The Dragon King and His Human Mate

11. Cordelia

Anastasia

I hesitated entering when I was in front of the wooden door of Vladimir's house. I didn't know why, but suddenly I felt like I was invading someone's privacy. He had told me to go and get the wolf's fur myself, yet I felt like I didn't belong there. Which was stupid, considering that no one belonged there. Maybe not even Vladimir, who could shift in his human form only once in twenty-four hours.

I pushed the door open and looked around, surprised at what I was seeing. The place was small, but really nice. Entirely made in wooden and stone, it gave me a warm feeling. There was a fireplace, a circular wooden table in the middle and even couches made of wild animal furs. I liked it.

My eyes fell on the wolf's dark grey fur above the couch. It was really soft and relaxing. I knew he had cleaned it and somehow made it wearable. I couldn't call it a dress, but it could at least keep me warm and cozy.

Immediately I froze when I saw a portrait hanged on the wooden wall. It was... a girl. Curly dark hair, beautiful blue eyes. She was pretty. Actually, really really pretty. I knew I wasn't ugly, but only looking at her it could make you feel suddenly insecure about your appearance. She had something unique about her face, but I couldn't put my finger into it.

I took the portrait in my hands to study it closely, and realized the paints might've been made of fruits or plants. I had no idea how to paint, but Vladimir sure was talented at it.

When I got out with the painting of the girl in my hands, I stiffened, my senses on high alert. My heart immediately started hovering over my chest, and I felt like I forgot what breathing was when my eyes fell on some lizard-like big blue ones.

The big dragon was right in front of me, flying only one meter above the ground. There was something about him... something wild. Something I hadn't seen even when I first got here and thought that he was going to turn me into a pile of ashes.

Vladimir's dragon growled so loudly that I shut close my eyes and prayed that he wouldn't breathe fire into me.

What had gotten into him so soddenly? What had I done?

When I gathered the strength to open my eyes, his reptile eyes where directed on the portrait on my hand, his big scary teeth out in the open. He growled once again and threw daggers into me with his eyes only. Suddenly, I was scared of him. Suddenly I almost forgot he was the man that put a lotus on my hair just some hours ago.

I stared at him, like really stared. I knew he could tell how much it hurt me, and I wanted him to. I wanted him to realize it meant something to me. All of this. Whatever it was.

Then I walked inside the house and hanged the portrait on the wall, where it first belonged. Now I knew why it didn't feel like home at first; she was his mate, the witch woman. The one he had killed. And after more than a century, he still had her portrait hanged on his wall.

The Dragon was still there when I got outside. He kept staring at my every move, and suddenly, I felt like I wanted to shout at him, hit him. Get all my anger out.

I didn't even know why I was angry... and hurt, but my heart ached all of the sudden. Why should I be hurt? It's not like I was his mate. I was nothing to him, that was clear by now. Why couldn't I just accept this fact and move on with my life? Do something to get out of here? Why did my all being want to be near him, mean something to him?

Suddenly, I remembered I had read about this on a book; I knew about this syndrome. It was one of those cases when the hostage thought she was in love with her kidnapper. But those aren't real feelings.

Well, Vladimir wasn't really my kidnapper, but it was probably something like that, right? This could explain everything. I didn't have real feelings for him. I couldn't. I barely knew the man. Dragon. It didn't matter.

"Happy now?" I was on the verge of tears but sure as hell I wouldn't let him see that. I had belittled myself in front of him enough already. "Your mate's portrait is all safe and sound inside. You can smile now." I grinned at him bitterly, walking away from there, however, a part of me wanted the Dragon to stop me. Do something, anything. Growl for me to stop. Show that he was sorry.

But nothing like that happened. He just let me walk by, once again making me realize how little I really meant to him.

*******  

Vladimir  

I stepped into the cave as fast as I shifted into my human form. I inhaled deeply. I had waited for this for many hours, I couldn't ruin everything right now. I had to make this right.

My eyes fell on her... Anastasia.

How could she be this breathtakingly beautiful? How could she make me want her this much only by standing right there, sat down by the fire. It was unfair, how she played with my body. How much my dragon wanted to claim her his. When she wasn't his to begin with.

By the way her body stiffened, I realized she must've already felt my presence. Yet she didn't look at me. She kept looking at the flames like they were the most interesting thing to look at. Like I wasn't there, naked in front of her.

