Page 47 of There's Something About Dragons
Be right there.
Chapter 21
Zed
“Igotta go,” I tell Gabe, slamming my laptop shut.
He snorts. “No need to announce your piss like it’s a flight taking off.”
I stuff my feet into my shoes and grab my jacket. “Not that. Gonna go see Cari.”
His jaw drops. “What the fuck? I thought we agreed you were going to stay away from her. Do you have a restraining-order kink or something?”
“She needs me.”
“For what?” When I shrug, he rolls his eyes. “You need a therapist.”
“If Cari wants me there, that’s all I need to know.”
“When will you be back?” When I shrug again, he makes an annoyed noise. “What about the conference? What about our networking plan?”
I pause, hand on the door knob. “I don’t know. I’ll figure it out.”
“For the record, you’re a dumb shit. If you get put in jail over this chick, I’m going to find a new business partner.”
I laugh my head off all the way across the park. He’s so negative sometimes. I don’t take it personally, though. He’s a pessimist, I’m an optimist. That’s why we work well together, because we balance each other out.
Anyway, my heart is soaring too high to worry about details like conference networking plans. I can’t believe Cari is ready to talk to me already. I was prepared to wait fifteen more years if I had to.
She meets me at the door, the first thing she does throw her arms around my waist. “I’m sorry,” she sobs into my chest before I even get inside.
“No, sunflower, no. I’m the sorry one.” I scoop her up in my arms, shut the door with my foot, and carry her into the living room where Radar is sleeping on his bed in the corner. I find us a seat on the comfortable leather sofa and hold her in my lap, rocking her until her tears dry.
“You were right about Tristan,” she finally says. “He’s…not good. Not bad, either, but not good like I thought he was. He wascrafting the world around me so I’d do what he wanted. I’m so sorry I didn’t believe you.”
“You have nothing to be sorry about,” I assure her, stroking her hair, letting the soft strands play through my fingers. “If I’d been more open with you, this never would’ve been an issue. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you the truth about why I’m here in San Drogo. I didn’t come for the conference. I came to see you. The night I ran into you and Tristan in the park? I was waiting for you there. It wasn’t an accidental meeting.”
She sits up, swallowing hard. “Why?”
“I saw your final post on @SeeRadarRun and I thought… I thought something happened to Radar. I thought he passed away.”
“Oh,” she says, and I can tell she’s mentally reviewing her post. “It was sort of a mysterious goodbye, wasn’t it? I can see why you’d think that.”
I nod. “I knew you’d be devastated, so I got my friend to find your address and wrote you a letter. But I couldn’t bring myself to mail it. I kind of went nuts and decided to deliver it myself. Flew all night to get here.” Sheepishly, I take the letter out of my pocket and attempt to straighten the bent corners before handing it to her.
“Should I read this?”
“If you want. It doesn’t really apply since our little guy is still alive. But listen, Cari. There’s something else I have to tell you. I don’t know why it’s taken so long except that I didn’t want you to think badly of your mate.”
“My mate?” She blinks rapidly, clearly confused. I am fucking this up, once again.
I start over. “I didn’t want you to think badly of me. You’re my—I’m your—”
Mate, my feral form exults, and his satisfaction blooms, filling my bones with strength and my heart with courage.
“We’re fated mates,” I finish. “You and I are meant to be. That’s why we were so drawn to each other back in high school, and why we never forgot each other in all this time. Why it’s never worked out with anyone else. Why there’s always been something missing. You’re my alokoi.”
She’s crying again. “What?Why didn’t you tell me back then?”
