who he is. Mac doesn’t either, says he was never around when we were young. What about you, do you have siblings, parents that are still alive?”
Elle shook her head. “I was taken from my mother when I was eight. I don't know what happened to her, but I suspect she died soon after. I tried to find her once, but there was no
trace of her. I was put into the system. I’ve been living on the streets, in foster homes, when I aged out, I found my own way.”
“Jesus, you’ve been alone all that time?”
“Not alone, I’ve had people help me. And others who weren’t so nice.” She took a deep breath. “But I can look after myself.”
“I can’t imagine what you had to do. I always had my brothers but if I didn’t have them, I don’t know who I’d be today.”
“Yeah, sometimes it was hard, but other times I preferred being alone. Less people to worry about.”
“Did anyone take advantage of you?” Lyson genuinely looked concerned.
“Lots of people tried. But I wasn’t having it. I know how to fight.”
He nodded. “Yeah, you do.”
“And you do what you have to, you know? When a situation isn’t in your favor, you got to work out how to change it.”
“Wow,” he said. “You’re amazing.”
Elle blushed. She looked back at the television. “I did what I had to do to survive. Anyone would have done the same thing.”
“No, so many people don’t do what you’ve done. They don’t survive like you have.”
“Um, thanks.”
The television show ended and Elle switched the TV off. Lyson cleaned the bed of the pizza box and any crumbs. “You mind if I take a pillow?” he asked.
“You don’t have to sleep on the floor,” she said, picking at the blanket.
“Yes. I do. Because if I sleep in this bed, I'll want to cross the line we have. And I don’t think you want me to do that.” He took the pillow and made himself comfortable in the corner. "Goodnight, Elle."
Elle frowned. Crossing that line was exactly what she wanted him to do. "Night, Lyson."
30
Lyson stared at the ceiling. Elle’s past and what she must have done to stay alive was circling in his mind. She was far more resilient that he’d given her credit for. He thought that she was just spirited and angry. He didn’t think about the reasons why she was that way. He knew that he had to abandon his plans for planting the surveillance equipment now. If they were ever found, then he didn’t want to be responsible for what consequences came her way.
