Dragon Keep Me

Chapter Nineteen

Natalie

“Oh my gods, please pick that one, Natalie,” Kat said. “And please let me be there to see his face when he sees you.”

I tried not to blush, but I did. Kat picked this one for me, and it was certainly something I would’ve never gone for myself.

I said, “I don’t know.”

“Seriously. You’re hot,” she continued, grinning.

I looked at myself in the mirror. I didn’t want to be conceited, but I’d never looked better. This fae blood wasn’t so bad, after all. Even with my stupid sunglasses on, I felt like I could go hop on the runway in Milan and no one would argue.

“It’s sure showing a lot of skin,” I said, turning and looking at the significant side-boob that was on prominent display.

“That’s, like, the point,” Kat answered.

She was munching on nachos in a high-end dress shop, and I thought they wouldn’t allow it. I was in serious fear for the spotless white couch she sat on. It hadn’t taken me long to figure out that if you were with Eris, you got to do whatever you wanted. She was treated like a queen. I mean, people actually bowed and stuff. She was perfect for it. Quiet and regal. Her people really respected her, that I could tell.

If Eris was the Queen, Enid, who I had learned was her sister, was some kind of goddess.

People moved away from her. They didn’t look at her, like they feared she might smite them if they did. I understood it, though. Even as a baby witch, I didn’t need to focus on her to see her aura. It was enormous. It was bright white like fresh snow and incredibly stifling. I had the feeling she could kill everyone in this room with the twitch of her hand, but she was so pure, I doubted she would ever hurt anyone unless she had to. She had the most alluring, albeit disturbing, green eyes I’d ever seen, and her hair was white. Enid was ethereal to look at, and intimidating to stand next to. She had a really cute cat, though. I always liked cats. Cliché witchery, I supposed.

“What do you think?” I asked Enid.

A smile curled her lips. “I think it would certainly be Cass approved.”

“I’m sure it would,” I chuckled, but nearly choked when I looked at the price. “Oh my God!” I glanced around the shop, suddenly nervous to be wearing it.

“Don’t look at the price tag,” Kat complained. “It’s fine!”

“It really is fine,” Eris said. “Gideon assures me that Cass has plenty of money, and that he hardly spends any of it.”

I sighed. He deserved it after what he did to me earlier, anyway. I was concerned about the game, though. This dress had a lot of places for his wicked hands to roam. Yes, please, a traitorous part of me sang.

“Okay,” I said, taking a deep breath and looking at myself again. “I’ll get this one.”

Later, in my room, Kat helped me put on the hundreds of dollars of makeup she’d insisted on buying me.

“Before we start, Cass had these sent up.”

She handed me a contact case with a note attached.

In case you don’t want to wear the glasses. You can if you want to. You really make them look amazing.

It was signed, Mr. Dragon.

Kat was trying to peek over my shoulder at the note, but I hid it from her, blushing.

“Well, pop those suckers in so we can get started!” Kat mumbled, ripping at the palette of eyeshadow with her teeth.

I sat on the couch while Kat worked on my makeup for what felt like forever.

“Nothing on the lips, though,” Eris said, glancing over the top of her book.

Kat giggled. “I didn’t even buy anything for her lips.”

I was the only one who apparently didn’t get it, and asked, “Why not?”

“Because you’re probably going to be making out the entire time,” Eris teased, snickering.

My eyes widened, and my face heated again. I wasn’t surprised Kat might think that, but Eris? I glanced at Enid, who was also grinning. Even the cat looked amused at my expense.

“Don’t be embarrassed!” Kat said. “We’ve all been there.”

“You’re still there, Katarina. Every day,” Eris deadpanned, and Kat grinned, shrugging.

People were much more open about s*x and affection here than in the human world. I mean, the amount of PDA in this pack house alone. I was still trying to get used to it.

Kat said, “Besides, your lips are so dark already it’s not like I could add color.”

My lips had darkened to a deep mauve color when the curse lifted. I kind of had a permanent gothic style going on between them and my black irises.

“With that said, I think we’re done. What do you think?” Kat asked, giving me a mirror.

I looked at myself and smirked. He really didn’t know what he was in for. I was giving it all I had tonight. Cass, the seducer, was going to know how it felt to be teased.

“Ooh, I like that attitude,” Kat said. “Maybe you really are the woman to handle Cass.”

