Cadmium Dragon Read online

  She shoved away from him, eyes on fire. “Right. You’d like that, wouldn’t you? Any excuse ?”

  He drew back . “What ?”

  “I saw your room,” she spat, unable to hold it in. She’d never been good at keeping secrets, and seeing him trying to act all normal, keeping up the charm, had just enraged her. “I saw the packages you were ordering just to stalk me .”

  “Stalk you?” he asked, feigning innocence .

  “You’re a creep,” she said, shoving him again as tears bit at her eyes. “You’re just like him .”

  “Him who?” Cadmium asked, coming forward to take her by the arms. She struggled, but he didn’t let her go, and she let out a little shriek .

  Panic was rising in her at the thought of being in another situation like the one with Benny. Feeling unsafe, watching everyone in her life slowly betray her, feeling her life was no longer hers .

  “Let go of me!” she shouted, and he finally stepped back, looking upset .

  He ran his hands through his blond hair, pulling some loose from the ponytail. He was so handsome. It must have been easy for him to entertain the idea of tricking a simple human female .

  She really didn’t even want to know why he’d done it .

  Yet she did .

  “Why, Cadmium?” she asked, feeling a tear stream down one cheek. “Why did you want to trick me? Why does everyone want to trick me ?”

  “I didn’t want to trick you,” he said, taking a step forward. She knew that outside the hallway, other dragons were probably gathering due to the noise, but she didn’t care .

  If they weren’t part of this, then they should still hear what he was .

  “That’s what it looks like,” she said. “You know, I take my job seriously. It’s not much, but I’m not just wasting time with it. And at least I’m not using it to stalk someone .”

  “I wasn’t stalking you. Dragons are different , and — ”

  She felt something snap inside her and put up a hand. “Right. Then there’s the whole dragon thing. It’s confusing, and it doesn’t excuse this. If anything, it makes it worse !”

  “We have to find mates,” Cadmium said, stepping forward again, desperation in his voice. The intensity in his eyes was actually scaring her. “It’s life or death for us. If we don’t find a human — ”

  “So any random human would do ?”

  “No!” he said sharply. “It had to be you.” He put a hand on the side of her head as her back hit the wall of the hallway. “ Only you .”

  “Why?” she asked .

  “It’s hard to explain,” he said. “But I care for you, Casey. I really do .”

  “How could you?” she asked. “All those plans, you made them when you didn’t even know me. You can’t care for someone you don’t even know .”

  “Actually, I can,” Cadmium said. “As I said, for dragons it’s different — ”

  She gave him one final push, shoving him away. “Stop it. You can’t charm your way out of this one. Not this time.” She shook her head. “And when my van broke down, you must have been so happy. If you didn’t do it, that is .”

  “I didn’t,” he said, appearing horrified .

  “But you were glad when it happened ?”

  He slowly nodded, jaw tight. “I’m not going to lie to you. Or hide things from you. Not anymore .”

  “Well, it’s too late. Dammit, I fell for you! I thought we were just friends who could fall into something more. I could have even gotten over the dragon thing, I think, if I had never found out the truth. Then I never would have known that you were just out to trap me all along .”

  “I didn’t want to trap you,” he said . “ I — ”

  Her head was spinning. “Did the others know ?”

  “ No , I — ”

  “Stop,” she said, keeping a hand up between them so she could retain some distance. “It doesn’t matter. It’s so screwed up, Cadmium.” Her phone buzzed, and she pulled it out. “That’s Jan. She’ll be here in a few minutes. I have to go .”

  It was a good thing she’d moved out here to be close to Jan, who’d moved out here after college, and that they’d kept in touch. She really needed a shoulder to cry on right now .

  Because Cadmium had almost, almost been a dream come true .

  Now, he was just a beautiful nightmare .

  “Wait,” Cadmium said. “Don’t go. You’re making a huge mistake. You need to allow me to explain .”

  “You had days to explain!” she shouted. “Instead, you spent your time sexing me up and charming me and making me think this was something real! Was it a fun game for you? Is it easy for dragons to just trap humans for their own purposes?” She blinked at the ground. “I was falling in love. I’m so stupid .”

