The Dragon's Gem (9 page)

“Draco’s not here and I am
, so get in my car and out of this rain,” Soran, his back to me, pleaded, clearly frustrated she wouldn’t do as he wanted.

“I came with Draco, I can’t just take off without him,” she told him stubbornly.

“I got this,” I said with a grin, sweeping her into my arms before he could react and carrying her towards the SUV while being pelted by large, ominous raindrops. She wrapped her arms around my neck and lowered her head to my shoulder to avoid the worst of the now heavy falling rain. Her warm breath against my skin made me quiver, one of her hands dropped to my chest, her fingers moving over my bare skin as she sought to hold on to my water-soaked body. It was all I could do to take a breath. Her touch was like fire racing through my entire body. Every part of me screamed to claim her to make her mine. The words of our ancient binding ceremony filled my head, my mouth opened, ready to repeat the vow that would join us forever when the sound of someone honking their horn loudly interrupted.

“Get her in the car before she catches her death,” Belynda shouted from Nate’s truck.

I realized I had stopped just short of the SUV and had been standing there like a fool as heavy rain poured over us. Aurora had not said a word, but clung to me like a lifeline, her body shivering against mine. Immediately I stalked to the vehicle, threw open the door, and sat her in the passenger’s seat reaching behind in the back for the blanket kept there for emergencies. With nimble hands, I wrapped her up in the warm microfiber then shut the door to keep the rain from coming inside any more than it already had. As I walked slowly around the vehicle, I realized what I had almost done. If not for Belynda, I would have bound us together without her knowledge or permission: it would have been wrong, the worst way to claim a soul mate. The binding should only be done when both parties agreed to it, unless there were extenuating circumstances that made it necessary for the survival of one of them. I doubted the council would see a rainstorm as such, but then again, they would probably be so thrilled I claimed her that they would overlook my impetuous use of their ceremony.

I opened the cab door and climbed inside
, turning to look at Aurora, who had managed to cocoon herself in the blankets as she shook under them. With a sigh, I turned the key in the ignition and blasted the heat, turning the vents towards her, and began driving back down the long narrow dirt road that was now a muddy, sloshing, wet mess. I noted headlights behind me as Nate followed at a safe distance and lights up ahead as Ryan waited for us to join him and felt relief that at least some of us were thinking clearly.

“Are you warm enough?” I asked Aurora
, my voice still husky and unstable.

“I’m fine,”
she said softly, her body shivering despite her assurances she was warm enough.

“Slide over here
, I can keep you warm,” I told her lifting my arm out of the way.

“I’m okay
, you need to focus on the road,” she stuttered.

I reached out my arm
, snaking around her and pulling her against my heated skin. She snuggled close despite her assurances she had been fine and after a few minutes her head fell to my chest and her soft even breathing alerted me she had fallen asleep. My fingers worked their way through the soft damp locks of her hair as I drove, the repetitive motion soothing my shaken nerves. She sighed and turned her head in closer to my chest, her chilled lips brushing my warm skin and I shivered in response. Without even trying, she was working her way into my life and into my heart. That was something I was simply not prepared for.

***
Aurora
***

The rumbling of the SUV engine turning off woke me instantly, but I was hesitant to move away from the warm body that held me close. Everything felt so right, like I was where I belonged, and I was loath to end it.

“Aurora,” Draco
said softly, lifting my chin with his hand so I was looking up at him.

It was not the clear vision I would have liked, but then he leaned closer and brushed my lips with his own and nothing else mattered. My heart skipped a beat and with my hand on his chest, I felt his heart respond to mine, but before I could question it, the kiss deepened, my mind became blank, and I was overtaken by desire. I could have stayed in his arms forever, happy and sated just by his kiss, but a blinding light had him pulling away quickly and I realized my father must have put the porch light on to let us know he was awake and waiting. He released me, and the driver’s side door opened. Within seconds, the door to my right opened and I felt his hands lifting me from the truck bed. Wrapped in the blanket it was hard to walk so he lifted me in his arms and carried me to the steps where he set me down carefully. His fingers brushed my cheek softly, caressing my chilled skin as we stood in silence. The light flickered again, letting us know my father was growing impatient, and his hand fell away.

“I’m sorry,” he said as the door opened and my father stepped out.

“Caught in the rain?” my father said shortly.

“Yes
, sir, but I wrapped Aurora in a blanket and hopefully she will have no lasting effects,” Draco said before facing me again. “, Aurora, I hope you sleep well, and good night to you too, sir.”

“Goodnight,”
my father said, his arm around my shoulders, helping me inside before I could formulate a response.

