10. TWO DESPERATE PLEAS

When we returned to the outside world, Mallory gave Zoey a friendly hug and departed in the other direction. Zoey and I walked to the restaurant she had suggested in silence. She still felt guarded and withdrawn to me. Less so than during our first workout, but not the girl I had used to know. Our muted walk was uncomfortable for me, wondering if I should insist on engaging in conversation or if a hasty attempt to insert myself would merely bother Zoey more.

Ultimately, the unease lasted until we made it to the bistro. A hidden little shop on the second floor of a building, with the street-facing wall having opened windows to simulate a balcony. It was quiet and dimly lit, giving an intimate and cozy atmosphere. The bored and detached cashier took my order of an egg salad sandwich and chips and added Zoey’s regular order, which the receipt displayed as two steak spinach wraps. The price was slightly higher than I had mentally anticipated, but I wasn’t exactly hurting for spending money.

Zoey unenthusiastically shuffled to one of the tables by the open windows, and I felt comfortable with her decision. Perhaps the noise from the street would help mask our conversation, not that there was anyone here to overhear us anyway.

“Why are you doing this?” She asked as I sat down.

“I don’t really understand what you mean.”

“Why now? Why spend all those years keeping me at arm's length and letting me live in ignorance only to show up now without warning and interject yourself? Why hide away from all of us at school? Why pretend to be a child, one of my peers? Even ignoring that, how could you lie to Sam? You must’ve known how much she tortured herself because she thought you were a mundane. And now what, you’re here to just take both of us back to your ignoble schemes? I saw you’ve already claimed her. Don’t lie and tell me you haven’t.”

Okay, wow. That’s a lot to unpack. What a mess of preconceptions to unravel. I ran my hand through my hair and tried to find an entry point to respond to her accusations.

“I wasn’t pretending. Can you relax for a moment and just explain what you think is happening here so we can be on the same page?”

She glared at me with positively murderous intent before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.

“I’ll try. You’re a dragon. There are only two known males, so you’re one of them. Somehow, you divined that I was your mate. You curried favor with Aisling to hide your true nature and disappear in her realm as a mundane human to watch and decide if I would be acceptable as a mate for you, among other machinations. Eventually, something must have caused you to attend something elsewhere, but now you’ve been able to return to make your decision. Maybe you’re still testing me now.

“So, you’ve returned, scheming more and colluding with Aisling to get me to think there’s a new VIP resident to train. Don’t I look the fool when you show up and reveal my mate shard to me, and I lose my mind and disgrace myself at work. You got Aisling to pair us together to humiliate me publicly. I went and looked you up afterward, and I saw all the pictures of you and Sam together out on the town. Have you already enthralled her, or was she willing to participate in your designs? Why are you acting like I even have a choice here? Just envenom me and get it over with.”

Zoey sank into her seat, her visage revealing that she was thoroughly defeated and utterly conquered, resigned to her fate. We sat in silence for a few moments as I tried to process her understanding of the events that had transpired, my ignorance of this world doing nothing to help. The cashier brought our plates of food over. Neither of us moved to begin eating, letting the food lie where the server had left them.

“Wow. I, uhh, I can see why you’re upset with me. That’s, wow.”

She eyed me suspiciously, “I suppose now you’re going to lie through your teeth and tell me that none of it is true.”

“Zoey, I didn’t know any of this world existed last week. I got into a fight, helped a scared girl, and went to bed. I woke up the following day to Sam beating down my front door because I was projecting too much energy into the ether, which kept her up all night. She brought her mom to talk to me, and then they escorted me here. I met Aisling, and she’s loaning me an apartment and a bunch of trainers to bring me up to speed in this world. That includes you, by the way. I’m a sixth dragon, and according to everyone I’ve talked to, my circumstances are unnatural and unique.

“I don’t know how I can prove any of this to you. Can you call your supervisor and ask about an open investigation into a power surge Friday night? Two guys there were observing the fight, and they seemed to understand what was going on more than I did. I did something, and they told me I couldn’t do it in front of humans and that they would have to report me, which made no sense at the time. Or, call Kyle. I sent him a hasty text message on Saturday saying that something had come up and that I would be taking a leave of absence. If you say you've seen me, he'll have all kinds of questions as to why I just disappeared.”

Zoey looked at me, with disbelief and derision, before pulling out her cell phone and becoming enraptured in the little screen. I took the opportunity to eat my food. I was still trying to come to terms with whether I even wanted to eat and what my diet should be, but I didn’t need to subject Zoey to that conversation now.

The robust blonde's phone rang while she was still typing on it, and she looked at me hesitantly before leaving the table to answer it. She made her way out of the otherwise quiet lounge and down the stairs to the street. If I focused intently, I could understand her side of the conversation through the open windows. I decided against intruding and just tried to relax and eat my sandwich. The mustard was intense and contained flecks of horseradish, much to my enjoyment. There's no such thing as too much sauce. Maybe that was the answer to my diet conundrum — I could just consume condiments.

Zoey returned to the table, looking shaken, uncomfortable, insecure, and lost.

“Alright, James. It seems you aren’t just completely blowing smoke up my ass. Tell me what’s going on, then, from your side.”

And so I did. I told her everything I could remember from when I had a confusing fistfight in an alley through learning to fly while she watched half an hour ago. It took nearly twenty minutes, and several times she stopped me to ask questions, but eventually, I had recapped the past week of my life and explained how I got to sit across from her today.

She wasn’t very convinced, and the expression on her face suggested that I was rapidly burning any good faith she had remaining.

“Why would a random kid just awakening get a personal meeting with Aisling?”

“Cynthia called ahead, and I’m assuming that she conveyed that I had the potential to be powerful. After having me do the demonstration in the parking lot, she practically ran away to get on the phone. I presume that Aisling was evaluating me — trying to decide if she should have me disposed of or if I would be useful to integrate.”