  “I’m in love with you, too, Casey. Don’t you see? That’s why I — ”

  “No,” she said, edging her way down the hall. “That’s not love, Cadmium. That’s obsession .”

  “No, I…” He rubbed his hair with his hands, mussing it and sending it in all directions. “I don’t know what to say, but we can work this out. I just need time.” He turned burning brown eyes on her. “It’s okay if you hate me. Just don’t go back to him .”

  “I’m not going back to him,” she said. “I’m going to stay with someone who actually cares about me. Not someone seducing me as part of a trap. Was Marina in on it, too? To help you break the news about being a dragon to me ?”

  “You’re getting this all wrong,” he said. “And you’re running right into danger without me to protect you. Please don’t do this. If he finds you — ”

  She whirled on him with sharp eyes as she walked toward the front door, where she would wait for Jan to pull up. “I’m going to ask for a new route, Cadmium. Don’t come looking for me. Don’t stalk me .”

  “ But he — ”

  “You’re just as bad as him,” she said, staring him right in the eyes, freezing him in place .

  Her phone buzzed again, and she knew Jan was outside waiting for her. Thank heavens .

  Hurt waved through her as she ran from Cadmium and her other new “friends,” out the front door and over to her friend’s car .

  Jan didn’t ask any questions, though it looked like she wanted to, and Casey just got in the car and pulled on her seat belt, looking up at the mansion just in time to see Cadmium come running out onto the steps .

  “Whoa, hot guy,” Jan said, tucking her hair back .

  “Go,” Casey said. “I need to get out of here , now .”

  “Wow, okay,” Jan said, pulling forward down the large, circular drive. “I need to hear more about this later .”

  “When I’m ready,” Casey said. “For now, just go .”

  As Jan did so, Casey looked out the back window to see Cadmium standing there looking lost and desperate as he watched her go .

  There was something in his eyes she’d never seen before. Hopelessness .

  It made her want to go back to him, but she told herself to be strong .

  She’d never allow herself to be tricked again .

  Chapter 14

  C admium felt like his heart was being ripped out of his body through his chest as he watched Casey leave with her friend .

  The dragon inside him was roaring. Urging him to shift and fly after them. He could find that puny little car, pick it up, pull Casey out, and bring her back here …

  Cadmium scratched his chest, the tightness there getting more and more painful. He wasn’t a monster. He wasn’t going to be the very thing that she thought he was .

  The vehicle disappeared around the bend at the end of the driveway, and he walked inside out of the cold. But the cold was within him, and everything felt darker .

  He couldn’t believe she’d just walk out like that. Well, he could, but he’d done everything in his power to prevent it. He’d tried to make every moment perfect, tried to get to know her in every possible way. And yes, he’d been buying packages so he could see her. He’d admi
tted that. But somehow a stupid notepad that he’d left lying around had been his undoing ?

  Nothing made sense .

  He headed toward his room. On his arms, he could feel scales emerging, clawing at his skin like blades .

  Cadmium had never had a problem keeping the poison inside him at bay. It hadn’t been an option, losing control. But with each passing second, he was more and more fearful he was going to lose it .

  He slammed the door to his room open and was shocked to see Zinc standing there as if he’d been waiting for him .

  Cadmium stepped forward but stumbled, heart-rending agony over the loss of his mate knocking him off his feet. Zinc sprang forward and caught him by the shoulder, propping him up .

  “You okay?” Zinc asked. It was so strange being asked that question. He always did the asking .

  “I’m fine,” Cadmium said, gritting his teeth. Zinc had enough problems to worry about. The fact that his best friend wanted to abandon his post to go chasing after a human woman wasn’t helping .

  “No. You’re not, Cadmium. I heard you two fighting. We all did. You need to go after her,” Zinc said. His dark, silvery eyes looked resolute .

  “She doesn’t want me to, Zinc. Casey wants nothing to do with me .”

  “You’re wrong about that, my friend. The best thing to do right now is to go after her .”

