I’m going to need some time. What kind of an idiot was I? I didn’t need time. I needed to wake the eff up. It was a dream. It had to be. Except I knew it wasn’t.

It. Was. Real. All of it from the being an Alpha to transforming into a freaking dragon. My gorgeous, beautiful, graceful warrior of a beast. Mine. Everything in my body sang with the truth of it. He’d dropped me off at the B&B less than three minutes ago and my body was already missing the warmth his touch brought.

Letting him leave was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. The pull to jump in his arms made it nearly impossible to part, but I had to. There were too many things to process, including something I wasn’t ready to share with Knox yet. Sure, I knew his big secret, or secrets as it were, but this secret wasn’t mine. Heck, it might not be anything.

When he mentioned I was his mate, I had a flash memory of my grandmother near the end of her life. It wasn’t unusual for her to cross my mind. She was my first actual loss that I remember, and that hits a girl hard, even if the loss was someone who was less than “there” long before they left this world. This. This was different. Worse in a way because it had me second guessing her actual dementia.

One of the very last times I saw Gran, she had dozed off in front of the twenty-four hour news channel, once again. My mom and I often conjectured that it was part of the reason she was so hostile near the end. They never showed anything positive, and whomever the politician they were discussing was, they were evilness personified trying to make your life worse.

I quietly went to leave, knowing she was a light sleeper, when she suddenly woke up screaming at me.

“It’s all your fault!” She was shooting venom. Gran had never been a sweet, docile, old lady you would expect to be donning an apron and baking cookies, but I had never heard her like this before.

“Gran, it was just a dream.” I rushed to her side, hoping to calm her. Her breathing was bated and sweat poured down her face. I grabbed her hand which she immediately pulled from me as if I touched her with acid. “I’m here in your room at the nursing home and everything is fine,” I lied. If she kept this up, she was going to throw herself into one of her breathing attacks and each one took her longer and longer to bounce back from. Everything was far from fine.

“It will never be fine because of you.” At that, she spit in my face. Not on accident, but an actual I’m going to spit in your face spit. It took all I had to be calm and to not show my disgust. It wasn’t like she was in control of her actions when she was like that, or so Mom repeatedly told me when I got assigned Gran duty after her guilt finally hit for not having visited in more than a week. Apparently for my mother, I was an easy replacement.

“Gran? Do you know who I am?” I was hoping she was going to say I was someone from the news because that would make sense, and after she fully came to, she’d be fine. Sadly, that wasn’t the case.

“You’re one of Them.” The venom was back, full throttle. Them, whoever they were, they were evil in her eyes.

The sweat was still coming, and it was all I could do to keep my voice light and calm. We had been here before, just not to this extent. Usually it was her thinking I was my mom just after she had announced her pregnancy with me and my father’s lack of actually wanting to… you know… father. That, I at least knew how to handle, after going through that roller coaster more than once. But this was all new territory.

“Gran, I’m Kallie, your granddaughter.” I reached across her to press the nurse call button, hoping she wouldn’t freak out even further by my closeness. I dared not leave the room to get help at that point. “Let me call the nurse.” Not that she had a choice. She needed a sedative and pronto.

“You are no granddaughter of mine.” Her feeble hand reached out to poke mine, accentuating each and every word. I instinctually took a step back and out of her reach. “You’re one of them. A disgrace to the family line you are.” I reached over and pressed the nurse call button again. What was taking them so long to respond? It wasn’t like we called every time she needed a drink of water or a tissue.

“I’m calling the nurse, Gran.” When her eyes met mine, I saw for the first time why my mother grew up so terrified of her. If her eyes were even the slightest inclination as to what was in her heart, she had nothing but hatred for who she thought I was. “Calm down and all will be right.”

Before I could think of what to do next, the nurse responded to my call with a mumbled question through the call box. I assumed she wanted to know what we wanted, and I hoped they heard better on their end then we did on ours.

“My Grandmother woke from a dream and is not okay,” I called back slowly, using every diction skill I learned in my public speaking class. They mumbled back what I assumed was a promise to come and help before the light on the call box went out indicating they were no longer there.

“Gran, please, lay back down.” He body was rigid and at an odd angle as she tried once again to poke me. She was going to feel the pain from this episode later that night, to be sure. “You heard the nurse. She’ll be here in just a moment.”

“Get out.” She reached out for me, almost tumbling out of bed. How bedrails became “restraints” was beyond me. Falling out of bed was worse than needing to press a button to lower the bedrails. “You disgust me,” she shouted just as two nurses rushed in. They must have heard more than I thought to be bringing back up, and I was glad. The last thing anyone needed was for a nurse to get hurt on top of everything else.

