Page 43 of Anaki

“What did you just do?” I snapped back to reality.

Anaki grabbed my hand and pulled me further back into the shadows. He took one last look at the bar behind us and pulled me closer to his body.

“My dragon marked you and, well, used your slick to mark us.” He smirked and pulled me further into the dark.

My eyes bulged as I processed what he said, and he laughed as we got closer to the back. An exit illuminated, and he pushed on the door to the alley outside.

“Where are we going?”

Anaki continued to lead me around the corner, where bikes were lined up in a gravel parking space. It was an overflow of bikes, and I noticed some bikes still had their keys in the ignition, which astonished me.

“Come here. As much as I’d like to have you on the back of my bike, we can’t take it where we are going.”

He grabbed my wrist and pulled me forward to some trucks and SUVs in the lot. He opened the passenger door to the truck, which, of course, was unlocked and pulled me around, pinning me to the car. “You ready for this?”

“Do I have a choice?” I replied playfully.

“Always, with me anyway.” He cleared his throat. “If my dragon comes out, I don’t know what he’ll do. He’s kind of obsessed with you.”

I jutted out my chin. “And what about you? Do you want me? Kid, chronic illness, baggage and all? I’m a lot to handle, and I can’t take theheartbreak. If you don’t think you can do this,” I waved my hand up and down my body, “I suggest we break it off now, or I’ll break your face.”

His smile was contagious because I began smiling, too. “I won over Abuela and Luis. Don’t think I did that just for a one-night stand, Elena.”

I crossed my arms. “We’ll see.”

Anaki pulled me in by the hips and placed a sweet kiss on my lips.

Just then, we heard the roar of an engine and tires skidding on the road. We both paused and looked around, unable to see anything with the back of the bar blocking our view.

Anaki held me to his body as if to protect me from the sounds. I stared up at him, his jaw tensed, his ears took shape into something pointed, light blue, and topped with silver. Tiny scales traveled up the side of his neck for a brief moment until they were gone.

Holy shit!

His nose flared. “Your sister. She just left. Locke isn’t happy about it.”

My shoulders dropped. “Your president is trying to woo my sister while she is trying to hunt him... I knew that wouldn’t go well.”

“He’s a good man, Elena… he’s done so much—”

“I’m sure he is.” I patted his shoulder. “While your methods are unconventional, she’s briefly told me about the town. She likes the bar and the people in it. After seeing it for myself, I believe you.”

Anaki’s eyes brightened.

“And what about me? You believe in me?”

I rolled my eyes. “I don’t know, depends on what you got planned for the rest of the night.”

Anaki bit his lip and picked me up behind my legs, forcing me to wrap them around his waist, and pinned me to the car. “Is that so?”

I nodded.

“Then, I guess we better get a move on. I’m going to need the rest of the night to prove my worth.”

Chapter Fourteen

Anaki

My dragon demanded to keep her on my lap for the truck ride up the mountain, but the more sensible part of me—the human side—had buckled her up in the passenger seat. That didn’t make me keep my hands to myself.