Zoey laughed, “Sure thing, big shot. I mean, yeah, you’re a dragon, and that's pretty rare. Powerful? Maybe. I’ve met bigger auras. Don’t think some completely green kid would get an immediate audience, even with a sizable aura.”

I sighed and moved my hand up onto the table. I had already finished my food, and Zoey was holding the remnants of her second sandwich, moments away from devouring them. I held my ring up to her.

“This was made specifically for dragons and was given to me by Antonin, Aisling’s archivist. He didn’t tell me shit about it, but I can feel that it’s a lot more impactful than the generic one Sam had given me initially. Do I need to take it off and scare everyone in the city, or can you believe that I’m a little bit more impactful without it than I feel right now?”

“I don’t know if I can trust anything you say. There’s probably some truth in all of it, but you’re a dragon. How could I believe that you would tell me the truth, the actual, whole truth? You’re a selfish, avaricious, capricious being based on everything I’ve ever heard. I’ve spent the last two days thinking over every interaction we ever had, thinking you had just been nice to me to prepare me to be your eventual concubine. That you were grooming me to be a toy.”

I winced at that.

“People really don’t have very high opinions of dragons, do they? Is there anything I can do to give you any peace of mind?”

“Why did you spend so much time with me as a kid then? Why put so much effort into befriending me if you weren’t manipulating all of this behind the scenes?”

I scrunched my face up in defeat. Given her concerns, my answer wouldn’t be comforting at all.

“Because it was the right thing to do? You’re Kyle’s sister, so even if I didn’t like you at all, I still would’ve been cordial to keep the peace. But you always just seemed so alone. Your parents always acted like they were ancient and absent, merely providing a house to live in until you were old enough to move out. Your brother’s a geek. He’s into video games, dice-rolling tabletop games, and painting his wargaming miniatures. You were the exact opposite and didn't have anything in common with him.

“You didn’t seem to connect with anyone at home. Whenever we talked, you seemed to light up at the idea that someone would be interested in your opinions about exercising, sports, and nutrition. It was easy for me to talk about. I knew you struggled with school, and Kyle always asked me if I had any ideas to make it easier for you. I think he saw me more as an athlete who managed to get good at compliance in school, and he wanted to understand how and why so that he could help you. I was a middle ground, aspects of both of you allowing me to bridge the gap.

“But you never really wanted help, as far as I could tell. So I never wanted to push; I just tried to offer you a connection around something you were interested in. You didn’t seem to have it anywhere else, and I was going to be around your brother all the time anyway. I would’ve been a massive asshole to not offer it, even if I didn't find it enjoyable.”

Her features hardened again. “I don’t need your pity.”

“Zoey, I don’t know why I would pity you or why that’s your assumption. You’re a driven, successful, imposing, beautiful woman who happens to also be able to transform into a massive, stunning, pristine white wolf, the kind that's iconic and prototypical of fantasy heroes. Everything I know about you makes you seem amazing. I talked to you about the things you liked because I wanted to discuss them. It was useful for me, interesting and engaging and refreshing. It seemed like it was good for you to have the outlet.”

She tilted her head, reexamining me and her beliefs. “You really are new to this world, aren’t you? You don’t know why you should pity me.”

“From my position of complete ignorance and apparently misunderstanding everything that has ever happened, no, I don’t. You seem like a potential role model. In ten years, I expect your autobiography to be a best-selling beacon of hope, telling young girls they can accomplish whatever they set their mind to.”

Zoey's gaze sharpened on me. “I think you’re just flattering me now. How can I believe anything you’ve said? Everything so far is both nonverifiable and unfalsifiable. The people I could ask would already be under your spell. How can I believe anything they say?”

I rocked my head back and forth in irritation. This constant circular argument was becoming infuriating. It was totally reasonable from her position of uncertainty, but my patience was thinning. There wasn't a way to assuage her concerns with words, but I wanted to make at least a modicum of progress before giving up. My attempts had failed so far.

“Everything I’ve heard about dragons paints them in a very unflattering light. Would one of those proud, self-assured, narcissistic, and egotistical beings come before you and Mallory and ask for guidance? Reveal themselves as an utter novice in something so innate and connected to their being?”

Zoey thought for a moment and then answered, “To establish a baseline which I wouldn’t necessarily question, perhaps. To conceal your true nature, to get me to lower my guard, I could conceive it. A short-term disgrace to achieve your long-term goals.”

I sighed as my words fell on deaf ears, “I guess. How about talking to Sam? You knew her, at least a bit. Would she consent to me lying to you, abusing your trust, and misleading you?”

Zoey shrugged, “I wouldn’t count it out. I only knew her a little — she only interacted with me once every couple of months, asking if you or my brother were hanging out with any other girls. No one wanted to get to know her. She wasn’t allowed to grow close with any of the mundanes because she was a witch. My brother certainly got in enough trouble for hanging around you. But she was barely a witch, which made her a target for all the other magical students, who picked on the littlest fish in the pond to avoid being that fish themselves. And her mother was the government spook, and everyone knew, so no one could get comfortable around her anyways. They thought they had to be guarded to prevent their words or actions from coming back to bite them, getting their families in trouble over some minor transgression.

“So I have no idea. Maybe she would go along with your schemes anyway just to finally have some attention and companionship. Maybe you’ve entranced her and she isn’t even aware of your ploys.”

I sunk back into my chair, defeated. She wasn’t wrong. There was no way I had available to prove that I wasn’t an evil, selfish, manipulative agent here to gather her to be my mindless servant except, perhaps, time. That seemed to be my only play.

