Her Dragon Protector

Chapter 11

Andi, the waitress for the diner, walked up and began to put their plates in front of them. “How are you two gentlemen doing? It has been a while since you have been in to say hi.”

Devon replied, “We have been good except for this one refusing to come out here every weekend so I can get my fix from your chili cheese fries.”

“Tyson, you shouldn’t be so mean to him,” Andi chided as she placed Olivia’s chef salad in front of her.

“Devon forgets that it is an hour’s drive to get here, and we both have jobs. He is welcome to come here without me as often as he likes,” Tyson said as he looked disapprovingly at it. “He can even bring the wife and kids if he wants.”

“Fat chance of that,” Devon laughed. “I come here with you to get away from the wife and kids.”

Andi chuckled, “Devon, you’re terrible. Olivia, I will bring you another cup of coffee since you didn’t get to enjoy your last one.”

“Thank you, Andi,” Olivia replied as she began to load her fork with salad.

“No problem, sweetheart,” she turned to head back to the kitchen and called out. “You all yell if you need anything.”

“You’re drinking coffee?” Tyson asked Olivia quietly.

“Relax. It is decaf, and I cleared it with my doctor before I left Dark Moon,” Olivia told him.

They paused their conversation when Andi returned to the table with the coffee. She smiled at them with her head tipped to the side momentarily.

“Thank you, Andi,” Olivia said as she picked up the cup and took a sip.

“You’re welcome, Hun,” she replied before glancing at the trio again and heading to the kitchen.

“What’s wrong with her drinking coffee? I mean, the only time you shouldn’t is when your…” Devon trailed off and looked at her wide-eyed. “That’s why Jerkface wants you back so badly.”

“Yes,” Olivia answered with a sigh.

“You’re running away from him?” Devon quietly asked.

“No. When I told him, he rejected me. He never used the word because we were not mates, but he told me I would never be his chosen mate or Luna, and whatever I did with the baby was up to me. He wanted nothing to do with either of us because it would complicate things with his chosen Luna,” Olivia sighed. “I submitted my resignation the Monday after Thanksgiving, and that is when he started bombarding me with calls, emails, messages, and everything else he could. Telling me how wrong he was and that he couldn’t live without me. He never once mentioned the baby. When I finally managed to drop off the map from him, he sent out that email.”

“Jerkface is too nice a name for him,” Devon growled. “We need something more fitting.”

Olivia only grunted as she tried to smile. She picked up her fork, loaded it with the salad, and frowned. She had completely lost her appetite after talking about what had happened and why she was trying to hide from her Alpha. She felt embarrassed and as if she had embarrassed her family as well.

“Olivia?” Tyson said, pulling her out of her thoughts to look at him. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah. I am just feeling like a complete i***t and an embarrassment to my family for letting this happen,” she answered.

“Hold up, right there,” Devon said to her gently. “The last time I checked, it takes a second person to make that happen. I should know. It has happened twice to my wife, and I am fairly sure I was there both times.”

Olivia started laughing. She needed to laugh and have things put into perspective that it had not been her actions alone that had created the mess she was in. Devon had done both for her.

“Would you like something else to eat?” Tyson asked.

“No. Nothing sounds good.”

Andi came over to the table and slid Olivia’s cup of coffee to her. “Is something wrong with your salad, Hun?”

“No, I’ve just lost my appetite, that's all. When you get a chance, can I get a box so I can take it with me?”

“Of course, Hun. I hope you get to feeling better,” Andi told her. “Can I get anyone else anything?”

“Andi, can I get an extra large order of fries and a hot fudge sundae?” Devon asked.

“Sure thing. I will have that out to you in a few minutes,” Andi said with a smile before she headed to the kitchen.

Olivia and Tyson both looked at him quizzically.

“Trust me, you two. Bree swears by it. Whenever she didn’t feel like eating, I could serve her that, and she would eat it. It might take her an hour to get it down, but it kept her going,” Devon explained.

The sound of thunder came from Olivia’s phone. She was smiling when she picked it up and looked at it. That was the weather forecast telling her there would be thunderstorms that night. She was hoping to take pictures of the storm. It had been years since she had, and for some reason, the thought of capturing lightning that night made her giddy with anticipation.

