May turned to her sister and smiled. “Yes. I bought the most beautiful crib today.”
“Oh, my gods! Why didn’t you say anything?” Summer pulled May into her arms. “Congratulations!”
“Thanks.” May’s cheeks turned red and she spun around to face her husband. “Are you okay, Damek?” She waved her hand in front of his face with a giggle before she turned back to her sister. “I think he’s in shock.” She moved to wrap her arms around Damek’s neck. “I’m sorry I sprung it on you like this. I hope you aren’t upset.”
“Upset?” Damek finally came around and grinned down at his mate. “How could I be upset?” He placed one hand on her shoulder, and stepped back to rest the other on her middle. “Why would I be upset?” Kneeling, he pressed a kiss to her stomach and Adrian finally realized what was going on.
Gods, he
was
a simpleton. It was possible that Damek was correct and he
had
spent too many years bound in magic. He glanced at Summer and caught her looking at him before she turned away.
Smiling inwardly, he moved slowly forward. She was not as unaffected by him as she would have him believe, thank the gods! Maybe he could convince her to kiss him. Just one kiss might help her understand why he didn’t understand their ways. It could bring him a step closer to forgiveness.
“Forgive me,” he whispered in her ear before he snaked his arms about her waist. “Please, my mate, forgive me for being a dolt.”
“Don’t touch me!” Summer pulled from his arms and turned to face him, with the lightning outside the windows mirrored in her eyes. “I can’t be your mate. I’m not the least submissive and I’m sure I’m smarter than you’d like.”
“I asked your forgiveness.” He lowered himself to one knee. It seemed to work out well for his brother. “Please forgive my astonishment to find that things had changed so much while I was…indisposed.”
“A leopard never changes its spots.”
“What on earth are you about, woman? What has that got to do with us?”
“It means that you’re a pig, Adrian, and you will remain a pig.”
“Come on, Summer. Give the man a chance. He
was
imprisoned for over a thousand years. You can’t hold his antiquated behavior against him,” May said, obviously trying to help.
“The hell I can’t.” Summer turned to her sister, rested her hands on her hips and snarled. “Butt out, May. When I want your help, I’ll ask for it.”
With a sigh, Adrian glanced over to Damek and bowed. “I thank you, brother, for your assistance, but I fear that I cannot repair the damage I have done this day. I shall adjourn to the home you provided in an effort to console myself that if one mate is available to me, there must be others.”
“Won’t you reconsider?” May asked, gripping his arm. “She’ll come around. She just needs some time.”
He looked down into her large brown eyes, so filled with compassion and smiled. “I do not think it possible, sister.” He glanced toward Summer. “Perhaps we both need time to think about our positions. For years, I dreamt of hearing the dulcet sound of my mate’s voice. Instead, I am buffeted with the shrill shriek of a shrew. I was not prepared for such. I shall retire to my new home where I will await another.”
He gave one last, longing glance at Summer and turned to leave. She would not be happy with him. She would
never
be happy with him and he knew he must be strong enough to let her go.
Chapter Five
Summer’s heart broke yet again when Adrian called her a shrew. Did he really mean to leave and not even
try
to make things work? She cast her gaze around the room. Did she really want him to do such a thing?
Her throat burned and tightened. It was difficult to speak, which was probably a good thing. It seemed that her speaking was what made him decide to leave in the first place.
Okay, if she were honest with herself, she would admit that it wasn’t that she’d spoken, but what she had said. When he moved to brush past her on his way out, Summer reached out, wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his head down to hers.
He looked startled, but said nothing as she stared into his sea-blue eyes. Whatever happened after this, she had no illusions that she had no one to blame but herself. She had always been as impulsive as the weather.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, before his arms tightened around her and he lowered his head to press his lips against hers.
The very earth moved beneath her feet as his mouth opened over hers, his tongue begging entrance to her mouth. Once she opened for him and his tongue stoked against hers, she saw him, she felt him and she knew complete and utter loneliness.
