Once Upon a Dragon Wish

Chapter Three

ELENA 

I couldn't get Blake out of my mind.

Thoughts about why he wanted to sit with me today in the cafeteria reeled in my mind. Did he really want a break?

I still felt horrible about forgetting my manners and only had a few words spared for him. It was a wonder that I eventually did find them.

My heart still raised when I saw his face behind closed eyelids. He had lashes that would make girls envy him. Everything about him was like a drug. You simply have to see him feel the effect.

My dad would seriously have a hissy fit if I tell him about Blake, and it was in times like these that I wish I had a friend to share it with.

Not that they would believe me.

I tried to carry on with my homework, but it was no use.

"Elena, dinner is ready," I heard Dad's voice calling from downstairs and I took a much-needed breath.

I wondered where Blake was staying. Was it close-by or somewhere the other direction of the school? Not that I know Falmouth at all.

I opened my door and skipped down the stairs.

I shouldn't be thinking about him as my father would just ask me why the smile on my face, and lying to him was useless. He always knew when I lied. Always had to be honest. That too was a mystery.

I reached the dining room area that was part of the kitchen and found my favorite on the table. Dad always made his French specialty when he wanted me to stop being angry at him. It was a chicken dish called Coq-au-Vin. Father was no chef, but he loved preparing food and all sorts of delicacies, and this was one of his masterpieces.

I sat down as he dished up the rice that was going with this dish and watched him put a helping of the chicken, vegetable dish on top of the rice before putting the plate in front of me.

He did the same with his plate and then he said thanks before we dug in.

"So, how was your day?"

"Good. Mrs. Finn wants to pull some strings."

My father froze.

"Relax, I told her."

My father's face fell. "What did you tell her exactly."

"That your job is of high-security level and that we won't be staying long. It would be something I'll look at after I graduate."

He nodded slowly. He had that look on his face again. He was contemplating something, but what that was, I had no idea. And then he sighed and I knew tonight wasn't that night to get whatever was on his chest out in the open.

But it didn't mean that I wasn't going to push. "Why do we only stay for three months?"

"Elena," he sighed and put down his fork. He rubbed his face hard. Something he never did before and my hopes reached a level higher.

He let his hands dropped back on the table and just stared at me lovingly. His lips slightly tugged in the corner of his mouth, but it didn't reach his eyes. His verticle dimples didn't show.

"You are not ready yet. I promise, soon, okay."

I knew it was inevitable to push this subject further and we carried on eating our dinner.

When was I going to be ready? At sixteen? One could hope.

BLAKE

Father just got off the phone.

"She didn't see it yet, has she?"

"No, be patient, Blake. You spoke to her today, that is a good thing."

I shook my head. If you could call that conversation. I was already bowled over about how similar we were. She loved art, had a huge tote bag with her that carried some drawing and I would give anything to see just how good she was, and she loved Wuthering Heights. It was one of my favorite books too, but I never let anyone in Paegeia knew that about me. I had a reputation to protect. I was the alpha dragon, pre-destined for evil. Reading soppy stories like Wuthering Heights or any book would hurt me badly. Not to mention the poems that I love to write.

My band was going to worry too about where I was. Not that we spoke on a regular basis anymore. That thing with Ty that led to a full-on fight and how Isaac had to shift into his eagle form to keep me off Ty was the nail in the coffin as some would say.

I rubbed my face hard and found my father's eyes on me again. I hardly touched my food.

"She looks just like him?" It barely came out.

"Like Albert?" My father asked and I nodded. 

"She had his fair hair, his green eyes, always searching for something."

A smile tugged at my father's lips, probably at a memory of his rider, and knew exactly what I was saying.

"What is she like?"

I chuckled. "Dad, I hardly spoke to her." I sighed. "I think she knows. She could feel it, her heartbeat was all over the place."

My father chuckled and my gaze snapped at him. "What?"

"Blake, it might not be the fact that you are a dragon, but how you look."

"No, she is different."

"Yes, and how do you know that, you said it yourself, you hardly spoke to her."

"I know. It's hard to explain. It is like knowing she was my rider the minute she walked in yesterday into the cafeteria. She didn't even spare me a glance."

"But her heartbeat was all over the place today?"

"Yes, like she was terrified."

"Or just aroused."

"Oh, stop it. I just told you it isn't like that."

"Blake, the humans this side is not that different from the humans in Paegeia. Sure, the humans back home are advanced. They have magic in their blood, but still the same creatures altogether. Our human forms are not in their league, son. We are much prettier than them."

I laughed. "So, you think her heart beat faster because she thinks I'm pretty?" I folded my arms.

"I'll bet you a hundred Paegolians that it is the only reason her heart fluttered wildly."

I shook my head and smiled.

"You need to  try harder tomorrow."

I knew that. "I don't want to push her away, Dad."

"We have less than three months, Blake. It would become more difficult if Jako leaves."

"We can follow?"

"True, but how do you think Elena would feel if she enrolls in a new school and you show up a few weeks later?"

I got what he was saying and this was going to f**k up my entire plan of playing it cool and making her crazy for me. I didn't think about the three-month mark at all.

My father's eyebrow raised slightly and my eye caught that. "What?"

"You are experiencing vulnerability. I never thought I would live to see this day, Blake."

"Oh c'mon." I hated to be teased and he laughed. I laughed with him. "I know it's not a good look on me. It's just I can't mess this up. She has to at least like me if I am going to Dent one day on her."

"It's not that it's not a good look on you, Blake. It's the fact that she is already becoming your weakness. And I'm afraid that the Rubicon already has too many enemies, son."

I nodded. He was right. I had a few enemies already and Samual was going to become one of them too. He might not hurt my sister and mother anymore, but he could hurt her.

I huffed. I already felt this undying need to protect her and I hardly spoke a few words to her. What was it going to be like once we became more than just acquaintances?