19. Don’t Move
19
Don’t Move
“ I think”—Eira forced a cough—“I’m still sick.”
Looking at her suspiciously, he sat down next to her on the bed. “Really?”
“Mmhmm.” She touched her forehead, hoping he’d buy it. “I’m still running a fever.”
He called her bluff by removing her hand to place his on her forehead then tried to feel for warmth. “You don’t feel warm.”
“Oh, what do you know?” Eira huffed, shooing his hand away, “You’re a dragon, for goodness’ sake; how are you supposed to feel if I’m running a fever, anyway?”
“Is this about leaving?” Seeing that it clearly was, he continued, “Eira, I—” only to suddenly stop when her grandmother came barreling in.
“What’s wrong?”
Eira tried her best to up her acting game and managed a sniffle. “I think I’m still sick.”
Carefully looking her granddaughter over, she let out a sigh. “Ryu, why don’t you give us a moment?”
Giving her hand a light squeeze, he then got up and left the room. They both felt the sudden loss and the slight burn intensify as he left.
Oh, shut up , she told her screaming body, having to remind herself that Ryu was a traitor for not believing she was sick in the first place.
Taking his place on the bed beside her, Grandmother seemed strangely demure today. “Honey, I don’t think you are still sick. I think this is about something else.”
Eira sat quietly, not saying anything.
“It’s time for you to go live your life now, honey.”
What? The pit in her stomach made her want to throw up. She couldn’t believe she had heard her right, but her grandmother’s face told her she had. How could she leave her frail and old grandparents now?
“But—”
“We will manage,” she assured her with a loving smile, knowing exactly what she was going to say. “We’ve lived our lives, and now it’s time for you to go live yours.”
Defeated, Eira’s shoulders slumped. She only hoped Ryu wouldn’t hear her confession on the other side of the door as she whispered, “I’m scared.”
“Oh, Eira. Do you know how I know you’ll be fine?” she asked with tears welling in her proud eyes.
Eira simply shook her head and, for the first time, her grandmother didn't retract her touch when her withered hands cupped her scarred cheek to remind her of something important.
“Because you are the bravest person I know.”
And for another first time, Eira didn’t pull away either. Instead, she leaned into it, welcoming the touch as they both cried like babies they had claimed her not to be anymore. The beautiful moment didn’t get ruined until her grandfather walked in.
“Can I help you pack?”
“Ryu, I need to be packing,” she said, stomping up behind him on the small trail.
“You don’t want to go back to the place we met?”
“I mean, yes, of course, I do, but I also don’t want to leave my grandparents to do all the work packing …” Who was she kidding? “I mean, my grandmother.”
“She was the one who suggested we go for a walk, remember?”
“Right.” She shook her head. The pressure of everything hitting her at once was making her crazy.
“So, relax,” he told her cooly, taking her hand as they got closer to the edge. They both sat down on her favorite spot where he had caught her sleeping.
Looking out at the little island, she couldn’t believe that was her future home, and also that it was even inhabitable in the first place. Shutting her eyes, she fell back onto the earth then opened them to look up at the big blue sky. “I’m going to miss this.”
“I know,” he whispered back, lying down with her. “I promise I think you’ll like your new home.” Turning his head to look at her, he was even sincere when he said, “And if you don’t, then you can come back.”
Eira laughed, sensing how painful that had to be to say, but it truly made her feel better. “Thanks.”
Letting go of her hand, he moved her chin to look at him so his lips could capture hers in a searing kiss, and when they parted, she could feel the slight stinging.
This time she kissed him to take the pain away, and it took only a second before lust consumed her.
Ryu pushed into her body, feeling his own need and deepening the kiss. She could feel just how heavy he was, yet he still restrained himself by not giving her his full weight. His mouth traveled to the scars on her cheeks, kissing them tenderly before his lips finally went down her neck.
“Oh my …” she hotly whispered in a steamy haze.
Taking back her mouth and silencing her before she could think too much, he held her hips in a tight grip as he spun them to his back with her on top of him.
Her eyes grew wide at his brazenness, and then she was suddenly aware of the power she held to be above a dragon. In control, she took her own liberties, kissing him like he had her. She kissed down his neck, and, feeling a rush of bravery, she sucked on the tender flesh.
“I’d stop before you go too far, darling.”
Eira immediately did at his rough tone.
Sensing the sudden power shift, and the hardness under her hips, she realized she never actually held any power at all over Ryu and that he was simply letting her feel like she was.
“Sorry,” she said, rolling off him before she got more than she bargained for. Eira wanted nothing more than to give in to her needs, but that was her body full of mating hormones talking, not her. She wanted her own mind to be certain that she wanted Ryu wholeheartedly.
“It’s all right,” he assured her, still trying to get himself under control. “You can only tempt the dragon so far.” After taking a few moments for himself, he finally stood and held out his hand to help her up. “You ready?”
Eira looked confused. “For what?”
“To go home.”
“Sure,” she said with a bittersweet smile, knowing it was probably their last time here, but she needed to get back to helping her grandmother pack.
“I have a surprise for you first, though.”
“You do?” she asked, intrigued.
“Yes, I just need you to stand right here.” He moved her quite a bit from the edge, placing her right where he wanted her. “Now close your eyes … and no matter what, don’t move .”
Laughing through dark lids in excitement, she seemed to miss the seriousness in his tone at that last request. “Why?”
“Don’t worry about it. Just promise me you won’t move, all right?”
She swore, finally catching on that she really shouldn’t move. “Fine, I promise.”
“Good. Now wait here and keep your eyes closed.”
And Eira did just that, knowing he’d give her hell if she peeked, but she really couldn’t help it when the wind picked up and started rushing over her face. What harm could one little peek do?
Trying to peek through slitted eyes was when she saw it—the dragon-sized version of Ryu rushing right toward her. I mean, he had told her not to move and, truthfully, as much as she wanted to run, she couldn’t. Becoming completely immobile in fear kept her frozen like a scared statue.
One second, her feet were firmly on the ground and in another, they were high in the sky. Again, she found herself flying in the clutches of the dragon.
“Ryu!” she screamed out, hoping he could somehow hear her.
Mocking laughter rang in her head. Yes, darling?
“Put me—”
No need to scream. I can hear you just fine.
“—down!” she continued anyway, hoping he’d get her message.
I will once we get home.
Eira managed to open her eyes back up, seeing her adored cliff get smaller and smaller. “You’re going the wrong way!”
No, I’m not , his dragon whispers assured her.
She should’ve known he’d pull a stunt like this.
“But what about my stuff? I didn’t finish packing.”
You don’t need anything where we’re going.
“But my grandmother, she’s still packing—”
She’s not , he assured her.
“How do you know?” She was rather tempted to hit him if it wouldn’t cause her to fall to her death.
The dragon simply laughed. Why do you think she said to go for a walk?
“It was her idea?” Eira screamed, again in shock.
Well, she didn’t know we’d be flying to get there, but I told her I could be convincing enough to get you to keep walking to my home.
She almost couldn’t believe it, and flying through the sky in the clutches of a dragon wasn’t what she couldn’t believe. It was the fact that they’d do something like that to her.
But then Ryu told her what her own heart knew to be true.
We both knew you would never go if you weren’t tricked into leaving, Eira.