euphoria. He had never experienced the world quite the way Byrd saw it. The pure, undiluted emotions of the dragon overwhelmed Noah. And to make it even harder to handle, Byrd’s emotions could jump from one extreme to the other in a heartbeat.
When Noah had laid into him for destroying Kara’s couch, an overwhelming anxiety had filled Byrd. It was enough to make Noah want to bawl his eyes out. He had managed to get Byrd together enough to try to clean up the mess, but the negative emotions were almost crippling.
When Kara had come down and forgiven them, Byrd’s emotions jumped the other way—so much so that, had Noah been in control, he wouldn’t have been able to breathe. Now that Byrd was happy again, whatever was driving his emotions was settling down.
Noah drew a cleansing breath and considered Byrd as the little dragon got into the car and waited for Kara to take them wherever she wanted to go. Noah was astounded by the range of emotion Byrd felt. The fact that his emotions had jumped from highs to lows and back again in no time at all reminded Noah of a woman with a bad case of PMS. Any little thing could drive her to either end of the emotional spectrum. That’s exactly the way Noah felt at that moment.
He followed Byrd’s mind as the dragon looked out the window, watching the world rush by. There weren’t any real thoughts, just feelings and impressions. It gave him a lot more insight into the inner workings of dragons. If he ever wanted to regain some control over his life, he was going to have to find a way to control Byrd, and the best way to do that was through his emotions. But Noah couldn’t just lead the dragon around. He was going to have to find a way to coexist with him.
“Are you hungry?”
Kara’s words broke into both Noah’s and Byrd’s thoughts.
Byrd jumped up and turned circles on the seat. “ Yes!” he chirped excitedly.
Kara giggled and laid her hand on Byrd’s shoulder, pushing him back down. “Settle down before you make us wreck.”
Byrd gave under her gentle touch and sank to the seat.
A wave of emotion hit Noah, leaving him reeling. Trying to put a name to the emotion was hard. Respect, loyalty, and devotion were as close as he could come. A second epiphany struck Noah. Byrd would do anything for Kara.
“We likes her.”
Byrd’s thought echoed through Noah as the dragon stretched his neck across the gap between the seats and settled his chin on Kara’s lap.
Her hand came down and patted him before going back to the steering wheel.
Noah chuckled softly. He agreed with the dragon, but he was reluctant to say so. Intellectually, Noah knew Kara was only there because Daniel had ordered her to help them. This was her job. When it was over, she would leave them for her next patient. But the instincts pushing at him insisted she cared and wouldn’t leave him. The opposing concepts left him conflicted about where he stood in the situation. It was hard to deal with the irrational attachment he was starting to feel for the woman. Warmth washed over him from Byrd, calming the distressing thoughts.
Noah smiled. “ Yes, we do.” Making that announcement to Byrd didn’t change the conflict he felt, but it gave strength to the side he wasn’t sure was good for his heart.
“So, what do you want?” Kara asked.
Noah looked up. Through the window, he could see the menu board of the drive thru.
“Food!” Byrd chirped and wiggled around, trying to get into her lap and out the window.
Kara grabbed his collar and held him back from jumping out the window.
“Settle down, Byrd,” Noah scolded as he tried to make them look at the menu. It was impossible to focus on the words while Byrd danced around in excitement.
“Sit!” Noah snapped out loud, startling them all.
Byrd froze in Kara’s arms.
Kara’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Sorry,” Noah chirped. He glanced over the menu. “One of those egg sandwich things, some hash browns, and…” he paused, debating.
When Noah had laid into him for destroying Kara’s couch, an overwhelming anxiety had filled Byrd. It was enough to make Noah want to bawl his eyes out. He had managed to get Byrd together enough to try to clean up the mess, but the negative emotions were almost crippling.
When Kara had come down and forgiven them, Byrd’s emotions jumped the other way—so much so that, had Noah been in control, he wouldn’t have been able to breathe. Now that Byrd was happy again, whatever was driving his emotions was settling down.
Noah drew a cleansing breath and considered Byrd as the little dragon got into the car and waited for Kara to take them wherever she wanted to go. Noah was astounded by the range of emotion Byrd felt. The fact that his emotions had jumped from highs to lows and back again in no time at all reminded Noah of a woman with a bad case of PMS. Any little thing could drive her to either end of the emotional spectrum. That’s exactly the way Noah felt at that moment.
He followed Byrd’s mind as the dragon looked out the window, watching the world rush by. There weren’t any real thoughts, just feelings and impressions. It gave him a lot more insight into the inner workings of dragons. If he ever wanted to regain some control over his life, he was going to have to find a way to control Byrd, and the best way to do that was through his emotions. But Noah couldn’t just lead the dragon around. He was going to have to find a way to coexist with him.
“Are you hungry?”
Kara’s words broke into both Noah’s and Byrd’s thoughts.
Byrd jumped up and turned circles on the seat. “ Yes!” he chirped excitedly.
Kara giggled and laid her hand on Byrd’s shoulder, pushing him back down. “Settle down before you make us wreck.”
Byrd gave under her gentle touch and sank to the seat.
A wave of emotion hit Noah, leaving him reeling. Trying to put a name to the emotion was hard. Respect, loyalty, and devotion were as close as he could come. A second epiphany struck Noah. Byrd would do anything for Kara.
“We likes her.”
Byrd’s thought echoed through Noah as the dragon stretched his neck across the gap between the seats and settled his chin on Kara’s lap.
Her hand came down and patted him before going back to the steering wheel.
Noah chuckled softly. He agreed with the dragon, but he was reluctant to say so. Intellectually, Noah knew Kara was only there because Daniel had ordered her to help them. This was her job. When it was over, she would leave them for her next patient. But the instincts pushing at him insisted she cared and wouldn’t leave him. The opposing concepts left him conflicted about where he stood in the situation. It was hard to deal with the irrational attachment he was starting to feel for the woman. Warmth washed over him from Byrd, calming the distressing thoughts.
Noah smiled. “ Yes, we do.” Making that announcement to Byrd didn’t change the conflict he felt, but it gave strength to the side he wasn’t sure was good for his heart.
“So, what do you want?” Kara asked.
Noah looked up. Through the window, he could see the menu board of the drive thru.
“Food!” Byrd chirped and wiggled around, trying to get into her lap and out the window.
Kara grabbed his collar and held him back from jumping out the window.
“Settle down, Byrd,” Noah scolded as he tried to make them look at the menu. It was impossible to focus on the words while Byrd danced around in excitement.
“Sit!” Noah snapped out loud, startling them all.
Byrd froze in Kara’s arms.
Kara’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Sorry,” Noah chirped. He glanced over the menu. “One of those egg sandwich things, some hash browns, and…” he paused, debating.
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