Nikolai shrugged like he could care less what Merrick did and didn’t have that was keeping him from speaking.
“You’re annoying me almost as much as your brother did today,” I muttered darkly.
Nikolai snorted.
“You’re being childish,” Nikolai snapped.
I rolled over and glared at my mate.
“You’re kidding, right?” I asked.
He shook his head. “No. I’m not.”
I lifted up onto one elbow.
“How,” I asked, “am I being childish?”
The fight Keifer and I had this morning had been pretty big.
I wanted to go out to the store for more supplies. He’d said no, then refused anyone to take me.
I hadn’t left this Godforsaken place in well over a month, and I was getting claustrophobic.
Nikolai sat up as well, not liking that I was above him with that much venom in my words.
“Keifer has hundreds of people that depend on him,” he said. “The feelings of one woman don’t outrank the wellbeing of hundreds. And you need to stop thinking with your heart, and start using your brain, because like it or not, this is your life now.”
He got up and left, leaving me a large amount of time to think on his words.
Was I being childish?
I didn’t know.
And I’d pissed off my best friend today, too.
So I couldn’t really talk to anyone right now.
Fucking perfect.***I was walking down by the lake when I saw the big dragon.
Angus.
Hello, pretty lady, Angus replied.
I smiled despite my bad mood.
“How’s it shaking?” I asked him.
How’s what shaking? he asked in confusion.
I smiled.
“How are you?” I amended.
I couldn’t really be sure, because to be honest, I wasn’t good at reading dragons still, but I could swear he smiled.
I’m fine, little one. You, obviously, are not. What’s wrong? he asked.
I sat down on the bench that’d been moved down close to the water. For my best friend. A best friend that I’d pissed off because I’d pissed her husband off.
So I explained that I’d pissed everyone off, not leaving anyone out.
“So, was I childish?” I asked once I’d finished.
Let me get this straight, he said. You asked Keifer to allow someone to take you to the store so you could get supplies, supplies that you wouldn’t tell him about. Then you yelled at him in front of five people, one of whom was his wife. Do I have that correct?
It sounded bad when he put it like that.
“I wanted to buy Nikolai a birthday present,” I said huffily.
The dragon rumbled out a laugh.
And you couldn’t just order it online like everyone else does? he asked.
I shook my head.
“I feel like I can’t breathe,” I said. “I’ve been trying for weeks to order it online, and it’s not in stock,” I mumbled. “I’ve run out of options, and I really want to get it for him.”
I dropped my head into my hands and shivered in the cold night air, silently berating myself for not grabbing my jacket in my haste to get out of the stupid mansion where everyone seemed to be in every room.
“Your first mistake was going about it the way that you did,” Keifer said from behind me.
I jumped, then dropped my head, sighing.
Shit.
“Your second mistake was yelling at me in front of the others. I will take a lot from you, since you’re my brother’s mate, but I’m not going to take you yelling at me in front of them. It makes me look weak, something which my brother told you the last time you raised hell seeing as I was listening when he did,” Keifer continued.
I gritted my teeth.
“Your third mistake was saying that in front of my wife. She may be your friend, and owes a certain loyalty to you, but she’s my mate. She’s my other half. She’s co-ruler to me. She can’t be seen arguing against me, just as you can’t. You’re a princess now. It’s time to act like it,” Keifer finished.
By the time he was done, I was clenching my fists so freakin’ hard that I didn’t have any feeling in them.
Whirling around, I glared at Keifer.
Easy with what you say, Angus whispered through my mind. Control your anger. State your case. Tell him what you feel, but don’t make him feel stupid.
I was beyond ‘rational’ however.
I was into the ‘irrational’ state now.
“Keifer, do you know what it’s like to be imprisoned?” I asked.
His eyes narrowed, and I couldn’t be sure if it was due to the setting sun or the fact that he didn’t like my tone.
“No,” he said.
I nodded.
“And do you know what it’s like to be told what to do and when to do it?” I persisted.
He shook his head. “I’ve been king and a prince my whole life,” he admitted. “It definitely isn’t something that I’ve experienced.”
I nodded again.
“What about the basic amenities. Have you ever had to deal with power outage?” I asked.
He shook his head. “The sanctuary has backup generators, and we have for a very long time now. Why?”