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Anna
She nearly faltered in her resolve as his face crumbled, worry dissolving into pain before he turned to go. Anna’s heart ached for him, for what he must be experiencing.
Something occurred to her in that moment.
If she truly didn’t matter to him, then why would he be so hurt that she hadn’t shown up that night? Wouldn’t he just be more resigned? In fact, would he have come looking for her, risking everything, just to ensure she was okay?
Have I just made a huge mistake?
Anna couldn’t shake the thought, and her worry grew exponentially with every passing microsecond.
“Damien,” she said, getting up from her bed. “Wait.”
The big dragon shifter paused in front of the door, but he didn’t turn around. “You don’t have to justify it,” he rumbled. “It’s okay. You’re allowed to do what you want.”
“What?” She frowned. “Of course, I am. But that’s not what I’m trying to say.”
“Well, what are you trying to say?”
From beside her, Courtney gave her a forceful look. The two of them had talked about this thoroughly after her friend had found out—and after Anna had convinced Courtney to forgive her for not telling her from the start about sneaking out. Courtney was of the opinion that while Damien might be a nice person, Anna didn’t need the distraction or potential drama in her life right now. She should be focusing on the Apprentice test, which she’d been working toward her entire adult life.
And she made some very compelling points.
“I shouldn’t have just not come tonight,” she said quietly. “You deserved better than that, at least.”
“So, you are ending this.” It wasn’t a question.
“Damien, you have to understand,” she pleaded, not wanting him to be mad at her. “I’ve been working so hard for this, for so long. I’m right there, and I need to focus on studying magic, not studying you.”
Off to the side, Courtney rolled her eyes and stifled a groan. Anna glared at her, but it just washed off her friend who clapped her hands over her face as she began to laugh silently at Anna’s cheesy line.
“That doesn’t mean you need to stop with me,” Damien pointed out.
“Maybe, maybe not,” she agreed. “But with the way things are right now and with all the unease, I can’t risk my entire future over a—” she stopped, realizing what she’d been about to say.
“A what?” Damien challenged, finally turning, the hurt in his eyes slowly giving way to anger. “A fling? Over a bit of fun? That’s what you were going to say, wasn’t it?”
Anna shook her head, but Damien just stared at her, his gaze icing over.
“Don’t give me that,” she snapped, losing her cool, all her doubts bubbling to the surface. “It’s not like this was anything more than that to you either!”
Damien’s jaw dropped. “What the hell are you talking about? You need to explain.”
“Yesterday, when the master found us. She was just laying into me and where were you? What did you do?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest. “I don’t recall Damien standing up, doing anything to try and calm the situation, to prevent me from getting in trouble. If you’d really cared, you would have fought for it.”
His normally smooth face grew sharp and angular the more she talked as Damien’s anger bubbled up. Hard lines were visible as he shut her out, looking at her now as if she was something else.
“Fought for it?” he echoed. “Is that what you want? Me to fight for it? Would you have preferred I blasted that idiotic bitch from the top of the tower? Impaled her with a lightning bolt? Maybe you wanted to see me roar like a barbarian and rip her limbs off one by one and beat her into a pulp with them? Is that what you want? Is what it would take to convince you that I care for you? To stand up and proclaim to all of Winterspell that you are mine, and anyone who tries to stop me will suffer my wrath? Fine. I can do that,” he snarled, spinning to go.
“What?” Anna yelped when she could finally get a word in. “That’s not what I meant at all!” She flicked a hand out, casting a spell on the door before he could open it.
Damien turned the handle and pulled, but the door didn’t budge. He growled and pulled harder.
“What the hell are you doing now?” he bellowed. “How dare you use your magic on me!”
“I didn’t,” she said, not backing down as he took a step toward her. “I used it on the door, so that you wouldn’t go storming off to do something stupid.”
“Well you wanted me to do something stupid last night,” he retorted. “What’s the difference in doing it now? Nothing.”
“Listen, will you two just calm down,” Courtney interjected, speaking up at last. “You’re shouting and it’s loud.”
“Be quiet,” Damien growled, leveling a finger at her.
“Okay,” Courtney said, retreating to the back of their room, hands up high as lighting flickered around the tip of Damien’s finger.
Anna stepped forward, putting herself between the two of them. “Don’t you ever do that again!” she snapped.
“Or what?” Damien roared. “What are you going to do to me? Can’t be worse than the hurt you’ve already inflicted!”
Anna blinked. “What are you talking about?!”
Damien slashed a hand through the air between them. “Never mind. It doesn’t matter now!”
“You’re not making any sense!”
“And you’re only thinking of yourself!” he all but spat. “You haven’t thought about everything I’m doing for you. Sneaking around behind my own people’s backs. You think just because Altair doesn’t mind us talking that the others are okay with it? If Rokh found out, he’d come down on me like a ton of bricks! Or what about tonight, hmm? You think if I just wanted your body that I’d have snuck all the way up here, risking my entire species being chucked out of Winterspell, just so I could bend you over? Are you really that dense?”
Anna bit her lip, his words sinking home. She hadn’t considered his angle. At all. Not the risks he would be taking, not just for himself, but that he would be exposing all the other dragons too if he was found out.
He’d been risking everything to keep seeing her.
“Damien, I—”
There was a knock at the door.
She looked past the broad-shouldered shifter at the door in alarm as someone tried the handle.
“Sturgis! Bonnes!” a shrill voice shouted from outside the door. “Open this up right now!”
Anna moaned. Of course, someone had called Master Loiner!
From behind them, Courtney sighed heavily. “I told you guys you were too loud.”
Magic sizzled and Anna’s spell on the door died, giving way to Master Loiner’s push as she opened the door.
To Anna’s surprise, she wasn’t alone though. A tall male was with her.
Damien groaned in recognition.
“Hello, Rokh.”
