There’s Something About Dragons (How I Met My Monster)

Chapter 6

Cari

A nother long day at the clinic, but I’m not tired. I tidy my office, leash up Radar, say good night to Cynthia, and head out with a bounce in my step.

Shutting off my social media after all these years was good for me, I reflect as we cross the small, empty parking lot. No more panic flutters when I see the unread message numbers climbing. No more avoiding emails because I’m afraid of what’s inside them. The agent who has handled most of my brand deals is fielding questions and I’m just…free.

I should have done this sooner.

Radar’s soft ears bounce as his little legs hustle across the street to the park. I can’t help smiling at his jaunty confidence. We’ve made this walk so many times, I’m sure he could do it on his own, even without being able to see.

We turn down the curving walkway toward home. A huge figure, silhouetted by the streetlamps, steps out from behind some shrubbery right in front of us.

Panic surges through me, and I let out an ear-splitting scream. Radar snaps to attention, lunging at the end of the leash as he snarls and barks in the wrong direction.

My brave little guy. Braver than I am. I feel like I’m going to pee my pants.

“Sorry! Sorry!” The figure waves its hands and steps into a pool of light, suddenly looking a full size smaller. It’s Tristan. Nobody scary. Not my stalker. My veterinary client. “Just saw you walking by and thought I’d say hi. Didn’t mean to frighten you!”

I hiccup a laugh and crouch to pet Radar to let him know everything is okay. He quits barking and melts under my palm, leaning his head into my touch. What a good boy. “No worries. You just startled us, that’s all.”

He reaches out a hand to help me up. “Not my best conversation opener, I have to say. Ladies don’t usually scream when they see me.”

I bet they do in bed with him, though.

I keep my dirty joke to myself, grinning as he pulls me upright. I should not be having thoughts like that about my client. I’m not even attracted to him. It’s just been so long since I had anyone in my bed, I’m as horny as a teenage boy, so everything sounds loaded with innuendo.

Tristan’s handsome brow creases. “I hope this isn’t too forward, but would it be okay if I walk you home? It’s getting late, and a woman alone...”

I shake my head, waving away his concerns. “The park’s perfectly safe. We walk this way all the time.”

He grimaces. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but…you should probably vary your route. Someone could lie in wait for you if you go the same way every time.”

My worst fear. My heart skips a beat and my hand tightens on the leash. Radar feels the tension and presses close to my ankle. I nod and start to move around Tristan, but he pivots, falling into step beside me.

“I’m not trying to upset you,” he adds, sounding mortified. “It’s a general safety thing.”

“No, you’re right. Thanks.” I smile at him. I know he’s trying to be nice. He just doesn’t know my history. “I’d be happy to have the company, but I don’t want to put you out.”

“No trouble.” He smiles back, corners of his eyes crinkling and adding the right amount of imperfection to his perfect features. “So…this is probably a bad time to ask this, given that I just terrified you, but…I have an extra ticket to the Alliance for Animal Welfare Gala on Friday night, and I wondered if you wanted to go with me? Not as a date,” he rushes to add. “As friends, of course. I don’t want the ticket to go to waste, and I thought you’d enjoy it.”

The AAW Gala is one of San Drogo’s biggest and most exclusive events, designed to attract big donors to its programs. It’s the party where people go to see and be seen, and the very expensive tickets sell out as soon as they go on sale. I’ve had my dress picked out for months because the Alliance invited me to be a guest speaker.

“Actually, I’m already going,” I confess.

He raises an eyebrow. “By yourself or…?”

“Just me and Radar. Hopefully you can find someone else to give your extra ticket. Maybe someone from your firm?” I suggest, figuring another wealthy venture capitalist would have good donor potential.

Tristan ignores the suggestion. “Let’s meet up and share a table so we’re not stuck with boring people. I refuse to engage in chitchat about the weather when I could talk geriatric cat care best practices all night instead.”

I laugh at the incongruity of this handsome, high-powered guy wanting to geek out about aging cats. “Only you would think that was preferable.”

“Only you and me.” He winks, and I relent under his charm. We do have a lot of interests in common. Maybe Tristan and I can become real friends outside of work. Sharing a table at the gala will be fun.

“Sure, sounds good!”

Radar whimpers, pulling the leash to the side, and I glance up to see what’s garnered his attention, thinking maybe he scented a raccoon getting into one of the park trash cans. But when I realize who’s sitting on a bench just ahead of us, the rest of the world disappears.

Forget the beautiful evening. Forget the hot, interesting guy by my side. All I can see is him .

Tall, red, and handsome. The dragon of my dreams. It can’t be Zed, here in my park. It can’t. He stands up to move toward us and smiles, revealing his distinctive snaggletooth. God, it is him. His shoulders are broader, his chest thicker than I remember. But it’s him. He lifts his hand in a tentative wave, looking as dazed as I am.

“Hi,” I breathe. The corner of his mouth tilts up. I can’t look away from his face.

