Never wake a Dragon (on hold)

3. part II - a visitor

He hadn't slept, but he doubted that was the issue. No, the real problem was the annoying dragon and the proposition he'd made. No, not even that, it wasn't the proposition in itself, it was the eerie feeling that he was already on a leash. He could almost sense the collar around his throat and how it tightened every time he thought of leaving. It was stupid of him to remain in Stockholm, to even consider the job offer at all, but he couldn't let it go. It was as if a part of him had already decided to say yes no matter how irrational the choice.

Leaving the street behind, he entered his building and scraped his boots free of snow. He scooted a stroller out of the way, wondering if it belonged to the couple living beneath him. He'd heard their baby more than enough times to earn them a black spot of poison threatening from above. He couldn't hate children, but he didn't have to like their parents.

The elevator pinged behind him, and he looked over his shoulder just in time to see a young woman he'd never seen there before. His core reacted before any conscious thought had formed, reaching out for her mind. She halted, pacified. Perhaps it was the smell of sex that got him going in the first place, or perhaps it was the raving hunger after a long night of regenerating his powers. He gave in to the urge and searched through her recent memories. The face he saw was vaguely familiar, a neighbor he'd seen once or twice. He could sense her lust and made it into his own. Slowly, he sucked it all out, every detail, every fragment until he'd stolen her experience. It tasted of curiosity, arousal and satisfaction, a perfect blend to settle his hunger.

Withdrawing, he saw how her gaze flickered with unease. She frowned at him, studied the hallway and found her phone. "How did? Where am I?" she asked.

"Strandvägen," he replied. "You were going somewhere."

She checked her phone again. "Yes, I was. I'm off to work. Strandvägen, really?"

He almost felt sorry for her. Almost. But, instead of answering, he continued up the stairs, feeling at least a flicker of contentment as an aftertaste of the memory. She wouldn't remember what she had lost, and he would last for a day or two before he needed to feed on another one.

Taking the stairs two at a time, he quickly made his way to the top floor. He was in no immediate rush, but perhaps he wouldn't feel that strange distortion in the air inside his apartment. He hoped not because it was time to reach a solid answer before the dragon called.

The lock clicked, the handle turned as usual, but the second he opened the door, he knew that something was awfully wrong. He recognized the silence and wanted nothing more than to back out the way he came. Clenching his fist, he fought fear and anger in equal measures.

Kyung appeared in view, casually resting a hand on the backrest of the leather sofa. "You weren't home," the dragon said, smiling as if that explained why he'd entered the apartment without invitation.

Knowing he was already cornered, he closed the door behind him, eased out of his coat and tried to seem calm. Fear wouldn't help him. Fear would only mean that Kyung had him right where the dragon wanted him to be.

"I keep my door locked for a reason."

"And I wanted some privacy for our meeting," Kyung countered. "And, I figured you'd be most comfortable here on your own turf."

Well, it wasn't exactly his turf if the guy had already barged inside. "Then you could have waited until I came home."

"That's what I did, wasn't it?"

The cheek. He didn't know how to handle the amused grin on Kyung's face. "This doesn't help, you know. If you wanted me to take that job you offered, you should have tackled this another way."