I stood just
inside the doorway, listening to the sound of the SUV as it pulled away, feeling empty inside. The kiss had been one of the best moments of my life and then he had crushed it all with those two little words. “I’m sorry,” he had said. Sorry for what? The kiss, the evening out, the way he made me feel when he held me in his arms, or just because it was me he had been holding. All the insecurities I had worked hard to forget from my past came rushing in. I found myself for the first time since I was six and a boy at school had told me I was a freak, ready to cry because I wasn’t good enough for someone the way I was.

The h
ousekeeper came and escorted me up the stairs and into a warm bath, where I sat pondering the night’s events with a weary soul. I had almost fooled myself into thinking he liked me, almost made myself believe that I had what it took to attract a guy who thought I was special and wanted to spend time with me. I was a fool, but for one night I would allow myself cry over him and then I would harden my heart and go on as if nothing had ever happened.

*****

Draco did not make an appearance throughout the rest of the weekend. I sat at home reading or sitting in the gardens, both easy places for him to find me, but he never came. Belynda called often and assured me that he was probably just busy, but I knew she was just being nice. When I asked Henry where he was on Monday morning as we drove to school, he just replied that the young master was away and that he was unsure when he would return. I didn’t recall Draco mentioning that he was going anywhere, but then again our relationship was not one where he would feel obliged to give me that kind of information. Ryan too brushed off Draco’s leaving as “ a trip he had planned long before you came to town,” which I might have believed if his words didn’t sound so phony. Nate had the same story and I began to think that maybe I was overreacting. After all how many guys would leave town just because they didn’t like a girl they took out on a date. Was it even a date? I mean he had offered to take me to the lake, but he didn’t really say it was date, just some friends meeting there. Put that way, I even I had to laugh at my own foolishness.

Ryan and Belynda realized I was anxious about Draco’s disappearance and they tried to fill the gap of Draco’s absence with their constant banter, but it wasn’t the same. Despite my resolve not to show concern for his absence I felt myself missing him more and more with every hour that passed. It amazed me how quickly he had wormed his way into my life and my heart. I missed his scent that always reminded me of being in the forest after a rainstorm. I longed for him to hold my hand and walk me down the hall even though I could now find my classes by myself. Most of all, I missed how good I felt when he was next to me, as if I was whole and could do anything.

By the end of the day, I had to admit forgetting him was not going to be easy. All I wanted was to get home and bury my head under the blankets and cry, but I could not allow that. To give in to my despair would be admitting I had fallen for him and if I did that, the sting of his rejection would be so much harder to bear.

“Hey, Aurora,” Soran said as I stood at my locker, gathering my books before heading out to the car.

“Hey
, Soran,” I answered turning in the direction of his voice, chastising myself for being so lost in my thoughts of Draco that I hadn’t sensed him near .

He took my hand in his and pulled me closer to him. I was thinking how odd it was that his touch did nothing for me. I really liked him and wanted so badly to feel something, anything, that would make me believe Draco wasn’t the only male who affected me so badly. Unfortunately, that just wasn’t the case.

“I was wondering if maybe you’d want to go to the movies Saturday,” he asked.

I was going
to say no, I just couldn’t deal with another guy while still agonizing over Draco, but I found myself agreeing instead. It was nice that he wanted to spend time with me and I realized I couldn’t hide at home my entire life waiting for something with Draco that was never going to happen. Besides, I already liked Soran as a friend and I knew we would have a good time together. “That sounds great, give me a call, and let me know what time to be ready.”

“I will,” he said
, rubbing his fingers over mine gently before letting go of my hand. “I have to go, the football team is waiting.”

“Okay
, I will see you tomorrow then,” I answered, smiling for the first time since Draco had apologized for kissing me Friday night. Suddenly I was excited about going out with someone who obviously wanted to be with me. That excitement faded quickly, though, when I heard Melinda’s acrid voice addressing Soran as he walked away.

“Really, Soran, you’re fishing from the same barrel as Draco?” Melinda sneered.

“Aurora is not a fish
, and Draco has made it clear he does not want her, so no harm, no foul. Besides, I like her. She’s sweet and nice, unlike some of the other females around here.”

“Yeah
, right, the only reason you are interested is because she’s Draco’s,” she replied, but the rest of their conversation was cut off by a group of rowdy teens who walked down the hall making it too difficult to hear anything else.

I turned towards my locker, placing my hand out to steady myself, shocked at the idea that Soran, who I had thought really liked me, only wanted to date me because he thought Draco was interested in me. He was going to be surprised when he found out that was not the case. At that moment I wished I could just crawl into my locker and close it, so I wouldn’t have to deal with anyone else.

“Hey
, sorry it took so long, but I’m ready to walk you to the car now,” Ryan said, coming to my side. I suppose my facial expression must have shown my feelings because he became concerned and grabbed my hand in his, squeezing gently. “Hey, are you alright?”

