Cadmium Dragon Read online

  “I just need some time,” she said. “I mean, it’s been a wonderful weekend, and I really like you and your friends. But I can’t… I need time to adjust to it .”

  “So you’re leaving?” he asked, folding his arms and looking obstinate. “But you can’t . We — ”

  “Look, I understand that you’re all dragons and presumably have your reasons to be out here, but I’m a human. A delivery driver. I have a job out there, and no matter how sexy you are, I can’t just pretend that this is my life, too. No matter how welcoming you all are .”

  The look he sent her was very lonely, and she felt regret wave through her .

  “Cadmium, it isn’t over. I just need some time to adjust .”

  “Fine,” he said, though he still seemed irritated. He gave a little shrug. “I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. That doesn’t mean I’m going to give up .”

  That made her smile slightly. “Okay. Now how about that coffee ?”

  His expression lightened slightly, and he nodded and left through the door, shutting it behind him. She flopped back on the bed and let out a long, slow breath, just as her phone began to buzz .

  The sound made her jump, and she grabbed it and swiped it open to make it stop .

  It was a text. Maybe Jan was back from her vacation. Casey had told her to let her know when she returned .

  But it wasn’t Jan, and when she saw the text, she immediately knew it was from her ex, Benny. A chill ran up her spine and she felt the ground opening up as if to bury her .

  N ice house you’ve got. Not as nice as what we had, but then, what could be ?

  S he flinched. Nothing had been good with Benny. Nothing at all. She’d rather live in a sewer than in a palace with him .

  She continued to read the text .

  W here have you been all weekend? I was disappointed to see you don’t have any pictures of us in your new place. After everything I did for you. Anyway, hopefully, I’ll see you soon .

  S hit. He’d found her. He’d gotten her number somehow, but he could have gotten it from a family member. But her address. How had he gotten it so fast? Was there some sort of stalker listing service ?

  She felt herself shaking all over and tried to stay calm. She couldn’t let him control her. She had a life here in New York, and she was enjoying her job. And she had new friends now, though she was still figuring out her place with them .

  And she had Cadmium, and whatever was going on between them, she knew he would have her back .

  She trusted him for at least that .

  At that moment, the door swung open, and Cadmium walked in holding two steaming mugs of coffee, looking adorable in the thin tee he’d put on that outlined his muscles and a low-slung pair of pajama pants that showed hints of skin at his hips .

  The second he saw her expression, he set the coffee on the dresser with a clink and ran over to her, bouncing onto the bed and gathering her into his arms .

  He pressed her head to his shoulder and stroked her back, and she felt his unbelievably calming presence slow her racing heart .

  “What is it? You look like you’ve seen a ghost .”

  “Not a ghost,” she said. “Just a dirt bag .”

  “Dirt bag?” he asked, sitting back so he could study her. “What do you mean ?”

  She looked at her phone, which was still limply held in one hand. “Got a text from my ex .”

  “He has your number?” Cadmium asked, glaring at her phone. “I don’t like that .”

  “Um, you don’t control me,” she said. Then she shook her head. She was just reacting to memories of Benny and how he’d scared her, backed her into corners with his controlling, stalking behavior. She shouldn’t take that out on Cadmium .

  “I know,” Cadmium said, his voice gentle as he held both her hands in his. “Tell me about him .”

  “He’s just my ex-boyfriend and a huge creep .”

  “What did he do?” There was tightly restrained anger in Cadmium’s voice, and she sort of appreciated it .

  “Nothing too serious, at least not yet,” she said, enjoying the warmth of Cadmium’s hands. “But it’s just how controlling he was, how he inserted himself into every part of my life. He was… obsessed. And on top of that, he didn’t even treat me well. I found out he was cheating and finally got the guts to break up with him, but even after that, he wouldn’t give up on me .”

  “I see,” Cadmium said, listening patiently .

  “He talked to everyone in my life, winning them to his side, telling them how much he regretted it, how much he loved me. Some of them believed him. He was just that charming .”

  “They weren’t very good friends if they believed him .”

  “Then I guess don’t have many good friends,” she said. “Anyway, I believed him too at first, so I can’t blame them .”

  “Yes, but after he hurt you, they should have known better,” Cadmium said. “So what did his text say ?”

  She could feel her hands shaking and was glad Cadmium didn’t say anything about it. “He knows where I live now. He went by my house. And I know I haven’t told anyone except my best friend where I live .”

  “Could she have told him ?”

  “No,” Casey said. “She has never liked him. I’m confident it wasn’t her. It must have been county records or something.” She clenched the phone in her hand, which was still inside Cadmium’s. “I don’t know how he got my number, though. This is the third time I’ve changed it. And why is he being so persistent if he’s just going to treat me like trash ?”

  Cadmium took the phone from her and set it aside, then raised her hands to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss to them. “You’re a treasure, Casey. Any man who gets a chance with you wouldn’t want to let you go. Whether they deserve you or not .”

  She blinked at him, wondering what he meant by that. He was such a mystery to her, though he made all attempts to be open. “I still don’t understand so much of your world .”

