Tipping The Scales: Knox (Mate Craze)(45)

“That voice you heard. It wasn’t mine. It was your dragon. She wanted me to stay. I’m hers.”

All the pieces fell into place. I was now a dragon. A fierce dragon, who at the moment was unable to sit up or think clearly, but a dragon. Did that mean I had to stay here, with him? And more importantly, why didn’t that bother me, especially since I was finally close to my life goals. Yet, a nagging part of my brain told me I wasn’t a dragon. I couldn’t even feel her as Knox put it. Plus, the voice sounded far away not within. I tried to sit again and this time I was successful, not that I climbed off of his lap. I needed him. It didn’t make sense, but it was the way it was.

“My dragon? I don’t feel a dragon.”

“You’re supposed to be mad not in denial.”

Truth was, I wasn’t either. I was curious and confused, but I believed his words and at any rate I was feeling better. There was no denying something was different about me. I scootched off his lap, twisting my body so we could look each other in the eye. A tinge of hurt passed through his eyes, so I put my legs on his lap and grabbed his hand with mine to silently reassure him, the compelling need to make the hurt go away taking over.

“I’m not in denial, just shocked. I don’t feel her.” And that actually made me sad. If she were there like Knox was so sure she was, why couldn’t I tell? When Knox told me about his dragon I was in awe of many things, one of which being his connection to this other part of himself. I just wasn’t feeling it and feared I may be broken.

“And the mad?”

Silly dragon.

“Not mad.” I gave his hand a squeeze. “You saved me. I probably didn’t deserve to be saved being that I committed a double homicide, but you saved me nonetheless.”

The guilt hit back hard at the realization of what I had done.

“You saved me first. If it weren’t for you, we would all be dead.”

He wasn’t wrong. The entire ordeal was surreal. How could two people be so evil that they would choose money over life? Heck, they chose it over their own daughter.

“Not Rhi.” Although the words didn’t feel quite truthful. Part of me knew that people that evil could kill even their own flesh and blood.

“I’m not so sure about that. Her parents oozed evil.” His words confirmed my instincts and sent comfort through me. Was this a mate thing? A dragon thing? I didn’t know, but I accepted the comfort and allowed his gentle tug of my hand to bring me into a hug.

“I never liked them, but I never once had an inkling that they were more than just craptastic parents. What happened to Rhi? I… I killed her parents.” I was babbling, but all the thoughts needed a way out.

“She’s at the B&B. She promised to wait there until we figured out what next.”

“You mean with her parents.” Poor Rhi. They might have been evil, but they were hers. She would never forgive me for what I had done. Sure, she made some pretty huge mistakes when it came to me, but in the end she helped me when self-preservation would have told her not to.

“No, they are ash now, their ‘what’s next’ is done.” He spoke it like he was reading a news report, no emotion. While the emotional side of me was glad they were ash, the logical side of me knew it didn’t change a thing. I was a murderer.

“Oh,” I gasped at what this all meant.

“What do you mean by oh?” His concern was palpable.

“I mean… you don’t have to protect me… I know I’m going to be arrested.”

It was worth it to have him still be alive. Not that I would tell him that. He would blame himself. I might not know him well, but I knew that much.

“No, love, you’re not.”

“But I killed them.”

“Killed who? There are no bodies.”

“But I…”

“Saved the dragons, starting with their Alpha. We are all indebted to you.”

“Then what about Rhi? I’m all confused.” His words made sense. They were crystal clear. What that actually meant beyond today though, that what had me all caflustered.

“Rhi may have some consequences for her actions, once we determine what her actions actually were. Same with my brother.”

Samson. I didn’t know Samson and wasn’t quite sure his part in all of it, but I knew a good chunk of Rhi’s. She made bad choices to be sure, but in the end she came through. If it weren’t for her none of us would be alive.

“She saved me. Saved us.”

“That may be so, but she was also the one who put you in harm’s way.”

Tears welled in my eyes as he spoke. What would happen to Rhi? Jail? Worse?

“She is staying at the B&B, not jail, because she saved us.”

“She won’t die, will she?” I pleaded, tears now flowing.

“Not without my say so, and I have a feeling me saying so would put me in bad graces with my mate.” He wiped my tears with his thumb.

“But you left me.” And once again insecurity reared its evil head. He had left me and I still had no clue why, his excuse at the time completely insane.

“To save you from a fate you felt obligated to.” His lips met the top of my head in a sweet kiss. He was doing it for me. In typical guy fashion, he was doing it wrong, but it was for me nonetheless.