And it wasn't as if she had any friends with the dragons she could do that with.
So if no one wanted to talk to her simply because she tried to be better and reach out, then she'd take whatever she could get. Even Ivy could get lonely, and the nurses and sparse visits from Zain and a few others weren't nearly enough.
Only time would tell if her sessions with Serafina made any fucking difference to her situation on Stonefire.
Chapter Eight
The next morning Ivy had barely finished her physical therapy session with Nurse Ginny when Zain waltzed into the room.
She'd planned on asking about the kids visiting her again, but something about the determination in his unwavering gaze made her voice die in her throat.
He stopped next to her bed and continued to stare, as if he'd never seen her before.
True, the nurses had used some special dry shampoo to take away the greasiness of her hair, but it wasn't as if her slightly cleaner appearance would attract the dragonman's notice.
He nodded and then said, "Today's your lucky day, Ivy Passmore."
Something about his eyes flashing made her wary. She asked cautiously, "Why?"
"Because you're gaining a mate, which means you'll be safe from the DDA for a while, as well as the other clan members."
A mate was the term dragons used for their spouses, and she nearly snorted at the absurdity of Zain's statement. "Stop joking around and wasting time, Zain. I'd rather discuss if you accessed the information on the corrupt police officers or not?"
He grunted. "We did, and we'll talk more about that later. But I'm not joking, Ivy. We're to be mated later today."
She blinked. "What?"
"No, I'm not about to profess some sort of secret love for you. But now that you're awake, it's only a matter of time before someone leaks to the DDA that you're here. So we're being proactive."
Too many thoughts whirred through her brain, and all she could manage to say was "I can't marry a dragon-shifter."
Zain leaned forward, his eyes mere inches away. "You can, and you will."
Something about the certainty in his tone, as if he were a parent telling a child what to do, snapped her out of her shock. "I know I shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth, but even if I were to marry some dragon for protection, I would hope it was someone who doesn't obviously hate me."
He leaned even closer, to the point she could feel the heat of his breath on her face. "Hate is a strong word. Besides, this way I can keep an eye on you."
She had a feeling that was the true reason for the absurd mating suggestion.
And as Zain continued to invade her personal space, with Ivy not being able to move away, she tried to not look at his lips. She really shouldn't. However, her curiosity won out, and she instantly noticed how firm and lickable they were, as if kissing them was something she should do every day.
Not to mention the heat and scent that was uniquely Zain filled her nose, and for a few beats, her sadness, her past, all of it didn't matter. She felt…safe.
No. She had to stop falling for the dragon's strange pheromones, or whatever it was that addled her brain whenever Zain was nearby.
Ivy forced her gaze to just over his shoulder, focusing on a faded picture of a lake with mountains behind it, helping her to focus on what Zain had said and not his inarguably fit body.
If she mated him, she'd no doubt have to be near him all the time. His quiet presence studying her as if she were some sort of unique insect. Never saying something to cheer her up, or even caring about what went on through her brain.
True, she had Serafina to confide in, to a degree. But Ivy had always seen marriage—er, matings—as a serious step in her life. She may need to do it for pro
tection, but there had to be a less intense dragon-shifter who'd do it.
She finally murmured, "There has to be someone else."
He moved away. "No, there's just me. Bram and a few witnesses will be here in a little while. And before you protest about being mated in your hospital gown, Nikki and Jane will be stopping by to help you put on something else. I have no idea what—and frankly, don't care—but you can thank Nikki for that little bit of kindness."
She forced her gaze back to his again, to the brusque man she was supposed to marry. "I don't care about looking pretty, or some sort of kindness. I'm barely getting used to you stopping by once a day. Having you around all the time will hurt my health."