  “It takes time,” he said. “Which you’ll now have, since you’re obviously going to be staying here with me until the ex thing sorts itself out. I’ll go after him if I have to .”

  She pulled back. “No, Cadmium. I have to go back to my life. I have to get my head clear if I’m really going to understand what we have .”

  He frowned. “No. You can’t go back there with him out there .”

  “I won’t. I’ll go stay with Jan. That’s my friend. I want her to pick me up anyway, and she should be back from visiting her parents .”

  “And she can keep you safe ?”

  Casey shook her head. “Benny just wants to scare me. I don’t think he’d actually do anything. I mean… I can’t just let him run me out of my life .”

  “But what about a new life? Starting with me, living with dragons .”

  She lifted her eyes to his, and despite the warmth sparkling there, she knew what he was suggesting just wasn’t that easy. “Cadmium… it’s not that simple .”

  “Yes, it is,” he said. “I want you. You’d be happy here. We could mate , and — ”

  “Mate, like Brittany and Lead ?”

  “Yes,” he said .

  “You barely know me,” she said .

  “I saw you every day on your delivery shift,” he said. “So that means we’ve known each other a little while .”

  “It’s just… Look. There is a lot going on for me. I just need a moment to clear my head .”

  “No,” he said. “I can’t let you go. Not with him out there .”

  She straightened slightly. “Cadmium, that isn’t for you to decide .”

  His jaw ticked. “I want it to be. Why would you go put yourself in danger when you could stay here with us and be safe ?”

  “Because I live in the real world!” she said, exasperated, as she got off the bed and walked to the coffee. She took a bracing sip. “I have a job. I’m a normal human. I’m not a dragon or super-humanly beautiful or anything like that .”

  He wal
ked over to her, cocking his head and eyeing her like an animal who might try to run .

  But she didn’t. She didn’t see why she would ever run from him, but at the same time, she couldn’t let him control her life .

  “Don’t leave,” he said, putting a hand on her arm. “Stay here. It’ll work out. I promise .”

  She reached up on tiptoes and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll be back to visit. I promise. I’ll stay with Jan for a bit until I find a new place, and I’ll see you on my route. We can take it slow, keep figuring out where this is going. I mean, it’s a lot to take in .”

  He let out a sigh and released her arm. “I guess there’s nothing I can say to convince you .”

  “No,” she said. “I have to do this on my own .”

  “You aren’t alone anymore, Casey,” he said. “You have a good partner now, if you want one .”

  “You’re amazing, Cadmium. But you’re a dragon and I’m a human, and I need more than a weekend to know that this would work .”

  Cadmium bit down on his lip in a way that looked painful. “That’s funny,” he said. “Because I never needed a weekend at all.” Then he left the room, irritated, and she couldn’t blame him .

  But he was the one who’d known what was going on the whole time. He’d already understood the differences between them and the difficulties. She only just found out and now had Benny to contend with. It was all a little too much for her brain to take in .

  She sipped her coffee and leaned against the bedroom door, closing her eyes and releasing a bracing breath .

  Then she walked over to pick up her phone and call the tow truck .

  Chapter 13

  I t turned out that the tow truck had been able to come at noon, but Jan had said she wouldn’t be coming home from her parents’ until that afternoon, so Casey had to spend most of the day in the mansion, trying not to let things be too awkward between her and Cadmium .

  No matter what happened, she would never forget this magical weekend and the special moments between them. Maybe they would even find a way to make this work after things calmed down .

  Every time he came over to her, pressed a kiss to her forehead when no other dragons were looking, squeezed her hand, knowing it would make her smile, a part of her knew she would never be able to live without him .

  But another part knew that a life like this would be difficult, scary, so far from the life script that most humans could never imagine it .

  She really liked Cadmium, maybe even more than liked him, so why did things have to be so complicated? Why did he have to be a dragon—or whatever he really was ?

  It was a little odd being around the others, knowing what she did now. Were they all the same type of dragon? What did being dragons have to do with their odd names ?

  Cadmium hadn’t mentioned anything more about it, probably because he sensed her discomfort with all of it and didn’t want to overwhelm her further .

  She appreciated that. As much as she wanted to know more about this world at some point, she couldn’t take it now. Not when her mind was already on edge from Benny’s texts .

  “Damn,” Arsenic said, interrupting her thoughts with a metallic clang as he threw something into the garbage can. “I broke another garlic press .”

  Chromium laughed but stifled it at Arsenic’s glare .

  “Can you go see if Cadmium ordered another one like I asked him to?” Arsenic said. “Chromium is busy watching the pot, and I need to get out more garlic .”

  Cadmium had disappeared, presumably to see Lead or someone, so she nodded. “Sure. Where should I check ?”

  “Probably in the room where he keeps his packages,” Arsenic said .

  Chromium walked to the edge of the kitchen and pointed to a hallway. “First door on the right .”

  “I’m pretty sure he ordered one,” Arsenic muttered. “Though, who knows with that guy? Always ordering things helter-skelter .”

  “All right,” Casey said, glad for something to do. “I’ll go check .”

