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

Chapter 24

Zed

I know exactly what I’m going to get her. I noticed it in the vintage shop when I was there getting my tux.

Thankfully, the place is open on Sundays, and the item’s still there: a cute gold bracelet with a little dachshund charm on it. It might not be one of the things Cari wants most in the world, but I know how important Radar is to her. Plus, he’s the reason we met, so the bracelet symbolizes our connection from day one.

“The eyes are real diamond chips,” the shop owner tells me as she wraps it up. Fitting, since Radar’s eyes are special, too.

A text message comes in just as I’m checking out. I swipe it open absentmindedly, expecting something about work from Gabe. But it’s from Cari.

Cari

I saw the spreadsheet. It’s over. Don’t contact me again.

I drop the bag with the bracelet in it on the floor of the shop. My chest hollows, the emptiness inside taking over, swallowing my thoughts. My ability to breathe.

My worst fear is happening. Now that Cari knows the full extent of my stalking, she wants nothing to do with me. My mate doesn’t want to see me again. My feral form is so devastated, he can’t even roar his disapproval. He howls, mourning for her so loudly my ears ring.

“Everything okay?” When I don’t answer immediately, the trolless steps around the counter and picks up the bag, pressing it into my hand. “Whatever it is, life will go on. You’ll see.”

I thank her for her platitudes and swallow the bile rising in my throat. Life will never go on from Cari. She is my life. I think our fifteen years apart proved that.

I stumble out of the shop onto the San Drogo boardwalk. Every instinct in me, every thought and impulse, says I should go to her. But she doesn’t want me there. She doesn’t ever want me there, not because of how she feels about me now, but because of what I did to cope while we were apart.

It’s not fair! She was never supposed to see that. The spreadsheet was only a tool to learn everything I could about her, so I could be a good mate to her. Blindly, I pull out my phone and text her back.

Zed

I love you, Cari. Please, give me a chance to explain everything. I won’t bother you again if you’ll hear me out.

The message turns red. Undeliverable , it reads beneath it.

She blocked me.

Fuck.

I lean against the rail of the boardwalk and stare out at the ocean. Tiny flecks of white dot the horizon, boats sailing back into the harbor. Or maybe they’re not coming back. Maybe they’re sailing away.

What am I going to do?

My feral form already has some ideas, and they involve killing whoever showed her the spreadsheet. Not a bad idea, now that I think about it. There’s only one person who could have done it, who has the technical expertise and wants me out of the way. A certain sulfur-stinking demon with good hair and a bad attitude.

He’s easy to find. Of course, he lives in the penthouse of the building with his name in fifteen-foot letters across the front.

“I need to see Tristan,” I tell the doorman at the desk. He asks my name, and I give it.

He shakes his head. “If you’re not on Mr. Vance’s list, I can’t let you in.”

“Tell him it’s about Cari,” I urge. “Please. It’s urgent.”

He sighs heavily like I’m wasting his time but makes the call. He lifts his eyebrows in surprise at whatever he hears on the other end of the line. He hangs up, shrugging. “Go on up.”

The private penthouse elevator takes me to a luxe marble foyer with only one door. When Tristan answers my knock, I punch him in the face. Hard.

It knocks the glamour right off him. His slobbering, purple form stares at me in shock as I push past him into the penthouse.

“What was that for?” he shrieks in helltones before gathering himself and resuming his polished, human appearance. His glamour probably won’t even bruise.

“For ruining my life,” I roar back. “What kind of vindictive bullshit was that?”

“Stop shouting, you’re scaring Impy.” Tristan picks something up from the curved sofa, cradling it in his arms. It’s a fluffy, slightly grizzled-looking gray cat that yawns and blinks blearily at me with yellow eyes. “What’s going on with Cari? Is she all right?”

“No, she’s not! You ripped her heart out, and for what? I mated her. Did you stop to think for one second how that would affect us both for the rest of our lives when you decided to set off a bomb in the middle of our relationship?!” Smoke leaks from my nostrils as I pace back and forth in the long, open loft that’s big enough to house a whole hive of dragons. What a waste for one person.

“Settle down. You’re going to set off the sprinklers,” he says, plopping down on the sofa with his cat still in his arms. He pets her, and the cat leans into his hand, purring. He’s smart, that’s for sure. If he wasn’t holding her, I’d punch him again.

“ Why? ” I rage at him, smacking my fist into my palm instead. “Why’d you do it? Are you still pissed that I told her you’re a demon? Because she didn’t even care about that, if I remember right. She was ready to feel sorry for you. If she cut you off as a friend, it’s because you fucked up, not me. It was cruel to send her that spreadsheet. Low, even for you.”

