The Island Of Dragons: A Paranormal Shifter Romance Read Online Free Page B

“Please leave.”
    “Certainly. I’d hate for you to take legal action against me if I don’t. But, ‘Please leave’ who ? I don’t believe I heard my name at the end of that request.”
    I spoke through gritted teeth. “Please leave, Lieutenant General Chief Warren James Knight.”
    “That’s better. Once you’re a bit more hydrated, I’ll be back to talk again. Until then, Miss Eleanor Christine Elizabeth O’Brien, esquire ... have a pleasant day.”
    With that, he turned and strode out of the room, giving me a glimpse of his tight rear, which was displayed to its very best advantage in his low-slung jeans. His fitted t-shirt, which was a pale dove gray, also did a fine job of showing off every ridge and muscle in his broad back.
    I went back to my water, telling myself that he disgusted me because of what he’d accused me of being. He disgusted me so much that I couldn’t get the image of his shoulders and rear out of my mind, and I soon became so engrossed in wondering when he’d be back to talk to me that Melody had to repeat herself when trying to get my attention.
     
    *
    Melody laughed, living up to her name, because her laughter, soft and musical, could definitely be described as melodic. “Hello, Ellie? You still with me? I’ve said your name twice now, but you look like you’re in some sort of a funny trance.”
    I pulled myself out of it, setting my water glass down and turning my focus to her. “Oh, sorry. I’m still here. Just a little...”
    I couldn’t really think what the heck I was.
    Melody set a stack of clean towels on a closet shelf, shut the door, and turned to face me, smiling. “Dazed?”
    I lifted my shoulders in a weak shrug, determined to put all thoughts of Warren out of my mind. “Maybe a little. I’m fine, though.”
    Melody came over and took a seat bedside, her expression one of sympathy. “Well, who can blame you if you are a little dazed? After all, you’ve recently almost drowned; you’re in a strange, new place where you don’t know anyone; and from what I’ve heard, you saw dragon shifters for the first time last night. And I’m sure there were many other quite rattling experiences you went through yesterday.”
    Dragon shifters . I absolutely could not believe that they hadn’t crossed my mind at all that morning. Not even once. Not even for a split second. That’s just how thoroughly disgusted I was by Warren. I was so disgusted by him that that the feeling had even crowded out all thoughts of dragon shifters from my brain.
    I nodded at Melody, lifting my coffee mug. “That’s it—being so stunned from seeing dragon shifters for the first time last night. That’s exactly what has me so spacey this morning.”
    Leaning forward in her chair with her elbows on her knees and her chin in her hands, Melody gave me the smallest of smiles. “So, Chief Knight hasn’t contributed the tiniest amount to your spaciness? Just, on top of everything else? I’m just wondering because the two of you seemed to be involved in some sort of a very intense discussion when I came in. It seems clear that the two of you have gotten to know each other well enough to know each other’s full, complete names. I didn’t even know Warren’s middle name was James, and my husband Joshua is his best friend and second-in-command.”
    I sighed, swallowed a sip of coffee, and set the mug on the tray. “He accused me of being a spy and an ‘enemy combatant,’ Melody. He actually believes that’s a real possibility. Which makes me... well, let’s just say he’s not my favorite person right now. I don’t appreciate being accused of things that are completely absurd the very day after I almost lost my life.”
    “But the reason you didn’t lose your life was because of Warren. Who, by the way, you’ll notice I call both Warren and Chief Knight alternately. See, I’m one of the few people in the village allowed to call him Warren, but I called him Chief Knight for so many