Chapter Twenty-Four
Vanek
“Come on,” he said, tugging at her arm.
Behind them the sun was just about finished setting below the mountains. Corde and Kylie were out for the evening, giving the two of them the place to themselves for the next few hours. Although they had nothing nefarious planned, Vanek knew his mate, and just looking at her made it hard for him to keep his hands to himself. That sentiment wasn’t going to last.
But while it did he wanted to take advantage of it.
“Where are we going?” she asked, half-exasperated, half-smiling at his boyish eagerness.
“To the roof!” he shouted, pointing upward with their joined hands.
“To watch another sunset?”
“I suppose, but I wanted to show you what I’d planned to the first time I took you up there. So no getting too distracted.”
Harlow rolled her eyes with extreme exaggeration. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. It’s you that’s always distracting me.”
Coughing to cover his laughter, Vanek gently pushed her forward toward the stairs and the elevator. “Okay then, you comedian,” he said, making it clear he disagreed with her analysis of the situation. “Let’s go.”
Giggling, she danced down the stairs, beckoning him as if he were the one taking forever. “Let’s go then, mister. I want to see whatever it is you’ve got planned.”
Vanek grabbed her by the waist and pushed her up against the inside wall of the elevator, kissing her furiously.
“I told you that it was always your fault,” she sputtered between kisses, not trying to fight him off.
He put her down, punched in the code to take them up a floor to the roof and stuck out his tongue at her.
The door opened seconds later, a warm breeze gusting in, sending his long hair flying. Taking her hand, he brought her up to the edge of the helipad, where he had her stay put.
“Wait here,” he said. “Close your eyes.”
“What?”
“Just trust me and close your eyes without peeking. Please?”
Harlow must have sensed how important this was to him because she dropped the teasing and nodded, closing her eyes and putting her hands over them.
“I’ve wanted to show you this for some time now,” he said cautiously, stepping back until he was in the center of the helipad.
Behind them the sun disappeared and the shadows grew lengthy as its light faded. Vanek swallowed nervously, glad that Harlow couldn’t see the anxiety on his face just now. It shouldn’t be that big of a deal, but it was to him. She’d expressed disbelief and doubt all along, and he wasn’t sure how she would react.
But she needed to see.
For only the second time since he’d been awakened, the only other being back at Fort Stark under heavy supervision, he changed into his dragon. The transformation was nearly instantaneous, and he was momentarily disoriented at the sudden difference in his body. Huge crimson wings burst from his shoulders and his body disappeared behind him as his neck jutted forward.
The world seemed to shrink in perspective as he grew in size, thick armored scales covering his entire body, glinting with bright red coloring in the remaining light, the sunset drawing out the slight orange accents in his crimson coloring. His wings flapped slightly in nervous agitation before tucking themselves in alongside the bulk of his body.
“Vanek?” Harlow called nervously at the noise and the way his wings sent air rushing over her.
“Okay, you can look,” he said, his voice deeper and thicker as it emerged from his snout.
Harlow’s hands dropped away as she opened her eyes in surprise. “Oh my—Ack!”
She stepped backward in shock, forgetting she was at the edge of the helipad and fell down the stairs.
Or would have if he hadn’t moved with lightning speed, his wing darting out and catching her in its soft embrace before she even hit the first step down.
“Uh, thanks,” she said as he tilted it upward, setting her back on her feet.
“You are most welcome.”
He waited awkwardly as she looked him up and down, shuffling from side to side to gaze at his entire body. Without speaking, Harlow walked down his side, tentatively reaching out to press her hand to his scaled flank. She recoiled at first but quickly grew bolder and left her hand there as she walked, down one side, and then back up the other.
“Well?” he asked, his massive dragon heart beating faster with each passing moment where she refused to speak.
“One thing is for certain,” she said at last, moving to stand in front of him.
“What’s that?”
“You are closer to fifty feet. I’m sorry for insulting you with the thirty-foot comment.”
Vanek stared at her, the humor taking a second to penetrate past his other thoughts. Then he shook his head, and dragon laughter boomed out from the top of the apartment tower as the two of them broke the tension. During some part of it he returned to his human form and the pair of them sank to the steps leading up to the helipad, holding each other while they laughed some more.
“For once a guy wasn’t bragging when he corrected me on his size,” she said, prompting even more laughter. “I’m getting used to not being disappointed by you on that front,” she said, winking.
He grinned and lifted her back up to the helipad, pushing her down on her back as he mounted her.
“Well, we wouldn’t want that, now would we?”
“No,” she said softly, her words almost lost on the wind. “No we wouldn’t.”
“I have one last thing for you,” he said, reaching into his back pocket.
“More surprises?”
“I’m running low,” he admitted. “But one last one won’t hurt.”
He withdrew a white rectangular box a few inches wide, about half that high.
“What’s this?” she asked curiously, sitting up.
“They’re for you.”
“They?”
“Open it and see,” he said with a finger wag, not wanting to spoil the surprise.
Harlow pulled the box open and he smiled with satisfaction at the stunned look on her face.
“Vanek,” she gushed. “They’re gorgeous! Are you sure?”
He nodded. “Yes. Yes I am.”
Harlow pulled the contents out, holding up the teardrop-shaped earrings to gaze upon them admiringly.
“They need one last thing though,” he said, reaching up to brush her hand with his.
“What’s that?” she asked, gazing at the diamond-encrusted silver jewelry.
“Some of me,” he whispered as flame jumped from his hand, appearing out of nowhere and filling the inside of the empty teardrop with red-orange fire, the little light sparkling off the various diamonds, creating a mesmerizing effect.
“Oh Vanek.”
He smiled, pushing her hand, urging her to put them on.
Nervous of the fire, but quickly discovering it was cool to the touch and wouldn’t burn her, she hooked the backs through her piercings, letting them dangle freely.
“I love you,” he said, brushing a tear of happiness from her cheek.
“I love you too, Vanek. Both parts of you,” she said, leaning in to kiss him.
She was absolutely perfect.