“What are you talking about?” Tristan frowns from his place on the couch. “I didn’t send Cari anything. I haven’t spoken with her since the gala. I adopted a new cat yesterday, and I’ve been busy getting him settled in. I don’t know anything about any spreadsheet.”

He seems genuinely bewildered, but demons are great liars, so I don’t believe him for a second. “Nobody else has the resources to hack my account. Nobody else wants to keep me away from Cari. Only you.”

The instant the word are out of my mouth, I realize they’re not true. There is someone else who fits both those descriptions. Someone who’s always tried to keep Cari out of my life. Even back when he camped out with me all night in the woods so I could watch her bedroom window, he was also there, telling me she wasn’t worth it.

Someone who warned me not to visit her after the restraining order expired.

Someone who told me not to message her online.

Someone who lied that she was married so I wouldn’t contact her.

Someone who suddenly showed up in town once I had another shot with her.

Someone who told me fewer than twelve hours ago to forget her, even though she’s my fated mate.

Someone who literally has access to my unlocked laptop. He didn’t need to hack my account to send her my spreadsheet.

Fuck . It was Gabe. It’s been Gabe all along. He didn’t tag along with me back in high school because he wanted to hang out with me. He was stalking her, too.

“What?” Tristan asks. “What is it?”

“I think Cari’s in danger,” I say tightly.

I quickly explain everything to him: How my best friend and business partner is probably Cari’s longtime stalker. How I left her alone in her cottage when his hotel room is only a short walk away. How she texted me that she didn’t want to see me ever again after making me promise not to stay away more than an hour.

Tristan’s expression goes grim at last part. “I don’t think she sent you that text message. I think he did.”

“Even if it was her,” I say bleakly. “I’m not giving up. Do these open?” I motion to the floor-to-ceiling, plate-glass windows that line the wall.

“Why?”

“I’m going to fly.”

“For Seventh Circle’s sake, don’t shift in here,” he mutters, rising and gently placing his cat on a velvet sofa cushion. “I’ll take you to the roof.”

Of course, the rich bastard has a helipad up there, with a sleek, silver helicopter parked on it. He motions to it. “Get in. I’m flying, not you. I don’t trust you to carry me.”

I snort at his cowardice. “And I should trust you ? Do you even have a pilot’s license?” But I’m already getting into the passenger side, oddly grateful that he’s coming with me considering I just socked him in the jaw.

He tosses me a headset and we both buckle into our harnesses.

“Why are you doing this?” I ask as we lift off.

“She’s my friend,” he says through the headset as he deftly guides the helicopter above the downtown buildings. “I don’t want her mate getting arrested.”

He radios the police on our way and gives them the address. We land in the park in two minutes flat and abandon the helicopter as soon as we can rip our seatbelts open, both sprinting toward Cari’s cottage. On the porch, I swear I can smell Gabe inside. He’s here. I know it.

I’m not waiting for the cops to show up. Not when every minute counts.

“Should I knock first or just knock it down?” I ask Tristan.

“Dragons.” He rolls his eyes. “Stand back.”

I barely dodge aside in time before he aims a bolt of hellfire at the lock, melting it without singing the painted wood around it. He turns the knob, and the door falls open easily. “After you.”

I barrel inside, Tristan on my heels. I’m expecting the worse, but I’m still shocked when I find them. Cari is tied up in a kitchen chair, a collar around her neck. The end of the leash attached to it is in Gabe’s hand. Torn-up sunflowers litter the floor around them.

When I start to move toward them, Gabe yanks the leash, making her cough. He has a sick look of satisfaction when he sees me skid to a halt, fearful of him inflicting any more pain on her.

“She doesn’t want you anymore, bro,” he says. “We’re finally together.”

“That’s not —” Cari starts, but he jerks the leash again, cutting her off.

“Don’t hurt her,” I scrape out.

He nods. “Turn around and walk out. Take your friend, too. Then we all get what we want. She’s happy, you’re happy, I’m happy.”

I hear a dog bark, high and sharp, from the back of the house. It draws Gabe’s attention. He frowns, his movements becoming more agitated. Cari’s blue eyes plead silently with me to get Radar out of this situation, but I can’t leave her even for a second.

“Go,” I murmur to Tristan. “Grab Radar on the way. I think he’s in the bedroom.” To Cari, I add, “Sorry about your kitchen.”

Then I shift.