Page 14 of Sanctuary with a Dragon
Alaric grew somber again.
“Regaining the ability to shift will take more time, possibly a few weeks or so, but the good news is that we’re on the road to recovery. I wouldn’t normally share all of this, but it’s important for you to know.”
I blinked, wondering if I only imagined his slight emphasis onyou. I shook my head. Whatever his reasons, I appreciated the information.
I was sadly lacking in any and all knowledge about the paranormal world. In fact, the few facts I knew couldn’t even fill a small thimble. Fiction, I knew. Facts? Not so much.
And I was so happy for him and his dragon! I didn’t even know them all that well, yet I felt a strange, intense relief that they were going to get better. I examined the feeling, surprised by its strength, and let my attention return to Alaric.
He looked… sad. Was it because he was sick? Why would that—ohhh. I remembered that for some people—it tended to hit guys the most—feeling unable to function as they had before made them feel less than. I wondered if that was the case with Alaric. Did he feel like less of a man because he’d gotten sick? Ridiculous.
And since I couldn’t tell Alaric, I told his dragon:Please let him know that being sick does not diminish his worth in any way.
I’d fought that shame within myself as well. WhenI’d suddenly lost the ability to do many of the things I’d been able to previously do, I’d felt like a failure somehow. It took a lot of soul-searching to realize it wasn’t true. Sometimes, there were things that happened to us that were outside of our control. And those things? They didn’t make us any less.
I looked up to find Alaric staring at me, his eyes gently glowing with what I guessed was deep emotion.
And for no apparent reason, I blushed.
Chapter 5
Alaric
Shay showed up the next morning while I was up checking the roof.
He squinted up at me, eyes narrowed against the pale morning light. “What’re you doing?”
“Checking for weak spots. We had a storm blow through a day or so ago, and I wanted to make sure the roof is still sound.” I had Everly to worry about, after all.
“Uh-huh. What else have you done today?”
I squatted near a shingle that looked like it was crumbling at the edges, but it turned out to be just dirt. I scowled, wiped the grime away with the back of my hand, then moved on.
“Ry?”
I looked down at my oldest friend, currently masquerading as a pain in my tail, and sighed, dragging a hand through my hair. My skin felt warm, almost hot against the chill in the air. The light snow flurrieshissed as they touched me, instantly melting. The scent of pine from the nearby woods drifted on the morning breeze.
“I had a virtual meeting with my CFO, made bread for me and Everly, caught and prepped some fish for dinners this week, and worked out.”
Shay’s expression was blank, but because we’d known each other for nearly six decades, I knew what he was thinking. He was thinking I was making myself sick trying to take care of my mate—and he wouldn’t be wrong.
“Uh-huh. Get down here.”
I shook my head, tossing a branch off the side. I needed to get up here and power-wash the roof. That last storm had made things a mess. “I’m busy. Go bother someone else.”
I sensed magic flooding the area. Curious, I glanced down at my best friend, then turned fully toward him when his eyes started glowing bright green, signaling he was pulling on a significant amount of magic. I folded my arms over my chest and widened my stance, daring him to make a move. Go for it, wizard.
He grinned, reading the challenge perfectly, and lifted a single finger—though he didn’t even need to. Then he scooped me off the roof like I weighed nothing more than a tuft of dandelion fluff. The wind tugged at my shirt as he set me down gently in front of him, his eyes dimming back to normal.
I knew he was trying to look out for me, but I wasn’tready to hash this out yet. Everything felt too new, too fragile, and too easily broken.
“I’m busy,” I growled.
“This is an intervention.” Shay’s voice was calm, but his green eyes held earnest concern.
I ignored him and trudged over to my chopping block, then slammed a piece of wood onto the block, gripping the axe tight enough to make my knuckles ache as I raised it high.Thunk.The splintered wood sprayed everywhere. The action felt satisfying, cathartic even. I lined up another piece.
“Don’t need one. Aren’t there people in Port Noble you could hassle instead?”