“Do you know this dragon?” Tristan grasps my arm, pulling me back, his voice full of concern.

“Yeah. He’s…an old friend.” Understatement of the century. He’s…my baggage. My hang-ups. My one that got away.

At our feet, Radar yips excitedly, nostrils working overtime and tail wagging furiously. He starts bouncing like a puppy as Zed draws near. To my surprise, Zed drops to his knees in the grass to greet him.

“Hey buddy! You’re alive!” He sounds a little choked up as he scratches Radar behind the ears and ruffles his fur. Radar promptly rolls over, showing his undercarriage, and Zed obliges with belly rubs.

“Of course he is,” Tristan growls, his grip on me tightening. “Why wouldn’t he be? Cari’s the best vet in the state.”

Zed lifts his head, answering to me instead of Tristan. “He’s getting up there in years, isn’t he?”

“He’s sixteen now.” He was only a few months old when our friendship began. Less than a year old when Zed got hauled off to the monster medical center while paramedics patched up my scrapes and bruises from our big date disaster. He and Radar look natural together, though. Like no time at all has passed. “It’s so good to see you! What in the world are you doing in San Drogo?”

Zed stands, brushing the grass off his knees. “Um, work conference.”

“How long are you in town? We should find some time to catch up.”

“A few days—”

“TechMeet?” Tristan asks, cutting him off. Zed nods. “You must be pretty busy, then. Panels during the day, networking events in the evening. I know how it is at these big conferences. Hard to do anything but eat and sleep.”

Zed extends his hand. “You must be Cari’s husband. I’m Zed. Grew up in Apple Grove with her.”

“Tristan Vance.” Tristan grasps his hand, squeezing hard, and doesn’t let go.

“He’s a friend ,” I correct, since Tristan doesn’t seem to be mentioning it, adding, “I’m not married.”

“You’re not?”

“No. You?” I hold my breath, hardly daring to hope that he might be single still. I’ve never heard of a dragon who wasn’t mated by our age. They usually pair off young because of their fated-mate bonds.

Our eyes meet as he answers, and his deep-gold eyes seem to glow momentarily. “No.”

Has he been waiting for me, too? My heart’s beating so loud, he must be able to hear it. “Oh! Great! I mean, it’s not great being single. It’s…fine. It’s okay. I’m used to being alone. That’s what I meant by great. I have Radar to keep me company, so it’s not so bad.” Oh god, I’m babbling.

“She doesn’t date,” Tristan says tightly. He’s still gripping both of us, me by the upper arm and Zed by the hand, keeping us in awkwardly close proximity.

Zed ignores Tristan even though we’re basically all breathing the same air. “Are you free Friday night?”

“Yeah,” I say breathlessly, not even pausing to think.

“No, you’re not. You’re going to the Alliance for Animal Welfare Gala with me,” Tristan interjects. He drops Zed’s hand and tries to pull me closer with the other, but my feet are planted.

“Oh, right. You should come!” I tell Zed, shrugging out of Tristan’s hold. “It’s a pet-friendly event, so Radar is going, too. I got him a tiny bowtie for his collar.”

Zed grins down at Radar, who is sitting on his left shoe, patiently waiting for more head-scritches. “Cool. I’ll get a matching one.”

Tristan smiles tightly. “As adorable as that would be, the event is sold out, I’m afraid.”

“You have an extra ticket,” I remind him, bouncing a little because I’m so thrilled the universe brought Zed and me together again. How random to run into each other in the park like this! Even if nothing comes of it, it’ll be wonderful to reconnect. “Unless you had a date you wanted to invite instead? Zed and I can get together for drinks afterward if you need the ticket.”

“No,” Tristan says. “Let’s all go together. As friends.”

“Great!” I chirp.

Zed nods. “Great!”

“Great,” Tristan echoes, sounding less enthusiastic. “We’ll see you Friday, Fred.”

“Zed,” I correct, eyes still locked with my dragon. Tristan’s moving to leave, but I’m not ready to say goodbye. How in the world did Zed end up in my neighborhood park? It still seems so unreal. “Where are you staying? The Grand?” I ask, naming the closest hotel I can think of.

Zed grimaces and rubs his right horn. “It’s complicated. My…uh…flight just got in.”

“It’s getting late, Cari. We should get going,” Tristan cuts in, shifting in his polished loafers. Why is he acting so strange and antsy? Oh, right. Impy’s infusion schedule. He needs to take care of her at home, and here I am holding him up.

“You were sweet to escort me this far, but it’s okay if you need to leave,” I tell him. “Don’t worry about waiting for me. Zed can walk us the rest of the way.”

The dragon in question nods agreeably. “Happy to.”

Tristan looks between the two of us, like he’s gauging whether it’s safe to leave me with Zed. What a sweetheart. He doesn’t need to be nervous, though. The half-bath incident aside, I can’t think of a safer person for me to be around than Zed.

