Double Dragons(21)

“Oh, there he goes,” Ran said, squeezing her shoulder as she giggled. “That’s his horny face.”

“Is not,” Draven lied. He couldn’t deny their chemistry. Couldn’t deny, especially after seeing her with the blue dragon, no matter how innocent that was, that he longed to take her again. Longed to bring her into their triad and feel complete.

But he just didn’t know enough about her. “Why are you so disconnected?” he asked. “It’s not normal for humans. Where is your family? Where are your friends?”

“I have friends,” she said. “You met some of them.”

“Acquaintances. Not close. Even your roommate seemed to barely know you.”

“She hasn’t lived there long,” Melissa said, eyes falling to her plate. She picked up her fork and began to push her broccoli around. “I guess I just don’t really need people around. I mean, I’m nice to them, but I have my work and my books…”

“What happened to your family?” he asked. “You should contact them. You should—”

She stood abruptly, and Ran took her hand gently and sent Draven a glare. But Melissa seemed capable of handling this on her own.

“And what about your family, Draven?” she asked, folding her arms and pulling away from Ran. “What about your true form? You want all my secrets, but you have plenty of your own, don’t you? Maybe when you’re ready to let people in, you can lecture me about it, okay? I wasn’t assigned some partner like Ran to help me get out there and meet people. I’ve only had myself. And I haven’t needed anyone.”

Draven’s throat felt tight. He hadn’t meant to offend her and felt bad for doing so. Still, the stubbornness in him managed to rise to the surface over his own shame. “Then why would you need us now? Why wouldn’t you just tell us to take a hike?”

She tilted her head angrily. “I don’t know. I guess I felt this would all be different. I can’t really say. All I know is the same inclination I had to save that girl is the same that has made me stay with you and embrace you and Ran and this whole situation. Just the feeling that it’s the right thing to do. You’re the one who’s a magical creature. Why do you seem to need an explanation for everything?” she said, sputtering mad. Then she tossed her hair over her shoulder. “I’m leaving. If you’re so dead set on protecting me, I suggest you join.”

Then she stormed from the diner.

Ran pulled out his wallet and paid the check. “She’s got you there, you know,” he said.

Draven clenched his jaw. “Thanks for taking her side.”

“Hey, when you’re wrong, you’re wrong, and good friends tell each other when they’re making a mistake. You’re misjudging her,” he said, shaking his head. Ran put his wallet back in his pants. “Maybe you should give her the benefit of the doubt for a while, rather than jumping down her throat.”

Draven didn’t want Ran to be right. Giving people the benefit of the doubt was too risky. It was better to try and figure everything out to see what a risk they might be.

“Whatever,” he said, standing abruptly. “Let’s follow the little miscreant out before she gets in even more trouble. She seems to have a knack for it.”

“Well, that’s right up your alley,” Ran said. “Because you have a knack for needing to rescue people, whether they like it or not.”

Draven gave him a glare, but Ran just shrugged. Together they walked out to catch up with their mate.





* * *



That night, Melissa heard a soft tap on the door as she was getting ready for bed. Her heart jumped slightly as she opened it and saw Ran there, hands in his loose sweats, wearing a soft white tee through which she could make out the shape of his excellent pecs.

She swallowed. “Ran. I didn’t think you were coming tonight.”

“Why?” He stepped inside the room without asking. “Because Draven was quiet the whole way home and then stormed into his room without even saying good night?”

“Yes, that,” she said, sitting on her bed with her hands in her lap. She was in her pajamas, a pink set she’d brought from home. She’d finished putting her things on the shelves now and at least had her books around to keep her company. She didn’t mind that Draven wanted solitude; at least she told herself she didn’t. The three of them had been thrown into this quickly. It would take time to adjust.

“Try not to be hard on Draven,” Ran said, folding his arms, making the muscles there flex in the light. “He’s just trying to do what he thinks is right, no matter how misguided he is. You see, Draven is born to be a protector. And that includes protecting himself sometimes. A little too much.”