Page 8 of Owen

“Yeah, really.”

She stared at me with those unnerving eyes of hers. They could see through me, those eyes, though that couldn’t possibly be the case. A flight of fancy, nothing more. If she saw through me, truly, she would run screaming into the night. She would see my dragon.

“And you would stay here all alone.”

Another shrug. “I had planned to, right? I was ready to do it. I’ve camped out alone more times than I can count.”

“Not really.”

“What’s so bad about that?” She snickered. “Don’t give me some chauvinistic spiel about how women shouldn’t be alone in the woods at night.”

“It isn’t chauvinistic. There’s a reason such warnings come into being. Because women, alone in the woods at night, can fall prey. Not only to other people, but to animals. Hungry animals,” I added, hoping to drive the point home.

“I’ve been okay so far. I was practically raised in the wilderness.”

“Oh? I suspect that explains how you made it through the storm.”

“That was nothing. I mean, it was something, it was definitely something, but nothing I couldn’t handle.” This from the woman who had only just been on the verge of tears when she realized her car might be useless. Her bravado was touching, if a bit misguided.

The man who tried to keep her safe and secure would have a terrible time on his hands, as I could imagine her walking headfirst into danger at every turn, simply because she could. The man who loved her would spend half of his time worrying and the other half wishing she would take better care of herself.

The fact that the thought of it made my blood hum and my dragon growl in satisfaction did little to ease my mind.

“So, are you ever gonna tell me why you live in the woods, or are you going to leave me? It’s up to you,” she said, her voice light and teasing.

I wished I knew whether she meant it or not. Was she pushing to find my boundaries? Was she daft enough to believe a night alone in the chilly wet would suit her well?

“I have an idea.” I stood, looking about, making decisions on the fly. “If you agree to move into the cave for the night, rather than sleeping out here, where a fire in the cave’s mouth will ward off any predators, I will agree to tell you more about myself.”

“I’m not exactly great on my feet right now,” she reminded me. “I only made this fire here because it was here that I twisted my ankle, and I could hobble around a little. It took forever just to find enough dry wood for it. I can’t hobble around and do it again, especially all swollen up. I couldn’t get that boot back on if I tried.” At least she was being reasonable for once.

“I know that. I didn’t say you would have to build the fire. I can do that for you, if you agree to stay in the cave throughout the night and be—” I almost told her to be a good girl, and had only stopped myself at the last second. Something told me I’d find a pickaxe embedded in my skull if I wasn’t careful. “Be smart,” I finished.

“You know, you sound a lot like a parent chastising a kid,” she muttered, folding her arms. “I don’t think I like it very much.”

“I don’t expect you to like it. I do, however, hope that you have the good sense to listen. I don’t have to help you, you know.”

“I know.”

“I have other things I could get to right now. Such as sleeping. In a bed. Where it’s warm.”

“Don’t make me hit you,” she warned. “Because you could also take me to where it’s warm, you know.”

I managed not to wince, though it was a close one. She made a strong point, and no one without knowledge of where I’d really come from would understand why I didn’t simply carry her up the mountain to the cabin or house or whatever structure I happened to be staying in.

I could just imagine the look on Pierce’s face if I arrived with a strange girl. A human. One who did not know about dragons.

“You would never make it on that leg,” I lied. As if I wouldn’t carry her. “And with it being as dark and treacherous as it is, I wouldn’t want to risk carrying you and the both of us going ass over teakettle.”

“You’ve made your point.” She smiled. “Okay. Fine. I’m stubborn, I admit it, but I’m not stupid. I do need your help, and I would like some semblance of shelter to sleep in. If I have to be alone, at least I won’t be alone and out in the open.”

I grinned as I turned my back to her, already on my way to the overhang she’d indicated earlier. “You won’t be alone.”

“What?” she called out, a note of panic in her voice.

My smile widened into a grin. “I’ll be staying with you.”

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