and pulled with all his might, but nothing he did made a difference. He was stuck at the mercy of the dragon, forced to watch as the woman turned back to Daniel.
“See, he’ll behave,” she argued. “I’ll make sure he’s all right.” She paused as Daniel mulled over the decision. “He isn’t doing you any good as he is, and I can’t help him here. He needs a quiet place to recover, not a cell.”
Daniel let out a frustrated sigh. “Fine. Take him. Keep him with you at all times. He’s your responsibility and top priority. I want him back safe and whole as soon as possible. Do I make myself clear?”
The woman looked ready to snap at Daniel, but she clenched her teeth and nodded. “Crystal.” Without another word, she turned from Daniel to face Noah. There was a hint of irritation in her eyes, but she smiled warmly at him. “Come on, sweetheart, let’s get out of here.”
Noah felt his head nod as the dragon agreed. “ We’re going to go with her?” he questioned. A hint of fear echoed through him. The last time he had gone with a woman he didn’t know, it hadn’t ended well.
“She’s nice,” the dragon answered as he turned and followed the woman out.
If it had been possible, Noah would have let out a deep sigh of frustration as he sat back and hung on for the ride. It was weird not being in control of his body.
4
Sitting in her driveway, Kara stared out the front window of her car at her house. I can’t believe I’m doing this! As a therapist, she lived by two rules: never get physical with your patients, and never bring them into your personal life. Two very important boundaries when dealing with creatures that put a lot more emphasis on physical touch and personal space than humans did.
It was never a good idea to put yourself into a situation where an emotionally distressed dragon might start to depend on you. That was the way unintentional bonds were formed. Such situations usually ended badly. Kara had broken her physical contact rule on occasions when her patients needed that extra support, but she never let it go too far.
The second rule had never been broken. She refused to cross the line between professional and personal for any reason. Yet, here she was, sitting in her driveway with the most distressed dragon she had ever met—one she’d already broken her first rule with—getting ready to break her most sacred, second rule.
She glanced over at the small dragon next to her. He looked so forlorn with his chin up on the dashboard, staring out the windshield at her home. The sight softened her resistance and made the corner of her mouth turn up in a gentle smile. “Come on,” she said as she gathered up her things and got out of the car, holding the door open for the little dragon.
Byrd blinked up at her for a moment before climbing across the seats and out her side of the car.
“Please excuse the mess,” Kara said as she led the way to the house and unlocked the door. “I’m still in the process of moving in.” She pushed the door wide for Byrd to pass.
Byrd stopped on the threshold and glanced up at her as if he were unsure about entering her home.
“Go on,” she urged. “Daniel said you have to stay with me for a while.”
After another long moment of slow blinks, Byrd nodded his head and slipped through the door.
Kara let out a long sigh. So much for rules. Shaking off her irritation, she followed Byrd through the door and nearly ran over him. He’d stopped just inside the living room and was staring at the row of boxes piled against the wall. “I told you it was a mess,” she said as she shifted past him and dropped her things on the end of the couch. “I actually just moved in yesterday.” She turned and looked at the pensive dragon. “Come on and I’ll show you around.”
Byrd nodded and followed her.
“This is the living room.” She held her hand out to show off the room before stepping into the connected kitchen. “And the
“See, he’ll behave,” she argued. “I’ll make sure he’s all right.” She paused as Daniel mulled over the decision. “He isn’t doing you any good as he is, and I can’t help him here. He needs a quiet place to recover, not a cell.”
Daniel let out a frustrated sigh. “Fine. Take him. Keep him with you at all times. He’s your responsibility and top priority. I want him back safe and whole as soon as possible. Do I make myself clear?”
The woman looked ready to snap at Daniel, but she clenched her teeth and nodded. “Crystal.” Without another word, she turned from Daniel to face Noah. There was a hint of irritation in her eyes, but she smiled warmly at him. “Come on, sweetheart, let’s get out of here.”
Noah felt his head nod as the dragon agreed. “ We’re going to go with her?” he questioned. A hint of fear echoed through him. The last time he had gone with a woman he didn’t know, it hadn’t ended well.
“She’s nice,” the dragon answered as he turned and followed the woman out.
If it had been possible, Noah would have let out a deep sigh of frustration as he sat back and hung on for the ride. It was weird not being in control of his body.
4
Sitting in her driveway, Kara stared out the front window of her car at her house. I can’t believe I’m doing this! As a therapist, she lived by two rules: never get physical with your patients, and never bring them into your personal life. Two very important boundaries when dealing with creatures that put a lot more emphasis on physical touch and personal space than humans did.
It was never a good idea to put yourself into a situation where an emotionally distressed dragon might start to depend on you. That was the way unintentional bonds were formed. Such situations usually ended badly. Kara had broken her physical contact rule on occasions when her patients needed that extra support, but she never let it go too far.
The second rule had never been broken. She refused to cross the line between professional and personal for any reason. Yet, here she was, sitting in her driveway with the most distressed dragon she had ever met—one she’d already broken her first rule with—getting ready to break her most sacred, second rule.
She glanced over at the small dragon next to her. He looked so forlorn with his chin up on the dashboard, staring out the windshield at her home. The sight softened her resistance and made the corner of her mouth turn up in a gentle smile. “Come on,” she said as she gathered up her things and got out of the car, holding the door open for the little dragon.
Byrd blinked up at her for a moment before climbing across the seats and out her side of the car.
“Please excuse the mess,” Kara said as she led the way to the house and unlocked the door. “I’m still in the process of moving in.” She pushed the door wide for Byrd to pass.
Byrd stopped on the threshold and glanced up at her as if he were unsure about entering her home.
“Go on,” she urged. “Daniel said you have to stay with me for a while.”
After another long moment of slow blinks, Byrd nodded his head and slipped through the door.
Kara let out a long sigh. So much for rules. Shaking off her irritation, she followed Byrd through the door and nearly ran over him. He’d stopped just inside the living room and was staring at the row of boxes piled against the wall. “I told you it was a mess,” she said as she shifted past him and dropped her things on the end of the couch. “I actually just moved in yesterday.” She turned and looked at the pensive dragon. “Come on and I’ll show you around.”
Byrd nodded and followed her.
“This is the living room.” She held her hand out to show off the room before stepping into the connected kitchen. “And the
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