Chapter 14
***RYAN***
Cursing the distance between them, Ryan raced toward Paula, his dragon screaming with rage at what he’d just seen, the urge to kill throbbing in his veins thanks to the need to protect his mate.
If he’d had any doubt about Paula being his, it was completely abolished now as he raced to protect her from Alex, barely holding his dragon back from emerging right there outside the ballroom.
He slid between them just as Alex raised his fist, and the other man hesitated just long enough for him to push Paula away from them.
“Alex, you’re all dirty,” he said. “Are you having some trouble?”
“This is none of your business,” Alex growled. “That little bitch needs to be taught some manners.”
“You’re the one who needs to learn some manners,” Paula called from behind him. “You can’t just go around kissing anyone you want. You got what you deserved, and you’ll get worse if you try to touch me again. I know how to defend myself.”
“You heard the lady, back off, Alex. You don’t want to tangle with either of us,” he said, taking a few steps toward the other shifter. “Don’t push this, Alex. We’ve got an audience. I wouldn’t want to have to do something that would attract the kind of attention we don’t want.”
“Get out of the way, you pathetic little wimp, I’m going to teach that bitch a lesson,” Alex said, lunging for Paula, his eyes full of rage. “When I’m done with her, she’ll know her place. No one challenges me.”
Ryan was prepared for Alex to charge him in an attempt to get to Paula.
What he wasn’t expecting was that he would shift first. It took him several precious seconds to react, and by that time, the other shifter had already grabbed her in his sharp talons as he rose into the sky.
Without hesitation, he shifted, then in the next breath launched himself into the sky like a bullet splitting the air, and flew after them.
He caught up to them a second later and drove Alex back down to the ground, where he was forced to release Paula, who landed in a heap on the ground.
A second later, Cooper landed next to him, and Alex started to back away, then with a whoosh, he shifted back into his human form, clearly realizing that he was outnumbered.
“Hey, I got carried away back there. I shouldn’t have shifted,” Alex said, backing away a couple of steps. “Let’s just talk this out, I’m sure we can come to an agreement…”
After a quick glance over at Cooper, they both shifted back into their human form. “I think this is your fight, but I’ve got your back if you need me,” his friend said, stepping behind him. “Don’t worry about Paula, Stephanie is with her.”
He glanced over just to make sure, his first instinct was to go to her, but he had to deal with Alex before he could let down his guard.
Forcing himself to look away, he gritted his teeth and stared Alex down, hoping to give his emotions a moment to calm down so he didn’t do something he’d be sorry for later.
“I should kill you for that. She was an innocent, and now you’ve probably scarred her for life,” he growled.
“But I’m going to let you go, I don’t want your blood on my hands.
Go home, Alex, tuck your tail between your legs, and go back to Princeton, where you belong. The real world is too much for you.”
“This isn’t over, Bellamy. You’d better watch your back,” Alex screamed, then turned and disappeared into the trees.
As soon as he sensed the other shifter was gone, he turned and raced over to Paula, crouched next to her, but couldn’t bring himself to touch her like he wanted to.
“Are you okay?” he asked, then shook his head.
“That was a stupid question, of course you’re not okay, you just flew through the air in a dragon’s claws. ”
Paula’s eyes seemed to focus for the first time. “So, I’m not crazy,” she said. “That really happened.”
“I’m afraid so. We’re not supposed to shift like that, but I think there’s something wrong with Alex,” he said. “I’m sorry that happened to you, but you’re safe now. He won’t come back.”
She finally looked up at him. “And the other night, in the woods, I saw…” her words trailed off.
“That was Marcus,” he said, nodding to Stephanie. “Let’s get you up off the ground. You must be freezing.”
“I don’t think I feel anything,” Paula said, letting them help her up. “I think I’m numb.”
“We’re going to take you home now,” he said, lifting her into his arms. “We’ll get you all warmed up and then you’ll feel better.”
“Okay, that sounds good,” Paula said, looking up at him. “Then maybe you can explain all of this to me. I’m feeling a little confused. Are you sure I’m not crazy?”
“Yep, I’m sure,” he said, heading for the car. “You’re as sane as the rest of us, I promise.”
Paula studied him for a second, then lay her head down on his chest with a sigh. “I believe you,” she said, then closed her eyes. “You make me feel safe.”
She was asleep before they reached the car and didn’t wake up when he strapped her in. She slept the whole way home. “Is she okay?” Cooper asked when they pulled up in front of the fraternity house and Paula still didn’t wake up. “Maybe she hit her head or something.”
“I’d sleep like that too if something like that happened to me,” Stephanie said. “But I think Cooper is right, we should try to wake her up.”
He went around to the passenger side and opened the door, then crouched down next to Paula. “Hey, princess, we’re home. I need you to wake up for me,” he said, stroking her cheek. “You’re too heavy for me to carry all the way inside.”
That did the trick, and Paula’s eyes popped open, “I’m not…”
“Hey, there, welcome back,” he said, putting his fingers over her lips to hush her. “You’re not heavy at all, I could carry you for miles, but I needed you to wake up.”
Paula made a face at him. “That wasn’t very nice,” she said, then looked around. “Where are we?”
“Back at the fraternity house. I thought it might be best if you came back here for a while,” he said, reaching for her. “Let’s get you inside.”
“I think I can walk on my own now,” she said, letting him help her out of the car. “I can feel my feet again.”
“Maybe I should carry you just in case,” he said, sweeping her up into his arms again. “I don’t want to get you all the way home and then have you get hurt.”