“He told me to meet him at eight, but I don’t know where,” I said, glancing at the clock. It was already five past. Good, make him wait.

“He’s probably in the garage,” Eris said.

“Okay. I better go. Thank you, ladies, for all of your help today.”

“Thank you for bringing Cass’ Amex,” Kat joked, winking. “Good luck.”

I stepped out into the hall and turned towards the elevator, surprised to find he was there waiting for me.

I asked, “Missed me that much?”

Keep it cool, Natalie. In control. Every feminine part of my body practically sang at the sight of him. He cleaned up nicely; I had to give him that. He wore a perfectly tailored three-piece suit in black with a black tie. For the first time since I’d met him, he was wearing shoes. I had to remember to ask him about that.

“You’re late,” he answered, tapping his watch. His eyes raked over my body, and unlike me, he didn’t try to hide his feelings, adding, “It’s naughty to be late, and naughty girls get spankings.”

Cass

It’s a bit of a shock to the system when you’ve only seen a woman in a t-shirt and leggings and then they appear like some master seductress in a flimsy black dress. She smiled, and she knew exactly what kind of effect she was having on me. I tried to remember if any woman had ever looked at me like that, and I was sure they hadn’t. It was usually the other way around.

I wasn’t a fashion aficionado by any means, but I knew this was called a halter top. The neckline plunged, and I mean plunged, in a deep V all the way to her belly button. It was basically two triangles of black sequined fabric that barely covered her breasts and a long skirt with two big slits up the thighs.

The dress screamed at me. It begged me to touch every inch of those soft, delicious curves. It might as well be a neon sign saying, “HANDS HERE.” She knew it, too.

Her hair was left to its natural curl. The glossy spirals framed the most exquisite face I’d ever known that now wore makeup for the first time since I’d met her. Natalie sauntered to me, gliding with a confidence that made me smirk. She was determined to drive me mad.

“That’s a lovely dress,” I complimented, running my finger down the valley between her breasts until I reached the bottom of the V.

Her skin jumped, reacting to the touch, and my heart beat faster. I watched her as she tried to remain unaffected, but I caught the sparkles of excitement that flashed in her eyes. I shifted on my feet, trying to be subtle and adjust the raging stiffness that had taken over my pants. Natalie noticed and grinned at me, a small gleam of victory in her eyes. She put her hands on my chest and ran them up to the knot of my tie, adjusting it as she stepped closer to me.

“You look nice in a suit,” she said, “and I noticed you put on shoes.”

I shrugged. It actually was a pretty big deal for me to put on shoes for someone.

“You usually don’t wear them.”

“I don’t wear underwear either, in case you’re wondering.”

I was hoping to get a rise out of her, but she only smiled softly and looked up at me, unabashedly answering, “Hmm. Neither do I.”

My eyes widened, and she smiled again. How many men had fallen victim to that siren’s grin?

“You’re mad because I didn’t help you finish earlier? That’s why you’re tempting me so cruelly?” I asked, my voice rasping.

She hiked her shoulder in a small shrug and looked back at my tie, adjusting it just a moment longer and then letting it go.

“I don’t need your help with those kinds of things,” she whispered as she smoothed the front of my shirt. Natalie leaned up like she was going to kiss me, and I bent excitedly to meet her. Her delicious mouth stopped just at my lips, and she breathed onto them, “I can take care of myself.”

Images of her splayed out on a bed and pleasuring herself filled my mind. I tried to push to her and find the kiss, but she sashayed around me and called the elevator.

The doors opened, and Natalie boarded and then looked at me expectantly. I caught sight of a small tattoo on her right shoulder. There were three birds, but I couldn’t see the whole thing as she turned away.

She used her business woman tone with me, clasping her hands at her waist. “Aren’t we going to be late, Mr. Dragon?”

“You…” I sucked air through my teeth and followed.

We made it to the restaurant somehow without me stopping the car and ravaging this temptress that had taken over Natalie’s body. Emboldened, it seemed, by a little black dress. We weren’t driving the Judge, and I was sure Finn would never leave the keys in it again.

I’d called for a reservation and the maître d’ led us through the crowded floor to a private table. Men stared, some gaped, mouths ajar. I smirked. The other guys, Gideon, Finn, and Leo, wouldn’t like it. They didn’t like other men looking at their women. I didn’t care. Let them look. She was here with one person tonight, and that was me.

