Cruel Daddy Dragon (Candara Dragon Ops #3)

Chapter 19 - Sarah

As soon as my shift is over, Lena texts me, and the entire gang shows up to help escort me over to the Miller Mansion—Lena, Julie, Kaius, and Milo.

I drive my own car, but the others escort me, hovering a few car lengths behind. I am lucky that the rest of the day in the station was quiet because Rufus’s voice keeps running through my head: “I love you. I can’t lose you to Eclipse, Sarah. I just can’t.”

I’m numb. I don’t know what to make of that.

He loves me? But… it’s so soon…

I’d just gotten used to the idea of giving in to our urges and enjoying the sex, but now he’s dropped this… It's intimidating. When I look at our entire recent history together, I suppose it’s not the most sudden thing, but it feels like it’s come from left field, and the pressure is immense.

My mind is whirring as I arrive at the Miller Mansion. The others are stepping out of the car as I pull up. I put the car into park, and just sit for a moment, staring into space.

Do I have to say it back now? Do I feel it, though? Do I love him? What do I tell him if I don’t?

But just as I’m starting to get myself in a spiral—something flashes in front of my eyes.

Wait, a vision? Now? What’s happening?

When my vision clears, I’m… in my bathroom? Alone? What?

There’s no one else in here. It’s just me. What trouble’s happening? I thought I only had visions about trouble…

After a second, my stomach hurts. A pulse of worry moves through me.

It’s… my stomach? That’s the trouble?

For a long moment, I don’t understand. I’m sick? That’s the trouble?

Then, a thought hits me. Wait a minute…

A loud banging draws my attention. It rips me out of the vision I’m having, and I look out the window to see Kaius. He gives me an exaggerated shrug, and I get out of the car.

“What’s the hold up, Sarah?” he asks.

“N-nothing.” I grunt, “Long day at work.”

He gives another shrug, and we both start heading towards the mansion. I don’t want him telling Julie anything, because I… I don’t know what to make of what I’ve just seen.

I wonder if I can ask Lena for a pregnancy test subtly…

We get to the front door and Rufus and Orion open it to greet us. As I’m getting out of the car, I hear Milo call to them:

“So, what’s the emergency?”

“Come inside,” Orion says, “We need to discuss this at length. Cyrus and Evander had to leave, so we have a situation.”

The meeting at least distracts me from my current thoughts, but it has a dark tone underlying it. Orion seems to be the de facto leader when both Cyrus and Evander are away, and he leads the meeting in a grim tone.

“So, that’s what the situation is,” he says.

Kaius and Milo are silent for a moment. Julie looks between Lena and me anxiously. Lena is the one to speak first:

“Cyrus said he was going to be back in a couple of days.” She says, “Do you think we can wait that long before investigating the cave?”

“Not sure,” Orion replies, “But I don’t like how the last fight went. If Eclipse knows the importance of that cave, then they’ll be sending much more than two dragons to claim it, and we can’t fight off that many. Besides, Cyrus has made it clear that keeping Lena and Julie safe is our top priority.”

“So, we might have to sacrifice the cave?” Rufus says, “That’s what you’re saying?”

“I think so,” Orion says, “If Eclipse throws everything they have in claiming the cave, then we’d have to respond with all of Soleilus. Not only do we not have the power to do that without the Alpha, I have to wonder if it’d be worth it.”

There’s a little pause between us all. Kaius looks at Julie.

“How far along are you in making the map, babe?” he asks her.

She responds with a little surprised Oh and pushes her glasses up her nose before she answers:

“I have covered a good amount of the town. Maybe… 70% of the West side?”

“And you’ve found some areas where there might be keys, right?” Kaius asks.

“A few,” she answers.

“And the cave isn’t on the map yet, right?” he presses.

“Um… no, sorry,” Julie murmurs, “I haven’t got to that side of town yet.”

Kaius places a hand on the small of her back with a soft smile.

“It’s all right,” he says, then looks to Orion, “So, Julie’s been working on the map, and we have some other places that might be even better than the cave. Say we have to hunker down and wait for Cyrus to come back, and Eclipse gets the cave. We probably still have a chance to fight back as long as we have the map.”

There’s a murmuring among everyone for a second.

“I agree with Kaius,” Milo says, “Our job is to protect Julie, Lena, and now Sarah. Even if they capture the cave, even if there are more relics in there, we can try to get them back later. We can do something about that. But if something happens to someone’s fated mate… that can’t be undone.”

Rufus’s voice rings through my head again: “I can’t lose another woman I love, Sarah! ”

I look over at Rufus. He’s not meeting my eye—almost pointedly so.

“So, we’re gonna hunker down here until Cyrus and Evander get back, then?” Kaius says.

“Yes,” Orion says, “Let’s not leave here until they return. We stick together.”

“So,” Kaius says, looking back at Julie as he speaks to Orion, “we have the evening to ourselves in here, then?”

Julie breaks out into giggles, flushing bright red. Orion gives the smallest sigh and replies.

“Yeah.”

Suddenly, I feel Rufus’s green eyes beaming into me. I match his gaze.

“Are you okay with staying here for the night?” he asks me.

It's a simple question, but I feel it in my soul. I just nod at him, and Rufus smiles lightly and nods back at me. I just spend a second staring at his soft smile—the way the corners of his jade eyes crinkle and how his freckles are suddenly visible.

Again, his voice in my head: “I love you.” Then, the vision flickers through my mind again.

I have to break his gaze, staring down at the floor.

God, I don’t know what to say to this man…

“So, we’re agreed?” Milo clarifies, “We’re all staying here and holding down the fort until Cyrus and Evander come back?”

“I think that’s the smartest move,” Orion says, “We’ll wait for the Alpha to come back before we make our next move about the cave.”