“Alright, Zoey. What can I do to earn your trust? If, hypothetically, I’ve been telling you the truth: What would you want moving forward? How can I make this situation less awful for both of us? The archivist said I held a portion of your soul and that being apart would be torturous. I don’t want to do that to anyone. I don’t know how I can do right by you if you can’t believe a single word from my mouth.”

She chewed on her lip and stewed in thought for several moments.

“We’re going out tomorrow. A couple of girls from work, a pair of secretaries at one of the offices we secure. Mallory and I and a few others, dancing and drinking, and some of them will try to find a boy to bring home. Give me your phone number? I want to see you interact with more people, especially Sam and that other girl you enchanted.”

I had to look up what my number was. Aisling gave me a new SIM card as part of the paperwork in our first meeting. I hadn’t learned the new digits yet. I found them on the phone and rattled them off for Zoey to enter into her own.

“There, I texted you, so you will know it’s from me. We’ll be going somewhere around eight. I’ll text you around five to let you know where to meet us. Is that acceptable?”

“It sounds good enough to me. This week has been overwhelmingly exhausting, so I think I’ll enjoy a night out. We’re still training Saturday morning?”

She nodded as my phone vibrated, her message appearing in my hand. “Yes. I’m the superior officer for several of these girls, so they tend to get loose and have me watch over them. It feels a bit like work-light, but it’s a good enough time. My wolf really likes dancing and doesn’t particularly do well with alcohol, so not drinking works out for me.”

“Alright, I’ll look forward to your message then. And, Zoey?” I waited for her eyes to meet mine, and I gently touched her hand across the table when they did. “Thank you for having the bravery to talk to me, with the fears you have. I can’t imagine that amount of pressure.”

With that, I departed, maneuvering down the narrow staircase to the street below. The subway line that got me close to the apartment was quiet and sparsely populated. I thoroughly enjoyed the peaceful moment, contemplating how I would earn Zoey’s trust and get her to accept that I wasn’t out to harm her without interruption.

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Returning to the apartment, I was greeted by a groaning Sam, collapsed face down on the living room couch. She released a guttural, pained sound as she lifted her head to see who had entered the apartment. On her back, she had a towel wrapped around what I concluded was an ice pack, a corner of the iconic blue rectangle peeking through.

“You alright there?” I asked cautiously.

Sam allowed herself to crumple back onto her face now that she knew who was here, her fiery hair splaying around her form wildly. She was still wearing her workout clothes, and her jarring movement compellingly shook her backside. I only realized I had licked my lips in response after I had done it.

“No. Beth’s an evil authoritarian taskmaster.” She groaned again, a soft, exceptionally feminine sound that could easily be confused for something else.

“You go a little overboard at the gym, then?”

“Yes. I tried to keep up with her. Wanted to keep up with her. I didn’t realize how out of shape I was until I sat down to change my shoes when we finished. I literally couldn’t stand back up.” She laughed, her face still buried in the pillow, but it was a pained, pitiful sound.

Besides Sam’s occasional groan, the apartment was silent. I was surprised not to have a petite, green-eyed girl hanging on my arm.

“Everyone else is out?”

“Yeah. Mom called me and said she’d be gone until late. We had a nice chat. Ev went to work and should be back around dinner time. Beth went to the store to get me some painkillers and a pint of ice cream. She left like half an hour ago, so hopefully, she’ll be back soon.”

“Can I get you anything?”

“A new body.”

“There’s nothing magical we can do about this?”

“I can’t do anything besides feel emotions, and you’re a nuclear bomb, not a certified rejuvanist. Maybe if you passed a training course or had more than two days of trial and error with magic, I'd be tempted.”

I nodded without really understanding what she meant. I guessed that was that, then.

I sat down on the couch with her, momentarily lifting her lower legs out of the way. I lowered them into my lap and began softly kneading underneath the ball of her left foot, massaging the arch.

Sam cooed and shivered and pressed her foot firmly into my hands, but then she tried to withdraw her legs as she whimpered out, “Nooooooooooo, stop. Don’t touch me; I’m all sweaty and gross.”

I smirked at her pronouncement of vulnerability, “Just relax. You’re in pain, and I don’t care. I came from the gym too.”

She gave a little whimpering moan and then, a few moments later, whispered petulantly, “Fine.”

We spent the next ten minutes in relative silence; the only sounds in the apartment were Sam’s small involuntary gasps and groans.

Then the door burst open, and Beth came tumbling in carrying three full grocery bags that probably weighed as much combined as she did. She was already babbling at a thousand miles an hour before she looked into the apartment, completely focused on her assumed task of caring for Sam.

“Ohmygod, Sam, I’m sorry! I didn’t know what flavor you wanted and was overwhelmed with all of the options, so I got like four different pints. Did you know just this brand has like thirty flavors? It's actually crazy; they had a whole side of an aisle for them. Then there were like twenty people at the self-checkouts, a cute little grandma trying to use a thousand coupons and count out her change to pay, and then they needed to see my ID to get the painkillers. I’m sorry it took so long. Okay, you need to eat something before the pills, so do you want chocolate chip cookie dough, coffee brownie supreme, cherry fudge sundae, or something called ‘therapy by chocolate’?”

She had stumbled her way to the kitchen, setting the bags on the dining table before opening one of the drawers to collect a spoon. At that moment, she looked up and noticed me on the couch. She took a moment to fully digest the scene before nodding to offer her approval of my actions, a satisfied smile growing on her cherubic face.

Sam rolled over on the couch, and I began rubbing the tops of her feet with the new angle. She answered Beth, “Give me the cherry one.”

Beth brought her the requested pint with a spoon and moved the pillow to support Sam’s back when she sat up to eat. Beth then approached me and whispered, “I bought oil at the store, too. Once she’s eaten something and taken the meds, or maybe before bed, what do you think about giving her a real massage?”