  “And do what? Be the creep she already thinks I am? Just prove I’m even weirder than I’ve already shown myself to be?” Cadmium said. He’d laugh if the poison wasn’t so painful .

  But that wasn’t Casey’s fault. She’d gotten the text from that evil ex of hers. And then she’d seen his stash. She had every right to want some space for herself. He didn’t own her, as much as he wished he could .

  “Wow. You really are in deep,” Zinc said, a hint of a smile on his mouth. “You need to tell her how you feel, Cadmium .”

  “I already tried .”

  “Then tell her again .”

  “What would that change?” Cadmium asked, moving to the window to look out on the frozen landscape. Just a day ago, the snow was white, beautiful, inviting. Now everything just looked icy , cold .

  “Casey’s a human. She just needs time to adjust. She has to accept a lot of things that are outside of her reality. A lot of things she didn’t even know existed. But if she’s your mate—and I’m sure she is—then she can handle it,” Zinc said from behind him .

  But the thought of that happening dug up old fears. Things that had been conflicting in him ever since he’d been with her. What if he chased her, found her, told her everything, brought her back? What would happen to Zinc ?

  Cadmium knew how deep his love for Casey ran. If he gave up all his attention, all his care, all his time for his mate, what would happen to Zinc ?

  “I don’t know… Maybe her leaving was for the best,” Cadmium said, fingers digging into the windowsill .

  Cadmium didn’t even hear Zinc move, just felt a hand on his shoulder. Before he knew it, he was jerked around, and Zinc’s fist slammed into his cheek, throwing him into the wall, where he slumped to the ground. Cadmium didn’t even have time to recover before Zinc was above him, hands grasping his collar. Zinc’s expression was calm, but his eyes were blazing .

  Over centuries, Cadmium had seen a lot of sides of Zinc .

  This was not one of them .

  “And why would you say that?” Zinc asked, eerily composed despite the speed with which he moved .

  “Because if I’m mated, my responsibility will be wholly to Casey. To protect her, to love her. When a dragon mates, it’s all in, one hundred percent. You know this, Zinc,” Cadmium said, starting to get angry .

  “So get up and go after her , then .”

  “Then how will I be able to make sure you’re okay, Zinc? I can’t let you die,” Cadmium said, hurt lancing through him at the thought of sending his best friend to the grave for his own selfishness .

  Zinc’s hands immediately let go, dropping Cadmium to the floor. Cadmium got to his feet and brushed off his shoulders .

  “Then I absolve you of your duty, Cadmium,” Zinc said, turning to the side .

  “You can’t do that !”

  “Yes, I can. You’re free to go. Be happy, Cadmium. You won’t be able to until you finally let go .”

  But this was beyond duty. Sure, at first, Cadmium had felt like a puppet ordered to follow its master around. But over time, Zinc had become his best friend, the only person he could totally trust, the only person he could take off the cheery mask around .

  Until he’d found Casey .

  “I’ll be honest with you, Cadmium,” Zinc said, crossing his arms. “You’ve kept me alive much longer than I should have survived without a mate. And somehow, along the way, I found a lifelong ally. But you don’t have to worry about that anymore. I’m going to go back to Drakkaris, and you can live your life here .”

  “You can’t do that .”

  “If it means you can have a life, then yes, I can. You can’t keep staying behind, letting life pass you by so you can prolong my existence. My life isn’t more important than yours, Cadmium,” Zinc said, pacing as he talked, then moving to the window and looking up to the sky. “I think it’s better for both of us if I just give in to my fate at this point .”

  “Well, that’s stupid,” a voice said from the door behind them .

  Zinc and Cadmium both whirled around and saw Mercury standing in the doorway, arms folded, leaning to one side lazily .

  “Why would you do something so idiotic?” Mercury said, one eyebrow cocking as he looked at Zinc .

  Zinc stiffened for a moment, then let out a breath. “I can’t hold Cadmium back anymore. He has too much to offer, not just as a dragon, but as a partner for his mate. I don’t deserve to have a minute more of his time. I’ve taken too much already.” And for a second, Cadmium could hear the vulnerability in Zinc’s voice, the veneer of nobility falling momentarily .

