‘Mickey, it doesn’t matter what happened today. It doesn’t matter if he broke it off, or if she broke it off. What matters is that he slept with me; he had sex with me while he was engaged to her. That’s what matters. I can never forgive him for that. I was a virgin!”
“Ok, stop throwing that around. You’re acting like you’re the first one to get hurt like this. So you’ve been played your first time, it happens. Did you love him?”
“I barely knew him.”
“Ok, did you want to love him?”
“I think so.” Sarai paused to catch her breath. “I was falling in love.”
“Ok, then take some time. When you’re calm and ready, hear him out. If he’s a jerk, an asshole, whatever, you never have to see him again, but don’t you want to know if there is any possibility that it was all just a misunderstanding?”
“There was no misunderstanding. He was engaged when he had sex with me. That’s it. I’m going to bed.” She put her shake and salad in the fridge and then went to her bedroom. But when she saw the bed, it only made her angry because memories of them there flooded her mind. She let out a growl and then pulled the door back open and returned to the couch. “Remind me to burn my bed.”
Chapter 12
Alistair
He had called her every day, but she never picked up. He had driven halfway to the shop, and then turned around. He would give her some space to cool off. After all, she still had a right to be angry. He hadn’t been honest with her about Phoebe, even after she asked about her. He had let his passion and desire take over, and he’d ended up making a mess of everything. He hadn’t fixed anything.
Alistair grumbled and stomped around his room as he dressed to be presentable for his parents. He fumbled with his tie. After his third attempt to tie it, he stuffed it in his pocket, put on his favorite cufflinks and then put on his jacket. He unbuttoned the top button, ran a brush through his hair and at last he was as presentable as he felt like being. He gave his shoes a quick polish before putting them on. He had been in a foul mood since Sarai had driven off. He had taken solitude in the basement of his gym, not feeling like dealing with people. He was so angry he was afraid of what might happen, so he hid where no human was allowed to go, at least not yet. He hoped one day, when he reconciled with Sarai, that he would be able to show her his world, and bring her down into the shifter sanctuary.
He’d sat at the bar drinking, brooding, and when he wasn’t drinking, he was throwing darts. In the sanctuary, shifters could be themselves, so there were a lot of half-human, half-animal forms around him. He himself had his wings out. Everyone knew not to mess with him when his wings were out. Even half-formed, a dragon shifter was deadly and prone to violence. Though the only head he wanted to rip off was his father’s. He had spent the week planning how to approach his father. He had promised Phoebe that he would handle it.
Sunday was mandatory family dinner. Unless you were dead or in the hospital, you were expected to attend. As much as Alistair hated it, he got ready to go to the family dinner. At least at this one, his future in-laws and soon-to-be wife wouldn’t be present.
His heart ached for Sarai. He hated how it went down, and felt horrible about it all. Phoebe had told him to give her time. Let Sarai cool off, and then, when he could prove that the wedding was off, he could attempt to contact her. He thought it was good advice and decided to follow through with it.
He arrived at the house, more broody than usual.
“Where is your tie?” his mother asked when he came in through the door. He sheepishly pulled it out of his pocket. She smacked him with it and then tied it for him, making it super tight. Then she fussed with his jacket. “There, now you’re presentable. Go see your father.”
He sat on the couch and stared at his drink as he waited for his siblings to arrive.
“Is something wrong, Alistair? You’ve been broody and absent. I went to the gym yesterday. The wolf told me you were on an errand and wouldn’t be back, but I saw your car. I assume you were down below. I figured you needed some space.”
“Good thinking,” Alistair snapped. “You were the last person I wanted to see.”
“What have I done?” his father snapped. “All I have done, Alistair, is my duty as your father, to uphold the traditions of our people. Is that so wrong? I know you don’t agree with all of them. There are some even I detest, but as the heir and leader of our clan, I don’t have the luxury of detesting them. I must uphold them and continue the traditions of our ancestors. As my son and heir, it is your duty to follow in my footsteps. Phoebe is a good woman; she will be a good wife for you. I was careful with who I picked for you. Only the best for my son. You should be grateful for that.”
“Grateful? Grateful? There is nothing that you have done for me that I can honestly say I’m grateful for, except one, bringing me into the world.”
“You ungrateful child! I have heard enough. You will marry Phoebe, and you will do your duty as my son and heir. You will uphold the traditions of our ancestors and you will do it without complaint.”
“This is the twenty-first century, Father! Your archaic ways are harsh and controlling and I feel I should be allowed to love and marry whomever I choose.”
“They are not my archaic ways. I did not make them up. They come from a long line of proud dragon shifters, passed down through the generations, and you will give it your utmost respect. What has gotten into you, boy? Is it the gym? Have you been spending too much time with the humans?” His father laughed. “It’s a human, isn’t it? You’ve fallen in love with one of your clients. Need I remind you of why we do what we do? It is to keep the dragon shifter bloodlines as pure as possible. It’s not about love, it’s about legacy. Do you think I love your mother? No. I married her because she is the dragon that was chosen for me by my father, as my mother was the dragon his father chose for him. Phoebe is the dragon I chose for you, and you will not disgrace us by marrying a human. We must keep the species alive. Those that mate with humans sully the lines, and we are from one of the oldest clans. I will not hear another word about this. I never should have allowed you to open that gym. It has done nothing but cause problems.”
Alistair slammed his fist on the table so hard he cracked the wood. “What is so wrong with humans? You might think they are savages, but you’re wrong. They are a beautiful, intelligent, and free species. They learn to adapt; they know how to change their ways to fit their environment. We’re still stuck in the old days. I have many human friends and they are all wonderful people. Give humanity a chance before you decide they aren’t worthy of us.”
“Tradition states--”
“To hell with tradition,” Alistair growled. “To hell with you, and to hell with this wedding. It’s not going to happen.”
“Alistair, these are not my rules, these are the rules of the dragon shifter. It is our duty to keep the line going so it doesn’t die out. You will marry Phoebe and I will not hear another word of this nonsense. Forget the human. You will never see her again. Or you will learn how far I am willing to go to protect my kind, to protect our legacy.”
“No, Father, and if you lay a hand on her and I will rip out your throat.”
“So, there is a human. I should have known. She will not make you happy. She cannot give you what Phoebe can. Phoebe comes with a thousand-year dowry, what can this human offer you?”