“Ma’am, we have her now.” They shooed me out, and I was grateful for it. “Please wait outside and we’ll find you when she calms down.” By calm down, I knew they were going to drug her, which was honestly for the best. She had been so lost lately, not here in reality, that being medicated was probably the safest option.

“Leave me alone.” She swatted away the nurse who was about to hold her down for sedation. You had to give it to Gran, she was nothing if not strong willed. “She’s the one you should be getting before she mates with that evil.”

At the time, I thought it was all her crazy coming forward. Mates with that evil. Who talks like that except someone losing their mind? I had thought about it a few times since then and always assumed she was once again thinking I was my mother throwing her life away on some illegitimate kid. After today, I knew better. She knew about Knox or maybe not him, but me.

I whipped out my phone, very relieved that Rhi found something or someone to occupy her time. I sat criss-cross applesauce on my bed breathing in deeply before I got the courage to type.

Am I human?

I felt human. I stared at my hands as if they held the answers. I was human. I was sure of it, but three hours ago I was sure Knox was human, too. One of Them. Who was Them? Maybe she meant because I would meet Knox, but that was ludicrous because how could she have known?

Of course you are.

His words were brief and to the point. He was on edge. Not that I blamed him. He opened himself up to me in a way that showed more trust than I had earned. After all, I could have easily snapped a photo or called the press. Not that I would have, and he could literally have burnt me up, or maybe that part was a myth. There was so much I didn’t know and yet everything I did know about Knox felt honest and true. Maybe I was as crazy as my Gran.

Are you evil?

I typed it quickly before I could change my mind. If Gran had been talking about Knox, I needed to know. He wasn’t though. I knew that to be true deep in my soul, yet my stupid brain had to ask and it was already delivered by the time I wanted to take it back. Maybe typing quickly was a bad plan. At least we weren’t face to face when all the words would come out.

No. I’m not perfect, not by a long shot, but I’m not evil. Can I come over?

My body screamed YES, my mind screamed slightly louder a resounding NOOOOOO. I fell back on the bed, letting my feet hang over the edge. Should I or shouldn’t I. If he came, I would get lost in his scent, his smile, his eyes. With him not here all I could think about was his scent, his smile, his eyes. I was doomed either way.

No.

It hurt to type, but it felt like the right choice. Until I hit send, anyways. Now I wanted to type JK, come now. Please. But I wouldn’t. Always go with your gut. That’s what Gran always said, not that she was one to be taking advice from on this one.

I could see he was typing. Moments turned into minutes before it actually popped on my screen. Whatever he had been typing had become reduced to three words.

I won’t push.

He might not push, but I wanted to. Needed to. Not with the personal what’s going to happen or not happen with us stuff. No, I needed facts. All the facts. The future lawyer in me demanded them.

How did I know where the bar was with no name on it?

That had been bugging me since we first got there. I followed him, not in true stalker fashion by trailing him, but by hearing where he was going and “accidentally” being there. How had I done that? It wasn’t the biggest piece of this puzzle, yet it was what my curious soul needed to know at that moment. It was official. I was a freak. A superhot dude with an amazing ability wanted me, and yet I was worried about how I found a stupid bar.

There was a name then.

His answer came back quicker this time, probably because it was a right or wrong, I could look it up kind of question. If it weren’t for all of the creepy staring by the people at said bar, I would’ve asked when we were there.

But now it’s gone?

His reply popped up almost instantaneously. He must have sent it too soon. It gave me comfort to know he was as nervous as I was, even if he was the one with the huge arse secret and I was just a girl. Possibly. That was debatable at this point.

It was for when one of the local kids made an attempt at indie film making.

Small town by day, flourishing artist colony by night. And dragons’ lair. Can’t forget that.

But you called it by name.

I thought back to that night. He had very clearly said where he was going to be with a name and street. How else would I have found it? Or did my imagination fill in blanks over time? If I hadn’t sprouted feather and began to cluck, I’d have been dialing the phone to hear his voice and not have visual proof of the dumb arse questions I hounded him with.

I started to pick at the polish on my finger nail. It was a disgusting habit and I chided myself, but continued. As far as vices went, I could be drinking or so the argument I made with my mother numerous times would indicate.

Because you were listening and I wanted you to come find me. I was pretty sure you were my mate.