***

After the meeting, everyone breaks apart. Milo, Rufus, and Orion choose to stand guard on the porch—and by “stand guard”, they mean having a couple of beers and chilling. Kaius and Julie snuck off somewhere, and I think it’s in all our best interests not to follow them until they choose to come back on their own.

That leaves me and Lena on our own, which is fine by me.

“Can I talk to you?” I ask her.

Lena reads something in my expression and frowns lightly.

“Yeah, sure,” she says, “What’s up?”

We both sit on the couch, and I look around. I can see the dragons out the back, deep in their own conversation.

“Is it Rufus?” Lena asks.

“Yeah,” I murmur, “I don’t… Um…”

Why is it so hard to collect my thoughts? I can’t have pregnancy brain fog already, right?!

Lena’s staring at me hard, and my stomach drops; I lose my nerve.

“I… Rufus and I have… been getting together,” I start.

Compared to the pregnancy possibility, that’s no pressure in that conversation at all.

“We know,” Lena chuckles, “I haven’t seen you look at someone like that since we were teenagers.”

I smile wanly.

“It’s that obvious, huh?” I answer.

“If there’s one thing Julie taught me, it’s that this fated mate thing isn’t exactly subtle,” she says.

I chuckle weakly.

“So what’s the problem?” Lena asks.

“Just… Rufus… he said he loved me.”

She blinks, her eyes wide, but she looks excited.

“Oh, wow. How did that happen?”

“Well… we were arguing, and he just kind of blurted it out,” I answer.

Lena starts giggling.

“Of course,” she says, “Maybe I didn’t need to ask.”

I smile weakly.

“It’s fine,” Lena says, “I’m telling you, Cyrus used to drive me crazy when I first met him again. In a good way, though.”

“Yeah,” I say, “That’s definitely where we’re at.”

“What did you say after he said he loved you?”

A prickling fear crawls over my skin.

“Uh, I—I didn’t really say anything,” I answer, “I didn’t know what to say.”

“Oh,” Lena says.

She doesn’t say anything for a moment. My stomach turns for a moment, and then I face her.

“Lena, I don’t know what I’m supposed to say to that,” I plead, “Am I supposed to say it back? This was only supposed to be a fake marriage, and now…”

I shake my head.

“Well…” Lena says gently, “I know he does love you.”

I look at her through the corner of my eye.

“You should have seen him after the kidnapping. He was so scared for you,” Lena says, “Honestly, he convinced me right then and there that he loved you.”

“But I don’t know if I love him back, Lena!” I exclaim, “Am I supposed to say it back now? What if I don’t and I say it anyway? I can’t do that to him! I’d be leading him on, and I don’t want to do that!”

“Well, how do you feel about him?” she asks, “Be honest.”

“I don’t know!” I insist, “I mean, we’ve been getting together lately, and yeah, I’ll admit that it’s been great. Like, really great. He also rescued me a few times, and I’m really grateful for that, so I don’t want to hurt him. He’s an amazing person, Lena, and he doesn’t deserve to be strung along by me telling him I love him when I’m not sure…”

“He’s an amazing person, you say?” Lena says.

“Yeah,” I answer, “I really think he is. He’s brave and strong—and I respect anyone who stands up for the weaker person, you know?”

“Yeah, of course,” Lena replies.

“I mean, he drives me crazy sometimes,” I say, “but I know it’s because he’s trying to protect people—he’s just a stubborn ass about it.”

“Sounds like someone I know,” she says with a grin.

I smirk back.

“Oh, shut up.”

“Two peas in a pod,” Lena teases.

“Shut up!” I laugh.

We both giggle for a moment and then she asks again:

“Do you trust him?”

I think, then nod.

“Honestly? With my life,” I answer, “But how could I not? He’s saved my life a couple of times by now.”

Lena’s just grinning at me.

“What?” I ask.

She just keeps grinning, rolling her eyes a little.

“What?” I press.

“I don’t think you need to worry about telling him you love him back,” Lena says.

I lean forward and run my hands through my hair.

“I don’t know, Lena…” I murmur, “I hear what you’re saying, but… I’m not sure.”

“You probably won’t be,” she says, “To be honest, you’re never entirely sure about these kinds of things, Sarah. Trust me.”

I grunt lightly. Julie appears.

“Hi!” she says brightly.

She looks just a little flushed, but we don’t mention it as she settles herself on the other side of me on the couch, grinning widely.

“Julie,” Lena says suddenly, “random question.”

“Yeah?” she asks.

“Were you a hundred percent sure you were in love with Kaius when you first got together?” Lena asks.

Julie blinks for a moment in surprise.

“Why?” she asks.

“Just a random question—I’m making a point.”

She looks away for a second as she thinks and then answers:

“I… don’t know. It was a bit more spontaneous than that, to be honest,” Julie replies, “It was like… we were together before I knew it.”

She giggles.

“So I wasn’t really sure about anything!” she titters, “It all just happened!”

“Thank you,” Lena says, then looks at me, “It was the same with Cyrus and me. It was all a big whirlwind of emotions, and then we were in love.”

“What happened?” Julie asks, looking between us.

“Rufus confessed his love to Sarah,” Lena says before I can stop her.

“Oh, my god!” Julie says excitedly.

“I just… don’t know if I want to say it back,” I say.

“Then don’t,” Julie says, “Just because he says it doesn’t mean you have to say it back. I didn’t tell Kaius I loved him back right away after he told me he was falling in love.”

“You didn’t?” I ask.

“No, it was when I was ready,” Julie replies.

I nod. My stomach is still a little tight in anxiety, but I feel just a little bit better. Maybe I didn’t need to panic…

I look up. I can see the shape of Rufus through the door.

When I’m ready…