How Not To Fall For A Dragon
Chapter 86 86- Never Ignore The Obvious Red Flags
LEXI
1 freeze in place and stare in horror as the crack of Aaron’s wrist echoes throughout the room. The sound is sharp. Clean. Deliberate. It doesn’t sound like a fight. It sounds like a decision. Aaron’s scream tears through the cafeteria.
“I NEVER TOUCHED HER!” He shouts, voice breaking with pain. Blake shrugs, almost lazily.
“And now you won’t. No one else will either.” He replies evenly. He lifts his gaze from Aaron and lets it travel slowly across the room. He isn’t raging. He isn’t snarling. He is calm. Composed. In control. He makes eye contact with as many people as possible, holding it just long enough for his silent message to settle in. This is what happens when you hurt Lexi.‘ Blake releases Aaron’s broken wrist. It dangles at an unnatural angle, already swelling. For half a second I think that’s it. That this was the demonstration. But Blake’s eyes flick back to Aaron’s other arm. There’s no hesitation. I want to speak. I want to grab him. I want to do something. Instead I just stand there, nausea crawling up my throat. My body feels heavy and light at the same time. I think I stop breathing. Blake takes Aaron’s other wrist in his hand. His claws don’t dig in this time. He doesn’t need them. He adjusts his grip slightly, almost clinically, and then snaps it with another precise, sickening crack. Aaron’s scream becomes raw and hoarse. Several students flinch. Someone swears under their breath Blake watches Aaron’s reaction for a moment, assessing. Then he lets go and drops him to the floor. He doesn’t kick him. Doesn’t say anything else to him. The point has already been made. He steps over Aaron’s curled form and walks toward me. When he reaches for me, I flinch before I can stop myself.
Blake exhales softly. Not annoyed. Not surprised. Just… Acknowledging it. He lowers his hands immediately, giving me space.
“Breathe, Lexi.” He says quietly. It takes me longer than it should to obey. My lungs feel locked in my chest. The cafeteria is silent except for Aaron’s
groaning and uneven breathing. Everyone is watching us. Watching me. Finally I drag in a shaky breath because the alternative is probably fainting. Blake
nods once.
“Good.” He says firmly. He studies my face, not for approval, but for damage. Measuring it.
“Shall we go? Or would you like dinner?” He asks calmly. I stare at him, horrified. He cannot possibly think-
“That’s a no to dinner then.” He concludes smoothly.
“Let’s get you back to your room.” He decides. My legs move automatically. I head for the door. Blake follows a few steps behind, not touching me, not crowding me. Giving me just enough space to recover. No one tries to stop us. It isn’t until we’re out of the cafeteria and the noise fades that I manage to
speak.
“You just… You can’t just…” My words tangle together.
“You know I didn’t want that.” I blurt out. Blake steps around so he can see my face clearly. His expression is steady.
“I know.” He answers calmly.
“I’m horrified… I feel sick.” I tell him honestly.
“I know.” He responds again. His calm acceptance unsettles me more than if he’d argued, tried to justify it. I desperately want him to justify it in a way I
can accept.
“Then why did you do it?” I demand.
“Because I wanted to.” He answers without hesitation. The bluntness makes my stomach twist.
“You wanted to?” I repeat.
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Chapter 86 86- Never Ignore The Obvious Red Flags
“Yes.” He doesn’t elaborate. Doesn’t soften it. Doesn’t pretend it was anything else.
“You knew it would upset me.” I point out.
“Yes.” He agrees.
“And you did it anyway.” I state the obvious.
“Yes.” He holds my gaze evenly, not defensive, not apologetic.
“You’ll forgive me. Not tonight maybe. But you will.” He adds, just as calmly. The certainty in his voice makes my chest tighten. He isn’t hoping. He isn’t asking. He believes it.
“You don’t get to decide that.” I say weakly. He tilts his head slightly.
“I know you.” He says softly.
“You know how I am, Lexi.” He continues.
“I never hid that. I don’t pretend to be gentle or kind. I do what I want.” He states clearly. Blake doesn’t say he was protecting me. He doesn’t say Aaron
deserved it. He doesn’t justify it at all. He just stands there, composed, completely at ease with what he’s done, which makes it all so much worse. He
genuinely doesn’t regret his actions at all. He gestures lightly down the hall.
4
“We can’t stay here. Walk. He directs me, his voice is gentle. And because I don’t know what else to do, because my head is still spinning and my stomach
still rolling, I turn and continue toward my room.