  “I’ll do it, then,” Mercury said, shrugging .

  Cadmium and Zinc shared a puzzled look, then turned back to Mercury .

  “Do what?” Cadmium asked .

  Mercury rolled his eyes in frustration, as if he’d been perfectly clear and they were just too dumb to understand .

  “Keep him alive,” Mercury said, pointing to Zinc and addressing Cadmium as though Zinc wasn’t there .

  “Please, as if—” Cadmium started to say .

  “My metal concentration is just as high as both of yours. Maybe even more.” Mercury interrupted, walking forward. “You’re not the only metal from a noble house around anymore. Mercury is one of the volatile metals as well and can counter the toxicity of Zinc. Besides, I’ve picked up a few things from Marina that will probably work better than whatever hocus pocus you’ve been using for the past few centuries .”

  He was practically sneering at Cadmium by the end. But despite his harsh, eminently unlikeable personality, Cadmium couldn’t deny that Mercury was posing a viable solution .

  “But I tried to kill you, remember?” Zinc said. “It was an accident, but still — ”

  “You also saved my life,” Mercury said. “And as for the attempt to murder me, you’re not the first and certainly won’t be the last.” He gave a wave of dismissal. “I’m over it .”

  “You also never seem to care about anyone but yourself and your mate. Why would you help?” Even reformed, Cadmium found it very hard to trust the mercury dragon .

  “Perhaps in the past, but I’ve been trying to be better. Besides, I’m bored .”

  Zinc and Cadmium just stared .

  “With Marina going this way and that and following that bossy oracle around all over the place, it leaves me with a lot of free time on my hands,” Mercury said, cool as the fresh snow outside .

  “You think this is a game, saving Zinc’s life?” Cadmium said, bristling as he stepped forward. He wasn’t going to let the single-most important duty he’d ever had as a dragon be mocked .

&nbs
p; “Well, I wouldn’t want to see anyone cry if something happened to His Highness here,” Mercury said .

  Cadmium was about to fly off the handle when Zinc stepped forward, extending an arm to hold him back .

  “Thank you,” Zinc said .

  Cadmium’s fists were clenched so tight he couldn’t feel his fingers. But if what Mercury was saying was true, then he would be just as capable of helping prevent the poison in Zinc from reaching his heart as Cadmium was .

  “And then some,” Mercury said, blatantly reading his thoughts .

  “I can’t abandon my duty,” Cadmium said to Zinc .

  Zinc just put a hand on his shoulder .

  “Sometimes it’s the only right thing to do, friend. Us coming here to Earth, Lead mating Brittany against the oracle’s wishes. We have to learn to follow our hearts or we’ll never make it .”

  “So you’re not going to Drakkaris, then? You’ll stay here?” Cadmium asked .

  “If my best friend can find love in the most unlikely of places, far away from the land we once called home, then how can I not hope as well?” Zinc said, the smile finally reaching his eyes in what seemed like the first time in so long .

  Mercury yawned loudly. “What he said.” He looked at Cadmium and pointed to Zinc. “You’re not going to get any sappy advice from me .”

  Cadmium felt a rush of adrenaline move through him. Casey. He had to go after her, had to find her .

  He sprang for the door, but Mercury blocked his path, something jingling in his hands. Cadmium looked down and saw a pair of keys with a black metal rectangle with buttons on it .

  “Use this. If the oracle finds out you were flying and you’re seen, we’re all going to catch hell,” Mercury said, tossing the keys. Cadmium caught them. “They’re for the fast car. It’s blue .”

  Cadmium didn’t know how to drive, but he’d watched enough TV to at least grasp the concept. And after Casey had been stranded, he’d had Cobalt explain the basics from what he’d read. Cadmium was a fast learner, too. It wouldn’t be the safest thing, but he was a dragon after all .

  “Stop wasting my time. I’ve got stuff to do,” Mercury said with a groan, shoving Cadmium out the door .