He set the bait for me and I took it. He wanted me even then. Or did he? Not once did he say hello or even give me a wink. I was with my mother, a damper to be sure so maybe that was it. Wait? Pretty sure. Was he sure now? Why did not knowing the answer to that form such knots in my stomach?

But now you’re sure.

I wrote it like a statement, but I was really asking. I just didn’t want to all but call him a liar. If he wasn’t one hundred percent sure, that was fine. Really it was. Sort of. Suck. Not at all. Not being sure was not all right on any level.

Now you’re older, so my dragon knows for sure. Before, you were younger.

By less than a year.

Can I call you?

I typed a Y and an E before my feathers took hold. Was he mad I called him a liar about me being older? What did age have to do with it anyway? I grabbed my dragon sculpture and squeezed it, willing it to send me answers.

Not yet. One last thing. You said I don’t have to pick you. What about you? Can you not pick me?

I knew I was leaving questions unanswered, but the unimportance of it slammed into me as his words from earlier hit me. I didn’t have to pick him. Not once did he mention himself. Not that I could blame him. He was a flipping dragon, so me not passing out or trying to kill him was a miracle in and of itself, mostly the passing out bit. It wasn’t like he could expect me to hear every minute detail of what it meant to be a dragon or the mate of one, or in this case possibly not being the mate of one. Argggg. I was over thinking again.

I blamed him for that. In the time it took him to respond I had removed the polish completely from two nails, sat in three different positions, kicked off my shoes, and counted to four hundred twelve. I was anticipating a novel when his single word answer arrived.

No.

What happens if I don’t pick you?

I would. I already knew it to my core. I didn’t know the hows or whys or even if it was what I wanted, but it was what it was. I was his and he was mine. Mine. That word felt so good as I rolled it over in my mind. Knox was mine.

You’re second question would be correct.

Second question? Stinks, what order did I go in? I scrolled up for what seemed like forever. And there it was.

Are you evil?

Did I truly have that power? No, that made no sense. How could my rejection cause him to be evil? If it did, wouldn’t that mean the evil was always there?

I had looked his dragon straight in the eye, and while I’d been startled and a bit shocked, never once had I felt fear. Surely if he had been a danger to me, my body would’ve reacted in some way.

I clutched my dragon as if it was a life preserver and I had just been dropped in the middle of the ocean, just as my doorknob turned. Just what I needed, a roommate meaning well and begging me to tell her all the things. Not that I would. No, this was between Knox and me. Well, Knox and me and from what I gathered earlier, the entire town.

I jumped out of bed, trying to look like I was getting ready to leave already when she arrived. No need to be too concerned, because she had her phone glued to her head. She hated talking on the phone, not that what she was doing could be described as talking. She was listening with that look on her face. The one that told me all was not right in the world of her parents.

I learned early on they were the epitome of toxic parents and never to ask Rhi about them. She shared what she wanted to about them. It was something that took a long time to get used to because it made me feel helpless. Especially when I learned the best way to help was to leave her be, and in cases like this actually leave.

I pointed to the door and she gave me a meek smile and nod before making her way to the bathroom. I wondered briefly if she had told them she was even leaving for break, much less leaving with me. I was a scholarship kid and they were all about money, so her being with me always equated to slumming it. That was only the side I knew from words they actually had spoken to me. Yep. They were that horrid.

Dragon and phone in one hand and shoes in the other, I made my way down the small hallway and out the door. I typed in a quick message before slipping open my shoes and climbing in his truck. What was it about this truck?

Coming to you. Don’t worry, I have a ride. Stole a truck earlier.

I threw the phone on the passenger seat, and with more speed than was legally allowed, I made my way to his house, hoping that my message would not only make sure that he knew I was coming, but also that I wasn’t scared of him, or us for that matter. If I were the one making sure he stayed good, I was going to do it.

He was standing on his porch, not even pretending to be busy with anything else but waiting for me as I pulled up. That was one thing I already had learned about him. He was a straight shooter and not in the I’ll-pretend-I’m-all-about-being-honest-as-an-excuse-to-be-mean-as-a-snake-to-anyone-I-please kind of way either. He just was honest. At least with me, and for now that was good enough.

As I turned off the engine and removed the keys, I watched him closely. He was itching to get to me just as badly as I was itching to get to him. I jumped out of the truck, practically throwing myself in his waiting arms. Home. I was home. Not the house or the town, but in his arms. The feeling of safety and rightness flooded me. He. Was. Mine.

“I don’t want you to be evil. I’m yours.” I spoke into his ears and immediately felt his body tense. Crap on a cracker, I just ruined everything with two little sentences and before I could ask how, I began to sob.