We reach the dorms and pause in the hallway between our two rooms. The corridor is quiet, the earlier chaos from the cafeteria feeling strangely distant,
like it happened in a different building. The torches along the walls flicker softly, casting long shadows that stretch between us.
“Do you want to talk now or later?” Blake asks calmly. I blink.
“What?” I ask, confused. Talk about what? About what just happened? I don’t even want to THINK about that. My stomach twists at the thought of replaying
- it.
“Earlier, we said that we still needed to talk. About what everyone has been doing to you, about the bruises. About why you didn’t tell me what was going
- on. I really want to know, Lexi. If you aren’t ready right now, I can wait. But I would prefer to talk now,” His voice isn’t sharp. It isn’t accusing. But there’s
weight behind it. Expectation. He’s not going to let this slide. I hesitate, my hand hovering neak my door.
“You’ll sleep better if we talk first.” He adds. I give a heavy sigh. He’s probably right. I should probably be yelling at him. Screaming. Telling him that he’s a
monster and to stay away from me. That what he did was unforgivable. But… I don’t know. I still care about him. That’s the problem. He cares about me. Everything he just did, he did because he was hurt and upset on my behalf. I don’t agree with his methods, not even close, but his motive… Well, I can’t argue with that. And I DID keep it from him. The secret has been sitting in my chest for weeks now, heavy and sour. And the biggest thing, despite what just happened, I am not at all scared of Blake hurting me. I’m actually more scared that I probably will forgive him and what that says about me.
“Fine. We can talk. But I am still really freaked out right now. And afterwards I need some space.” I say, keeping my voice as fitm as I can manage. Blake nods immediately. No argument. No attempt to negotiate it.
“Okay.” He agrees, then follows me into my room. The door shuts softly behind us. The room feels smaller with him inside it. Not threatening. Just intense Blake sits on the edge of my bed, the mattress dipping under his weight, which somehow makes things a little bit easier. He isn’t standing over me. He isn’t looming. He’s grounded. Still. I sit down on the opposite side of the bed, not really facing him, just sort of angled away. My hands twist in my lap. I focus on
the pattern in the blanket instead of his face.
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Chapter 86 86- Never Ignore The Obvious Red Flags
“Why didn’t you tell me what’s been going on?” Blake asks. He sounds slightly frustrated, but more confused than angry.
“Well… It was something that was being done to me, not to you. I had already decided how I wanted to deal with it. I’ve been learning spells to keep myself
safe and I chose not to respond to what they did.” I explain. I keep my voice measured. Controlled. What I’m saying is true. Technically. But it still doesn’t
feel totally honest. Blake can tell. He shakes his head slowly.
“You’re wrong. Everything they did to you, it was all against me, not you. It was the things they wish they could do to me. It was all because of me.” He
argues, his jaw tightening slightly.
“That’s why I didn’t want you to know.” I snap back, more heated than I meant to be.
“I knew that you would feel guilty. You would feel responsible. Probably more responsible than you need to be. I CHOSE to be your friend. I chose to hold to my own values, even if it meant that they would hate me. That was MY decision. And that’s why they dislike me so much.” My voice rises at the end,
frustration bleeding through. Blake softens a little at that. His shoulders lower just slightly.
“I know that.” He admits.
“If I were a less selfish person, I would have never let you make that decision. I would have given you the chance to make friends with other people.” He
grumbles. I make a face at that, glancing at him finally.
“I don’t really want to be friends with people like them. People who hate for stupid reasons. Although I think Aaron probably has a good reason to hate you now…” I trail off, the image of his wrists flashing in my head. I shudder. Blake shrugs.
“Probably. But that’s fine.” He says evenly.
“And I’m glad you feel that way. I’m not a good enough person to stay away from you.” He states. There’s no self–pity in it. Just fact.
“I wasn’t lying earlier.” I say quietly, my voice shaking again.
*If you had killed him… I really would have walked away from you forever. I don’t think I could move past that.” I tell him. Blake nods once. He doesn’t
argue it.
“I understand.” He says. The simplicity of it makes my chest tighten.
“But everyone should know better now.” He continues.
“They’ve been dealt with.” He reminds me. The phrase makes me flinch slightly.
“So now I’m just worried about you.” He adds, his eyes narrowing slightly as he studies me.
“I don’t understand it. You let them hurt you, You let them make you feel small. You thought that I wouldn’t notice.” There’s frustration there now. Not explosive. Controlled.
“Just… Promise that you won’t do something like that again. You can trust me, Lexi. Even if it doesn’t feel that way right now.” His tone isn’t pleading. It’s
steady. Certain. And that somehow makes it harder.
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