  All day, thoughts of naughty moments between her and Cadmium had been flooding her head, as if her heart were trying to tempt her to ignore all common sense and just stay in this fantasy world with her hottie .

  But she’d rushed into things before, and it had never gone well. Like when she’d been swept up with Benny .

  She walked to the hallway Chromium had pointed to and found the door he meant. She tested the doorknob and found it unlocked, so she walked into the room .

  It was dark, and she could make out shapes stacked almost to the ceiling, though it wasn’t a small room .

  She flicked on the light, and her heart felt like it stopped for a second as she took in the scene .

  So many packages .

  She walked forward, wondering how she would ever be able to find such a small thing as a garlic press in this room. And who would order this many packages and not even open them ?

  She walked among the stacks of boxes, squeezing her way through the piles until she got to the front of a room, where there was a desk and a small window. The top of the desk was covered with notes and a clipboard .

  Her heart began to run like a racehorse as she sat on the stool in front of the desk and began to read .

  She picked up the clipboard first, where notes were scribbled with little stars and highlights. Her name caught her eyes, and her jaw dropped as she took everything in .

  D elivery lady .

  Name: Casey

  Body: Perfect

  Eyes : Yes

  Mate : Yes ?

  T hen there were a bunch of weird notes with little hearts drawn on the page. Things like, “Cadmium + Casey = forever love,” or, “Property of the Cadmium Dragon,” or perhaps most ominous, “How to make a human belong to you.” Beneath that one was a list of carefully set out steps .

  1. Order lots of packages. Doesn’t matter what, just an excuse to get familiar .

  2. Figure out a way to get her to come into the mansion .

  3. Seduce her thoroughly. Win her over with charm .

  4. Never let her leave .

  The little heart by the fourth step only served to really creep her out and send her heart reeling like a boulder released down a steep, bumpy road .

  Her mind spun as she took a step back, knocking over a stack of boxes and falling over them, scrabbling to push herself back up .

  So many boxes, all part of this plan to trap her, to win her over. Before he’d even known her at all .

  She wanted to be out of this room, out of this house, as all kinds of terrible possibilities ran through her head .

  Her mind was saying a lot of things about Cadmium, and none of them was good .

  Stalker. Psycho .

  She grabbed her phone and dialed Jan’s number, hoping she wasn’t too nervous to talk .

  “Hello?” Jan asked, sounding surprised .

  “Jan? I need you to come. Now,” Casey said. “Please .”

  “Of course,” Jan said, sounding flummoxed. “I can leave now. I just…” There was silence for a second. “I’ll be there as soon as I can. Is everything okay? I would have left sooner if I knew you were in trouble .”

  “I’m fine,” Casey said, not meaning to sound as terse as she did. “I’ll tell you later. Here, I’m going to hang up so I can text you the address .”

  “Great,” Jan said .

  Then Casey hung up and did as she said, hoping Jan would be there before too long .

  She still couldn’t believe what was happening .

  Had he sabotaged her van? The note said to find a way to get her to stay in the mansion. And why had he been stalking her like that? What was his purpose? And if he’d been tricking her like this, trying to get her under his thumb, what made him different from Benny ?

  What was it about her that drew in the crazies and made them want to control her ?

  She stumbled out of the room, never wanting to see a package again, her heart breaking. Whatever she’d been
feeling for him, it clearly wasn’t the same on his side .

  Because whatever sick trick he was pulling, he’d been doing it from almost the first time he’d seen her face. No one fell in love like that, but someone could definitely get obsessed that quickly .

  Benny had taught her that .

  She felt like her heart was crumbling and falling into a canyon inside her. She’d thought she’d found somewhere safe, and now she knew she’d only run back into the same damn situation .

  She should have known. Cadmium was too good. Too handsome, too kind, too sweet .

  Too trying to trap her .

  Still, she had to act normal. That much she knew. She smoothed her clothing and brushed any bits of cardboard off of her as she left the room .

  She walked back to the kitchen, hoping if she acted calm, she would begin to feel calm as well .

  Arsenic raised an eyebrow at her. “Well, did you find it?” His brows pulled together. “Wait, are you okay? Did something happen ?”

  He took a step forward, but before he could reach her, she backed up and ran from the kitchen, feeling she’d break if she had to talk about it .

  She hadn’t expected Arsenic to be so perceptive. As she fled the kitchen, she was caught in strong arms and looked up to see Cadmium .

  Dammit, why did her heart have to leap when she saw him, even when she knew he was a treacherous snake ?

  How much of all of this had been a trap? The hot cocoa, the night on the roof, the gentleness and care. What was his game plan? What reason did a dragon have for wanting to trap a random human? Did he just think she was perfectly gullible, that she’d easily fall into his trap ?

  Well, he was right. Even now, she’d be finding it hard to leave him and wanting to come back as soon as possible if she hadn’t discovered the truth .

  Whatever the truth was. Still, she wasn’t sure she could bear to ask him. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know the answer .

  “What’s wrong?” Cadmium asked, pulling her away from the kitchen and into the hallway by the room where everything had come to light. “You look ill.” He put a hand to her head. “You aren’t feeling well? You definitely shouldn’t leave — ”