Chapter 31
Harlow
I’m trying hard to concentrate and failing.
“…and then this massive dragon just swooped down, and I swear it was going to crash right on top of me!” Georgia’s hands gesture wildly, nearly knocking over the water bottle on my small coffee table.
“Smoke saved me. He grabbed me in one of those drop-and-roll maneuvers, putting himself on top of me. After a few seconds, he picked me up and ran us to safety. I have some scrapes and bruises, but I’m here to tell the tale.
” Her one arm is bandaged. She holds it up like a trophy.
“You’re so lucky,” I tell her. “What about you?” I ask Dani.
“I was too busy running to see much of anything,” she says. “Let me tell you, Hammer can run for such a big guy. We hid in the forest. It sounded like utter mayhem out there.”
“It was terrifying,” Georgia tells me, shuddering. “I thought I was dead. That we were all dead.”
I nod from my spot in the armchair, pulling my knees up to my chest. “It was scary.”
“The Reds were so aggressive,” Georgia continues, her eyes wide.
“The riders were amazing. It was incredible to watch them. They stayed on. They rode their dragons, facing those bastards head-on. They saved us. I’m still terrified at the thought of riding a dragon…
of being up there, but I now have respect for them. I wish I were that brave.”
“We will be.” Dani nods.
“Do you think so?” Georgia lifts her brows.
“I do.”
I make a noise of agreement.
Georgia tilts her head, studying me. “What happened to you, Harlow? You disappeared into the jungle. We heard Drake went after you. I heard something about a Red coming after you guys. Is that true?”
I feel emotion well up at the thought. It comes out of nowhere. It takes me a few seconds to gather myself. Then I nod.
“Yes, it’s true.” I clear my throat. “He saved me from a Red,” I tell them. “The Red was in human form…but he wasn’t normal. He was a little… I don’t know…wild. Like a caveman. He wanted to mate with me and for me to have his young.”
“Oh my god, Harlow. The Red threatened to…you know…to rape you?” Georgia’s eyes grow bigger and bigger.
I nod, a lump forming in my throat all over again. “Yeah, but Drake stopped him. He…um…killed the Red, and then we were rescued. It all happened so quickly.”
The two of them exchange glances, and I can see the unspoken conversation happening between them. Georgia leans back, crossing her arms.
“That’s awful, Harlow,” Dani says.
“Are you okay?” Georgia asks.
“I’m fine. A little shaken but good. I mean…nothing actually happened, not really.”
“But it was traumatic, and it could have. You should ask about getting some therapy. Maybe talk to a professional,” Dani tells me.
“Good idea,” Georgia chimes in.
I fake a yawn. “It wasn’t all that bad. Drake sorted it out. The Red is dead. I have nothing to fear.”
“It was that bad, though,” Georgia insists. “These things can stay with you, even when you think you’re fine.”
“I’ll talk to someone. Right now, I’m just tired,” I tell them, forcing a smile. “It was a lot, you know? I think I probably just need to rest.”
Dani’s face softens. “Of course. We should let you sleep. We just wanted to make sure you were alright.”
“I appreciate it,” I say, standing. “Really. Thank you for checking on me.”
Georgia and Dani get to their feet, still watching me with worried expressions, but they don’t push further. We exchange quick hugs, and I walk them to the door.
“Get some rest,” Georgia says, squeezing my shoulder. “We’ll see you in the canteen later?”
“No, I’m having food delivered. I’m staying in.”
“Let us know if you need company,” Dani tells me.
“We’ll see you in class tomorrow. Unless you’re taking a sick day?” Georgia asks.
“No, I’ll be there,” I tell them.
“Okay, then,” Dani says, giving me a one-fingered wave. “We are here for you.”
I close the door behind them and lean against it, releasing a long breath. Finally. Being alone is a relief I didn’t know I needed.
I glance down at my arms. Even now, two hours after my shower, my skin is still a little pink. I scrubbed and scrubbed, using half the bottle of body wash, trying to wash away every trace of what happened earlier.
I walk to my bedroom and sit on the edge of the bed, wincing slightly as I do. There’s this ache between my thighs that I feel with every movement I make. It reminds me of what happened and makes me feel like shit. I loved every minute of being with Drake. The sex was off the damned charts.
My stomach twists with shame.
What’s wrong with me? I shouldn’t have enjoyed it as much as I did. It was wild, rough, and primal. It was fucking, pure and simple. No tenderness, no romance, just raw need.
And I loved every damned second of it.
Every. One.
So much so that I want him inside me again. I want his mouth on me. His hands too… I want all of it.
Heat pools low in my belly at the memory, and my body responds instantly. My nipples tighten. I’m pretty sure I’m wet right now just thinking about him.
No.
I need to forget about it. All of it. How loud I was. How I practically screamed his name. How quickly I came both times, my body betraying just how much I wanted him.
I wish I could erase the memory. Just delete the whole thing like it never happened.
I have to try.
I switch on the television, clicking through channels without really seeing anything.
Some cooking show plays, then a documentary about marine life.
None of it registers. My mind keeps replaying those moments…
Drake’s hands on my hips, his mouth on my neck, the way he growled my name. How he felt. How he sounded.
Stop it!
I turn off the TV and grab a book from my nightstand. I’ve been meaning to finish it for weeks. I open to my bookmarked page and start reading, but the words blur together. I read the same paragraph three times and still have no idea what it says.
This is ridiculous.
I slam the book shut and stand up, pacing. I need to clear my head. I need some fresh air. A walk. Anything to stop overthinking what happened.
I slip on my sneakers, grab my key, and head outside. The early evening air is warm but pleasant, and I start walking with no particular destination in mind. I just need to move.