I nodded and gave Beth a peck on her cheek. It was wonderful how caring and thoughtful she was, even if her earlier enthusiasm had been the source of Sam’s current problems. She sat on the other couch and opened one of the different pints of ice cream.

Sam slowly ate her ice cream as I rubbed her feet, touching each toe and gently coaxing them into relaxing for me. Beth brought her a glass of water and handed her two small tablets before returning the empty glass and ice cream container to the kitchen.

Sam surprised me by imitating Beth and climbing into my lap, her soft body curled up against my chest and her knees pulled into her arms. She leaned against me and closed her eyes, her gentle breathing indicating she had dozed off. Beth slid next to us and turned the television on but muted the volume.

I told Beth of my experience at the gym and how I learned to fly, at least in a practice environment, with constant assistance from several instructors. I then relayed my lunch with Zoey and how frustrating it was to both be shut down with every point I had tried to make and knowing that she was absolutely correct to have fears. I shared the plans for meeting for drinks, as well.

“She’ll come around.” Beth softly assured me.

“How can you be so sure, and how can you actually encourage that?”

“You deserve it. You’ve been nothing but wonderful with me. She’ll see that you’re only trying to help her.”

I screwed my face up in disgust at her initial claims. “Beth, you’ve known me for a week. How on earth can you be so trusting with me?”

She tapped her head and said, “I can feel your emotions, and I’m hearing some of your thoughts. It was really cute that you felt like you cheated on us by accidentally sharing your being with Zoey and her friend. Painfully naive and borderline self-destructive, but cute at how pure you are. When you thought about the hair question, I actually had to stop pedaling on the stationary bike to hold myself up while I laughed so hard.

“I can be so trusting with you because I know just how bad you think of yourself. You hate the idea that anything you’ve done has harmed us. You hate the idea that you’ve taken choices from me even after I’ve told you that you gave me the world. You’re uncomfortable with the idea of a romantic relationship with Sam because you feel an obligation to give me everything of yourself. With how high of a standard you try to hold yourself to, I have no issues with what you do. I feel awful for thinking I was going to manipulate you into caring for me when you would’ve done it anyway if I had just said I needed help.”

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

I shook my head in disagreement, “I still can’t follow everything you’ve said. It just feels wrong to think about including another girl. Selfish, narcissistic, dishonest, unappreciative.”

Beth palmed my cheek and turned my face to meet hers. She had sat up onto her knees and was an inch away from me, her verdant eyes piercing firmly into my soul.

“You listen to me now, James. I love you, and I feel that you love me. A relationship is built on trust and understanding, compromise and sharing. We had a weird start, and we have a unique dynamic. You have my permission to pursue Sam and Zoey. It is not a breach of our trust if you do that. Sam is desperate for your attention, and you hold a piece of Zoey hostage, so I feel you need to pursue them. I will only feel wronged if you exclude me, okay? But if what you said about Zoey is true, you’re already excluding her. You need to convince her. Do you understand? How can I get this through to you?”

I felt some of my tension dissipate, and I answered, “Actually, I think it did help. I still don’t really understand it, but setting a limit, and giving me some boundaries that would make you uncomfortable, actually helps. A defined space you’ve given me approval to occupy is much better than an uncertain grey area. I still feel like a selfish bastard, though. I don’t want to offer you the same freedoms. I want you solely to be mine.”

I was surprised when she blushed and smiled before leaning in to give me a small, chaste kiss on the lips.

“Good. I don’t want anyone else; I only want you. I’m not asking for the same thing from you. A relationship requires balance, not exact symmetry. I don’t want another man when I have the best one in the world here with me. One who can hold the most beautiful woman in his arms and still give me his undivided attention because he’s concerned about how I feel. You’ve given me your friendship and shared the only friend you've retained with me, and through you, I’ve found a connection to a woman that I could call a mother. I don’t want you going out and chasing everything under the sun, but I know you won’t. You needed my permission to kiss the girl in your arms. I have absolute faith in your devotion because I can feel what you think. There’s been nothing in the last week to even hint at questionable desires, and I know that you’ll listen to me if I have any issues.”

She shifted slightly on the couch, but her gaze remained firmly focused on my face. Her voice grew even sterner.

“James, you aren’t doing me any favors by not being with her. I haven’t asked you to do that. You’re only hurting her now, teasing her and stringing her along without giving her something she wanted but thought she couldn’t have. I’m asking you to stop doing that, to either accept her or to stop giving her false hope. This isn’t a test — that would be exceptionally fucked up of me after everything that's happened — Stop thinking that. I’m asking you now to stop hurting her and reminding you that you aren’t breaking my trust or damaging our relationship by doing something I’m asking you to do.”

“Alright, okay, I get it. Geeze, did you get Evgenia to craft a speech for you?”

“Hmm. That’s a good idea. The next time I feel you filled with doubts, I’ll have a chat with her to create a foolproof, logical argument to shake you out of it. You seem to respond well to it.”

I simply smiled and relaxed on the couch, softly wrapping my arm around Beth as she lay against me. Sam remained asleep in my lap, exhausted by the day she had. Beth slipped her hand into mine, weaving our fingers together, and then closed her own eyes.

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I realized I had fallen asleep in the living room when I vaguely recognized the sound of the door latch clicking through the haze of my resting mind. I lazily opened my eyes, comforted by the two girls still enveloped in my arms, and looked over at the entranceway. Orange light from the windows illuminated the apartment, hinting that it was now evening. Evgenia was standing in the doorway, having just closed the door after entering, and she looked frazzled and exhausted. She was completely frozen, her hand still on the door handle, meeting my gaze but completely unmoving.

