Earth Dragon

Chapter Four

I'm worried that I'm going to trip and fall or something, but I run anyway. I think it would be better to trip out here than to be back in the house feeling weirded out by Mason and his family while I turn into a dragon.

Hurry, my dragon tells me urgently.

I pick up the pace despite my fear. I think I'm seeing through her eyes instead of mine, because I can see every pitfall in front of me in strange coloured shades, but perfectly clear, like all the branches and rocks are outlined for me. It's incredible. I keep up the pace until I feel a spasm go through me—well, her, actually—so I pick a relatively sheltered spot for us.

Now. Strip!

I immediately stop and quickly but carefully take off my clothes. I kind of fold them, but not really, and pile them on top of my shoes. Naked, I close my eyes and kind of instinctively pull myself inward. I know it sounds super weird, but that's how it feels. I'm expecting pain, to feel like I'm contorting or breaking, but I don't. One minute I'm closing my eyes and pulling inwards, the next I'm her.

Have you ever had a dream, where you're watching yourself do stuff? Like, you're there, but you're also detached? This is like that, but way more intense. So, I'm seeing and feeling everything that she is, but she's driving, and then, we dive straight into the ground.

Into the ground? Really? I ask her, mentally rolling my eyes. I can feel how much fun she's having, but I like ribbing her a little. We go further and further from the house and I start to worry that we're going too far. We should go back.

Not yet.

There's a bit of a rebellious growl in her tone and I frown to myself. What's wrong? I ask soothingly. I get that she's experiencing freedom for the first time, but I don't know how quickly we'll get tired and how much this is taking out of me. She may have a fantastic sense of direction, but not me. Distance is also different to her, so for all I know we could be in British Columbia.

I feel her sigh and she does this awesome flip in place to turn and go back. Damn, she's flexible. I wish I had a mirror so I could see what she looks like. I mean, I feel the dimensions of her, but not what she actually looks like. I suppose it doesn't matter. I feel beautiful in her body, so I'm going to just assume the best for the time being.

So, we get back to the place we entered—I'm super impressed that she could navigate back on the exact same path—and she starts to pace next to my clothes because she doesn't want to come back in. You'll come out again, I promise and send her some soothing vibes.

She immediately calms down, stops pacing, and I feel her pull in and I'm me again. I quickly dress and trudge back to the house. The window is still open, so I climb inside and look around warily.

Courtney sits up on the bed and grins at me. "You're okay!"

I nod and close the window. "Thanks, hon."

"They've come to the door a few times and tried to talk me into letting them speak to you, but I held them off like a pro. They've been talking pretty heatedly for a while now. Sadly, I don't have supernatural senses, so I don't know what they've been saying."

I nod again. Good to know. I hate to do it, but, "I think you should probably go home now. I don't want them to have to turn you or do something equally dangerous to your health because you know too much." I have no idea if that's a thing, but I don't want to risk it. I make sure to smile so she knows it's probably a joke.

She smiles faintly back. "Okay. But I miss you. Come into the city and go shopping with me one of these days." The move and everything that's happened since then, well, it's a big adjustment for both of us.

"Promise." I give her a hug and escort her out. I glare at the three siblings standing around the living room arguing and they fall silent. I swear my nostrils flare and I know my eyes just glinted red at them. "Bye, Court. I'll call you soon, okay?"

"Bye. Be safe," she replies, looking nervously over my shoulder at the siblings.

I wink at her, so she knows that I got this, and close the door behind her. I turn to face the siblings—when, exactly, did they become a unit against me?—and cross my arms over my chest, raising a single, challenging brow at them.

"What do you need, babe?" Mason says, his tone quiet and calm. His expression is sincere and I know that, if it's in his power, he'll give it to me.

"I feel ganged up on by you three and I need you," I point to Simon, "and you," I point to Lily, "to go home and not come back until we tell you." I take a deep breath and feel tears prickle my eyes as I look at Mason. "And I need you to just be my boyfriend and not my dragon sensei for a while, okay?" I wait a beat and sweep my gaze over all three of them. "Please."

Lily swallows hard and nods, moving to tug on Simon's sleeve. "Come on," she urges him. He sighs and lets her lead him past me out the door. He looks back briefly and his eyes shoot Mason a, we-won't-be-gone-long warning look.

The door shuts with a soft thunk and Mason immediately starts towards me, a conciliatory expression on his face. "I'm sorry."

I quirk that challenging brow at him again. "For what, exactly?" He looks a little hopeful, but I stop there. I'm not going to list his wrongs and make it easy for him. Not in my current mood, anyway. I'll forgive him later.

"For forgetting to put you first."

Damn, he's good. Just like that, I'm melting. "You hurt me," I point out as tears sting my eyes again. This time they fall and I dash them away.

"I know, baby. I'm sorry." He puts his arms around me and kisses my hair. "Forgive me?"

I sigh because I already have. "Yeah." I take my time to get over it fully and pull myself back together before I pull away and smile tremulously up at him. I get caught in is silver gaze and fall into those moonlit eyes. I think, I love you, and go on tiptoe to reach his lips.

He comes down a bit to meet me and time stands still the moment our lips meet. Like, literally stands still. I feel my dragon stretch languidly and I freak out a little because I feel Mason's dragon respond.

I don't know what's going on, but before I have time to analyze it, things are back to normal and Mason and I are kissing. What was that? I demand of my dragon anxiously as I pull back from Mason. She doesn't reply, but I get the impression of amusement.

"What's wrong?" Mason asks, frowning at me in concern.

I look at him. "Did you feel time stop when we kissed just now?"

Amusement lit his eyes, but not recognition. Hm. "I thought the world was supposed to stop spinning, not time stop, but I'll take what I can get."

Seriously, what was that? I demand again. He's pulling me into his arms and I'm having a freaking domestic. "Hold the phone," I tell Mason and hold up a finger to him at the same time. Answer me, please. I need to know!

She sighs. I like him and wanted to know if he likes me too. So, I proposed we reach for each other to touch our spirits for a moment. It stops time. Not many are awake through it, but it's the fastest way to get to know another of my kind.

There's admiration in her tone, like she's all proud of me for being aware of it or something. Oh, please. I take a deep breath and tell myself to get over it. It was weird, but it can't be all that bad if Mason doesn't even know it could happen, right? Right. Because he's a born dragon and I'm just a noob.

I shove my internal debate aside and smile seductively—I hope!—at Mason, dropping my hand onto his chest to lightly caress the firm muscle beneath his shirt. "I have a lot I need to talk to you about, but before we get to that, I want to—" I lean in and whisper something dirty in his ear. His eyes darken in response and I see his face tighten with hunger. For me. I mentally pat myself on the back as he sweeps me into his arms and down the hall to the bedroom.
Yeah, baby.

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