Trapped between a Demon and a Dragon

Chapter 5

"I could have driven myself, you know."

Although she agreed to let Misha drive her home, she can't resist pouting from the passenger seat of her own car. No one has ever driven her car besides her, and seeing her ex adjusting the mirror and seat position sends a wave of irrational anger racing through her veins. "It's going to take me weeks to figure out how to put the mirrors back in their correct spot."

"Yeah, I hate it when people mess with my mirrors too," Misha says, her ex sounding slightly distracted as he looks over his shoulder to check for cars before backing out into the street. "But since my goal is to get you home safely and not kill us both in a car crash, I need to be able to see cars and not the cushions of your back seat."

As they pull away from the house, Harper's mouth falls open as she gets her first look at the place. When she and Misha moved in together during college, they lived in a studio apartment so tiny that it could barely house themselves and their clothes. When she asked him about his childhood home, her ex always talked about growing up in a cabin in the mountains and talked about harvesting food for the winters and raising animals for their food and clothing products. Every impression he gave was that he grew up in a humble home. But looking over the three-story Victorian home with bay windows and a turret, either her ex found an amazing job after he left her or he seriously downplayed his familial wealth.

It makes her wonder how much she actually knows about the guy she once thought she'd spend the rest of her life with.

As they pass by the home, Misha's words finally click in her head. "Are you calling me short?"

"Har, I am 6'7". Most people are short compared to me."

"Just make sure you put everything back as closely as you can," she snaps, then turns her attention back to her phone. The two sit in silence before the guilt eats at Harper until she finally mutters "Thanks for helping, and sorry about the attitude."

Misha isn't the one who she is frustrated with. Unfortunately, the guilty party isn't in the car right now, so now any innocent bystanders in her way are at risk of becoming collateral damage.

Twelve hours ago Harper messaged Aeron about the feeling of being watched, and within that time he couldn't even read the damn text? How hard is it to check a phone? It is not like he had a secretary she could call and leave a message with. Well, he had a secretary but part of being the "secret human girlfriend" is that she can't call Hell's main offices. So how is she supposed to contact him if there was an emergency? Like if Dave got out and started going on a feeding frenzy in the neighborhood? Or if her stalker or some other weirdo decides to attack her in the parking lot of the school?

As much as she hates to admit it, the attack really scared her. For a moment Harper was certain she was about to die, and, if Misha hadn't found her first, there is a chance that no one would have ever known what had happened to her. And even though she is being a bitch to Misha right now, Harper is thankful that he insisted on driving her home because now she isn't sure that she'd be able to make it back on her own.

In her mind, every shadow hides a monster ready to pounce on her and drag her off into the darkness. Every unexpected noise is an alarm telling her to run and hide before she is taken. Her breath quickens as headlights flood her car and doesn't slow down until the car passes or turns. Right now everything looks like a threat, and all she wants to do is crawl in Aeron's arms and know that she is protected from those threats.

But Aeron isn't here, and, because Harper refused to tell him about the letters, he isn't even aware of the danger that she is in. Isn't aware that last night could have been the last time they saw each other.