Page 34 of Dragon in Denial
“Do what?”
“This.” He released her to flap his hand—well, claw—but the action set him off balance and he started to fall forward. He grabbed onto her and she staggered under his weight as she tried to keep them both upright.
Like sister, like brother.She ought to leave his sorry ass here to work this out on his own.
We need to find out what’s going on, her dragon said.
Seems pretty obvious to me, Antoinette retorted.
Does it?
Damn it, it really didn’t. Sure, Ketu had been gone for ten years, but she couldn’t believe he was the type to try dragon’s blood. Yeah, clearly she had more faith in him than he did in her.
So apparently she was going to help him. Which meant she needed to get him someplace where he could safely ride out this high. Eventually, when the drug burned through his system, he’d crash. He was going to be a hot mess for the next twelve hours, at least.
She was definitely not taking him to his parents’ house. They didn’t need to see him like this.
“Okay,” she said, pulling her phone out of her pocket. “Let’s get you back to your hotel room.”
***
They made it back to his hotel, Antoinette reassuring the Uber driver that Ketu’s claws were actually part of a costume, and luckily, with Mardi Gras only weeks away, the man hadn’t questioned the authenticity of the scales that bled into skin on his arms.
When they reached his room, Ketu wiggled like a damn child as she dug his keycard out of his pants. She huffed out a breath. She’d never been good as the designated sober person in the group. The few times she’d gone to Mardi Gras parades with friends, she’d been far too tempted to leave them passed out in the gutter. The street sweepers would be along soon enough to nudge them awake and send them on their way.
“You need to sleep it off,” she said, pushing him over the threshold. “I’ll come check on you in the morning.”
“No. I need you. Please.”
This was different than it was with her friends. Ketu had always been strong, in control, for as long as she’d known him. For him to tell her he needed her…
Not to mention, he was her mate even if they hadn’t yet talked about it. She supposed that made her responsible for him. The worst part was, shewantedto help.
Please don’t let this be like Eulalie. There had to be a damned good reason why Ketu—of all dragons—would take dragon’s blood. There had to be.
“You’re going to owe me,” she warned him as she stepped into the room and pulled the door closed.
He slumped onto the bed and let his talons fall between his knees. “I don’t like this,” he mumbled.
“Me neither.” She pulled a bottled water out of the mini fridge, unscrewed the cap. “Take a deep breath and try to relax.”
He sucked in air and then blew it out in a whoosh. His claws shimmered, flashing between dragon talons and human hands.
“That’s it,” Antoinette encouraged, massaging his shoulder. She kept it up until the magic finally released and his hands returned to normal.
She offered him the water and he chugged until it was empty and then sighed gustily. “Thanks.”
He was starting to sound lucid, which meant he was probably going to crash soon. After the shakes and getting sick, he would likely pass out for hours.
“Do you think you can take a shower? You’re covered in dirt and leaves and grass stains.”
“Can you help me?”
Ugh. Why had she even suggested it? Although, with him in this state, she wasn’t remotely lusting after him, so she should be able to get through this without doing something stupid, right?
“C’mon.” She grabbed his hands and pulled him to his feet. Like a submissive child he let her lead him to the bathroom. “Okay, strip.”
“Yes, ma’am.” She turned her back when he grasped the hem of his shirt.