I’ve only walked for about ten minutes when I see Grim emerging from Jordyn’s bungalow. He’s so tall that he has to duck to avoid hitting his head on the doorframe.
“Hey, Grim,” I call out, waving.
He turns, and his usually stern face breaks into something of a smile.
“Harlow! It’s good to see you. Jordyn has been worried about you. I heard all about what happened with the Reds.”
“It was scary,” I admit, walking closer. “But at least everyone survived. The Reds won’t be coming for us again.”
Grim nods, his expression turning serious. “We’ll make sure of it. We’ve doubled patrols.”
“How’s Jordyn feeling?” I ask.
“Much better,” he says; that tiny smile is back. “I was just on my way to fetch her something to eat.”
“Can I go and see her while you’re at the canteen?”
“Yes, I think she’d like that.” He nods toward her door. “You can go on in. I’ll be back soon.”
He heads off toward the canteen with those long strides of his, and I knock once on Jordyn’s door before pushing it open.
“Hey, it’s me. I—”
I freeze.
Jordyn scrambles to hide something behind her back, but not before I see what it is.
A cellphone.
My mouth drops open. “What are you doing with a phone? Where did you get that?”
“Shhh!” Jordyn hisses, her eyes going wide. “Keep your voice down and close the door!”
I quickly do as she says, my heart racing.
“They confiscated all illegal electronics before we even boarded the flight from the Mainland,” I say. “How do you still have a phone?”
“It’s no big deal. I hid it really well in the lining of my suitcase.
I wasn’t the only one who managed to smuggle one in.
Dani has a phone as well,” she tells me.
Then she puts a hand over her mouth. “Oh shit! I shouldn’t have told you that.
I promised I wouldn’t tell a soul. Please… you can’t say anything.”
“I won’t tell.”
She sighs heavily and then pulls the phone back out, clutching it like it’s made of glass. “There was no way I was coming here without a phone. I’ve only used it a few times, just to let my family know I was okay.”
“You can’t keep it.” I move closer, lowering my voice even more. “If anyone finds out—”
“I know.” Jordyn’s face crumples. “I mean it, please don’t tell anyone, Harlow.
Please. I’ll get into huge trouble. I know it was stupid to bring it.
Really stupid. Especially since my family isn’t even that close to me.
” Her voice cracks. “But if they find it…they’ll probably kick me out of the program and send me home.
I only have a partial bond with Grim. They could decide I’m not worth the trouble. ”
I stare at my friend, seeing the genuine fear in her eyes. Jordyn wants to be here. She wants to be a dragon rider. And this phone could ruin everything for her.
“I won’t say anything,” I tell her. “But you need to be careful, Jords. Really careful. If they find it, you’ll get into serious trouble. More than just being sent home. They might assume the worst. Like you’re sending information home that conflicts with your NDA.”
“I’m not! I would never.” She looks horrified.
“I know that.” I touch my chest. “But will they? You need to get rid of that thing. You need to tell Dani to do the same.”
“I know.” She slips the phone between the pillows on the sofa. “You’re probably right. I should get rid of it. I heard all about what happened. Grim told me about your ordeal.”
I nod. “Drake saved my life,” I tell her. “But I really don’t want to talk about it again. I’ve already gone over it with Georgia and Dani.”
“That bad?”
“I’m fine.” I look at her, desperate to shift focus. “How are you feeling? You haven’t really been sick, have you?”
She shakes her head. “We thought we would stay in bed for the day.”
“How are things going with improving the bond?” I bob my brows.
Jordyn’s face immediately goes bright red, and a huge smile spreads across her face.
“Grim is so good in bed. Like, really, really good. For such a big, muscular guy, he’s surprisingly flexible. The things he can do—”
“TMI!” I hold up my hands, laughing. “You can spare me the details.”
But Jordyn doesn’t stop. If anything, she leans in closer, her eyes sparkling.
“No, but seriously, you have no idea. He’s incredible with his mouth. I’ve never been with a guy who wants to have oral sex so many—”
“Jordyn!” My face is burning now, and I’m half-laughing, half-mortified. “I need to be able to look Grim in the eye after this.”
We both dissolve into laughter, and it feels good. Normal.
“Sorry,” Jordyn says, still giggling. “I’m just…really satisfied, okay? And a little sore down there. No, actually, I’m a lot sore.”
“Has the bond improved?” I ask, getting us back on track.
“We’ll only be able to test that tomorrow when we go back to the field,” she says, her expression turning more serious.
“I’m praying there’s a major improvement.
If it’s only marginal, we’ll have to keep working on it.
” Then she grins again. “Not that sex with Grim is a hardship. The man has some serious stamina.”
I’m tempted to tell her about Drake. About what happened in the jungle. The words are right there, pressing against my lips. But I swallow them down.
I can’t tell her. I can’t tell anyone. I promised.
I could really use a sounding board.
The door opens, and Grim walks in carrying a tray from the canteen. His eyes immediately find Jordyn. Something passes between them.
“I should get going,” I say, standing and nearly tripping over the corner of the bed as I start walking. I catch myself.
I hate being so damned clumsy.
“Take care of yourself,” Jordyn says.
“You too.”
I leave them and start walking back to my bungalow.
The parking area comes into view as I approach my bungalow, and I hear it before I see it – the distinctive whump-whump-whump of helicopter blades cutting through the air.
I stop walking and watch as a black chopper descends from the sky, kicking up dust and small debris as it touches down in the designated landing zone.
I’m hit with disappointment when I see Drake climb into the chopper a minute later.
He’s leaving.
I feel completely deflated.
I really hope I get to speak with him tonight. We really need to talk about what happened. Like it or not, we still have to work together.