Tears streamed down her cheeks as she watched Adrian fighting for his life and the lives of all mankind. Seven hooded figures surrounded him, all of them falling one by one until there was only one left. By then, Adrian was exhausted and vulnerable, his strength used up as he attempted to save what he thought was mankind’s last hope—a plant.
Throwing his head back, Adrian turned into his dragon. He chanted a spell just as the cloaked figure encased him first in a layer of stone. Around the stone, the figure set a layer of ice that would torture the water dragon who knew the water, his source of power, was so close, yet so far.
Again, the loneliness assailed her. Such complete isolation was enough to drive anyone mad if left for too long. This man, this dragon, had endured centuries of complete isolation from everything, including the thing that could comfort him most.
Adrian ended their kiss and lifted his head. He stared down at her, using his thumbs tenderly to brush away her tears. “Do not cry for me, Summer Flowers. I am, as you say, a pig who cannot find his way in your world.”
Gently, he tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “I apologize for saying that your voice is like the shrill shriek of a shrew.” The corners of his mouth quirked up, just a bit. “In fact, I find your voice melodious and soothing to my very soul.” His eyes filled with sorrow. “You are, and forever shall be, my mate. I will seek no other.”
“Wait!” she cried when he turned to leave. “You can’t leave me here.” Her heart broke again at the thought of losing him before they had a chance to get to know each other.
He was about to say something else when her sister, Tansy and her husband Tony rushed into the room. “You have to go, Summer. Now. There’s a car waiting to take you to the hospital.”
“What—why?” Her heart pounded and her knees grew weak when she looked at her sister and somehow knew. “Emily?”
Tansy merely nodded, her expression filled with compassion. “They said she’s been asking for you.”
Summer’s throat closed off and she couldn’t speak. Following her sister from the room, she left Adrian to follow or to leave as he would. While she knew in her heart that the water dragon was her match in every way, she could never force him to love her, just as she couldn’t force Emily to stay here on this earth no matter how hard she tried.
The door to the limo loomed large as she approached it. The darkened interior almost felt like a tomb as it closed around her. She slid over to the other side of the car to peer out through the tinted glass, needing to watch the rain that poured down in place of her tears.
Emily could always bring a smile to her face. She always knew what to say to give Summer a feeling of coming home. She couldn’t have loved Emily more if she had been her own mother.
Strong arms drew her close and she didn’t fight. She was too tired to fight. Her brothers-in-law were too strong to resist at any rate.
The car jerked to a start, speeding up the rain-soaked driveway headed for the local hospital. Summer could only hope they would get there in time.
Finally, giving in to her tears, she rested her head against the offered shoulder and cried. She cried for her parents, she cried for her friend, but most of all, she cried for the lost opportunity to love the person who needed her the most.
“Don’t cry, love.”
Summer cried harder at the familiar endearment. How could he have known that was what Emily called her all of the time?
The arms tightened around her, drawing her closer and Summer stiffened. This was one of her sisters’ husbands. She had no business letting him hold her so tight, no matter how right it felt.
“Please do not cry, mate. My heart breaks at the sound of your sobs and the sight of your tears. I do not know what to do with a crying female other than hold her.” Fumbling for the switch on the door, Summer turned on the light and pulled from his embrace.
She didn’t give a damn if she looked like hell. After what he put her through, he could take it.
“What are you doing here?” She looked across the seat and behind him, only to realize that, other than the driver, they were alone. Her heart pounded in her chest as she looked at him. The concern in his expression nearly made her cry again. Summer wanted nothing more than to curl up in his lap with his strong arms wrapped around her and let him tell her everything would be okay.
“I am your mate, Summer Flowers. I know you cannot stand the sight of my face, but my place is by your side in your time of need. Wherever you go, whatever you do, my place is with you just as your place is with me.” He smiled softly, again tucking that stubborn lock of hair behind her ear. “It works both ways, you know.” He glanced through the window at the passing lights. “Though I sought to acquire my mate in the old ways, I did not do so out of disrespect. In fact, I hold you in the utmost regard.”
