Protected By The Dragon (District Shifters Book 4)

by Lola Gabriel

  Her hands went up and down his back, underneath his t-shirt, wanting to feel every part of him. His hand slipped beneath her blouse, moving up her body and cupping her breast. She felt shivers running through her as his palm rubbed against her sensitive nipple. She pulled her hands away from him, moving them around the front of his body and opening his jeans. He pulled back slightly from her kiss.

  “I thought you wanted to do this in the bedroom,” he said softly, teasing her.

  “I don’t care,” she shot back, finding his lips with hers again. She reached behind herself and pulled down the zipper on her skirt. It fell to the floor, and she kicked it away. Her panties were already gone. She had thrown them away in the ladies’ room at the office after Mitchell had torn straight through them.

  She took Mitchell’s wrist and moved his hand lower, pressing his fingers against her soaking mound. He moaned as he felt how wet she was, ready for him. It was her turn to moan when he pushed his fingers inside of her lips and began to massage her clit. She tilted her head back slightly as he kissed down the side of her neck, bringing a rush of goosebumps to the surface of her skin. She reached for his cock, pushing her hand into his open jeans and running her closed fist down the length of him, moving it in time with his fingers. Hearing the way his breathing changed, the way he moaned her name as she worked his cock, brought her own orgasm rushing closer. She loved the way she could have this effect on him.

  Mitchell pressed down hard on her clit, hard enough that she felt a sharp sting that instantly transformed to pleasure, bringing her orgasm exploding forth. She sucked in a breath as the waves of pleasure spread through her, making her lose her mind for a moment, feeling every nerve ending in her body firing. She held her breath, arching her back as Mitchell’s fingers continued to work her.

  She moved her hands to his shoulders, no longer able to think about maintaining her rhythm on his cock. Her head was spinning, her vision blurring as she gave herself over to him, letting him work his magic on her.

  Every muscle in Lexi’s body went rigid as pleasure ran over her skin, tickling her in the most delicious way, lighting up her cells, making her feel like she had never felt before. She cried out Mitchell’s name with a single gasped breath, and she didn’t recognize her own voice. The word came out low and husky, barely recognizable as a word, more like a primal growl of complete lust.

  Still his fingers worked her, pushing her closer and closer to total oblivion. For a moment, she panicked, wondering what would happen to her if she allowed herself to slip over the edge, but the panic didn’t last long. She only had to look into Mitchell’s eyes, which were now blood red, and she knew he would save her. She relaxed and let her orgasm wash her away, sweeping her into the oblivion of pleasure. Her body danced to Mitchell’s tune, and for a moment, she felt like she was outside of herself, coasting on air, flying.

  The sensation passed quickly, and she felt her rigid muscles again, her pulsing clit. She clung to Mitchell as the feeling began to pass, and when her legs buckled beneath her, Mitchell was ready. He caught her in his arms and swung her into the air to carry her up the stairs. She lay still in his arms, her head against his chest, enjoying the heavy feeling of contentment that filled her body. Her breathing returned to normal, and she inhaled Mitchell’s musky, slightly spicy smell.

  He carried her across the landing, seeming to know instinctively which room was hers. He crossed the room and laid her on the bed. She looked up at him, and she could see the lust in his eyes. Until her gaze met his, she didn’t think she could take anymore, but one look at those eyes, and she felt herself getting wetter, her body ready for more, even if her mind was still on shaky ground.

  Lexi watched Mitchell strip, and then he reached down to her and slowly unbuttoned her blouse. He slipped his hands beneath her shoulders, lifting her into a sitting position, and he pulled the blouse down her arms and threw it to one side. She was starting to feel more like herself again, and when he gently released her, she didn’t allow herself to flop back onto the bed. Instead, she reached out for Mitchell, pulling him to her and finding his lips with her own.

