“No.” Carissa shook her head. “It can’t be undone.”
The finality of her words made that reptilian part of his brain wiggle about happily. “Great. So I’m stuck with this peanut gallery in my head,” Michael huffed, shaking his head to silence his wayward bit.
“Peanut gallery?” Carissa asked, sounding worried.
“I’ve got this voice,” Michael tapped an area just behind his right ear, “tucked away in the back of my head that keeps giving me running commentary on everything.”
Carissa exchanged worried looks with Tilly.
Great, now they thought he was crazy. Could this day get any better?
Having come to some silent agreement, Carissa turned back to him. “If I had to venture a guess, I would say it was your brain’s way of dealing with the instincts you’ve gained.”
Tilly nodded her agreement with Carissa’s words.
“Either that, or I’ve gone schizophrenic,” Michael snarked.
“Maybe a little.” Carissa chuckled at his jest. “But, I would listen when that voice spoke.”
“If I’d listened to that voice, I wouldn’t have had to run out all of your cold water.” Michael glared at her. “And we wouldn’t be sitting here talking. Moaning, maybe, but definitely not talking.” His blood pooled below his towel just thinking about some of the suggestions his brain had given him.
Color rushed up Carissa’s face as she caught on to his less-than-proper meaning.
“Sorry,” he grumbled, looking away from her. Damn it! He fidgeted in his chair, trying to get his mind away from the feel of her skin against his. He wasn’t some dumb teenager with his first dirty magazine.
“It’s all right.” Carissa sighed. “You’re brooding.”
This shocked Michael into looking at her. “What?” he snapped.
“You’re brooding,” she answered calmly.
“No. No. No. Kids brood. Teenagers brood. Adults do not brood,” Michael denied.
Tilly actually laughed at him, earning her a glare.
“Adults do brood,” Carissa explained. “Usually, males only brood when around females during their fertile periods, but your hormone levels are all over the place.”
“Great.” Michael threw up his hands and tilted his head back to stare at the ceiling. “Why don’t you just call the king and have him lock me up now?” It would be safer that way. A dragon wacked out on hormones could be a danger to himself and every female in a hundred miles. He had seen the kinds of damage an out-of-control dragon could cause.
“I don’t see a need for that,” Carissa soothed him. “You’re system is probably just overproducing due to stress. Give it a few days, and it should settle out.”
“I don’t have a few days,” Michael pointed out. “The longer I take to come forwards, the harder it’s going to be to prove my innocence.”
“Then we had best get started.” Carissa changed the subject. “How do you plan on proving your innocence?”
Now this was a topic Michael felt he could handle. He sat up straighter in his chair as he spoke. “Something about the information I’d been collecting didn’t sit well with me, so I mailed out a copy to go over with a friend later. I figured a fresh set of eyes on the problem might solve it easier.” Michael was now glad he had thought of that.
“So, all we have to do is get out of here, find this file, and take it to Daniel.” Carissa nodded as she thought about the plan.
“There is no ‘we’ here,” Michael pointed out. “I need to get the file and take it to Daniel. There’s no reason for you to get more involved.” He finally agreed with that reptilian part of his brain. He was not going to put her in possible danger again.
“Let me remind you of your situation.” Carissa pinned him with a stern look, crossing her arms just under her chest. “You’re a full-grown dragon who doesn’t know the first thing about being a dragon, in the middle of a brooding.”
She might have a point there.
“Think wild mood swings, uncontrollable urges, and top it off with not knowing how to switch between forms.”
Okay, that one hit it on the head.
“You need help.”
Michael stared at her, wanting to deny this fact. He had worked hard to earn his place in Eternity, and it hurt his pride to admit that he needed help—especially from someone with such perfect breasts. Did she have to push them up like that? It made it hard for him to think. “All right,” Michael caved. “You have a valid point.” He had also learned to admit to his limits before they got him killed. “Any ideas?”
Carissa grinned at him. “Maybe.”
Oh, crap. What had he just started?
11
“This isn’t working.”
Carissa pinched the bridge of her nose as Michael sat up from the bed, complaining. He had been trying for ten minutes to shift back to dragon form. “It will.” She sat on the edge of the bed and pressed him to lie back down. “Just close your eyes and relax.” She stroked her fingers over the taut muscles of his chest.
Letting out an exasperated sigh, Michael closed his eyes and tried again. “I can’t.” He gritted his teeth a few moments later. “No matter how hard I try, I just can’t do it.”
His muscles had tensed even further under Carissa’s fingers.
“I just don’t understand how you can stand it. It hurts too damn much.”
Aha! There lies the problem.
“Sit up,” Carissa urged as she scooted closer to him, tucking her feet under her.
Michael gave her a considering look before sitting up.
Carissa held out her arms. “Come here.”
Michael stared at her, unmoving.
“Just trust me.”
Letting out the breath he was holding, Michael leaned in so she could pull him into her arms.
Carissa sighed as he wrapped his arms around her. Man, he felt good. “Relax.” She tucked his head in so it rested on her shoulder with his face buried in the side of her neck. Rubbing circles into his back, she tried to soothe his rigid posture. Slowly, he drew in a deep breath and started to relax into her arms. Finally!
“Shifting only hurts if you force it.” Carissa rocked slightly as she spoke. She leaned her head over on top of his. “Just relax and let it happen.” She held him for a moment, trying to think of something else she could do to help him understand how to let go. Of course! She nearly laughed as it hit her. “Just ask your peanut gallery.”
Michael tensed for a moment before nodding and relaxing against her again.
Magic tingled against Carissa’s skin as Michael’s form shifted, leaving the little dragon clinging to her shoulder. “See, that wasn’t so bad.” Carissa kissed him on top of the head before lifting him off and setting him on the bed next to her. Maybe now he wouldn’t have so much of an issue shifting again.
Michael chattered at her unintelligently.
Smiling, she petted down his back and turned her attention to where Tilly was waiting. “Thank you. Just get us outside.” Carissa stood to give her friend back her voice, but Tilly waved her away.