“Sorry,” she whispered, “I didn’t mean to wake you. Apologies.” She silently slipped her black heels off and paced methodically over the floor to the hallway, her black stockinged feet gliding over the floor. If not for the mechanical latch of the door, there wasn’t a chance I would have heard her.

Before she could reach the hallway, I spoke normally, “Don’t worry about it. We’ve been here long enough. It’s past time for us to get up, or we won’t sleep at all tonight. Are you hungry? I could get started on dinner.”

Beth stirred next to me, my voice interrupting her nap. Sam remained resting idyllically, snuggled into my chest. I was mildly confused when Evgenia slowly rotated back to face me because she was blushing.

She inclined her head slightly and continued whispering her answers, some hesitation in her voice as she tried to find the right words. “I appreciate your efforts to include me, James. I'm going to change into something else, if that is alright.” She bent at the waist, bowing slightly, before returning to walking down the hallway.

Beth yawned and stretched, her arms lifted over her head, and in the light of the sunset, her hair looked almost as red as Sam’s. When she opened her eyes and looked at me, she had an overwhelmingly innocent appearance, the figure of a youthful angel sent from the heavens to impart wholesome affection into my life.

Beth was, in many ways, a mirror image of Sam. Where Beth looked innocent, naive, and young, Sam was voluptuous and womanly. In a past age, Sam would’ve been the inspiration for a fertility goddess. On the other hand, Beth could be manipulative, scheming, and planning, her unpleasant upbringing forcing her to learn how to control situations merely to survive. Sam was idealistic and noble, obsessed with righteousness and truth. Sam had spent her entire childhood trying to distance herself from her mother’s name in a failed attempt to placate her peers, while Beth had yearned for nothing more than to simply have a parent that cared for her at all.

They were distorted reflections of each other, a confusing amalgamation of traits and insecurities leading them both to my lap for similar reasons. They were both desperate for some sort of permanent connection. I wasn't sure I could give them that, but having shared my concerns, they were both still here.

These thoughts ran through my mind as I gently lifted Sam from my lap. She stirred slightly and then groaned as I placed her back on the couch. I kissed her cheek and whispered directly into her ear, “I’m making something to eat. You have another twenty minutes or so to rest. Do you want anything?”

Without opening her eyes, she nodded and said, “Yes, a little. The painkillers must’ve worn off. I should eat something else to take more. Not ice cream, something real.” She shifted lower into the seat, a little grimace on her face as she settled into as comfortable a position as she could find.

I would like to say that I made dinner, but in reality, Beth commanded the kitchen in Cynthia’s absence. I assisted Beth in making latkes, pan-fried potato pancakes. She masterfully incorporated onion and chives that I had diced into her construction before topping the finished ones with cheese and setting them on a baking tray in the oven to keep warm.

Through the process, she informed me that what we were making would be scandalous in some circles. As a historically Jewish dish, mixing the animal fat we had fried the starch in with the cheese and the sour cream topping was, strictly speaking, religiously offensive. It’s a good thing we weren’t practicing because the result was delicious. The potato formed a crisp and crunchy outer shell yet encased soft and doughy internals, and the sour cream provided an excellent temperature contrast.

Evgenia joined Beth and me at the table, and I brought Sam a plate with several served for her. She seemed more awake then, and she gratefully took the food and then the anti-inflammatories but remained in her curled-up position on the couch. Ev thanked the two of us for dinner and departed to her own room. Beth whispered conspiratorially that she would be fine cleaning up from dinner herself and I should instead take the oils she had purchased and give Sam a more substantial massage.

I found the purple bottle of lavender-scented oil in the bags Beth had brought, made a pitstop in the bathroom for one of our towels, and brought both into Sam’s bedroom. Her bed sheets were messy, so I straightened them before finding a bathrobe in her closet. I set the robe and the towel on the end of the bed.

Returning to the apartment's living area, Beth gave me a stern look. I could feel that she felt I was hesitating, stalling on taking action with Sam. She wasn’t wrong, but I needed to do the little bit of preparation I had done, even if I wasn’t just procrastinating. Sam was still crashed haphazardly on the couch, curled up perilously on an unstable collection of pillows. I kneeled down and whispered to her.

“Do you want to move to your bedroom? I could give you a real massage to relax you before bed.”

She nodded lazily, cinnamon wisps of hair falling down over her face. I slipped an arm under her legs, letting it rest in the crook of her knee. My other arm wrapped around her torso, pulling her into me. I lifted her against my chest, her head falling gently onto my shoulder, and carried her to the awaiting bedroom. She cooed a soft thanks, appreciating not having to walk.

I shut her bedroom door with my elbow as we entered and cautiously deposited her onto her bed. She remained sitting up, her face slightly flushed, and her bright blue eyes intently followed me.

“Beth picked up some lotion to use. Do you want to strip down or just do it over your clothes without the lotion, or should I step outside and let you get the towel, or…” I trailed off and looked away, fumbling my attempt to ask her where her limits were. She didn’t answer me, but I heard her start moving and disrobing, the bed softly squeaking, and the sounds of her clothes sliding against her skin making evident her answer. I crossed the room to where I had left the oil to allow her some modesty.

Retrieving it, I turned around and inhaled sharply. Sam had nearly completely undressed, her soft, pale pink skin now completely visible. She had laid face down on the bed, only garbed in a pair of grey panties, the towel spread underneath her, and a pillow pulled underneath her head. Even as she lay motionless on the bed, awaiting my participation and doing nothing to actively entice me, the presentation was well and genuinely erotic. She had pulled her hair back into a ponytail to keep it out of the way, and the loose stray ends splayed over the pillow as she lay her head on one side, the strands looking like rays of sunlight contrasting with her alabaster body.