We were seated at an executive booth; the bench was C shaped, and I pushed around so I was sitting as close to her as possible. She ordered from the wine list and I ordered water. I figured I better avoid supernatural drinks for now. I didn’t think my human liver would survive.

“People sure stare around here,” she said, glancing around the restaurant.

My brows lifted. “Have you seen yourself?” She blushed, and I added, “The shifter packs are exclusive. Everyone here is a shifter. We’re allowed in as a courtesy extended from the alpha, but, for the most part, outsiders don’t come here. You might be the first dark elf most of these people have seen, unless they’re a warrior and fought in the war.”

“Did you fight in the war?”

“Yes, I did. I got squashed by a much larger dragon.”

“Are you a little dragon?”

“I am a young dragon,” I said, and smirked. “I can promise you nothing about me is small.”

“Your hubris certainly isn’t.”

“Certainly not,” I said, and waited for the server to pour her wine. “Tell me about yourself, Natalie.”

She shrugged. “Not much to tell. I’m from Seattle. I work a nine-to-fiver as a production manager, and my only companion is a dying philodendron on my dining room table that never gets used.”

Unable to stop myself, I asked. “So, this Kellen doesn’t keep you company?”

She looked confused. “Kellen? How did you…?”

“That day in Gideon’s office, you yelled his name as if he was pranking you.”

Understanding dawned, and a coy smile turned her lips. “What, are you jealous? Do you think he’s my lover?”

“Crux wanted to kill him,” I answered, not willing to admit that I was also alright with killing him.

“Well, don’t worry. Kellen is my boss. I might still take you up on that offer to kill, though,” she joked.

Her boss. Good.

“And what do you do, Cass? Besides bed fair maidens and then never call them back?”

“It’s more like bed fair maidens and they never had my number in the first place,” I admitted.

She rolled her eyes and took a sip of her wine. Hey eyes widened, and she took another heftier drink, and grinned.

“I don’t know what I do,” I said, frowning. “I live alone in my tower and watch Netflix and try to cook the things they do on their little cooking shows. Before you arrived, I was trying to find Morga and kill her. But I guess she got me first.”

She frowned. “Well, I guess we’re just a couple of lonely losers.”

I nodded. “Natalie, you mentioned you have parents, but you haven’t asked to contact them once. Why not?”

“Well, unless you get a Ouija board, it’s going to be difficult,” she joked, trying to mask the sadness that pulled at her features. “They died in a car wreck seven years ago.”

“I’m sorry. It’s difficult to lose your mother.”

She looked curiously at me. “Just your mother?”

We were baring it all, it seemed. I sighed. “I’m only half dragon. My mother was a human. My father was a dragon. She and I were servants in his manor. He was merciless. It made no difference that I was his son. In fact, it made it worse. My mother tried to kill him and failed. He murdered her, very brutally, in front of me. When the witches locked me down there with him, he would taunt me with it. Talked to me about how she screamed my name while she burned.” I looked around the restaurant, keeping myself in the present instead of falling into those memories. “I’m sure I was driven to insanity for decades in that dungeon with him and the others.”

Natalie was gaping at me. “My God, Cass! That’s terrible! I’m so, so, sorry.”

I shrugged. “It was a long time ago. And hardness breeds strength. I couldn’t save my mother. And I couldn’t save Elizabeth. It made me determined to be strong. To be a protector. And I was—for a while, anyway. I didn’t expect to ever be weak again, but here I am, just a human.”

“We’ll get your dragon back, Cass. No matter what.”

I nodded, not really believing.

“Well, that’s enough of a trip down memory lane for me for one evening,” I said, forcing a smile. “I’m not a fan of the past.”

The server arrived, thankfully, and we ordered.

“So where are we going after this?” she asked.

“A play.”

“Really?”

“Yes, The Tempest. Have you seen it?”

She shook her head.

“It’s Shakespeare.”

“So it’s a tragedy?” she asked.

“No, it’s actually one of his more romantic and humorous plays.”

“You’re taking me to a rom-com?”

I grinned. “I suppose so, in a very classy way.”

The rest of the dinner was light chit-chat. Natalie was, of course, very curious about the realm and about the relationships between the wolves. I did my best to answer her questions and steer the conversation away from my tragic existence.