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Eldon didn't ask questions; he didn't pry. The self-consciousness that had flooded Arden slowly disappeared. He'd never meant for anyone to see that side of himself, the one that couldn't handle everything he'd seen. And done.
"Eldon?" he called, stopping the vampire in his tracks as his hand curled around the doorknob.
"I know," Eldon said quietly, running his fingers across his lips as if to seal them. "I'll be right back with that drink."
A newfound appreciation for Eldon filled Arden's chest and he sighed softly. Someone was finally there for him, holding the jagged broken pieces of his psyche together so he didn't crumble and fall.
Ringing penetratedthe otherwise quiet room. Micha shot up and reached for his phone with trembling fingers. Only one person would call him in the middle of the day, and well, only one person had this number, and each call made Micha’s stomach turn with unease.
He knew deep down that he was doing the right thing, and he was helping others but still, the sour taste of what he was happening lay heavy on his tongue. Micha forcibly swallowed and rubbed his grainy eyes as he stared at the number flashing on the screen.
“Maybe he’s calling to tell me I’m no longer needed.” Micha knew it was a shot in the dark, and he hadn’t figured out who the man had sent to watch him yet. There was Bash, but the bear shifter hadn’t paid Micha much attention until he got him in trouble. Not that Micha hadn’t noticedhim.
Micha groaned as his cheeks heated up, remembering their encounter. He hadn’t planned for Arden to yell at Bash, but he should have known better. He didn’t do well with stress, and trying to get into Arden’s bed to get information on him was anxiety-inducing stress.
A little alcohol was all he’d wanted. He'd get the job done with liquid courage, and bam, except it hadn’t worked out all that well.Maybe there was another reason he’d ordered those shots as well.As he thought of Bash, his chest tightened and he tried to clear the man out of his mind.
The ringing stopped, and Micha blinked.
“Shit.” Micha hopped out of bed, and his feathers ruffled behind him as he began to pace.Fuck, he should have picked up instantly. Why was he so damn stupid?He wasn’t supposed to miss a call. Micha chewed his bottom lip as he walked around his room. The little night light in the corner gave his room a soft, pink glow. It did nothing to calm his nerves, not when he’d messed up again.
The phone rang once more, and Micha fumbled with it before it fell to the ground. He groaned and dropped down and hit the answer button.
“H-hello?” His voice was shaky and weak to his own ears. Micha shook his head. There was no reason to fear the man that saved him, and yet he couldn’t get rid of the knot in his stomach.
“You finally answered,” his savior said.
Micha swallowed back the whimper at the sound of the unfiltered disappointment that seeped through the phone. He didn’t have to be in the presence of the man to know he wore a disapproving look.
“I was asleep. I had twice as many customers tonight and I—” Stupidly drank alcohol and passed out the moment he got into bed. “I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”
Micha held his breath, knowing the attack would come, and he’d be reminded of how much he was lacking.
“Have you gotten close to Arden yet?”
Micha stared at his fingers as he fiddled with one of his feathers. “No, not yet.” He squeezed his eyes shut. “It’s a little hard because he has been distracted lately but—”
“But what?”
Micha chewed his bottom lip. He’d been in Arden’s bed, in his private quarters, but he hadn’t looked for anything. Instead, he and Spooky did other things. Micha’s face heated up instantly, and his cock twitched in his silk pajama shorts. He covered his mouth, muffling the moan that broke free as he thought about Spooky’s soft fingers tracing his thighs and making him boil with desire.
Just thinking about the cat familiar now turned him on. But what really had all his anxiety and fear ramping up was the memory of Arden’s firm lips on his. The dragon most certainly had kissed him because there was no way Micha’s imagination was remotely that good.
Micha shook his head; now wasn’t the time to get distracted. Nor was it okay to want those two when he knew nothing would ever happen. And he needed to remember that Arden was a monster and nothing more. But that was hard when his heart raced around the dragon, and even though he felt nervous around Arden, he never felt unsafe with him. If anything, he felt protected.
“But I’m going to keep trying,” Micha finally answered.
His savior sighed, and Micha’s anxiety returned, sinking its nails deep into his psyche, making everything tilt slightly.
“Micha, you know I feel like you aren’t taking this job seriously. Do I have to remind you of what we are protecting?”
“I know. I’m trying my best.”
“Are you?” His savior blew out a heavy breath, and more weight was slapped onto Micha’s back. He slouched down further, trying to make himself smaller.
“But Arden doesn’t have anyone, and he’s nice to everyone at the bar.” Micha stopped trembling and thought about the dragon. He was rough around the edges, but he was never malicious with any of them.
The silence that answered him pulled Micha from his thoughts, and he became aware of everything. The quiet before the storm was even more terrifying than being in the middle of it. His blood rushed, and breathing became difficult.