I swallowed hard in response to the enticing scene in front of me and snapped open the cap of the bottle of oil. Spreading some in my hands and rolling it around to warm it, definitely not simply procrastinating, I carefully climbed onto the bed, straddling Sam’s hips on my knees. I slowly made contact with her upper back, softly rolling my thumbs over her back and spreading some of the lotion onto her skin.

“Warm enough?”

She nodded and groaned, “Uh huh.”

With her tacit approval, I began massaging her in earnest. Knowing she was comfortable, I started with her neck, rolling my thumbs firmly into her skin from her collarbone to her rear hairline. She pushed her head down into the pillow, lifting her neck and shoulders up. I pressed along the base of her skull, and she groaned and whimpered.

I continued down her body, moving to her shoulders and upper back. I massaged from the base of her neck and flowed across her shoulder blades, using my entire palm to apply pressure. Advancing down her back, I flanked her spine and inched my thumbs down her body. When I reached her lower back near her hips, her little gasps and moans took on a breathy quality. Moving away from her spine, I applied more lotion to her side and, using my entire palm again, I pressed into her flanks and massaged from the base of her lats through to her shoulder blades. I kneaded and pushed through all of the knots and pressure points I felt, letting her body guide me to where my hands needed to be.

I moved how I straddled her, placing one knee between her legs to get further to one side. I took one of her hands and gently rolled it with my fingers. I pressed into her palm and continued up through her wrist and forearm. I was glad my draconic senses confirmed her positive reactions to the massage because Sam's brief halting gasps and pained moans were quite unsettling. If I had been outside the room, and my only source of information came from the noises she made, I would have assumed she was hurt and needed help. I would've been concerned that I was hurting her without knowing her emotions; my nostrils flooded with her desire and approval.

Having finished her right arm, I switched which side I was straddling her on, placing my right knee between her legs. My leg came into contact with her nethers, and I was incredibly surprised by what I felt. I knew she was aroused, which was perfectly reasonable, but my knee came away damp from accidentally brushing against her momentarily. If she had told me she had worn the scant clothing into the tub, I would’ve believed her. The scent of her emotions suggested that she was quite responsive to my touches, but the physical response indicated that she was wholly enraptured.

I continued onto Sam’s left arm, ignoring the likely embarrassing situation she seemed to be having. She continued melting into the bed as I cared for her body, releasing a gradual stream of disconcerting noises as she fell further into her relaxed state. When I was done, her left arm was limp in my arms, and I could see that her eyes were effortlessly closed, her head resting on the pillow.

I shifted down the bed and began manipulating her feet and calves. Her initial reaction was to release some delirious giggles, unintentionally tickled by my ministrations, but she soon returned to purring in hazy elation.

I continued up her calves, pressing my thumbs into her muscles, relieving the tension she had accrued at the gym today. They were tight and tense when I started, but after a few minutes of kneading, Sam relaxed thoroughly and released the final bits of stress she was holding onto.

My unceasing progress continued to her thighs, and I spent time caressing along her hamstrings, applying pressure around the sides of her legs. She whimpered under my treatment, and her legs trembled as my fingers pressed into her rosy flesh.

Watching Sam quiver under my fingers, I had a wild idea. I could only imagine Antonin scolding me if I tried it before consulting him, but it was so tempting of an idea that I couldn’t resist the temptation.

I focused and pushed some of the ambient mana into my fingertips. I brushed my newly energized digits into Sam’s aflush skin, and she released a guttural, labored groan. My draconic senses insisted that she had enjoyed it, and she spread her legs farther to press into my hands, but the sounds she leaked worried me.

I held the energy there and pressed again into her legs. Sam replicated her initial reaction, groaning and pressing further into me.

I paused to ask if she wanted me to continue and to confirm that she was alright, but before I could phrase a question, she whined out needily, “More.”

Not inclined to disappoint her, I allowed slightly more mana to flow into my hands, and I palmed her thighs and rubbed them upwards, driving my thumbs into her hamstrings. She squeaked out another gasp and fluttered while I shared the energy with her body.

I gently, softly went over her entire body again with my now empowered hands, carefully retouching every area and soothing any leftover remnants of the day. By the time I had finished, my fingertips were growing numbs, but Sam was a malleable puddle of a girl, completely relaxed and barely responsive.

I wrapped her in one of the blankets on the bed and turned the lights off in her room. I slipped to the bathroom, washed my hands, brushed my teeth, and returned to my bedroom.

Beth was in our bed, sitting with one pillow propped against the headboard and playing with her phone. A momentary expression of confusion flickered over her face when I entered the room, but it faded as I began undressing and climbed under the sheets to be next to her.

“You gave her a massage? With the oil? How was it?”

“Good, I think. She wasn’t very talkative at the start; by the end, she was completely relaxed, and maybe she had fallen asleep. I wrapped her in a blanket, and she curled into her pillow.”

Another flicker of something I couldn’t place on Beth’s face. Confusion, disbelief, mild annoyance perhaps. I wasn’t sure, and I was too tired to decipher. Handling the concerns over my dream, training, learning to fly, and then having a frustrating discussion with Zoey took a lot out of me. Focusing on giving Sam a quality massage to thank her for supporting me had conclusively emptied my batteries. I would find out what concerned Beth in the morning, if it was still an issue.

Beth set her phone aside and allowed me to hold her, eventually snuggling into my chest. I quickly succumbed to sleep, physically, mentally, and emotionally drained from my exhausting week. And it was only Thursday.

----------------------------------------

Occasional wisps of lavender filtered through the haze of sleep and reached my brain. Beth was still in my arms, and the warm morning sunshine fell on the bed, rejuvenating both of us. As I was gradually roused from my slumber, I realized I could feel intense emotions over my connection with Beth, which seemed odd considering that she was asleep, wrapped up in my embrace.

