T.L. Christianson - Hard Boiled

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Copyright 2021 by T.L. Christianson

Edited by Kjirsten Territ

Cover by Raquel Lyon At Crooked Sixpence

One

Ashe

D arkness was falling, and one by one, the stars began filling the sky as it went from pale blue to a deep navy. I guided my dragon, Eondian, down to land in the pasture of my parents ranch. Before my beast even came to a stop, I jumped down and began pacing. My body was spent from hours flying, exhausted from pushing both Eondian and me in the sky, but I still twitched with restlessness.

I was at my absolute lowest.

Squeezing my eyes closed, I could see Sydney kneeling on her bed, eyes bright with anger as she yelled at me.

This was why I planned my lifeto avoid things like this. To avoid situations where people were hurt, where I was hurt.

I didnt care that I broke my heart because I deserved it. But Sydmy Sydneydidnt deserve any of this.

The night closed around me as I continued to pace there in the tall grass wrapped up in my thoughts. Eondian bumped me with his snout until I absentmindedly stroked his eye ridge. He growled low in his throat before snorting out a plume of smoke.

I needed sleep, but my body twitched with the need to actto fix things that couldnt be fixed and to right the mess Id made. But there was no immediate remedy. Only patience and time could solve this problem.

Dragons teeth! I cursed under my breath.

Ashe? Called a voice from the direction of the house, but I didnt turn to see who approached. I knew who strode through the tall grass toward me, making it swish as he walked.

When Corbin neared, I stared out toward the tank, a small man made pond in the pasture.

What are you doing here? I asked, still not looking at him.

Corbin Bryant had been one of my closest friends since we were boys, and when we ended up at the same college for undergrad, our friendship was sealed. It had been hard enough living in the mundane world, but without Cor, I wasnt sure I wouldve lasted long enough to finish undergrad, let alone my MBA.

He thumped me on the back, wanting to comfort me as waves of tension rolled off my mind. Raising his eyebrows, he blew out a breath. I left Briony after my shift when your mom called me and said youd gone rogue and were flying the skies in broad daylight above LA besides, tomorrows my rest day, and I needed a break anyway.

Im fine, I told him, my voice gravelly. I bit the side of my cheek to hold in my emotion.

Like the good friend he was, Corbin said nothing, knowing I wasnt okay and knowing that Id eventually continue.

When the surge of heartache passed, I pulled my gaze away from the reflection of the rising moon on the pond.

Turning to him, I said, How can everything inside me be crying out for one thing and yet, according to everyone else I scoffed, even my own brainI know that its wrong.

He raised his eyebrows, Dude, seriouslyyou did exactly what every other Prime in your situation would have done. They just dont have the balls to say it.

I shook my head. No. I shouldve known. I shouldve realized how young she was, and I shouldve stopped Eondian. And maybe I couldnt, but I wont use that as an excuse because ugh.

Corbin stared up at Eondian as he flew low and landed. I dont know, man. The way you described it to methe pull of the bond.

that irresistible need to connect to be seen for who I wasnot what I was. I didnt have to say it. We were both Primesboth seen as a means to an end for most wyvern women, someone with power to be harnessed and used. Prime women were practically non-existent, so we dated wyvern women, knowing it would never be an equal partnership, would never result in a Tetrada bond between two Primes and their dragons. A bond that wasnt guaranteed even if two Primes wanted it.

This Tetrad was what I left unfinished with Sydney one of the most potent and rare unions known to the Dragonborn.

Dude Corbin sighed out through his nose. I can tell youre spiraling down a dark pathdont do it.

I shifted, the grass crunching beneath my boots. Looking up, I caught sight of the cows as they began lumbering away, then trotting faster to avoid my dragon who had flown over to drink... or maybe harass them. Eondian was kind of an asshole sometimes.

I stared out into the night sky. Maybe it was the dark, or maybe the emotions Id stuffed down were all coming up at once. Whatever the reason for my philosophical frame of mind, I said, You know that deep, almost insatiable need for a connection on a primal level? Id never experienced it, and truthfully I thought it didnt exist until that day I met Syd.

My quiet companion blew out a breath and laughed, What? Are you talking like love at first sight or lust?

I shook my head, No. It wasnt loveor lustat first sight, it was I dont know something else. Like, something about her called to something deep within me, something primitive and ancient.

Gazing over, I searched my friends face. His brown eyes were dark, but the moon reflected off his messy blond mop of hair.

Man, I dont know about that, he told me. I think youre overthinking this. You always take too much on. Maybe its just you, or maybe its from being born into one of the four families. But youve always had this stick up your asslike you had to be better, faster, smarter, strongerand a Prime, since your brother wasntespecially since he wasnt. I never had that. My parents were just happy to have me at all. Being a Prime wasnt ever held over me like it was you.

We watched Eondian as he bathed himself in the pond, dredging up the muck from the bottom before rolling in it and splashing.

Am I going to have to ask, or are you going to tell me why you freaked your family out and nearly got yourself into a fuckton of trouble?

I let her go, I whispered, my voice rough.

What do you mean, you let her go? Dude, shes your bondmate, Corbin spat, then pointed to the gazebo over in the distance. Come on, lets go sit down.

I matched his pace as we walked. Even as difficult as my upbringing wasalways in the spotlight, always watchedat least I had a childhood. Syd has been nothing but a slave to George Miller.

The guy who raised her? You know hes been brought to Briony; hes in lockup. He looked over at me to see my response.

About time and yet, she cares for him, I told Corbin. That fact burned inside me like a lump of smoldering coal. I felt it through the bond. She genuinely thought he was her dad. Even after she realized that he wasnt, she still thinks of him; she still loves that asshole.

He grunted and shook his head. Does she know how you feel?

No.

Corbin cut me off, So what about the bond? There are a bunch of rumors going around about it. I heard the Council didnt charge you, but that theyre denying it? What does that mean? I mean, I thought that a bond was a bond. I get that you had this connection, and I dont blame you for leaving my sister, Lacybut what I dont get is how you go from almost proposing to one person to having this, he made air quotes,