In a Dragon's Mind (Dragons of Mount Teres Book 1) by Riley Storm

Author:Riley Storm [Storm, Riley]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: High House Press
Published: 2020-06-02T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-One

Vlad

He was lying on the bed going over everything that had happened in the past few days when there was a knock at the door.

Not expecting company, he got up warily.

“Who is it?” he called through the thick wooden panel, before moving silently to the side, so that whoever was on the other side wouldn’t know where he was standing.

Just in case they kicked the door in. Old habits died hard after all.

“It’s Blede,” the person on the other side said, pronouncing it ‘Blayd’.

Vlad abandoned his defensive stance and opened the door, taking in the sight of the other shifter.

Blede was one of his few friends outside the guard. They weren’t the closest of friends, but Vlad would put him firmly in that camp. Due to the temporary nature of his return, he’d not sought out anyone yet.

But apparently Blede was coming to see him.

“Pierce put you up to this?” he asked bluntly.

“He told me you were back, since apparently you were too much of a dick not to do so yourself, ya,” Blede growled. “I’m here on my own though. Nobody forced me to come.”

The other shifter was tall, taller than Vlad by a few inches, and he looked down at Vlad now with disdain. “Dick move.”

Vlad shrugged. “I won’t be back for long. It didn’t seem prudent.”

“Fuck you,” Blede said. “That’s some self-centered asshole mentality if I ever heard it. You’re just afraid.”

Vlad growled, suddenly back on the defensive. “I am not afraid.”

“Bullshit.”

“I am not.”

“Then come have a beer with me,” Blede challenged. “Prove that you’re strong enough to talk about shit instead of run from it.”

Vlad wanted nothing more than to close the door in the other shifter’s face. He wanted to be alone with his thoughts.

But he couldn’t do that and not prove Blede right.

“Fine,” he snarled, pointing at the door. “Let’s go.”

“Better.” Blede stepped out of the room and Vlad followed.

They walked in silence. Vlad wasn’t really sure what to say, or what Blede expected him to say.

“Where ya been?” the other shifter asked as they made their way to the kitchen, pulling back one of the wood panels that covered the front of the beer fridge, helping it blend in seamlessly with the other cupboards.

“East coast.”

“Why you back?”

Vlad considered just how much to tell his friend. “Trouble.”

With two twists of his wrists Blede flicked the tops onto the counter, handing one brown glass bottle to Vlad, keeping the other for himself. “Let me get this straight. You’re in trouble. You come here for help. But you don’t come ask me?”

“I don’t want to ask anyone for help,” Vlad said emphatically, trying to get the point across that he did not want to talk about this.

“Right.” Blede didn’t seem to care. “But you need it. So just ask. I’m your friend Vlad. That’s what we’re here for.”

Vlad shook his head. “Can’t.”

Not after what had happened to his last friend. The one he’d left behind in the clutches of the Cado. How was he supposed to ask for more help, and risk that happening again?

“Okay.

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