“What’s got you so happy?” Devon asked with a grin.

“There are thunderstorms tonight, and it has been forever since I shot one. So now, I just have to find a good place to do it. I adore the little cottage I am staying in, but it won’t work very well for photographing storms,” Olivia added with a sigh.

Tyson asked, “Where were you the last time you did it?”

“The last time was years ago. Before Nicholas took over, the Luna let me use one of the guest rooms in the pack house. It had a balcony and huge glass double doors that I could open and have a clear view without worrying about the rain or getting struck by lightning.”

Olivia watched a smile spread across Tyson’s face as his and Devon’s eyes clouded. It always made her uneasy to see people using the mind link. When it happened while she was present, it usually involved her. It also made her feel left out because that was something that she could not do because her wolf had not come forward. She put her hands in her lap and started playing with her fingers as she looked down, waiting for them to finish.

Tyson reached over and took her hand. “Don’t worry. We were talking about you, but hopefully, it is a surprise you will like.” He could see the concern on her face as he continued. “Devon and I are going to be using the cabin that is owned by the company. It has a giant wrap-around deck surrounding it, and nearly every room has double doors leading out onto it. So if you would like, you can come with us and take all the pictures you want from every angle.”

“Are you serious?” Olivia asked, nearly bouncing in her seat.

“Completely,” Devon answered. “But there is a catch that I am going to add.”

“What is it?”

“We get to see every picture you take before you show anyone else,” Devon smirked as he shoved one of his fries in his mouth.

“Deal!” Olivia agreed as she stuck her hand out and shook Devon’s.

“Well, you look happy,” Andi chirped as she set Olivia’s fries and ice cream on the table and gave her a box for her salad. “I hope this sits well for you.

“We are going to let her take photos tonight from the cabin deck,” Tyson told her.

“Oh, I bet they will be spectacular,” Andi beamed. “The ones she has shown me while she’s been here have been so beautiful.”

“That is why she now works for me,” Tyson grinned.

“I knew you were smarter than you looked,” Andi teased.

“That doesn’t take much,” Devon said through a bite of his burger.

Tyson rolled his eyes and slowly shook his head. “Has everyone decided to team up against me today?”

“I will defend you,” Olivia chuckled as she leaned her head onto his shoulder. “I think you look smart. Plus, you have a dark, mysterious, bad boy sort of look. Portraits aren’t really my thing, but I think doing some of you might be a nice change.”

She pulled back to look at him and was met with his eyes piercing into her. They were flickering again with orange and gold, making them look as if his irises were made of flame. She felt her cheeks flush and turned away, grabbing a fry.

“I will let you all finish eating. I know the cabin is well stocked, but if you want something special to take with you, let me know,” Andi told them before leaving the table.

Olivia asked, “How does she know your cabin is stocked?”

Tyson wiped his mouth and answered, “She is part of our dragon clan. She and her family take care of the cabin and ensure it is always ready for use. She wears a pendant that masks her scent so no one notices what she is.”

“That explains a few things,” Olivia admitted. “I had the feeling she knew I wasn’t human. I also felt safe around her, and every time I have been here, she has mothered me.”

She picked up her spoon to take a bite of her sundae. As she reached for the dish, she realized that Tyson had never let go of her hand. The heat radiating from it was so comfortable that it had not registered. She pursed her lips as she slid her hand out of his grip to hold the ice cream bowl as she ate. She didn’t miss that Tyson looked disappointed when she did.

Olivia took the first bite of her ice cream and groaned. Devon had been right. The ice cream was exactly what her body wanted. After a couple of bites, she popped one of the fries into her mouth. She closed her eyes and let out a sigh as she chewed. She made a mental note to thank Bree for teaching Devon about this combination.

“I see that I was right,” Devon snickered.

Olivia opened her eyes and replied, “Yes, and I need to thank your wife for training you.”

They continued to eat in silence as they worked their way through their meal. Olivia could see that Devon and Tyson were mind linking each other, having their own private conversation. She was focused on planning the setup for her cameras and the equipment she needed for photographing the storms.

A cell phone beeping broke everyone out of their thoughts. As the men checked theirs and shook their heads, Olivia knew it was hers and would not be good.