“Her heart, which is way more precious than gold or gems.”
“If it’s so precious, I should rip it out and give it to you.”
“You will not touch a hair on her head, or I will kill you.”
“Enough! Alistair! Hal! Enough, you two.”
“Yes dear,” Hal growled.
“You’re right, Mother. That is enough.” Alistair threw his napkin on the table. “I am done. I am done being controlled by you. I am done being controlled by tradition and archaic laws. I live in the real world, and in the real world, people choose who they want to be with. I am no one’s breeding stallion.” He marched away from the table and slammed the door behind him.
“Get back here!” he heard his father roar, but he ignored him.
He tried to call Sarai, but she wouldn’t pick up, so he left a message. “Sarai, I know you’re mad, but I promise, if you just let me explain, you wouldn’t be. I never meant to use you. I fell head over heels for you and lost myself in the heat of the moment. I love you; I choose you. You’re everything I desire. Now can we talk? Please? I just need to talk. Phoebe and I are over, that was what she came to tell me. She loves someone else. Another woman, it turns out. Anyway, I really need to talk to you. I’m going crazy without you. Call me, day or night, I don’t care. Just call me.” He hung up and fled to his sanctuary to brood and drink and wait for her call.
“Did you tell him?” Phoebe asked joining him at the bar.
“I did. We got into an argument, and he hasn’t accepted it, but don’t worry, he will.”
“And the human, have you talked to her?”
“She won’t answer.”
“Teagan is talking to the wolf council, we’re meeting here. I couldn’t just sit at home waiting, so I came here.”
“Well, let me buy you a drink.”
“Maybe I should go to the shop and speak with her. Maybe if she hears it from me…”
“No. No, I don’t think that would be a good idea. Let me handle it, ok?” He touched her arm in a friendly manner and she leaned forward and kissed his cheek.
“My hero!” she whispered in his ear.
He laughed half-heartedly and shook his head. “I haven’t done anything yet.”
“You’ll fix it, for both of us. I trust you.”
He raised his drink at her, threw it back and then went up to the gym to work out. He got on the leg press. He smiled to himself thinking back to the last time Sarai was on it. Man, she hated that machine. He locked his fingers behind his head and started his reps. Before long, he drifted off, dreaming of being with Sarai. He had to win her back, he just had to. He would give her time, he would give her space, but in the end, he would find a way to win her back. They were meant for each other. He had to believe that.
He didn’t feel like going home, so he turned off all the lights in the gym and went to his office. He bolted the door, though if a dragon really wanted in, he would have no trouble getting in. Alistair was fine with that, he was ready for a fight, and if his father came at him it would be a fight to the death. He just had to make sure he was the winner. He curled up on his couch and thought back to that wonderful day when he and Sarai had made magic together.
He could still see her in the moonlight, her hair tumbling down her shoulders, her perky nipples, her sweet wet center. He licked his lips as he thought about how she had tasted, so sweet and salty. It was a taste he longed for. He had to see her again, he just had to. Thinking about her made him ache to hold her and left him cross, so he pushed her out of his mind and tried to sleep. He found he couldn’t sleep; he had to make things right. He just didn’t know how. He grabbed his phone and dialed her number. He knew it was late, but he had to hear her voice.
“Hey there, you’ve reached Sarai. I can’t make it to the phone, but you know what to do. I’ll call you back when I can. Oh, my office hours are… shoot.” He heard the beep. “I’m sorry, this mailbox is full.” He hung up and dialed it again and again, until at last he fell asleep and his dreams were filled with her. They were flying through the sky. He was his full dragon form, something he had only ever done once. She was riding him. Their connection was primal. There was something there, there had to be! He was so sure. He just had to prove it to Sarai, so they could put this ugliness behind them. So they could be together.
Chapter 13
Sarai
Sarai ordered more flowers and put together a new bouquet. She didn’t even charge the bride for it. The flowers were beautiful. The bridal party was thrilled, and Sarai walked away with a fat check. She returned to the shop to check her book and found another wedding. It was still three months away, which meant she wouldn’t even have to start doing anything with the flowers for it. She wrote Mickey’s job in bold letters across the booking and then closed the book and closed early. She had to get ready for the race at the end of the week. She took a run around the block and then up through the park. The park passed right by the gym. She picked up her pace as she ran past. Then she called Mickey to come get her so she wouldn’t have to run by there again.
“I have an idea.” Mickey said as she got in the car. “Why don’t I go talk to him, find out what he has to say? I feel you should hear him out.”
“I don’t want to hear him out.” She stated.
“What if it was a big misunderstanding?”
“I don’t care. I’ve moved on. I’ve got to get focused for this marathon this weekend. I don’t have time to think about him.”
