Gold(32)

Dante usually fought as a dragon, so he hadn’t been in a lot of fisticuff matches with humans. But he could make it up as he went, and having his opponent on the ground under his weight was an advantage.

Even if Cliff was a bit bigger than most humans.

He was nothing to a dragon.

Dante had raised his fist again, holding a struggling Cliff with one hand, when the door swung open and sunlight streamed in, followed by Ella and her family.





Ten





Her dad rushed forward with Ben, Ron grabbing Dante and pulling him back while Ben helped his brother up, looking angry.

Dante stood and pulled away from Ron gently, so as to not to hurt the human, and dusted his hands off, glaring at Cliff.

“What is this about?” Grace said, looking impatient as she walked into the room, curls bouncing, shopping bags in hand. “We leave here for a few hours and come home to mayhem.”

That’s what happens when a dragon’s mate gets insulted. But he kept the thought to himself.

“He started it!” Cliff yelled, pointing.

“Ha,” Dante said. “He earned it.”

Ella strode forward angrily, pushing Dante back away from her family. “Stop it,” she said. “You promised me you wouldn’t!”

“Wouldn’t what?” he asked. “Defend you?”

“I don’t need to be defended! And if he’s just running his mouth, that doesn’t mean physical violence. What he says doesn’t bother me.”

“Stop lying about that!” Dante retorted.

The room froze and everyone looked over at her. She gave him an angry glance, and he felt the frustration in him well up and flow over, flooding him past his breaking point. “Whatever,” he said tersely. “I’m going outside to cool off.”

“Good idea,” Ella retorted, but she didn’t sound sure.

Dante stormed out of the house, feeling the unfairness of the situation weighing on his back.

He was tired of being in human form. He was tired of being away from his friends who understood him. From the world of dragons. Tired of not having wings to just fly away from the situation.

He missed the nighttime raids to defend the village. Missed the chance to let out the beast in him.

That was never more frustrating than when he was getting berated for standing up for his mate. How could she look at him like that? He’d been too subservient to her. Then again, she was his mate. What could he do?

He sat down on a patch of grass a little way from the cabin. He watched the pine trees rustle in the wind and took a deep breath. He would be fine. He needed to calm down, and then he could go in and explain why he wanted that asshole out of the house or he was leaving.

And taking Ella with him.

He was interrupted by the crunching of pine needles as someone crossed the lawn to come over to where he was sitting on the grass.

He turned around to see Ella coming over and felt his face tighten defensively. “What do you want?” he asked, knowing he sounded like a jerk. “Come to yell at me more? Maybe you want to humiliate me in front of your family again.”

She sighed and plopped down next to him. He couldn’t resist sneaking a look at her. He always wanted to look at his mate.

Today she was wearing a purple blouse with a fitted black jacket and another pair of sexy, fitted jeans that outlined her every curve. His eyes moved over her appreciatively until he jerked his gaze back.

“You look nice today,” he said awkwardly, trying to remind himself to stay angry. He’d done nothing wrong.

“Thanks,” she said, reaching out to brush the grass. “I’m sorry. That wasn’t fair.”

He looked over in interest, surprised she hadn’t come to yell at him more. “Oh?”

She tossed aside the piece of grass she’d plucked and sighed. “Yeah. I just get really nervous about the whole situation. Especially with my family around.”

“Huh? I don’t follow.”

“I just mean everything to do with him is difficult. You’re right. I try to tell myself it’s not, but it is.”

“You were with him before?”

Her eyes widened, looking a beautiful, welcoming warm brown in the sun. Almost slightly burnt orange around the center. “Did he tell you that?”

He nodded.

“Not exactly,” she said. “Look it’s just… it’s painful, and I’m not ready to tell it.”

What had happened? Had she been dumped? Assaulted? If so, why hadn’t she gotten him thrown out of the house by telling her family?

Nothing here made sense.

“I just… I don’t know how you’d react, and… I’m not ready to find out.” She stared at the ground, and her obvious discomfort made him lose his resolve.