  She shuffled around until she was kneeling, and then she straddled Mitchell. He ran his hands up and down her back and over her ass, and her skin felt like fire beneath his touch. She pushed her tongue into his mouth, desperate to taste every part of it. She reached down for his cock again, and he moaned when she found it. She moved her hand up and down it until his moans became almost desperate in their intensity, and then she lifted herself, slipping his cock beneath her. She lowered herself onto it, taking in his full length.

  “You are mine, Lexi,” Mitchell whispered in a gruff voice, his breath tickling her ear, and she accepted his words, feeling the truth of them in every pore of her body.

  Lexi began to move herself up and down, feeling Mitchell’s cock rubbing over her g-spot with each thrust. She was already on the verge of an orgasm, and it didn’t take long until pleasure burst through her again. She buried her face against the side of Mitchell’s neck, breathing him in as she came hard. She had barely recovered when Mitchell wrapped his arms around her and pressed her to him. He came to his knees, and then he lowered her onto the mattress, coming down on top of her, his cock still deep in her pussy.

  She wrapped her legs around him, clutching him closer to her as he began to thrust into her, hard and fast. She knew he was close. He was panting now, his face twisting with pleasure, and she ran her nails lightly over his back. She could feel the scales that were popping out there, and when he moaned again, it was more of a roar. The primal sound of the animal within him sent shivers through Lexi, and as Mitchell spilled his seed into her, she felt her stomach and her clit contract once more. Their juices mixed as their desperate cries became one, and Lexi clung to Mitchell for all she was worth as they hurtled headlong through their shared orgasm.

  She flopped back against the pillow, and Mitchell slipped out of her, rolling to the side. They lay next to each other for a moment, trying to get themselves back under control. Lexi already missed the feel of him filling her up.

  When she felt like she could move again without coming undone, she shifted onto her side. Mitchell lifted his arm up, and she rested her head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her, and she put her hand on his stomach, feeling it moving up and down with his breathing. She watched her hand slow as Mitchell got his breath back.

  “There’s no going back now, Lexi. You are mine. Forever,” Mitchell whispered long after Lexi thought he had fallen asleep.

  “I know,” she replied simply.

  He kissed the top of her head, and she snuggled more tightly against him. If someone had told her she would meet a guy and be so certain of him after not even going on a real date that she was willing to agree to belonging to him forever, she would have laughed. Especially under the circumstances, but there was nothing funny about this. When she had agreed with him, she had meant it with all her heart, with all her soul. It felt right. Like they really belonged together.

  Lexi knew she was risking everything for Mitchell. Her career, her body, and now her heart, but she didn’t care. She wanted to take the risk. In that moment, she knew he was worth the risk. She knew she wanted him. For life. And she knew she would find out for sure if she had Sanmere in her blood. And if she did, she would take the biggest risk of all. She would have him turn her into a dragon shifter. And then they could have eternal love.

  She remembered Chessa’s warning, but she knew she wouldn’t be like those girls who regretted turning immortal. Those girls maybe hadn’t found their soul mate, but Lexi had, and she would never regret a moment of their lives together, not for all of eternity. She allowed herself to wonder about the future, to imagine what it would be like to fly. Would it be scary? Maybe it would be the first time, but she would be okay, because she would have Mitchell right by her side. He would never let anyone or anything hurt her.

  She closed her eyes, breathing in his scent, listening to the
rhythmic lull of his quiet snores, and she slipped away into sleep. Her slumber that night was dreamless, and when she awoke, she felt more rested than she had in years, despite only getting a few snatched hours of sleep.

  The first thing she noticed was that Mitchell was gone. She felt a moment of panic. Had he run out on her, afraid of what he was feeling? The second thing she noticed told her that wasn’t the case at all. The scent of coffee and pancakes meant he was still there. Her stomach growled, and she laughed quietly. Even the first throes of love didn’t get in the way of her appetite.

  She hopped out of bed and went to the bathroom. She brushed her teeth and showered quickly, and then she put on a knee length black dress. As much as she wanted to lock herself away with Mitchell, she couldn’t. She had work in an hour, and she had to find a way to prove Mitchell’s innocence.

