5

"We are having a party tonight and I'm not taking no for an answer."

Jack popped a can of cola for her and passed a bag of chips with it. Brent was sleeping off the hangover.

"I can't, I need to study…"

"You can always study whenever. You can call Samantha, I'm sure she'll agree you need a social life."

"I have a social life thank you very much."

"In school I'm sure," Jack laughed. "Who knows you might finally get drunk enough to fuck."

"I doubt that," Sarah laughed taking a swing of her coke. The last time she got close enough to having sex the guy had fallen off the bed and broken his leg. He broke his leg falling off her bed!

She had met Jack on her first day at the University. He had stumbled drunkenly into the wrong hall, sitting with her throughout her class and talking and laughing loudly, she was embarrassed. Sarah had taken him back to her apartment, even though Eric objected, to get him to sober up. When he made a pass at her she slapped him hard and their friendship was established.

"Okay maybe you are cursed but we can break the curse if we get you to just attempt a conversation that involves anything but archeology and the history of Sunny Island."

Sarah rolled her eyes. "Well, what else do I talk about?"

"Flirt a little. Say something sassy. I can't believe I have to give you tips. You can ask my girlfriend for pointers tonight."

"Which one of them again?"

"Gabby duh. Call Samantha and wear something that's not a sweater and baggy jeans."

Sarah rolled her eyes but in the evening she called her sister. Samantha was the 6th child, adopted as the rest of her siblings but Sarah was closer to her than she was with her other siblings.

She was climbing the stairs to her apartment listening to Samantha rant on about her new fashion show when she almost bumped into a man coming in the opposite direction.

"Sorry," she said quickly.

"Sorry, Miss."

He was dressed in a stenciled uniform, carrying a box of old stuff, and appeared to be coming from the apartment beside hers. She shared a balcony with the apartment. For as long as she could remember the apartment was vacant.

"What's that?" Samantha asked.

"Oh, nothing. I think I have a new neighbor."

"Is he hot?"

"I don't even know if it's a guy. Get dirty thoughts out of your head, Sam, I'm not doing the boy next door thing."

"Well, it doesn't hurt to try. You should invite him to the party and try to kick things off from there."

"Sam my neighbor isn't even here yet. Besides, I don't think I'm going to the party. I need to…"

"No, you do not need the study, Sarah baby. You've studied long enough in that school dad locked you up in. You are the smartest person I know, skipping a day buried in your books would definitely not bring your excellent grades down. Now less talking and more acting. I know you still have that hot pink gown I gave you the last time, wear that with some strap sandals, let your hair breathe, and little gloss on your lips and the boys will be putty in your hands."

The boys will be putty in your hands. Right, she thought to herself later that night as she smoothed the skirt of the mini gown. It stopped mid-thigh, she felt completely exposed even though no one in the room noticed the girl in the corner holding a cup of cheap whiskey she sure would not be drinking glancing around uncomfortably. The only guys who approached her tonight were drunk to their eyeballs. One of them had tried to kiss her.

The place was packed tight, It was one of Jack's friends throwing the party and Jack who was supposed to be by her side was now with his friend talking and laughing over beer. Where are friends when you need them?

Okay, Sarah, you are all alone here. Maybe you should just go back home and sleep…as always.

Somewhere in the corner of the small living room a couple of partygoers were playing cup pong, their cheers over the games were overshadowed by the pop music coming from the speakers. Sarah sighed, this wasn't her party, this wasn't her type of thing. All her life she was locked up wherever her father decided. First at home where she only had Samantha to play with then boarding school. If Samantha hadn't intervened Edgar would have sent her to some prestigious university somewhere away from Sunny Island and she would probably be studying law. But she loved Sunny Island, she loved its rich history and the stories yet to be uncovered. That was her turf, not this.

She was just about to give up when one of the guys across the room smiled at her. She smiled back, fluttering her lashes as Gabby told her to. He seemed impressed though it was hard to tell when he was so far across the room. Her heart started to pound in her chest when he leaned over to whisper something to someone beside him before making his way across the room toward her. Unsure of what to do she let her gaze run through the crowd and assumed an uninterested look until he was close enough.

"Hi."

"Hi," she responded as if she just noticed he was there.

He was cute up close and seemed sober enough.

"Nice dress," he said.

"Uhm…thanks." That was a first. Maybe Samantha was right. Looks like it was time to turn on the charm like Gabby said. She leaned against the wall and reached up to tug her hair like Gabby had said and almost took out her own eye. "Ow!" she laughed nervously feeling stupid.

"What was that?" he asked moving close to see. She held her breath, he was slightly tipsy. But that shouldn't be bad. The plan was to get someone to her apartment to have sex with, a drunken tumble shouldn't be bad. Besides, this stranger, whoever he was, looked good enough for the part.

"Nothing," she rushed to say, suddenly feeling stupid. "This place is a bit crowded don't you think?"

His lips lifted in a sly smile. "I agree. Wanna go somewhere private?" he leaned close to whisper in her ear so that his breath fell on her neck. She closed her eyes and forced herself to feel the tinges Samantha's romance books praised to the highest skies.

Nothing.

