The Dragon's Choice (Tahoe Dragon Mates 1)

Both he and his parents chuckled, but Jose was the one to reply. "You may regret those words one day, love. You just may."

As she leaned against Jose's side and ate a forkful of some kind of rice, she didn't think she would.

Chapter Ten

The next few weeks whirred by in a blur. Victoria spent most of her time in the cabin with Jose or at his parents' house, with a few trips to see the doctor and the head Protector when needed.

Things were too good to be true, and in many ways were like a dream. She had a man curious about her, wanting to learn every little thing, and spoiling her more than she'd ever been in her life. Not to mention she lived with a clan of freaking dragon-shifters. Being able to see a dragon launch into the air at any moment would never get old.

And yet with each day that passed, she waited. Something would have to happen because everything was too damn perfect.

One morning she was getting ready in the bathroom when she heard glass breaking from somewhere inside the cabin. And it sounded more than merely something falling from a shelf—it was as if someone took a sledgehammer to a window or an entire crate of dishes.

She just caught herself from shrieking and debated what to do. She didn't have her cell phone with her, the tiny window in the bathroom wasn't big enough for her to climb out of, and it wasn't as if she could investigate anything since she wasn't trained in any sort of self-defense or weapons.

Something she was going to work on after today.

So she turned off the shower, dried off and dressed in record time before sitting on the floor with the door locked, and listened closely. However, she didn't hear anything else break or even footsteps walking down the hall.

Still, she didn't want to risk someone lying in wait. Given how much she loved her books, her imagination rattled off one scenario after another, none of them good.

Her best option was to find something to use as a weapon—only as a last resort—and wait for Jose to come home.

With a long-handled wooden bristle brush she used for exfoliation in hand, she waited, sitting on the floor. After a while, her butt started to hurt from the hard tile and her stomach churned, letting her know it was time to eat again.

Even when there could be danger, her little dragon baby wanted food.

At least that was the same, and it helped to keep her from panicking. If nothing else, no one would hurt her physically until at least the baby was born. That was something she'd learned from her daily lessons—dragon-shifters treasured children.

Yet as the minutes ticked by, she started to reflect on how much she'd left unsaid. If she died today, she would've had a huge regret—not telling Jose how much he'd come to mean to her.

Which meant if she survived the day—she hoped no one would come back—she should find a way to tell him.

Eventually she heard a roar and Jose's voice bellowed through the house. "Tori! Where are you?"

Standing up, it took a second to balance. Ignoring the pins and needles in her feet, she unlocked the door. "Jose?"

He was there within a matter of seconds, holding her slightly back from him by the arms, and checking her out from head to foot. "Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?"

Victoria had stayed strong as long as she could, but tears started to trickle down her cheeks. "I-I'm fine, but I heard broken glass. And not like one cup being dropped, but as if an entire crate had fallen."

He pulled her against his chest and gently stroked her back. "I want to calm you down first, love. Then I'll tell you what I saw."

Closing her eyes, she leaned against his chest and breathed in his now familiar scent of pine, dirt, and a musk that was uniquely Jose. "You were clearing trees again today, weren't you?"

"Yes, but that's not important." He kissed the top of her head. "After today, I'm taking more time off."

For a few beats, she allowed the silence, soaking up his strength. Then finally she took a deep breath and lifted her head. "Tell me what happened."

He growled. "Someone broke the front windows. They tossed rocks inside, with notes attached. As well as wrote a message on the front door."

She had a feeling she knew what the message would be, but she forced herself to confirm it. "What did it say?"

"Go home, human. You're not welcome here."

Searching his gaze, she asked, "Is that the true message

or a censored one?"