  She walked down the stairs, telling herself she needed to get her head back in the game. The sight of Mitchell standing there in her kitchen, singing softly as he cooked her breakfast, made it a little harder to actually do it, and she told herself she would have one more hour of pretending everything was perfect. Once she got to the office, she would throw herself into her work completely.

  “Morning,” Mitchell said, turning his head to the side to kiss her.

  “I could get used to this,” Lexi said, nodding towards the breakfast frying in the pan. She moved to sit down at the table where Mitchell had left her a mug of steaming coffee. She took a drink, hummed happily, and had another drink.

  “I could get used to what happened last night.” Mitchell grinned. “So, here’s the deal. You make me come like that, I’ll make you whatever you want for breakfast.”

  “I reckon you’re getting the short end of the stick with that deal,” Lexi laughed as he put her pancakes on a plate in front of her. “Because I thought last night was pretty epic, too.”

  “While I’m with you, I’m never getting the short end of anything,” Mitchell said, sitting down beside as he dug into his pancakes. “Besides, I enjoy cooking.”

  Lexi kissed him on the lips. “God, how did I get so lucky? Good in bed and enjoys cooking. I’m going to wake up soon, aren’t I?”

  “I hope not,” Mitchell said.

  They ate the rest of their breakfast in comfortable silence. Lexi kept sneaking glances at Mitchell out of the corner of her eye. A couple of times, she caught him looking back, and they both laughed. She felt truly happy, full of hope, and she knew it was because of him. That happiness made her all the more determined to get to the bottom of this case and get it thrown out.

  Lexi jumped when Mitchell’s cell phone went off loudly, cutting through her thoughts.

  “Sorry,” Mitchell said. “I have to take this. It’s Samuel. He might have something for me.”

  Lexi nodded, telling him it was okay. Mitchell moved away from her and into the lounge. She could hear the low hum of his voice, but not what he was saying. She missed the closeness of him already.

  She stood up once she’d finished the last piece of her bacon and gathered up their plates. She took them over to the sink and began to fill it with warm soapy water. There were only their few breakfast pots, and it didn’t seem worth putting her dishwasher on for them. It would give her something to do until Mitchell came back.

  She had washed the plates and the mugs when she heard him return to the kitchen. She turned to face him, and his expression said that there would be no more messing around. He looked suddenly serious.

  “Did he have something?” she asked.

  “No,” he answered. “Not about the case. But something came up with the pack, and being the alpha, I have to go and sort it. I’m sorry to leave on such short notice, but I really do need to go and fix this.”

  “Of course, go,” she said, wiping her hands on a dish towel and moving towards him. She stood up on her tiptoes as Mitchell wrapped his arms around her. They kissed, a long, lingering kiss that only made Lexi crave his touch even more.

  “I’ll call you once I’m done, okay?” She nodded. “I miss you already,” he said, giving her another quick kiss before he dashed away.

  “Not half as much as I miss you,” Lexi said to the empty kitchen. She went back to the sink and began working on getting the grease off the frying pan. “Fuck!” she exclaimed out loud after a couple of minutes when she remembered that her car was still at Mitchell’s place. Now she would have to call an Uber, and she was bound to be late into the office. She sighed and reached for the dish towel again. The dishes would have to wait until she got home.

  She smiled as she heard footsteps behind her.

  “Oh, good, you remembered,” she said in relief. Lexi turned around, and her relief faded away, replaced with icy fingers of fear. A man stood in her kitchen—a man who wasn’t Mitchell. He seemed vaguely familiar, but she had no idea why. She definitely didn’t feel like she knew him. “Who the fuck are you? What do you want?” she demanded, her gaze falling on the block of kitchen knives.

  “Now, there’s no need for that kind of thinking,” the man said. Her head whipped back to him, and as she gazed into his purple eyes, eyes with no whites, she realized where she recognized him from: he was the demon from her dream, except he was in his human form now, a normal looking man with normal skin. “Come with me,” he said. “And you won’t get hurt. At least not yet.”