She felt frustrated and upset with herself for some shortcoming I couldn't place. It was mixed with guilt. I had no idea what she could be upset about. We had gone to bed after a pleasant evening, and I could conceive nothing that would cause this internal strife in her. The flicker of irritation she had felt wouldn't have built to this in one night. Even as my mind returned to me, I was befuddled as to what could be causing this.

I opened my eyes to see if she was awake and found something I couldn't have predicted.

Beth was lying on the other side of the bed, looking at me with anguish in her green eyes. The crimson hair in my face and the temptingly soft body underneath my fingertips made it easy to conclude that I was snuggling Sam. The hints of lavender I was sensing made more sense now.

Beth opened her mouth to say something but faltered, closing her eyes and taking several breaths before trying again. The only other sounds in the room were Sam’s soft breathing.

Beth eventually found her footing and spoke, “She came in about 90 minutes after we fell asleep. She was crying, heartbroken and dejected. She wanted to know when you would let her know how you felt; When you would gently reject her. She wanted to know why she wasn't good enough, what she had done wrong. She begged me to sleep here. She said she could lie to herself for the night and pretend that you wanted her, and then she could leave after that. She wanted one night in your arms before you let her know you didn't want her.

“I’m sorry. It’s my fault. I fell back into my old habits, trying to worm my way into getting what I wanted. She was sore after the gym, yeah, but I convinced her to act like it was worse than it was. I figured that if I went and bought some oil, you’d jump at the chance to give her a massage, and you did because you’re a great guy and a dutiful friend.

“I thought, ‘What guy would actually give a beautiful girl like Sam a massage when she’s naked in the bed and practically begging for it?’ Of course, you would. You offered a massage, so you gave her exactly that. I’ve been given so many back rubs that turned into being fucked after thirty seconds that it didn’t even cross my mind that it would go any other way. I’m sorry. I convinced Sam to try and tempt you into doing something without telling you exactly, tried to tell you it was okay with me for you to do without telling you what Sam and I had talked about, and didn’t think about the incomplete picture you saw.

“With all of the attention she was getting at the gym, I convinced her that you would be unable to resist her and that she would get what she’s wanted for years. But you were a perfect friend and didn’t pressure her into doing something she didn’t actually ask for. She already thought you were just being nice and didn't want to insert herself between us, so she went along with my idea, but I'm sure she didn't really try to seduce you.

“She loves you more than I do, and she has for years. I’ve hurt her, and I’ve deceived you, and I’m really sorry. I thought I was doing something good, getting you and her together like that. I should’ve just told her to talk to you and be upfront about what we want. Please don’t hate me.”

“I don’t hate you. I just…” I sighed and tried to collect my thoughts, my breath lightly blowing through Sam’s hair. Beth looked fragile and uncomfortable, unhappy with her decisions, and I could feel her tension leaking through. Sam fluttered and sighed in her sleep, and she pulled my arm tightly against her chest, blissfully unaware of the conversation happening around her.

“I don’t hate you. You should be able to feel that, at least. I’m not happy with being misled, especially at Sam’s expense, but I get it. I know I was holding Sam at arm’s length, which was the worst spot to put Sam. You had tried to tell me what was happening, and I avoided acting on it to try and keep things clean when they were already muddied.”

I paused to collect myself and calm my emotions. Beth didn’t even really know me. We hadn’t been together long enough for her to know how I wanted to act. This was just a part of the learning curve. I wasn’t happy, but she had tried to do something with reasonably positive intentions and had tried to tell me about it. Getting upset wouldn’t help.

The dragon wasn’t even bothered. He was happy that our primary mate was already fulfilling her duties and preparing additional concubines for us. I shivered in disgust at that thought.

“I think this is a discussion Sam should be awake for, to be honest. I’m not sure I want to repeat myself, and she deserves to have a say. Actually, she and I need to talk more than anything else. I want you to speak up if anything is wrong or if you see us getting lost and failing to connect again, but it really needs to be between the two of us. I understand why you did what you did, and while I’m not pleased about it, I want you to stop fretting about it. We’re going to get Sam to tell me what she wants right now, and then we’ll give it to her, and your mistake will be completely forgotten.”

Beth hesitated and then nodded. I watched her for an extra moment, allowing her a chance to rescind her permission or at least to prepare herself. She nodded again, so I brushed Sam’s hair out of her face and kissed her cheek. She murmured lightly and pressed herself back into me. A soft yawn escaped her lips, and she sighed and snuggled against me.

Then Sam must’ve woken up enough to realize where she was because her entire body tensed, and her heart rate spiked while the room was filled with the scent of her anxiety. She tried to sit up and slither away, but I held her against me.

“James, I’m sorry. I’ll get out of your hair. I know you don’t want me here like this. I’ll just be going, and we can forget all of this.”

I didn’t relinquish, holding her nervously squirming body against mine.

“Why do you think I don’t want you here?”

“You’ve been nice to pretend for my sake, J. Just let me get up and go.”

“No, Sam. I want you to tell me what you actually want and what I have done to make you think I don’t want you to be here. We’ve had a horrible case of incomplete communication and I want to rectify that. Beth and I had a few words about what she thinks you want, making me think there’s a misunderstanding.”

“Well, you’ve been really nice to act like it. But yesterday, Beth had to practically force you to kiss me in the morning. And you’ve included me in your lessons, but that’s really just because Beth can’t help you there, not that I'm much better. You’ve always been nice and welcomed me, but you needed to do that here because Mom’s officially connected to you. I know I must’ve grossed you out when you carried me through the suppression fields. I’m not enough of a witch to have cast any of my own spells and not enough of a human to bring myself back up the stairs.

