Supernatural Encounters

Chapter 9

"Umm Aeron? Not that I don't trust you or anything but..." Harper moves behind Misha and waves her arms up and down in the empty space behind his back. "See, no wings and no tail."

Misha snorts while Aeron rolls his eyes at the childish justification she is using. "Obviously he is wearing his human guise. I highly doubt humans are ready for the existence of creatures as powerful as dragons."

"Okay, but he and I lived together for several years, and I never noticed him turn into a dragon. No wings, no scales, no hoarding of money, and definitely no fire breathing. Dude can't even handle kimchi let alone actual fire."

"Ice," Misha mutters awkwardly, refusing to meet Harper's eyes. "My species doesn't breathe fire because we are frost dragons. So we breathe ice."

Harper freezes, her brain struggling to catch up to what Misha just confessed. "Oh my god. You really are a dragon?"

"Yes."

Everyone stands silently for a moment, trying to figure out how to proceed. Aeron monitors Misha for any backlash for revealing his secret while Misha nervously waits to see how Harper feels about his confession. And Harper...

"Wait...does that make you a furry? Wait, am I a furry now?! Crap! Now I'll never be able to face Lily without her teasing me about this."

"Not sure how I feel about being called a furry," Misha says with a grimace. "And is that really what you are worried about right now?"

"Well I could focus on the fact that you hid for the entirety of our relationship that you are a different species from me," Harper snaps back in annoyance. "At least this guy was honest from minute one that he's not human. Also tried to eat Sherlock within that minute, but I'm almost over that," she continued, pointing her thumb at Aeron.

"I was under the impression that the 7-story cat tree I purchased was sufficient in repaying my debt for that incident."

"Yeah, Sherlock forgave you after you gave him the tree. I'm still on the fence."

"Ah, I see. Then I will endeavor this year to gift a Christmas offering worthy of your forgiveness."

"Wait a minute," Misha interrupts, his hand rubbing his temples in both frustration and confusion. "Aeron is not human and he tried to eat your cat? What the hell, Harper?"

"Huh?" Harper glances between the two men for a moment, then it dawns on her. "Ohhhh, Aeron can smell that you are a dragon but you can't smell what he is."

"Of course not," Aeron scoffs. "As I have often said, demons are superior to most supernatural creatures."

"As you have said many times," she says with a roll of her eyes. "And Kye and Lily have---Hey!"

Misha wraps his hand around Harper's bicep and pulls her behind him so that he is between her and Aeron. The temperature around the three drops suddenly as the dragon begins to growl at the other man. Aeron takes a step forward but stills when he sees his grip on Harper tighten and his nails lengthen and harden into talon-like shapes.

For the first time since they've met, Harper is actually frightened of Misha. His eyes flicker between their normal pale blue to deep sapphire color while his mouth is twisted into a snarl. His back is arched, and his hands are held out to the sides: whether it is to protect her from Aeron or to keep her from leaving is up for debate. The most surprising sight though is the faint hint of light in the shape of wings stretching out from his shoulder blades.

Just a few minutes ago, Harper struggled to accept that Misha is a dragon. Now she full-heartedly believes it.

It is frightening. It is awe-inspiring. And it is annoying that he is going feral over nothing.