  The last thing Lexi wanted to do was go with him, but her feet were moving her across the kitchen and following him out of her house against her will.

  “I’m controlling your mind now, Lexi. There’s no point in fighting it, because you can’t,” he said matter-of-factly.

  “What do you want?” she asked again. “How do you know my name?”

  “I’ve been watching you. Well, more accurately, I’ve been watching Mitchell, and your closeness gave me a great idea for my revenge. Because that’s what I want. Revenge on Mitchell. And I think your death will do that just fine.”

  * * *

  By the time the car reached the cave from her dream, Lexi had given up trying to fight the demon’s mind control. He had been right. She couldn’t do it. No matter how much her mind screamed at her to act, to do something, her body just didn’t respond, answering instead to the demon’s commands.

  “Get out of the car. Don’t try to run,” he ordered.

  Lexi stood by the car, waiting patiently for the demon to join her.

  “You know my name. I think it’s only fair I should get to know yours,” she said.

  The demon looked at her, and then he shrugged. “I guess it can’t hurt, seeing as you’ll be dead soon. My name is Joshua.”

  Joshua smiled at Lexi as he moved around to her side of the car and took her wrist in his hand. He pulled her gently forward, and her feet betrayed her once more, following him into the cave. He nodded towards a cage made of cold looking metal bars and told her to get inside.

  “I thought you were going to kill me,” she said, stepping into the cage.

  “Oh, I am,” Joshua said. “But I want to get it on video. It’s not much of a revenge if Mitchell doesn’t get to see it, is it?”

  Lexi fell silent for a moment while Joshua moved around the cave, grabbing things. She knew she had to do something. Her body was still betraying her, but her mind was still working, at least for now.

  Think, Lexi! she commanded herself. It came to her in a rush of inspiration as Joshua walked back towards her. The camera he had set up was recording, and he carried a large knife. He opened the cage and stepped inside, beckoning Lexi. She went to his side, and he pressed the knife against her throat.

  “Wait!” she cried.

  “No more waiting. Any last words?”

  This was her chance, and she had to make it count. “I know what you are and what you do for a living. I have the Sanmere protein in my blood. Don’t kill me. Sell me.”

  Joshua frowned and lowered the knife. “Why haven’t you turned if you have the Sanmere in your blood?”

  She could hear the
suspicion in his voice, but she had his interest.

  “I thought we had time,” she said. “I wanted to wait a little while.”

  Joshua grinned, an evil little grin. “You realize I’m not just going to take your word for this, right? I intend to test your blood, and if you’ve lied to me, I will make your death last for hours. And it will be excruciating. I’ll make sure of it.”

  “It’s a good thing I’m not lying then, isn’t it,” Lexi said, sounding more confident than she felt. Joshua came towards her with the knife again. He pulled a test tube out of his pocket.

  “Palm,” he demanded. Lexi held her palm out. He made a small cut with the knife and squeezed a drop of her blood into the test tube. “I can wait another few days for my revenge,” he said, seemingly to himself. “Watching you go off with another shifter, turning into an immortal creature, anything but a dragon. Now that will be torture.”

  He locked the cage door and disappeared from sight. Lexi sat down heavily on the ground. She had bought herself a few days. Maybe. Now she just had to hope Mitchell came through for her in reality, like he had in her dream, that he somehow worked out where she was. Because if he didn’t, the thought of being sold to an immortal and turned into a shifter against her will to live an eternal lie sounded suddenly much worse a fate than mere death.

  11

  Mitchell woke up and rolled over to grab his cell phone. His heart sank when he looked at the screen. No missed calls. No text messages. He had been hoping to spend last night with Lexi, but she hadn’t even returned his calls or messages, and now he put his cell phone down on the duvet beside him and sighed. He was starting to think he’d scared her off. Not so much with the talk of him being a dragon; her sister was a bear, after all, but with the talk of her being his forever. He had come on too strong, and although she had seemed happy in the moment, once she had the chance to think it through alone, she’d clearly panicked.