Maybe I'm not drunk enough, she thought to herself. Throwing her head back she took a long gulp of her whiskey. She was barely done before the guy took her hand and started leading her away from the party to a corridor where a couple of people were making out. Sarah watched them trying hard not to blush.

Suddenly her back was pushed against the wall and the guy was all over her kissing her face, her neck, and shoulders while his fingers dug into the neck of her gown. She closed her eyes and tried as hard as she could to conjure up images to make herself wet yet there was nothing, no stirring down there just disgust rolling in her belly. When the guy slipped his fingers beneath her bra to cup her breast she gagged and threw her hands up to push him off.

"Wait!"

"What?"

She giggled nervously. "Sorry, this…I can't. I'm sorry I wasted your time."

"What are you talking about? We've only just gotten started." His hand moved lower until he was almost touching her nipple.

"I said no. Go away from me."

But no matter how hard she pushed him away he continued. The people in the corridor were either passed out or too drunk to care. When she tried to walk past him he yanked her back and opened his mouth over hers. Their lips barely made contact before he was yanked away from her and thrown into the wall. He gasped in surprise.

Sarah was also surprised. When she raised her eyes to see who it was that had come to her rescue her jaw dropped.

He was hot. And he also looked vaguely familiar although she couldn't remember where she met him. He wasn't looking at her though, he was staring daggers at the other guy who was now scrambling to his feet looking ready to fight. When he moved on unsteady feet to attack her incidental savor she jumped in between both men to prevent bloodshed, they were attracting more than enough attention to themselves already.

"Fuck off," he growled not to her but to the other guy.

They were almost like wolves raising their hackles ready to tear each other up.

Ace glanced down at her small hand resting on his belly. She didn't even seem to notice that was touching him, the worry in her eyes captivated him. Here he was willing to tear that asshole from limb to limb and she only cared about preventing a full-blown fight.

"Thank you for your help, stranger," she said to him. "But there is no need for a fight."

Who was she to tell him what to do? In the first place, why was he trying to protect her? She was the enemy and his mission was to retrieve her for his father yet here he was drawn by her soft voice and the softness of her hand against his flesh.

"Please," she pleaded and that was enough to melt his anger.

He released a sigh and nodded. "Are you okay?" he whispered to her.

She nodded, her brown eyes soft.

Something twisted in his chest and he squelched it ruthlessly.

"Dude I'm sorry okay? I'll see myself out," the other guy mumbled quickly before making a quick exit.

As soon as he was out of sight she let out a deep sigh of relief. She had just come close to being molested and it wasn't pleasant. It was only after took another breath to steady her beating heart that she realized she was still holding him. Snatching her hand back to her chest she looked away. His eyes were dark and intense. Looking at him up close left her breathless. There was a dangerous air around him that added to his mystery.

"T-thanks."

Ace narrowed his eyes at her. Was she trying to play the damsel in distress with him? There was a sweet innocence about her that tugged at something dead and buried inside him.

"Uhm…Sarah." She held her hand out.

He took her hand amazed at the delicate softness. "Sarah Dragenar, I guess? I'm Ace."

Her eyes widened as recognition dawned. "Oh, you're the know-it-all from Mrs. Klavan's class."

"That would be him," a firm feminine voice came from behind her. Sarah turned to see a tall girl with a blunt chin-length haircut. She smiled brightly at her and held out her hand. "My name is Emily. I see you've met my cousin."

"Oh uh – yeah. He saved my life."

Emily's eyes widened. "He did? About time you did something nice for a change."

Something passed between them as she and Ace glared at each other. Sarah cleared her throat.

"Uh Ace, thanks again. I have to go now."

Before they could stop her she walked quickly to the living room again vaguely aware of their eyes following her.

"She's the one?" Emily asked under her breath.

"Yes." Ace turned to glare at his cousin. "What the fuck are you doing here?"

She ignored his question. "She looks sweet. Are you really going to give her over to dad?"

"That is none of your business," he growled trying to move past her.

Emily stood in his way. She was no dragon since his mom was a mere human. His mother was dead and he and Emily grew up together with their Dragon thunder. She was strong and was one of the few people who could best him in a fight. Pity he taught her how to fight.

"You saved her life. If you are planning to abduct her you better think again! Edgar Dragenar was a warrior, he will tear down this city to find anyone who hurts his daughter."

Ace scoffed. "From the looks of it, he doesn't even care. What is the daughter of Edgar Dragenar doing in a place like this without protection?"

And she was weak. Look how easy it was for that guy to subdue her. He still felt the urge to find the idiot and cave his face in for trying to force himself on her.

Ace shook himself. Why should he care?

"Don't do it, Ace. This is Attor's fight, not yours."

"You can fuck…" his words were caught off when a sharp tingling sensation started in his belly. He grunted as the pain became unbearable that he leaned on the wall for support. Emily was beside him in an instant.

"What is it, Ace?!"

He lifted his shirt and looked down at the place Sarah had touched him.

"Fuck!"

Emily looked down at what he had seen. There was an emblem of the Mother etched into his skin, a circular image with the pentagon star and the crystal dragon in its center. She gasped.

"Fuck!" he cursed louder. The pain was beginning to recede and the emblem was fast disappearing now. "She is my mate!"