"Go away, Vladimir," she told me, still not looking at me. Was it her way to punish me? 'Cause sure as hell it was driving me already insane.

"Anastasia..."

"Go away," she repeated firmly.

"Can we talk?" I tried my best to stay calm. It wouldn't do good to get angry at her right now.

"I have nothing to say to you." Her eyes kept avoiding me as she spoke, cold and determined to push me away.

"Look at me," I almost ordered, yet my voice held a little bit of pleading on it. Why couldn't she just look at me, damn it?

"And why should I?" Her voice held her well-known irony in it. "I'm Princess, you know, I'm not used to taking orders. Not from a dragon, anyway."

My jaw clenched tightly. She sure liked playing with fire. But I had no time, nor the will to play. Not today.

In only two steps, I was in front of her. I grabbed her wrist and easily lifted her upwards, and her eyes finally met with mines in the process. I thought it would affect her, but somehow she looked deadly serious. Cold even.

"I said, I wanna talk to you," I said every word in a low, deep voice.

"Well, I said I don't." She now looked in my eyes as she spoke. As if she wanted to prove I had no effect over her body. "Why don't you go find someone else to talk to? Oh, sorry, almost forgot there's no one you can talk to. How bad." I knew she was feisty, however, I didn't know it could turn me on this much.

"Anastasia," I threatened. "Stop playing with my nerves."

"Why? What will you do if I keep playing with your nerves?" She raised her brows defiantly.

"If you only listen to me—"

"Listen what?" she cut me off, her voice raising.

I sighed deeply. "She's my mate," I whispered this time, looking away from her.

"I figured that much, thanks," she tried keeping it together, keeping the sarcasm, however, this time it did sound like it affected her.

"Anastasia."

"I was just looking at the portrait, Vladimir." Suddenly, she looked hurt as she studied my face for answers and explanations in there. "I trusted you. I've been raised all of my life to think that you're that one evil thing in this world, yet I chose to trust you just like that. And now you act like I had committed the biggest crime in the world."

"Anastasia—"

"No. Just get out of here," she snapped. "It's not like I care anyway. I'll soon find a way out of here and forget I've ever met you in my life—"

"You don't mean that!" I cut her off. Somehow, that thought only bothered me more than I was willing to admit.

"Oh, I sure do," she pressed. "It's not like I'll spend the rest of my life here, you know. And it's not like it even matters to you if I go or stay."

"Stop it!"

"Why? Will you go all mad and growly at me? Do you really think I'm scared of yo—" I didn't let her finish. I slipped my arm around her waist and flushed her into my body, crashing my lips into her in the process. She gasped, shocked, and I took advantage by slipping my tongue in her mouth and savoring her all.

Oh, she tasted even better than I had first thought. She tasted f*****g divine, I couldn't get all of her. I wanted more. Much more.

Suddenly, Anastasia started hitting my chest with her fists while trying to get away from my firm arms around her slim body. "What the hell, Vladimir?! What do you think you're doing?" she demanded. "Let go of me, I hat—" Her mouth was covered by mine one last time. The kiss was punishing this time, demanding, possessive.

She seemed to still try to push me away, even though I knew she was so ready to give up. Her body was responding to mine in a way that drove me f*****g insane.

I took her lower lip between mines and sucked hard. It seemed that made her control snap, finally, and she wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me back wildly. She moaned softly on my mouth when I pressed my body on her even more and she felt my bare length. I knew I was hard. So f*****g hard.

"Oh Vladimir," she moaned when I moved my lips in her neck and sucked there hard, while grabbing her butt in my palms.

I needed her. I needed to f**k her right there in that cave until she'd forget her own name. Until she'd never think of going away and leaving me here. Without her.

However, my thoughts were suddenly invaded by Cordelia's pretty face. Her curly hair and her dark blue eyes.

I pushed Anastasia away. Hard.

This was wrong. This was all too wrong.

I was betraying Cordelia. My mate. She was the only one I would ever want. I wouldn't betray her memory.

No. This was all wrong. I couldn't want Anastasia. I couldn't feel about her. This was wrong.

However, the look in Anastasia's face broke my heart. She looked betrayed, hurt.

I hadn't known her for long, but I already knew how stubborn and proud she could be. I knew that she wouldn't cry in front of me.

"Anastasia—"

"Don't touch me!" She took a step back when I tried to approach her, raising her palm to stop me from making another step. "I won't ever let you touch me again. From now on, you'll stay away from me, Vladimir."