Dragon Blood

Fifty-One: Dust in the Wind

At the sight of Orion standing in the doorway, Skylar's mind finally began working again. She placed her hands on Jonathan's chest and shoved with all of her might. He flew back and slammed against the wall, but Skylar forgot about him. All she was aware of, all she cared about, was the hurt and confusion that was etched in Orion's face.

"Orion," she said, trying to figure out what to say. "It's not- it isn't-"

His eyes hardened in a way she'd never seen before, and they were aimed at her. There was no trace of the normal tenderness he reserved for her there. She had no idea what to do, no idea what to say. This wasn't her fault, she knew that, but she couldn't help the ball of guilt that had coiled like a snake in her stomach.

Jonathan sat up with a quiet moan and glared at Orion. His movement drew Orion's attention back to him, and Skylar saw the murderous rage burn there. His eyes began to glow gold and he bared his teeth with a menacing snarl. Jonathan quickly got to his feet, ready to face him, but Skylar knew he had no chance of winning. She recognized that Orion's dragon was close to the surface, far too close, and he was going to kill Jonathan. As Orion took a step forward, snarling again, Skylar reacted.

She rushed forward, placing herself between the two men. She positioned herself so she was facing Orion, her back to Jonathan.

"Orion, don't," she said softly, looking up at him with pleading eyes. He paused for a moment, staring down at her, until the glowing of his eyes ceased. What was left behind broke her heart.

All of the anger had drained out of his eyes, leaving behind only hurt. As he glanced up at Jonathan and then back down to her she realized her mistake. She was protecting Jonathan, the man who had just ruined everything between her and the man she loved.

Orion stumbled back, still staring at her, looking lost, hurt, and confused before turning on his heel and leaving in a rush. She watched him leave, knew she should go after him, but at the sound of the front door slamming hard enough to shake the house, she lost her nerve. She had no idea what to say to explain what had just happened. She could try to explain that Jonathan had kissed her without her permission, but she had a feeling that wouldn't make a difference to Orion or his dragon.

Jonathan shifted behind her, and she spun around to face him. Her anger finally manifested. She cursed herself for taking so long to react appropriately to what he had done.

He had a small smirk on his face, and her dragon snarled loudly. This man touched them without their consent, this man made their mate unsure of them. This man needed to pay.

"How dare you!" she shouted. The mirth on his face immediately washed away as she advanced toward him. "How dare you do that. You claim to love me, but if you did you wouldn't have touched me without my permission. You wouldn't try to ruin my happiness."

Jonathan blanched. "Skylar, all I want is for you to be happy."

She snarled loudly, getting in his face. "No. You want me to be happy with you, and after this, I don't even want to be in the same room as you. Don't ever touch me again, you bastard."

Her hand snaked up to grasp the necklace she'd worn almost constantly since he'd given it to her on her birthday. She gave it a sharp tug, satisfied when she heard the snap of the chain breaking. She held it up in front of his eyes before throwing it at him. She stayed long enough to watch the hurt register in his eyes before she turned on her heel to find the man she loved.

She raced down the stairs, desperate to find Orion. She hoped the right words would come to her once she found him.

She wrenched open the front door, mildly surprised it was still on its hinges, ran right into Kellan, slamming into his chest.