“But I…”
“Just humor me,” he said, starting for the house. “It will be easier for both of us.”
***Paula***
Hattie was waiting for them at the front door, and she began to fuss as soon as she saw Paula in Ryan’s arms. “Bring her upstairs, I’ve got the bed turned down and a change of clothes all ready for her,” she said, her face full of concern. “Is she hurt? Do I need to call the doctor?”
“I’m okay, Hattie,” she croaked, lifting up her head. “Just a little cold and a lot confused.”
“Well, don’t you worry, we’ll get you all fixed up. As soon as we get you dressed in something warmer, I’ll get you something hot to drink,” Hattie said, leading them up the stairs. “Then maybe something to eat if you’re feeling up to it. You’ve had a bit of a shock tonight.”
“You know?” she asked, then shook her head. “Never mind, I don’t want to think about it right now.”
When Ryan paused at a closed door on the second floor, Hattie stopped and turned to look back at them. “Ryan, I’ve got a room for her upstairs,” she said, then saw the look on his face. “Oh, well, maybe down here would be better.”
By the time she looked up at him, Ryan’s face was blank and she was too tired to figure out what she might have just missed.
After Hattie opened the door, he carried her across the room and gently set her down on a bed that smelled so much of him that she instantly felt better.
Letting out a sigh, she closed her eyes for a second, enjoying the feeling, then opened them again to find Ryan staring down at her, his face filled with concern.
“Are you sure that you’re okay?” he asked, sitting down next to her. “He didn’t hurt you, did he? I’m sorry it took me so long to get to you. I was just trying to give you a few minutes to calm down. I guess it was a few too many.”
She studied him for a second, wondering if that was really what he wanted to talk about, then figured, why not?
“I was on my way back inside to tell you that I might have overreacted,” she admitted.
“I still wish you would have told me sooner, but I see now that you were trying to tell me, the delivery was just a bit off.”
“Yeah, I’m not very good at this kind of stuff,” Ryan admitted, taking her hand. “I guess we still need to talk about that.”
“You think?” she asked, trying for a smile and failing. “And a few other things.”
“But first we’re going to get little missy warmed up and comfortable,” Hattie said, shooing Ryan off the bed. “Off with you for a while, no men allowed.”
Stephanie came in as Ryan was leaving, her arms loaded down with extra pillows, a pair of soft fuzzy pajamas, and a stack of magazines. “I grabbed everything I could think of,” she said, setting the pile down. “How are you feeling?”
She thought about that for a second. “Honestly, I’m not sure, a dragon just carried me through the air, but two other dragons saved me,” she said. “I think I should be scared, I think I should be freaked out, but I’m not any of those things. I’m just curious.”
“Well, that’s good, but I’m not surprised. Let’s get this dress off and get you into these pajamas.” Stephanie said, helping her stand up. “You’ll feel a lot better once you’re tucked into bed.”
“Why aren’t you surprised?” she asked, feeling like a rag doll as Stephanie dressed her, but too tired to do it herself. “Do most people take it this calmly?”
“Most people wouldn’t, but you’re connected to Ryan, and that changes everything,” Stephanie said, doing up the last button on her pajama top. “Now, into bed with you. This is something you should discuss with Ryan when you’re feeling better.”
She climbed into bed like instructed, then something occurred to her. “Are they all…I mean…Cooper is…but what about the rest?” she asked, feeling completely tongue-tied at the thought. “Maybe I changed my mind, and I am a little scared.”
“They would never hurt you,” Stephanie said, tucking her into bed. “They’re wired to protect us; they’re nothing like Alex and his friends.”
Before she could ask another question, there was a commotion outside the bedroom door. “Hattie, I’m taking that in there,” Ryan said. “She’s not that delicate; she wasn’t afraid of me before, she won’t be now.”
“Ryan, you have to give her some space, let her get used to the idea,” Hattie argued. “Just let her have something to eat and drink, and then you can see her.”
“You know that’s not going to work, I need to see her now,” Ryan said. “I can be just as stubborn as you can, even more when it comes to Paula.”
“Oh dear, we can’t have them out there fighting over you,” Stephanie said, shaking her head and getting up from the bed. “We’ll have to have a long talk later. There are some things you should know about shifters.”
When she threw open the door, both Ryan and Hattie jumped. “Why don’t you both come in?” Stephanie said, opening it wider. “We can hear every word you’re saying, so you might as well fight in here.”
They both looked so guilty she laughed for the first time in what felt like hours. “Hattie, thank you for worrying about me, but I’m not scared, not really,” she said. “You should both come in and stop fighting.”
Ryan took the tray Hattie had been clutching to her chest. “I told her you were okay with all of this,” he said, bringing it over to her. “Do you want something to eat or drink?”
“I think I’m okay, I’m just really tired,” she said. “Maybe you could set it down over there. I might want something later.”
Ryan set the tray down, then pulled a chair over and sat down next to her. “I’m just going to sit here while you sleep,” he said. “We’ll talk after you’ve had some rest.”
“We’ll leave you two alone,” Stephanie said, pulling Hattie out of the room. “We’ll be downstairs if you need anything.”
When the door closed behind them, silence fell between them.
She felt the pressure of all the things that hadn’t been said, but her eyelids felt so heavy she wasn’t sure she could keep them open.
There were what felt like a million questions circling her mind, but she couldn’t focus on anything.
The bed was so soft, and she was so tired, but something didn’t feel right.
Opening her eyes, she looked over at Ryan, who was squirming in the chair, trying to find a comfortable position, and she knew what she wanted.