“I’m not cute and spunky like Beth; you made that apparent yesterday. You were clear how you massaged me and where you avoided touching me. I was panting and would’ve begged you for more if my brain was still connected and able to form words. You still haven’t accepted my Fae Book friend request, so you’re clearly just being nice to my face but trying to keep your distance to let me down soon. Let me get up, and we can stop pretending.”

I exhaled. I could feel how she was struggling to contain the agitation below the surface. She didn’t want to burst into tears in my arms or in front of Beth. She felt like she was being dumped after being teased, even if that wasn’t my intention.

“Sam, I want you here. I’m struggling to align my preconceptions of who you are with the girl I thought I knew. I spent ten years solidifying you in my mind as an aloof, cool, distant person, and I’ve only been aware that was an act for a week. It’s been hard to rectify. In that same time period, I had another girl show up and practically throw herself at me in a desperate act of survival. I can feel her emotions and hints of her thoughts. It’s been a lot for me to take in, and my interactions with you have taken a back seat because I can literally feel Beth’s emotions, but it's new and overwhelming for me.

“I was interested in you years ago. I’m interested in you now. I wasn’t sure where we stood, what you wanted, or how Beth felt about the mess we were in. When I had finally grasped my new life, Zoey threw a nuclear curveball into the mix, and I was lost again. I thought I should give you some time to reconsider. I wasn’t going to make any moves on you last night because we hadn’t established that as an acceptable part of our relationship. We had a little conversation in this exact spot yesterday where you said you wanted to talk to your mother, and I wanted to give you a chance to do that.”

Sam interrupted me, “I did. I talked to her. She said some unpleasant things, but we talked it over. And I told you that, too.”

I ran through the last twenty-four hours in my mind, trying to recall anything Sam could be referring to.

“You told me you talked to your mother but framed it to make it seem like a normal quick conversation. I had no idea that you meant you had talked to her about our relationship and came to a conclusion you felt comfortable with. What did she say? If it’s appropriate to share.”

Sam rolled onto her back so she could look at my face, and I could look into her deep blue eyes, but I didn’t need to see her face to see that she was troubled with what she had to say next. Beth slid against her in the bed, and I noticed that she wrapped her leg over the top of Sam’s much like she did mine every night. Neither girl acted like it was out of the ordinary, which was something noteworthy for me.

Sam hesitated and asked, “Are you sure? It’s not that pleasant, really. I’m okay if it happens, I guess, so I don't feel like I need to tell you.”

“It’s your decision; If you’re uncomfortable sharing something personal, I won’t press you.”

“Mom said that I needed to be sure that this was what I wanted. She seemed to think that Zoey won’t be the last. You went from single mundane last week, to a dragon intertwined with Beth, to flirting around the edges with me, to mated with Zoey in a couple days. Mom thinks it’s more than a coincidence. It aligns with legends of dragons in the past, collecting dozens of doting ensnared broodmares. Mom thinks our number will likely only grow. She wanted me to really be sure I wanted in before I got in over my head.”

I sighed, “I hope she’s wrong, to be honest. I’m incredibly honored that you’re still interested, although I’m confused by the ‘why.’ The dragon seems to think that this is great. Having more mates to acknowledge our magnificence. I feel like I’m cheating you out of half of a relationship. There’s no way I can give three people, assuming Zoey eventually comes around, the same amount of time, energy, effort, and attention I could dedicate to one person. Trying to care for myself and give Beth what she deserves is exhausting on its own. And now, our relationship has changed, and Zoey needs some of my time to feel complete. I hope Cynthia is wrong and no one else ever joins us because there’s no way I could do right by them. There’s no way I deserve any of this. I still think I’m going to wake up tomorrow in my apartment, and all of this will have been a dream because it’s all just so absurd.

“I guess I’m just saying that having two girls I’m fundamentally bound to and a childhood friend who grew up into a wonderful woman who also wants to be included doesn’t leave me much time for any of them. I also need to learn how to be a dragon, become a representative of sorts in Aisling’s court, and eventually find something to contribute to the entire community here.”

Sam sulked somberly as she took in what I was saying. Beth seemed thoughtful and remained silent to allow Sam and me to correct our previous misunderstandings.

“I’m sorry, James. I know it’s a lot to handle right now. I don’t mean to burden you with more. I understand that I can’t be your priority right now. I see that Beth and Zoey need to come first.”

“No, you don’t understand. I’m not saying you can’t be a priority; I am only apologizing and explaining why you haven’t been. I’ve been stuck in the past and overcome by the present. I want you in my life, and I was dragging my feet while hoping everything else would calm down. Beth wants you in our life as an equal, not just an acquaintance; I thought you understood that from yesterday. I just need you to understand why I haven’t been giving you what you wanted, and I need you to hold me accountable moving forward. Beth got what she wanted by grabbing me and taking it and not letting me overthink every situation and become paralyzed by analysis. Can you speak up if I’m not giving you what you want? Can you be direct and assertive with me?”

Sam looked back and forth between Beth and me several times, eventually returning to rest on me. “I can try.”

Beth whispered a suggestion, and Sam’s head flipped back to look at her, “You’re not a third wheel here, girl. Don’t think of it like J’s my boyfriend, and you’re just passing some time with him or getting a trial run. He’s your boyfriend. Well, at least, he could be. He didn’t exactly ask me, either.”

Sam rotated to look back at me, and she seemed incredibly vulnerable, with her round blue eyes yearning for my attention. She whispered, “Is that— You actually want this?”

Rather than answer Sam verbally, I kissed her. She didn’t close her eyes, and we remained locked in contact as I began making out with my childhood crush. She cooed softly, moaning into my mouth as we kissed, and her eyes transitioned from displaying her fragility into giddy surprise and finally into covetous desire.

Eventually, Sam pulled back and said, “James, I want you to take me.”