I closed my locker and straightened my shoulders
, vowing to myself that I was not going to let it defeat me. I would tell Soran the truth, that there was no Draco and me, and if he still wanted to go out with me after that, I was going to accept. I deserved a guy who wanted to be with me, not one who kept making apologies and running away when he couldn’t deal.

“Yeah
, I’m fine, just tired,” I told Ryan, unfolding my walking stick and counting the steps to the door that led to the outside.

“
You sure you’re okay?” Ryan asked again, as Henry took my arm.

“I’
m fine, thanks. See you tomorrow.” Henry helped me into the car and closed the door and I laid my head back against the seat trying not to think about Draco, but it was hard to get him out of my head…especially when all I could think about was the kiss we had shared.

*****

After almost a week of absence, Draco’s sudden appearance at school on Friday caught me by surprise. I was standing at my locker, gathering my books for class, when his scent alerted me he was nearby. I stood at my locker, my shoulders stiff, my heart beating wildly, as I waited with bated breath to see if he would even bother to speak to me and to my surprise I didn’t have to wait long.

“
Aurora, how are you?” he asked behind me, his smooth voice making my body tremble with anticipation.

“I’m good
. Did you have a nice vacation?” I asked, turning to face him, praying he didn’t see the nervous shaking of my hands.

I felt his hesitation and knew his next words would be a lie
. “Ah, yeah, it wasn’t really a vacation though; I needed to do some things for my dad. It was spur of the moment, I didn’t have time to tell anyone I was leaving.”

“Uh-huh.” His story was the exact opposite of everyone else’s which tended to happen when people told lies. “Well, I’m glad you made it back safely. If you’ll excuse me, I have to get to class.” I began the count to my class, ignoring him completely, but instead of taking the hint, he followed next to me.

“I
was hoping maybe we could talk. I have to work this afternoon, but I thought maybe I could take you out tomorrow night, if that’s okay.”

“I can’t
, I have a date tomorrow night.” I told him, immediately regretting my words when he grabbed my arm and halted my progress.

“A date?” h
e bellowed, his grip tightening on my arm. “I go away for a few days and you are dating other guys?”

I managed to remain calm despite the fact I wanted to hit him with my walking stick. “You left after apologizing for kissing me. What did you think I would do, stay around and wait to see how you felt about it a week later?” I resumed my count and made it to the classroom door, where he stepped in front of me causing me to run smack dab into his chest.

“I expected you
would wait until I came home and explained everything to you,” he growled.

“Like you explained the car ‘accident’ or the reason you have been gone all week?”

“What are you talking a
bout?” he asked sounding panicked.

Tears pricked my eyes and to my humiliation I realized the room had gone quiet and that everyone nearby was probably listening to us. “Please, don’t do this here. I can’t deal with this right now.”

“Mr. Pendragon
, you have been absent all week. It might be wise for you to get into your seat and catch up on everything you missed,” the teacher said interrupting our conversation.

“I need to talk to
you. Cancel your date,” he ordered, but before I could comment, another voice from behind me did.

“Sorry, I have already made reservations for dinner, maybe
next time,” Soran said placing his hand on my waist. “Is he bothering you?”

Draco let go of my hand and walking stick with a snarl. “I should have known you would take advantage of
my absence to try and take what is mine. Does she know the only reason you want to date her is to get to me?”

I gasped
, placing my hand to my mouth to smother back the sob that came to my throat.

“Unlike you
, I know when I see something I want, and I want to be with Aurora. Not because she’s important to you, but because she has become important to
me
,” Soran replied tightening his hold on my waist.

“Yeah
, I believe that,” Draco spat out angrily.

I cringed inwardly and before I could stop mysel
f, my hand snaked out and connected with Draco’s face. Everyone gasped collectively, but I couldn’t help it, I saw red at his at comment. It was bad enough he had humiliated me in private, but now he was broadcasting to the entire class that I was not worthy of anyone’s affection and that was the final blow. “Why can’t you believe that someone might be interested in me, Draco? Is it that hard to believe someone else might want me?”

“No I didn’t mean that
, it’s just…”

“Mr. Pendragon
! Please take your seat now or go to the principal’s office,” the teacher bellowed angrily.

“We can discuss this later,”
Draco said to me, taking my arm and pulling me away from Soran like I was a toy he didn’t want to share.

“Mr. Montague
, are you lost?” the teacher asked Soran.

“On my way to class,” he told her. “Aurora
, I’ll talk to you later, about our date,” he said, as Draco pulled me away and directed me to my seat, then left to take his own. I was far enough away he couldn’t talk to me, but close enough I could feel his eyes drilling into my back. I sensed the teacher ended the argument, but I had the feeling a battle line had been drawn and I could not help but feel like I was the unwilling prize.