They were both getting dressed, and he watched her gingerly put her underwear back on. They were barely intact, since he had gotten too excited and ripped them off of her. He really had lost his cool with her.
“Do you need some help?”
He still wasn't sure exactly why she was so tight and different during sex, or if she was a virgin. He needed to know. Vincent was going to be upset with himself if she was, especially the way he just thrusted inside of her so quickly. He had not given her time to do much more than think. It wasn’t the way he would have liked it to go.
“No, I think I got it.”
“Are you sure? You look a little, I don't know. You just look like you need some help.”
She once again told him that she was fine, but Vincent was looking at her a little funny. How could she be fine when he was raring to go so badly? He had so many questions. Why couldn't he get them out? And then he reminded himself that none of those questions mattered. She was already promised to somebody else. His enemy. Wasn't that enough?
“I really think we should get back. Somebody might be looking for us.”
“Sure, if that's what you want to do. I wouldn't mind getting caught. Balthazar would love to find out what I just did to you. I’d love to see his face when he found out.”
As soon as it rolled off his tongue, Vincent knew that he had said the wrong thing. Of course, there was a little bit of that feeling inside of him. He had just bedded his enemy’s mate. There were going to be feelings about it. Those feelings, though, should not have been said out loud, especially not in front of her. She immediately changed her whole demeanor, and he knew that whatever magic had been happening between them wasn't going to be happening anymore.
“It's good to know that I was able to help you out. My first time with a guy and he’s only worried about his revenge. I'm sorry that you were my first.”
Vincent was left staring, Mallory shifting seamlessly into her pearl-colored dragon form. She took to the skies almost immediately and was gone. Vincent had known deep down she had been innocent. Not only had he done such a poor job, but his bedside manner afterward left something to be desired. Not only that, she was a student. He had just screwed up on so many levels, and then screwed up even more with such a flippant comment.
He took his time getting back to the school, trying to figure out not only what had just happened, but what was going to happen next because of it. It didn't feel good.
***
For some reason, Vincent figured that they would be able to work out whatever happened between them. That was not the case, though. Before she was even set to graduate, Mallory stopped coming to school. He called her several times and even went to her grandmother's house where he had been before, but Mallory was gone. The grandmother said she didn't even know where she was, but Vincent didn't believe her. He thought that she was instructed not to tell him.
He kept telling himself that it wasn't a big deal. It's not like they should have been together, anyway. He was messing with his cousin's fiancé. Had he found out? Had Mallory gotten in trouble? There were so many questions, but no answers. None that he was going to get anyway.
Vincent would always wonder what happened to her. After several months of her just disappearing off the face of the earth and him not being able to find any information on her, he finally gave up. What else was he supposed to do?
Chapter 8
Four Years Later…
“Ethen! Come on honey, we're going to be late for class.”
Mallory waited for her son to find his shoes. He had been sent to get them several minutes before, and he was finally slowing down long enough to actually look. The Academy was stringent on their rules as far as being tardy, and she wanted to make sure that they got there in plenty of time. Mallory tried but had already fallen short several times.
“Sorry, I know he takes forever.”
Laurel just waved her roommate off and told her that there was nothing to worry about. She was no doubt used to it by now.
“I don't know why you're so worried about being late. As much as you pay for him to go there, it's not like they're just going to kick him out. Right?”
Mallory shook her head. “You don't know who runs the Academy. They would kick him out in a heartbeat. It doesn't matter if I pay more or not. The guy who runs it is a bit crazy.”
“And that's why I take him instead of you?”
Mallory agreed. Laurel not only knew about her and hadn't freaked out about it, but had helped her so much with Ethen. The two had met while Mallory was giving birth in the hospital. Laurel had been her nurse and had probably seen more than she was meant to. Instead of freaking out though, Laurel had helped Mallory out of her jam and got her out of the hospital before somebody saw the differences in her baby. Laurel had saved her child's life, without even really knowing what she was doing. Mallory was indebted to her for that and many more reasons.
Because of that, Mallory had decided to tell her the truth. It had taken some explaining and convincing, but after she shifted into her dragon form in front of Laurel, there was really no going back. Laurel believed her, though she didn't have to. It was a lot easier with someone else on her side, even if they were human.
After what Vincent had said to her the last time they were together, Mallory knew that she could never see him again. That was what had made her leave everything behind, and she just took off. She had no real plan at the time, and then she found out she was pregnant not too long after that. It had been pretty tough, but things were easing up now, and she could see light at the end of the tunnel. Her son was amazing, and although her life was not at all what she had expected it to be, she wouldn't have changed it for anything.
The shoes somehow managed to get on his feet and after she gave him a kiss goodbye, he bounded out the door with his aunt Laurel, the name he chose to call her. Mallory took a few moments as she thought back to how she got to that place. She never would have imagined herself a single mother, but she was not going back to Vincent after what he had said to her, and then telling him that not only had she helped him get revenge on Balthazar for sleeping with him, but she was also going to have his child.
It had taken nine months for her to work up the courage to call him, and while she was in the hospital in labor, nothing had come out of her mouth. She had heard his voice and clammed up and slammed the phone down. That was the last time that Mallory tried to bring Vincent in.