“It’s fine,” I urge him. “Impy needs her infusion, right? Don’t let me hold you up. I know how important she is to you, and I would never forgive myself if she suffered because of me.”

“All right,” he grits out. “I’ll see you soon, Cari.” He nods to Zed and backtracks the way we came, leaving Zed and me alone together. Well, not exactly alone. Radar circles our ankles, binding us together with his leash.

Zed grins crookedly at Tristan’s retreating back. “I don’t think he likes me.”

“He’s just worried for my safety. He was giving me a lecture about it right before you showed up, actually.”

Zed hums skeptically. “I think he’s worried you might like me better than him.”

So he noticed the awkward tension, too. “Tristan’s just a friend,” I say as I bend to untangle the leash so we can walk the rest of the way home.

“Well, he’s got a leg up on me, then.”

I look up at him from my crouched position, surprised. The streetlamp silhouettes his broad physique, his horns glinting as he looms over me. But rather than being scary, the shape of him is oddly comforting. “What are you talking about? We’re friends!”

“I never heard from you again. I don’t blame you,” he rushes to add. “After everything that happened, I’d stay far away from dragons, too.”

I swallow hard, rising to my feet. “I didn’t, though.”

Puzzlement spreads over his face. “Didn’t what?”

“Stay away from dragons. I think I’ve only dated dragons,” I explain. It’s embarrassing to admit how I chased after them, actually. A glimpse of scales in a shade even close to Zed’s, and my head would turn. I would do anything to get their attention, thinking that if they just got to know me, I could re-create what he and I had. “It never worked out, though. They always…”

Ghosted me. Dumped me. Whatever you want to call it.

“Found their mates,” Zed finishes.

I nodded, eyes welling as I remember the pain of being rejected over and over. “Your kind’s mate bonds are strong. A girl can’t compete. So I kind of stopped dating at all.”

The look he gives me is so pitying, I cringe. Can’t meet his eyes. Can’t explain that I never brought myself to contact him because I didn’t want to learn that he’d found his mate, too. “Come on, Radar, time to go home.”

Zed matches his much longer stride to mine. “I should have reached out once the restraining order expired, but I was trying to give you space. I literally destroyed your home. I can’t imagine what you must’ve thought of me after seeing me like that. So out of control.”

I remember exactly what I thought when he roared my name and rose up from the dust of the shattered sheetrock with flames licking around him, two huge wings sprouting from his shoulder blades and two huge erections straining between his legs.

I thought he looked powerful. Impossibly sexy. Like my own personal deity. But then I saw the blood.

“About that… Are you… Is it… okay?” I ask, unable to stop myself from glancing at his crotch. Oh my god, why am I like this?

Zed clocks the direction of my gaze and gives a rueful chuckle. “Yes. Full recovery, thanks for asking.”

“Great!” I exclaim. Then, realizing how it could be taken, I quickly add, “For you, I mean. So you can use both of them. If that’s a thing? Don’t answer that, I just don’t really know how it works. None of the dragons I dated would show me their feral form, even when I begged.”

He swallows audibly. “You begged for their feral form?” he asks hoarsely.

“Not like that!” Except it was exactly like that, and my flaming-hot cheeks totally give me away.

The path in front of us splits, and Zed automatically takes the left branch, the one that leads to my house.

I jerk my head toward him, my embarrassment momentarily overshadowed by my curiosity. “How did you know the right way to go?”

He shrugs. “Radar was leaning left.”

My heart squeezes. “You two always did have a special connection.”

“We did.” He’s looking at me, though, not the dog who’s trotting happily between us. He pauses in front of the gate that leads to my little pink cottage with its yellow front door. Another coincidence, I’m sure. “Listen. There’s so much I want to catch up on. I can’t wait for Friday. Are you free tomorrow?”

I feel the same way. This feels so good, my lips and fingertips are tingling with dopamine. Not to mention other parts… I’m tempted to ask him to come inside right now. “What about your conference?”

“Fuck the conference.”

A laugh bursts out of me. “Unfortunately, I have to work tomorrow, but—”

“When do you get off? I don’t mean get off …ugh. You know what I mean.” He rubs his horn awkwardly. “When can I pick you up? I’ll take you and Radar to dinner.”

“Six. No, six fifteen,” I amend, giving myself a few extra minutes to change after work.

“Great. Great. I can’t wait.” He stares at me like he wants to say something else, but then he just shakes his head. “Six fifteen. I’ll be there.”

Impulsively, I hug him around the waist, squeezing and releasing too fast for him to return the embrace. “Sorry. Old habits.”

“Never be sorry for that,” he says solemnly. He adjusts himself in his pants where a sizable bulge has grown. “I’m the one who should be apologizing.”

“Never be sorry for that,” I return with the same solemnity. We share stupid, giddy grins. God, how will I make it until tomorrow evening? I’m going to go inside and use every dragon dildo in my drawer.