The pain in Summer’s chest eased a bit at his words. He sure did have a way about him. Maybe he wasn’t such an ass after all. With a small sigh, Summer leaned into him. She needed his comfort.
The limo stopped outside of the hospital’s emergency entrance. “We will continue this at a later date. Now, you must go to your friend. I shall await you here.”
“No!” Stopping, she made a face. “No. You need to come with me. She’ll want to meet you no matter how horrible she feels.” There was no way she would let Emily pass over to the other side without thinking that Summer had finally found her man. Even if he didn’t want her, she had to give Emily this.
Taking his hand, Summer pulled him into the hospital and to the information desk. “I’m here to see Emily Appleton, please. She’s in Emergency and has been requesting me—us. She’s been requesting
us
.” She mentally crossed her fingers, hoping the security guard didn’t know that Emily had only been asking for her.
The security guard looked at his computer screen for a moment before reaching over to hit the buzzer for the door. “Go on in.”
Swallowing thickly, Summer prayed that they had gotten here in time. She had to see Emily before…before they sent her up to a room and visiting hours were over. Summer refused to admit there could be another reason she wouldn’t be able to see her friend tonight.
Chapter Six
Adrian stood next to his mate, drinking in her presence. It was all he could do to keep himself from rubbing against her and wallowing in her scent. He didn’t know how long she would allow him to accompany her, but he closed his eyes and thanked the gods his brother had pushed him into that vehicle and slammed the door behind him. It nearly broke him to sit in that vehicle with her sobbing as though her heart was in pieces.
He didn’t know how long they would stay here together, but he intended to take advantage, just the same. After what he had said it would take no small amount of effort to convince her that he wasn’t the swine that she proclaimed. Adrian vowed to do his best to change for her. He closed his eyes and prayed that he could convince her that he was worth the effort.
“Can I help you?” a woman dressed in strange, blue clothing asked.
“We’re here to see Emily Appleton, please,” Adrian replied before Summer had a chance to voice their request. He noticed that a fresh bout of tears usually followed her voicing the name.
“She’s been asking for us.”
So much for avoiding more tears. Adrian held back a sigh. It wasn’t that the tears annoyed him. He didn’t want his mate to suffer the pain he knew accompanied them. That he was the cause of her tears earlier had nearly brought him to his knees. Nothing had prepared him for the pain he would feel at seeing his mate sobbing the way she had in the car on the way to the hospital.
Their hands bumped together as they walked down the sterile hallway that smelled of some strange chemical substance. He nearly stopped in his tracks when her fingers tangled with his and she held on tight. It was as though tiny strings wrapped around his heart, tying him to her in some mystical way.
Heat raced up his arm and the overwhelming feeling of rectitude filled him. This was right.
She
was right for him. After eons of awaiting his mate, he had finally found her. His only worry was that after this, she would want him to let her go. Though he said he would earlier, Adrian wasn’t sure he could release her now. Somehow, in such a short time, she had wrapped herself around his heart and he was not prepared to let her go.
The strangely dressed female led them into a small room where an old woman lay flat on the bed, looking up at the television mounted on the wall. Her sharp blue eyes seemed to miss nothing as she stared at the screen. Summer stopped in the doorway, brought her hand to her mouth, and sobbed. “Emily.”
The woman turned her gaze their way and smiled. “There you are. I wondered how long it would take for you to come see your old friend.” She looked past Summer to Adrian and gave him an assessing look. “Who is your friend, love?”
Summer pulled him with her as she approached the bed to give the woman a one-armed hug. “This is Adrian Antaeus, Emily.”
“I don’t suppose she’s told you a thing about me, has she?” the woman asked shrewdly.
“Of course I haven’t. I just met the man today.”
“Yet, he’s here with you at your time of need when I would guess that your tears unnerve him.” Emily smiled. “I would snatch him up and hide him from your sisters if I were you.”