Page 65 of The Loneliest Dragon at Christmas
“I’m going to shift. I’m going to fly. I’m going to get my baker back! And you will not stop me,” he growled.
Surprising Avery, his father didn’t even try.
CHAPTER 33
“Jack, what are you doing here? I saw Carrie on her shelf.” Grady stepped out of the bakery and into the alley. “Aren’t you meant to be all cosied up with your dragon?”
Jack leaned against the wall. “I met Avery’s father.”
Grady frowned at him. “All right. And you’re back here because…”
“He’s the Dragon Duke,” Jack said flatly.
“Fuck me.” Grady leaned against the wall next to him and crossed his arms. “He didn’t approve?”
Jack gave a mirthless laugh. “He thought I was a servant. Told me to use the back entrance.”
“Prick,” Grady muttered. “What did Avery do?”
Jack glanced down. “I left before I saw Avery.”
“Why?”
Jack gave Grady an incredulous look. “When the Dragon Duke tells you to fuck off, you fuck off.”
“Not if it’s Avery’s home and he wants you there,” Grady challenged. “What right has this Dickhead Duke to tell you to fuck off from Avery’s home?”
Jack shook his head. “I just don’t understand why Avery didn’t tell me.”
Grady stared at him for several moments. He let out a weary sigh. “Are you getting your underpants in a knot again?”
“What?” Jack frowned.
“Just saying, you got all wrapped up in your head when you discovered Avery was rich,” Grady said. “And he didn’t do anything wrong but have money.”
“His father is a duke.” Jack enunciated the words, trying to get Grady to understand. “That means Avery is royalty, and royalty can’t mate or marry without the king’s blessing. The king isn’t going to bless a mating between the Dragon Duke’s son and a hearth and kitchen witch.” His throat clenched. “I can’t fathom why Avery wouldn’t talk to me about any of this.”
Because Jack cared about Avery. He wanted a future with Avery. It destroyed him to think Avery maybe didn’t want the same.
“What did Avery say when you asked him?” Grady asked.
“You know I didn’t speak to Avery,” Jack snapped.
Grady leaned towards him. “That’s my point.”
Jack made a noise. “He knew the whole money and class thing mattered to me. So why wouldn’t he mention his father was a duke?”
Grady threw up his hands in exasperation. “I don’t know, Jack. Maybe instead of running off with your tail between your legs and sulking in a fucking alleyway, have a fucking conversation with him.”
Jack gaped.
But Grady didn’t seem to be done. “But just throwing it out there, maybe he didn’t tell you because, like the money, he doesn’t realise it’s a problem unless you tell him it’s a problem.”
Jack dropped his gaze. He gritted his teeth. His hands clenched and unclenched. He took several deep breaths, tryingto calm his pounding heart. He stared at the dirty cobblestones. “I just keep expecting him to change how he looks at me.”
“What do you mean?”
Jack swallowed; the words felt like sludge choking him. But he had to force them out. “They didn’t always look down on us. Some of the others are too young to remember, but you and I aren’t.”
